Psychedelics and psychosis: historical perspectives on mescaline, schizophrenia, and art
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) January 28, 2026 Irina Terekhova
Since the mid-nineteenth century, scientists have considered psychedelics as models for psychosis, with early twentieth-century experiments testing this idea. Debate continues over whether certain drugs specifically induce schizophrenia-like states. Early mescaline research at prominent institutions, inspired by Hans Prinzhorn's work on 'schizophrenic masters,' included 1938 experiments by psychiatrists Eric Guttmann and Walter Maclay, who took the drug and had artists depict their altered perceptions. In the 1950s, mescaline was used to study schizophrenia. Henri Michaux, under clinical supervision, produced writings and drawings from mescaline experiences that resembled but differed significantly from schizophrenic creative outputs. This historical analysis highlights differences in lived experiences and artistic expressions between schizophrenia and mescaline-induced states.