:Psychedelic Psychiatry: LSD from Clinic to Campus
The American Historical Review June 1, 2009 DOI: 10.1086/ahr.114.3.801 via OpenAlex
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractA review of Erika Dyck's book on the history of LSD in psychiatry, which traces the drug's journey from a clinical tool to a recreational substance associated with campus counterculture. The book examines how researchers initially explored LSD's therapeutic potential for treating alcoholism and mental illness, but as the drug escaped the clinic and became linked with 1960s youth movements, its medical promise was overshadowed by political and cultural controversies. Dyck argues that this shift was not simply a story of scientific failure but reflected broader social tensions around authority, expertise, and the meaning of psychedelic experiences.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Historical analysis Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Psychiatry Library science History Art Medicine |
| Citations | 32 |
| Key finding | LSD's transition from a psychiatric therapeutic to a recreational drug was shaped by cultural and political forces, not just scientific evidence. |
Abstract
Journal Article Erika Dyck. Psychedelic Psychiatry: LSD from Clinic to Campus. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. 2008. Pp. xiii, 199. $35.00 Get access Erika Dyck. Psychedelic Psychiatry: LSD from Clinic to Campus. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. 2008. Pp. xiii, 199. $35.00. Edward Shorter Edward Shorter University of Toronto Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar The American Historical Review, Volume 114, Issue 3, June 2009, Pages 801–802, https://doi.org/10.1086/ahr.114.3.801 Published: 01 June 2009