PROVO, Utah — It's a case that tests the boundaries of religious freedom. Prosecutors in Utah County say the founder of Singularism, where they use psilocybin or magic mushrooms in their services, is simply breaking the law, and has appealed last month's ruling.
Singularism founder Bridger Jensen invited FOX 13 News inside the church to explain what they do and why he believes it should be protected under his constitutional rights.
"People from all backgrounds come and can participate in a process to find existential meaning and participate in a process that is truly mystical," Jensen told FOX 13 News last month, just after the ruling by Utah District Judge Jill Parish came down halting his criminal proceedings and allowing him to continue with their practices serving a tea with the psilocybin in ceremonies.
"We help people figure out or affirm their own religion."
Not calling himself a prophet, but rather a practitioner to help his fellow voyagers. Voyagers is the term Bridger used to describe the people who come to his facility to participate in the ceremonies and, in turn, help write their church's scripture.
"We pose no harm to the public. And in fact, maybe doing things to help the public. As in contrast to what they said, we were a public nuisance and a safety hazard, and all these things."
Bridger called Judge Parish's ruling a major win. It characterized the county attorney's action in the case as harassment and stated that his office acted in 'bad faith'.
It is the first time Utah's Freedom of Religion Act, passed into law last year, was cited in a case.\
"Not only that, but it’s the first time anyone ever in all of US history has won the organizational right to use magic mushrooms for religious purposes, so it’s a major win."
On Wednesday, Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray agreed to talk to FOX 13 News in response to the latest federal ruling, which they officially appealed on Friday.
"We’re dealing with psilocybin, which is a schedule one controlled substance, which means there’s no accepted medical use for this drug and it’s a very serious offense and we want to protect public safety," Gray said.
"One of the primary issues in this case is whether or not he has a sincerely held religious belief, and we believe the evidence will show that it’s not."
Gray says he also took issue with what Judge Parish detailed as their office acting in 'bad faith', "It's really quite remarkable that you’d be shown in bad faith based on cross-examination in a court of law and in discovery. That’s something that lawyers do every day."
Another issue he says they had with the ruling is one that he says infers Utah's drug laws violate the First Amendment.
"I just want what the constitution extends, the rights the constitution extends," Bridger told FOX 13 News in August.
He is allowed to continue ceremonies at his Singularism facility in Provo as they await a ruling from the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Bridger says this all began when his facility was raided by Provo City police November 11, 2024.
"They surrounded me with a SWAT team in the parking lot, they brought me down here and detained me, and searched our center."
They seized the mushrooms that have since been returned.
"We're just hoping to continue to practice what we do and get increasingly better and better at serving the public," Bridger said.
