Psychedelics Today

In this episode, Joe Moore is joined by Mareesa Stertz and Tania Abdul, the visionaries behind Sphinx Gate, one of Burning Man 2025’s most ambitious and mythic art installations. Inspired by The NeverEnding Story, Sphinx Gate features two towering 34-foot sphinxes and a fully immersive, transformative art experience designed to help participants gain a deeper understanding of themselves. The trio explores how art and play can catalyze personal and collective transformation—without the need for psychedelics—by helping people reframe inner challenges as quests for growth. They discuss the project's mythic inspiration, how it has evolved into a “transmersive” self-discovery journey, and how community co-creation has made this dream real. With rituals, interactive stations, laser-eyed sphinxes, and an oracle offering personalized missions, Sphinx Gate blends storytelling, inner work, and spectacle. They also touch on the deeper intention: shifting culture by normalizing integration, peer support, and emotional ex