HISTSCI 1765: History of Psychedelics and Trauma

With Professor Rebecca Lemov on Thursday at 3:00-5:00 pm

This course examines the connected histories of psychedelic research and the modern understanding of trauma. To put it simply, psychedelic substrates such as LSD-25, psilocybin, and others have been used both to traumatize subjects (for military purposes, especially during the Cold War) and to treat trauma in veterans and other sufferers. Currently the United States is on the cusp of mainstreaming the use of psychedelics and related substances such as MDMA for the treatment of trauma, and this course will provide us with tools to think through the ethical, scientific, philosophical, and spiritual dimensions of this unique historical moment.