Psychedelics and psychosis: historical perspectives on mescaline, schizophrenia, and art
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) – January 28, 2026
Source: OpenAlex
Summary
Psychedelics like mescaline have long intrigued scientists as potential models for understanding psychosis. Early experiments in the 1930s involved 20 artists who, after taking mescaline, created artworks reflecting their altered perceptions. Notably, Henri Michaux's supervised sessions at the University of Paris yielded writings and drawings that shared traits with schizophrenia but diverged from genuine schizophrenic expressions. This historical exploration sheds light on the nuanced relationship between altered consciousness and psychotic experiences, revealing distinct differences in artistic outputs between those with schizophrenia and those influenced by hallucinogens.
Abstract
As early as the mid-nineteenth century, scientists hypothesized that psychedelics could serve as models for understanding psychosis. By the early twentieth century, this theory began to be tested experimentally. Since different types of psychotomimetic drugs induce qualitatively distinct forms of psychosis, there has been ongoing debate about whether there exist specifically ‘schizophrenogenic’ drugs—substances capable of inducing psychosis that mirror the physiological and phenomenological characteristics of schizophrenia. Early psychiatric research into psychotic experiences under mescaline was conducted in prominent institutions, inspired by Hans Prinzhorn's exploration of ‘schizophrenic masters.’ In 1938, psychiatrists Eric Guttmann and Walter Maclay experimented with mescaline themselves and administered it to artists, encouraging them to depict their altered perceptions through drawings and paintings. During the biological revolution of psychology in the 1950s, mescaline was similarly used to gain insights into schizophrenia. Henri Michaux, under clinical supervision at the University of Paris, conducted mescaline experiments and produced writings and drawings describing his experiences. These works were found to share characteristics reminiscent of schizophrenia but differed significantly from the creative outputs of schizophrenics. This study offers a unique historical perspective at the intersection of psychiatry and the philosophy of art, highlighting differences in lived experiences and artistic expressions of patients with schizophrenia and mescaline-induced states.