A dangerous method? Psychedelic therapy at Modum Bad, Norway, 1961–76
History of Psychiatry June 1, 2020 DOI: 10.1177/0957154x19894537 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Historical analysis Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 379 |
| Population | Inpatients at Modum Bad Nervesanatorium |
| Intervention | psychedelic drugs |
| Duration | 1961-76 |
| Topics | Psychedelic-assisted therapy |
| Key points | Argues that insights from a historical psychedelic therapy program at Modum Bad, which initially appeared effective but later revealed long-term harm, can benefit current psychedelic treatment efforts. |
Abstract
After many years of disregard, the use of psychedelic drugs in psychiatric treatment has re-emerged in recent years. The prospect that psychedelics may again be integrated into mainstream psychiatry has aroused interest in long-forgotten research and experience from the previous phase of psychedelic therapy, which lasted from the late 1940s to the 1970s. This article will discuss one large-scale psychedelic therapy programme at Modum Bad Nervesanatorium, a psychiatric clinic which treated 379 inpatients with psychedelic drugs during the years 1961-76. The psychiatrists there initially regarded the psychedelic treatment as efficacious and without serious negative reactions, but reports of long-term harm have since surfaced. This article discusses how insights from Modum Bad might benefit the new generation of psychedelic treatment efforts.