MAPS Canada School of Psychedelics

Talk abstract

We are enjoying a resurgence of interest in psychedelics in the 21st century, but these ideas have long and quite diverse roots in history. In this presentation I consider some of the global expressions of interest in non-ordinary states of consciousness, ideas that culminated in the concept of psychedelics in the mid-20th century. I track the scientific, medical, spiritual, and cultural antecedents of the current psychedelic moment and urge us to consider what is at stake in the future of psychedelics. This presentation is based in part on my recent book: Erika Dyck, Psychedelics: A Visual Odyssey (MIT Press, 2024).