Break on Through: Betty Eisner's Problematic Use of Psychedelics, Groups, and Control for Integrative Experiences.
Journal of the history of the behavioral sciences April 1, 2025 Tal Davidson, Patric Plesa 2 citations
Betty Eisner was a key figure in the early era of psychedelics research, but her career also serves as a cautionary example of problematic therapeutic practices, including the misuse of authority and control during the 1960s and 70s counterculture. Her work, set against the backdrop of the Human Potential Movement and integrative experiences, helps explain the decline of the first wave of psychedelic research. The dangers associated with figures like Eisner may account for the slower adoption of group therapy approaches and the limited inclusion of social context in the more cautious second wave of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy.