In late-1960s and early-1970s West Germany, psychedelic drug use served as a technology of the self, enabling individuals to cultivate certain feelings while avoiding others. Drawing on the History of Emotions and Practice Theory, this analysis shows that the emotional practices surrounding drug consumption included preparation, recognition, cultivation, and verbal articulation of emotions. The article contributes to the historical study of drugs, emotions, and the German counterculture.
Jakob Tanner, a pioneer in German-language body and drug history, discusses how the concept of 'Rausch' (ecstasy, trance, intoxication) can enrich the historiographical study of modern societies. In this interview, he examines theoretical and methodological approaches in drug history, emphasizing that the meanings of ecstatic states have shifted across historical contexts. Tanner highlights the interplay between language and ecstatic experience, critiques classical narratives, and points to new analytical tools. He repeatedly stresses how different historical actors ascribed changing meanings to states of intoxication, and he draws attention to the interrelationships among notions of 'Rausch', drug politics, and social power structures.