Back to the Future — The Therapeutic Potential of Psychedelic Drugs
New England Journal of Medicine April 14, 2021 DOI: 10.1056/nejme2102835 (opens in new tab) via OpenAlex
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractAldous Huxley described his mescaline experience as the most extraordinary and significant experience available, following the 1938 synthesis of LSD by Albert Hoffman and preceding Hoffman's 1959 extraction of psilocybin from Psilocybe mexicana. The convergence of scientific research with natural substances historically used by Indigenous peoples in healing and religious rituals sparked interest in what British psychiatrist Sir Humphrey Osmond termed psychedelic (Greek for "mind manifesting") drugs.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Historical analysis Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Ayahuasca LSD Mescaline Psilocybin |
| Keywords | Hallucinogen Medicine |
| Citations | 18 |
| Key finding | Argues that the convergence of scientific research and Indigenous use of natural substances sparked interest in psychedelic drugs, as exemplified by Huxley's account of mescaline, Hofmann's synthesis of LSD and extraction of psilocybin, and Osmond's coining of the term "psychedelic." |
Abstract
In The Doors of Perception, Aldous Huxley described his trial of mescaline as "the most extraordinary and significant experience available to human beings this side of the Beatific Vision." His exegesis was preceded by the synthesis of the hallucinogen lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) by Sandoz chemist Albert Hoffman in 1938 and was followed by Hoffman's extraction of psilocybin from Psilocybe mexicana in 1959.1 The convergence of scientific research and natural substances historically used by Indigenous peoples in healing and religious rituals sparked interest in what the British psychiatrist Sir Humphrey Osmond termed psychedelic (Greek for "mind manifesting") drugs. Excitement over . . .