The history of psychedelics and why psychedelic stories matter

Erika Dyck argues that how people learn about psychedelics today matters, based on the histories of these drugs and their use in clinical medicine. Psychedelic drugs have a long and colorful history that has influenced attitudes across academia, culture, and medicine since before the 1950s, but their history has been marked by polarizing opinions, with negative cultural attitudes toward non-medical drug use and consciousness-altering substances in medicine. More recent public conversations feature enthusiastic claims about benefits that often sever the current culture of psychedelics from the past, potentially distancing them from conservative mainstream institutions like universities, food and drug administrations, and healthcare systems.

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Abstract

The history of psychedelics and why psychedelic stories matter Erika Dyck argues that how people learn about psychedelics today matters, based on the histories of these drugs and how they have been and should be used in clinical medicine. While these substances have piqued the interest and influenced the attitudes of individuals across academia, culture, and medicine, expanding before and well after the 1950's, Dr. Dyck notes that psychedelic drugs have had a long and colourful history. However, their history has not come without polarising opinions, as until recently, trends in cultural attitudes towards non-medical drug use in general and the role of consciousness-altering substances in clinical medicine have often been negative. Despite this writing tradition, more and more public conversations on psychedelics are coming from people with enthusiastic claims about the benefits of psychedelic drug use that rely on severing the current culture of psychedelics from the past, and some might even suggest severing psychedelics from mainstream institutions which tend to be more conservative – like universities or food and drug administrations, or even healthcare systems.