The taming of the shrooms. Understanding current discursive struggles over the psychedelic in the light of their historical antecedents
Journal of Psychedelic Studies December 5, 2024 Thomas Slunecko 1 citation
The article argues that current debates in psychedelic research echo older controversies from the 18th and 19th centuries, particularly the transformation of animal magnetism into a scientifically tamed phenomenon during the 'long century of mediumship'. By applying discourse analysis to key publications from the Johns Hopkins research group, the author shows how contemporary forces are systematically stripping psychedelics of their emancipatory, resistive, utopian, and spiritual connotations, pushing them toward a more controlled scientific framework.