Psyched Out
Your comprehensive guide to the science, history, and cultural relevance of psychedelics
This is your brain
This is your brain on drugs
About This Project
During the war on drugs, the Controlled Substances Act classified psychedelics as schedule 1 in the United States. This halted promising research on the benefits of compounds like LSD (acid) and Psilocybin (“magic mushrooms”). However, today we are seeing a psychedelic renaissance of sorts, with the resurgence of scientific trials that highlight their medical potential. This project aims to demystify the science, history, and cultural significance of these substances, as well as push back against a narrative that almost succeeded at ceasing this research for good.
Neuroscience
Want to know exactly what happens in your brain during this experience? Curious about the neurochemical behaviors that make you trip?
History
Psychedelic research in the 1960s was booming. How did America's political and social climate halt this research? Where are we today with these substances?
Indigenous Peoples & Psychedelics
The West was not the first to discover or embrace the therapeutic and medical potential of psychedelics. How did indigenous peoples use them ? How can we use them as an example?
The Path Moving Forward
Oregon was the first state to decriminalize all drugs, including psychedelics. Between the options of decriminalization, legalization, and medicalization, what is the best route?