Unseen Women in Psychedelic History

Women's contributions to psychedelic exploration and research in the twentieth century have been under-reported, with their roles often obscured or subsumed under more famous male figures. Mabel Luhan and Valentina Wasson are known but their individual impacts are not fully represented; Wasson's work is overshadowed by her husband, and Luhan's interference in Taos Pueblo peyote politics is overlooked. Poet Mary Barnard's lyrical psychedelic writing is less celebrated than her Sappho translations. Therapists Gertrude Paltin and Kay Parley wrote valuably on psychedelics for spiritual development, personal discovery, and therapy, yet remain almost unknown. Many other women's significant contributions are poorly recorded.

Study at a glance

Abstract

The drug experiences of women in Western society have been both sensationalized for their scandalous aspects and sterilized in clinical reports, but the role of women in the investigation of psychedelics in modern Western history is obscure, and the identities and activities of early women participants are often unknown. This paper explores some of the under-reported history of women’s contributions to psychedelic exploration and research in the twentieth century. Mabel Luhan and Valentina Wasson represent women whose stories have entered the canon of psychedelic history but have failed to fully represent their individual impact. Wasson’s work is often subsumed under that of her more well-known husband. Luhan is considered to be a psychedelic pioneer, but her pattern of interference in the politics of peyote in the Taos Pueblo is often overlooked. The poet Mary Barnard is well-known as a translator of Sappho, but her lyrical writing on psychedelics is less celebrated. Gertrude Paltin and Kay Parley are female therapists and authors whose valuable writing on psychedelics is almost unknown in the field. There remain many women whose significant contributions to the exploration and employment of psychedelics for spiritual development, personal discovery, individual betterment or therapeutic impact have not been well recorded.