The Psychedelic Renaissance
Reassessing the Role of Psychedelic Drugs in 21st Century Psychiatry and Society
3rd Edition
Published on 30. September 2025
Book
Hardback
532 pages
978-1-913274-51-1 (ISBN)
Description
A path-defining exploration of the history, cultural influence, pharmacology, legal aspects, safety, research, and clinical applications of psychedelic drugs
Psychedelics have played a part in human cultural evolution for thousands of years in the form of plant medicines. The Psychedelic Renaissance describes the ancient pre-history of psychedelics, and their re-emergence with the discovery of the psychotropic effects LSD in the 1940s, which led to a cultural revolution in the 1960s.
The book describes the pharmacology, legal status, dosing regimens and cultural influence of all of the major psychedelics. There is an up-to-date exploration of the recently emerged psychedelic wellbeing and healthcare industry, including new developments such as non-psychedelic hallucinogens, the industrialisation and corporatisation of psychedelics and their role in creativity and spirituality.
Supported by hundreds of citations referencing contemporary scientific studies of the last thirty years, The Psychedelic Renaissance covers a breadth of topics and issues such as safeguarding, maintaining clinical standards; the importance of diversity, inclusion and cultural respect of indigenous uses; the expansion of popular interest in psychedelics, with the plethora of contemporary psychedelic conferences, festivals and societies; the qualities and competencies of a psychedelic therapist; how to go about training to become one, are explored in the book. There is also discussion of legal matters concerning psychedelics, and the role of the ongoing War On Drugs in respect of psychedelics, with commentary about how a post-prohibition world may look.
Complete with new citations, photographs and research studies, the 3rd edition of The Psychedelic Renaissance is an essential textbook for anyone wishing to explore the legal and societal aspects of psychedelic drugs in human culture, and will be of vital use to to doctors, psychedelic users, clinicians and researchers working with psychedelics, pharmacology and medical students alike.
Psychedelics have played a part in human cultural evolution for thousands of years in the form of plant medicines. The Psychedelic Renaissance describes the ancient pre-history of psychedelics, and their re-emergence with the discovery of the psychotropic effects LSD in the 1940s, which led to a cultural revolution in the 1960s.
The book describes the pharmacology, legal status, dosing regimens and cultural influence of all of the major psychedelics. There is an up-to-date exploration of the recently emerged psychedelic wellbeing and healthcare industry, including new developments such as non-psychedelic hallucinogens, the industrialisation and corporatisation of psychedelics and their role in creativity and spirituality.
Supported by hundreds of citations referencing contemporary scientific studies of the last thirty years, The Psychedelic Renaissance covers a breadth of topics and issues such as safeguarding, maintaining clinical standards; the importance of diversity, inclusion and cultural respect of indigenous uses; the expansion of popular interest in psychedelics, with the plethora of contemporary psychedelic conferences, festivals and societies; the qualities and competencies of a psychedelic therapist; how to go about training to become one, are explored in the book. There is also discussion of legal matters concerning psychedelics, and the role of the ongoing War On Drugs in respect of psychedelics, with commentary about how a post-prohibition world may look.
Complete with new citations, photographs and research studies, the 3rd edition of The Psychedelic Renaissance is an essential textbook for anyone wishing to explore the legal and societal aspects of psychedelic drugs in human culture, and will be of vital use to to doctors, psychedelic users, clinicians and researchers working with psychedelics, pharmacology and medical students alike.
More details
Edition
3rd edition
Language
English
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Aeon Books Ltd
Product notice
sewn/stitched
Cloth over boards
Dimensions
Height: 254 mm
Width: 178 mm
Thickness: 29 mm
Weight
1129 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-913274-51-1 (9781913274511)
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
Dr Ben Sessa has worked for twenty years as a consultant psychiatrist specialising in childhood trauma and adult addictions and is one of the leading international experts on psychedelic therapies for treating mental disorders. He qualified from UCL medical school in 1997 and has since trained as an MDMA, psilocybin and ketamine therapist, as well as writing dozens of academic papers and textbooks on psychedelics. Dr Sessa is a former faculty member at Imperial College London, a former co-founder of the UK's first psychedelic medical clinic, Awakn Life Sciences, former co-founder of Breaking Convention, Europe's largest multidisciplinary psychedelic research conference, and one of the first psychiatrists to prescribe medical cannabis in the UK. He currently runs Consultancy Agency for Psychedelic Services (CAPS).
Content
Author's Notes to the Third Edition
Introduction
Chapter 1: Personal Reflection
Chapter 2: The Experience and the Drugs
Chapter 3: Early Pioneers of the First and Second Psychedelic Eras
Chapter 4: The Prehistory and Ancient History of Psychedelics
Chapter 5: Hippie Heydays, Ravers and the Birth of Ecstasy
Chapter 6: Psychedelic Creativity
Chapter 7: Modern Uses of Natural Plant and Fungi Psychedelics and - Psychedelic Wellbeing and Retreat Centres
Chapter 8: The Psychedelic Renaissance Part One: A Few Movers and Shakers - And the growth of Psychedelic Pharmaceutical Biotech Corporations- 'Corporadelics'
Chapter 9: The Psychedelic Renaissance Part Two: Contemporary Studies
Chapter 10: The Psychedelic Renaissance Part Three: The Growth of Psychedelic Therapist Training Programs - And What's Going on Down Under?
Chapter 11: The Psychedelic Renaissance Part Four: The Growth of Global Psychedelic Societies and the Popularization of Psychedelic Culture. And Safeguarding Issues and the Importance of Diversity and Recognition of Indigenous Cultures.
Chapter 12: Caught in the Crossfire of the War on Drugs
Conclusion
Acknowledgments
Notes
Bibliography and Further Reading
Index
Introduction
Chapter 1: Personal Reflection
Chapter 2: The Experience and the Drugs
Chapter 3: Early Pioneers of the First and Second Psychedelic Eras
Chapter 4: The Prehistory and Ancient History of Psychedelics
Chapter 5: Hippie Heydays, Ravers and the Birth of Ecstasy
Chapter 6: Psychedelic Creativity
Chapter 7: Modern Uses of Natural Plant and Fungi Psychedelics and - Psychedelic Wellbeing and Retreat Centres
Chapter 8: The Psychedelic Renaissance Part One: A Few Movers and Shakers - And the growth of Psychedelic Pharmaceutical Biotech Corporations- 'Corporadelics'
Chapter 9: The Psychedelic Renaissance Part Two: Contemporary Studies
Chapter 10: The Psychedelic Renaissance Part Three: The Growth of Psychedelic Therapist Training Programs - And What's Going on Down Under?
Chapter 11: The Psychedelic Renaissance Part Four: The Growth of Global Psychedelic Societies and the Popularization of Psychedelic Culture. And Safeguarding Issues and the Importance of Diversity and Recognition of Indigenous Cultures.
Chapter 12: Caught in the Crossfire of the War on Drugs
Conclusion
Acknowledgments
Notes
Bibliography and Further Reading
Index