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)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Historical analysis Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Ayahuasca LSD Mescaline Psilocybin |
| Keywords | Hallucinogen Psychoanalysis Psychotherapist |
| Citations | 18 |
| Key points | 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 . . .
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on mescaline, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Schizophrenia: A New Approach. II. Result of a Year's Research | 1954 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Thought insertion as a self-disturbance: An integration of predictive coding and phenomenological approaches | 2016 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Entactogens: How the Name for a Novel Class of Psychoactive Agents Originated | 2022 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Steric and Electronic Relationships among Some Hallucinogenic Compounds | 1970 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| EFFECT OF DRUGS One individual | 1952 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | n = 1 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 14
- Psychedelics in the treatment of unipolar and bipolar depression International Journal of Bipolar Disorders July 5, 2022
- Beating pain with psychedelics: Matter over mind? Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews December 16, 2021
- Emergency Department Visits Involving Hallucinogen Use and Risk of Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorder. JAMA Psychiatry February 1, 2025
- If the Doors of Perception Were Cleansed, Would Chronic Pain be Relieved? Evaluating the Benefits and Risks of Psychedelics. Journal of Pain October 1, 2022
- Efficacy and Safety of Four Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies for Adults with Symptoms of Depression, Anxiety, and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Journal of Psychoactive Drugs November 15, 2023
and 9 more in the library
Cites 8
- Trial of Psilocybin versus Escitalopram for Depression New England Journal of Medicine April 14, 2021
- Psychedelics Promote Structural and Functional Neural Plasticity Cell Reports June 1, 2018
- A non-hallucinogenic psychedelic analogue with therapeutic potential. Nature 2021
- The Current Status of Psychedelics in Psychiatry. JAMA Psychiatry February 1, 2021
- Unifying Theories of Psychedelic Drug Effects Frontiers in Pharmacology March 2, 2018
and 3 more in the library