From Psychiatric Clinics to Magical Center: LSD in the Netherlands
The MIT Press eBooks November 21, 2023 DOI: 10.7551/mitpress/14417.003.0023 (opens in new tab) via OpenAlex
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractThe authors argue that Dutch psychedelic history was distinctive in three domains: in psychiatry, LSD therapy was employed to treat World War II trauma; in society, activist and user groups engaged in a playful transformation of society into a "Magical Center"; and in economics, the Netherlands became a major hub for the illegal production and distribution of LSD worldwide.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Historical analysis Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Center category theory Psychiatry Magical thinking Psychology Alternative medicine |
| Citations | 1 |
| Key finding | Argues that Dutch psychedelic history was characterized by the use of LSD therapy for WWII trauma, a playful societal transformation by activists and users into a "Magical Center," and the Netherlands' key role in illegal LSD production and distribution. |
Abstract
Dutch psychedelic history had its own characteristics. In psychiatry, LSD therapy was used for the management of the traumas of World War II; in Dutch society, overlapping groups of activists and psychedelics users were involved in a playful transformation of society into a “Magical Center”; and in economics, the Netherlands became a key player in the illegal production and distribution of LSD worldwide.