ABOUTThe Psychedelic History Archive is a digital collection focused on the broad and varied history of psychedelic substances over the last 500 years. We seek to document not just the well-known contributions of 20th century scientists, but also the roles of indigenous cultures, lesser-known researchers, and personal experiences with psychedelics submitted by the general public.
The Psychedelic History Archive is currently a work in progress, with plans for a soft launch of the site in summer of 2024. The project is directed by Benjamin Breen (Associate Professor of History, University of California, Santa Cruz) and is supported by a grant from The Humanities Institute at UCSC. It aims to provide a scholarly context for psychedelics as they gain mainstream acceptance in the 2020s.
This project’s inspirations include Erowid.org and the works of scholarship included in the further reading section.
Suggestions for texts, images, or biographies to include are welcome. Please see our contact page.
Frequently asked questions are addressed here.
Image credit: The audience of a Dianetics “audit” in Los Angeles in September 1950. Courtesy Los Angeles Times photographic archive, Library Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research Library, UCLA.