Ligare Stories
A Storytelling Project
Bridging Christianity and Psychedelic Medicine
“MAPS has pledged our support [for Ligare Stories] through our social media networks… because the more we can reach out to Christians, the better.”
—Rick Doblin
Dear Donor,
I’m reaching out to invite you into a project with the power to change lives, reshape narratives, and heal deep divides.
For decades, Christians have been taught to fear psychedelics—told they are immoral, spiritually dangerous, or a threat to faith. At the same time, much of the psychedelic advocacy world has written Christianity off as outdated or destructive. The result is a tragic misunderstanding that has kept countless people—many of them struggling with trauma, depression, or even suicidal thoughts—away from medicines that could transform and save their lives.
Ligare Stories is here to change that. This film project brings forward the voices of Christians whose lives have been healed through psychedelic therapy: Navy SEALs and Green Berets who overcame the scars of war, Johns Hopkins clergy study participants who found new life in their vocations, and everyday believers who remain rooted in their faith while embracing these powerful tools for healing.
The project will result in a 60-minute feature film paired with dozens of short, stand-alone clips designed for wide sharing on social media. This two-tier strategy ensures depth of storytelling while also reaching millions through highly shareable, bite-sized testimonies.
We already have the support of MAPS and Rick Doblin personally, who have pledged to amplify the launch of Ligare Stories to an immediate audience of 250,000 people, with anticipated reach of over 1,000,000 impressions in the first year. With your help, this project can become a catalyst for Christians and communities everywhere to see psychedelics not as a threat, but as medicine, as healing, and even as a bridge to deeper spiritual lives.
To bring this to life, we are seeking $250,000 in funding. Your contribution will directly support filming, crew, travel, equipment, and post-production. We also want you to know that your generosity will not go unnoticed: if you wish, your name or organization can appear in the credits as an Executive Producer or under a “Made Possible By…” recognition.
This is more than a film. It is a unifying movement that breaks stigma, opens hearts, and creates a new narrative for faith and healing. With your support, we can bring these stories to the people who need them most.
I would love to connect with you to discuss this opportunity further. Thank you for considering how your gift can play a direct role in saving lives, renewing faith, and shaping a more compassionate future.
Thank you for your consideration,
Hunt Priest
Who We Are
Ligare is a nonprofit community of Christian leaders, educators, scholars, spiritual guides, and psychedelic researchers. Together, we are committed to breaking down stigma and bridging the gap between Christianity and plant medicine. Our work is rooted in the Christian contemplative tradition, and our goal is simple: to make healing accessible to all who desire it.
The Divide
For decades, propaganda has fueled misunderstanding. Many psychedelic advocates see Christianity as outdated or even harmful. Meanwhile, many Christians have been taught to view psychedelics as spiritually dangerous or immoral.
This film asks a bold question: Can psychedelics and Christianity co-exist? Through real stories, Ligare Stories shows that they already do.
Proof of Concept
We’ve already begun. A proof of concept demonstrates the tone, style, and power of first-person testimonies, capturing authentic Christian voices who found healing through psychedelics.
Early responses (nearly 2000 people) show strong potential to reach both faith-based and general audiences. It proves our ability to execute with quality and resonance.
🎥 Watch here: Proof of Concept Video
Long-Form Film + Short-Form Clips
Ligare Stories is designed as a long-form feature documentary (60 minutes) that weaves together the personal testimonies of Christians, military veterans, and leaders whose lives have been transformed by psychedelics. The long-form piece provides the space to tell a nuanced, moving story that can reach audiences through festivals, conferences, churches, and streaming platforms.
But the impact doesn’t end there. To ensure the widest possible reach, we will also create stand-alone short clips from the same footage. These 1–3 minute segments will feature potent moments of testimony that can live independently on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube Shorts, and other social platforms.
This two-tier approach ensures:
● Added Value: Every shoot produces both a film and an ongoing library of short-form content.
● Wider Audience Reach: Clips are designed to be easily shared, helping us reach people where they are most active online.
● Potent Messaging: Bite-sized testimonies create powerful entry points for new audiences, sparking curiosity and opening the door to the full film.
By combining long-form storytelling with highly shareable short content, Ligare Stories maximizes both depth and accessibility—building momentum across generations and platforms.
The Power of Military Voices
In addition to many amazing civilian testimonies, we are honored to have the commitment of several Navy SEALs, Green Berets, and other American military elite who, as Christians, have experienced profound healing through plant medicine. Their stories of surviving trauma, overcoming depression, and preventing suicide carry unmatched credibility.
These voices, forged in the crucible of service, have the unique power to diminish stigma in even the toughest circles. When American war heroes speak openly about how psychedelics saved their lives, it opens doors for countless others—Christians and non-Christians alike—to seek similar life-saving therapy without shame or fear.
Budget Requirement
To bring this vision to life, we require $250,000. This funding will allow us to:
● Travel with a small crew to U.S. and international locations.
● Cover crew day rates, equipment, travel, and lodging.
● Complete professional post-production: editing, sound design, color, and scoring.
*Please feel free to inquire about budgetary needs and a more complete breakdown of requirements and costs to produce this project.
The Reach and Support
We are not starting from scratch. Ligare Stories has the active support of MAPS and Rick Doblin personally. With their help, the project will launch to an immediate audience of up to 250,000 people through their networks alone. Combined with our own outlets, we project well over 1,000,000 impressions in the first year of release. This ensures that your investment doesn’t just fund a film project—it fuels a movement that will reach hearts and minds on a global scale.
Your donation ensures we can deliver both a 60-minute feature film and a series of short-form stories with the impact and quality needed to rewrite the narrative around plant medicine and christianity’s relationship with it.
Who’s Involved:
Hunt Priest Hunt Priest is the founder of Ligare: A Christian Psychedelic Society and a former Episcopal priest whose transformative participation in the 2016 Johns Hopkins/NYU Psilocybin Study for Religious Leaders reshaped his ministry. Featured in outlets such as The New Yorker, Esquire, Die Zeit, and Trouw, Hunt has since dedicated his life to the intersection of Christianity and psychedelic healing. In 2021, he launched Ligare to educate and connect Christian leaders, researchers, clinicians, and seekers, fostering communities of healing grounded in the Christian contemplative tradition.
Adam Stielstra Writer, Director, and Producer. Adam is an award-winning storyteller and co-creator of the internationally successful Nooma film series with Rob Bell, which sold more than 20 million copies. Over 27 years, Adam has collaborated with thought-leaders to craft films and campaigns that connect with audiences around urgent cultural issues. His career is dedicated to creating stories that inspire healing, transformation, and unity.
For further conversation, please reach out to Adam at 303.250.9540 Feel free to text.