There is a resurgence of interest in psychedelics in the medical world as possible treatments for conditions such as depression, anxiety, and PTSD. This resurgence comes after a period during which psychedelic drugs were thought to be dangerous and have no medical value. An earlier perception was more optimistic. Figures such as Margaret Meade and Timothy Leary looked to drugs like peyote and LSD to allay fears, provide insights, broaden cultural perspectives and lead to chemical enlightenment.
As mainstream institutions take yet another look, join us to examine the changing legal, medical and cultural perspectives on psychedelic drugs.
Benjamin Breen is Associate Professor of history at the University of California, Santa Cruz. His second book is Tripping on Utopia: Margaret Meade, the Cold War and the Troubled Birth of Psychedelic Science. In addition to his academic publications, his writing has appeared in the The Washington Post, Paris Review Daily, The Atlantic, Slate, Aeon, The Pacific Standard, The Chronicle of Higher Education, The Public Domain Review, Nautilus, and Lapham’s Quarterly.