LSD Archives - PsyPolitics

The cyber-psychedelic transformation of capitalism and the economics of ego death [slides] (2026)

Originally presented at the Capitalism and Mental Health Workshop, Birkbeck, University of London, Bloomsbury, 15 January 2026

‘Phantastica oder Halluzinatoria’: Louis Lewin, 1924 (2024)

In the 1924 seminal book known simply as ‘Phantastica’, Lewin talked about ‘Phantastica oder Halluzinatoria’.

November 5th: Trump and hallucinogens (2024)

Many of the figures close to Trump as major supporters both politically and in the media have a singular characteristic in common: they are public supporters, if not declared users, of hallucinogens. Substances such as ketamine, peyote or mescaline, magic mushrooms or psilocybin, LSD and the like.

What explains this incredible concentration of people in favor of powerful drugs like hallucinogens – including candidates for the coming second Trump administration – around the 45th and now 47th President of the United States of America, Donald J. Trump ?

5 novembre: Trump e gli allucinogeni (2024)

Molti dei personaggi vicini a Trump come grandi sostenitori sia politici sia mediatici hanno una caratteristica singolare in comune: sono sostenitori pubblici, quando non usatori dichiarati, di allucinogeni.

Cosa spiega questa incredibile concentrazione di persone favorevoli a droghe potenti come gli allucinogeni intorno al 45mo e adesso 47mo Presidente degli Stati Uniti d’America, Donald J. Trump ?

To attain visions at will? Loeb, 1933: “When a being is in possession of them, he knows or thinks he knows the meaning of life” (2024)

Harold Loeb’s utopia as the source of “capitalist realism” and “acid communism”?

“Codex Jung”, vangeli gnostici e UFO (2024)

Attorno alla figura di Jung si concentrano temi che stanno emergendo nel dibattito pubblico contemporaneo, si vedano lo gnosticismo, gli allucinogeni per tramite di Osmond che pubblicò per primo il termine ‘psichedelico’ e dello psicoanalista junghiano di Harvard, Henry Murray, così come temi legati ad alieni, dischi volanti e cosiddetti U.F.O.

Fentanyl, in Oregon è stato di emergenza. Ma c’è molto di più – ilGiornale.it (2024)

“La governatrice dell’Oregon ha dichiarato lo stato di emergenza per l’aumento di casi di overdose legati all’uso di questo potente antidolorifico oppioide. Nel 2020 un referendum depenalizzò l’uso di droghe. Abbiamo chiesto un commento all’epidemiologo Federico Soldani”

“The Hallucinogens”, 1967 treatise by Hoffer and Osmond (2024)

“It seems appropriate to continue using the term hallucinogens for a variety of substances which can produce reactions which may be psychotomimetic, psychedelic, or delirient, depending upon many other factors”.

Hallucinogens “may produce marked changes in our society”.

Hallucinogens: antidepressants hype, cubed (2023)

Such hype involves substances furthermore that by their very nature cannot be blinded or masked in rigorous clinical studies – think of masking or blinding a study participant for an hallucinogen – and about which the political hype is very high instead. At the end of each study, participants should routinely be asked a simple question, or a variation of it – entirely free of additional costs or time for researchers – which is not asked in major studies including the first randomised clinical trial published recently on this topic in the most prominent medical journal in the world, the New England Journal of Medicine, April 2021:

“What drug do you think you were given, the actual hallucinogen or the sugar pill?” Such type of question might perhaps help sedating the hype a little.

‘Amica psilo’. Fachinelli, 1989 (2023)

“Differenza rispetto ad altre ‘droghe’ – che gettano in un infinito galoppante, turbolento. Qui un addentramento lento, per piccoli spostamenti – oppure, ed è lo stesso, occhi che via via si aggiungono, altre visioni convergenti.

Non si tratta di ‘tagliare’ col mondo, con la realtà, violentemente. Per me, basta spostare dei fili, dei legami, come si spostano i rami di un albero per vedere il mare, una radura.

Lo spicco, lo splendore di ogni cosa nasce dalla sospensione dei suoi collegamenti – nel tempo, nello spazio, nell’ordine causale. Un rumore mi sorprende e mi fa sobbalzare, imprevisto, solitario: eppure è quello, familiare, di una porta che sbatte.”

“(Più tardi). I temuti flashback degli allucinogeni: ritorni di ciò che si è provato sotto il loro effetto qualche tempo dopo, in piena “sobrietà”. Come una via ormai tracciata – ritrovata.”

‘Entheogens’ and ‘The Road to Eleusis’ (2022)

“When the recent surge of recreational use of so-called ‘hallucinogenic’ or ‘psychedelic’ drugs first came to popular attention in the early 1960’s, it was commonly viewed with suspicion and associated with the behavior of deviant or revolutionary groups.”

“Not only is ‘psychedelic’ an incorrect verbal formation, but it has become so invested with connotations of the pop-culture of the 1960’s that it is incongruous to speak of a shaman’s taking a ‘psychedelic’ drug.”

“We therefore, propose a new term that would be appropriate for describing states of shamanic and ecstatic possession induced by ingestion of mind-altering drugs.”

‘Hallucinogens, not psychedelics’. A letter to the Editor of The New England Journal of Medicine (2021)

“Narcotics that induce hallucinations are variously called hallucinogens (hallucination generators), psychotomimetics (psychosis mimickers), psychotaraxics (mind disturbers), and psychedelics (mind manifesters).

No one term fully satisfies scientists, but hallucinogens comes closest. Psychedelic is most widely used in the United States, but it combines two Greek roots incorrectly, is biologically unsound, and has acquired popular meanings beyond the drugs or their effects.”

Leading London psychiatric hospital starts a partnership with Nasdaq-listed hallucinogens company (2022)

“South London and Maudsley has announced a new partnership to launch The Centre for Mental Health Research and Innovation to accelerate psychedelic research and develop new models of care for mental health in the UK.

Working together with the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King’s College London, and COMPASS Pathways, a mental health care company dedicated to accelerating patient access to evidence-based innovation in mental health, this pioneering collaboration will provide patient access to cutting edge research studies in multiple areas of high unmet need in mental health.

The Centre will accelerate research of emerging psychedelic therapies, support therapist training and certification, evaluate real-world evidence, and prototype digital technologies to enable personalised, predictive and preventative care models.”