
Psychedelics
A Visual Odyssey
Erika Dyck(Author)
MIT Press
Published on 16. April 2024
Book
Paperback/Softback
224 pages
978-0-262-54766-6 (ISBN)
Description
A gorgeously illustrated journey through psychedelics and their global history that explores how psychedelic visions have inspired and given meaning to humans throughout time.
Interest in psychedelics has grown considerably in recent years-one might even say psychedelics are experiencing a renaissance. But these mind-altering plants have always been with us. They have a rich and controversial history, in fact: plumbed from the depths of ancient Greek culture, infused with Christian symbols of sacrament, enriched by Buddhist philosophies, protected through Indigenous ceremonies, and, by the latter part of the twentieth century, catapulted into cultural consciousness through science, music, posters, blotter art, and fashion. In Psychedelics: A Visual Odyssey, Erika Dyck takes readers on an epic visual trip through some of the diverse ways that our fascination with psychedelics have been imagined throughout history.
Blending academic rigor with rich imagery from around the globe, Psychedelics goes beyond the expected terrain of describing hallucinations. It reveals not only how psychedelic plants have been illustrated and understood, but also how these plants and chemical synthetics have inspired visual representations of health, fear, peace, colonial resistance, creativity, and more. A stunningly beautiful and comprehensive deep dive into the world of psychedelics, Psychedelics: A Visual Odyssey will inspire everyone from the curious general reader to the seasoned psychonaut.
Interest in psychedelics has grown considerably in recent years-one might even say psychedelics are experiencing a renaissance. But these mind-altering plants have always been with us. They have a rich and controversial history, in fact: plumbed from the depths of ancient Greek culture, infused with Christian symbols of sacrament, enriched by Buddhist philosophies, protected through Indigenous ceremonies, and, by the latter part of the twentieth century, catapulted into cultural consciousness through science, music, posters, blotter art, and fashion. In Psychedelics: A Visual Odyssey, Erika Dyck takes readers on an epic visual trip through some of the diverse ways that our fascination with psychedelics have been imagined throughout history.
Blending academic rigor with rich imagery from around the globe, Psychedelics goes beyond the expected terrain of describing hallucinations. It reveals not only how psychedelic plants have been illustrated and understood, but also how these plants and chemical synthetics have inspired visual representations of health, fear, peace, colonial resistance, creativity, and more. A stunningly beautiful and comprehensive deep dive into the world of psychedelics, Psychedelics: A Visual Odyssey will inspire everyone from the curious general reader to the seasoned psychonaut.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Cambridge (Massachusetts)
United States
Publishing group
MIT Press Ltd
Illustrations
200 COLOR ILLUS.
Dimensions
Height: 235 mm
Width: 178 mm
Thickness: 17 mm
Weight
730 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-262-54766-6 (9780262547666)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Erika Dyck is Professor and Canada Research Chair in the History of Health & Social Justice at the University of Saskatchewan. She is the author of Psychedelic Psychiatry and Facing Eugenics; coauthor of Managing Madness, Challenging Choices, and The Acid Room; and coeditor of Psychedelic Prophets, A Culture's Catalyst, Wonder Drug, and Expanding Mindscapes. She is also a Board Member of Chacruna Institute for Psychedelic Plant Medicines.
Content
CONTENTS
1 Plant Teachers 16
2 Empires and Ethonobotany 42
3 HUman Flourishing 624 Medical Experimentation 78
5 Fuel for a Revolution 96
6 A Psychedelic Aesthetic 122
7 Underground 150
8 Just Say Know 174
1 Plant Teachers 16
2 Empires and Ethonobotany 42
3 HUman Flourishing 624 Medical Experimentation 78
5 Fuel for a Revolution 96
6 A Psychedelic Aesthetic 122
7 Underground 150
8 Just Say Know 174