Yesterday I posted about the discriminatory and antisemitic email someone from the Psychedelic Somatic Institute (PSI) sent an Israeli woman. I criticized PSI for not apologizing for the conduct of their employee and shutting down the conversation on social media by closing off comments, which I posited “suggests they are either trying to cover up her actions…. or, even more troubling, agree with them.” I then suggested it might be the second option, since “the PSI’s founder Saj Razvi is allegedly a huge Israel hater himself” (according to the Physicians Against Antisemitism Instagram account).
It turns out Razvi has confessed to being behind the email – sent in the name of his employee – and apologized.
The apology appears on their website as of the time of this post:
Dear PSI, Israeli and larger psychedelic healing communities,
This is my first public reply to the unfolding conversation regarding PSI’s email response to an Israeli applicant. If you have not seen it, the reply was:
“Thank you for your email and your interest in the PSI Apprentice Training program. Under the current circumstances of apartheid, ethnic cleansing and credible accusations of genocide, we are not at this time comfortable engaging with citizens of Israel.”
I have to begin with an apology to that applicant and the larger Israeli community. I was completely in the wrong by responding to the applicant from my personal, subjective, emotion-filled, reactive opinion instead of recognizing the healing mission that could be accomplished by being inclusive, cooperative and providing trainings for people in the Israeli healing communities. All people deserve access to healing, and I led with the part of myself that had lost connection to that truth. This is painfully obvious to me at this moment. I deeply regret that I did not respond from the non-discriminatory, inclusive, healing role PSI should take as an organization.
While this is no excuse, I wanted to give you some context about what was going on in my world. My father passed away a few days ago, and things were pretty bad leading up to it. Because he and I were estranged, I thought this situation was not affecting me which could not be further from the truth. I’m only now seeing how this was hitting me like a ton of bricks the entire time… numbing me out, triggering me, distorting my thoughts, distorting my judgements. I was altered and reactive for weeks around my father’s death and didn’t see it. It was from that place that I made this awful decision of sending this divisive and harmful response to an applicant sincerely desiring to bring PSI to help the suffering in Israel.
So, to the Israeli community, I am deeply sorry. I’m saying this knowing that my ability to feel what is going on for you and your community that I have hurt is still limited. I truly don’t know your reality. What I know is that there are a great many good people in Israel working for peace and the healing of trauma. Ironically, this is the entire mission of PSI. It kills me to feel how I have damaged trust in the Israeli, PSI, and larger psychedelic healing communities by adding discrimination and alienation into a conversation that should be about growing trust, understanding and inclusion.
I also want to say that this was 100% me and my blind process. No one else at PSI, not Jean, not the instructors had any part in this. This letter and everything contained in it is also coming only from me. It’s not being vetted by a lawyer, or a PR firm—it’s unpolished, incomplete and far from perfect. It’s me being as transparent as I can be in owning my shocking error in judgment.
I want you to know that I am in deep reflection on all of this, and realize that I cannot even begin to understand the larger cultural forces, the historical wounds, the triggers that I may have opened as a result of this. What I do know is that the path is not in the direction of more alienation and ‘othering’. This basic idea was so confusing in my altered state but seems so obvious in the light of day. It seems so obvious that healing and reconciliation do not happen without relationship. I can say with clarity that discrimination and exclusion are NOT a part of the culture at PSI, and I would like to extend a bridge to the Israeli healing communities that would like to work with us. I am deeply sorry that my personal process took the path that it did and I ask for your forgiveness. In the future, we will be taking steps to make sure any one person’s distortions (especially that of the founder) are checked and vetted by a larger committee.
I know this is not enough. I’m fully aware that it does not capture the depth of your experience and that of your communities. I am seeking avenues to learn and repair this rupture. I hope this is at least a place to start.
With deep remorse and apology,
Saj Razvi
I don’t buy it. According to the Physicians Against Antisemitism Instagram account, someone spoke with Razvi years ago, and he made it clear he is a virulent Israel-hater who supports BDS. Blaming it on the dog eating his homework his dad’s passing days ago just doesn’t ring true, and sounds more like an excuse designed to mitigate the financial damage his business is no doubt now sustaining thanks to the terrible publicity generated by this incident.
And even if this was true, I am not sure I would feel comfortable that the founder of an institute implementing a therapy to treat mental disorders does not seem to have his own mental sh*t together.
Meanwhile, Israellycool reader Esty sent an email to one of the PSI instructors and received this reply:
I suspect they are as furious and upset as we all are.
Updates:
27/2/25: From a Facebook profile with his name and photo:
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