The decline of therapeutic research with LSD in the United States during the 1960s is often blamed on controversy over recreational use, but research difficulties were equally responsible. The Kefauver Harris Drug Amendments of 1962 required proof of efficacy through controlled clinical trials, yet LSD psychotherapy—which uses the drug to catalyze psychological treatment—clashed with controlled trial methodology on theoretical and practical levels. This made it hard to demonstrate efficacy. Examining post-1962 trials shows that the new emphasis on trial design diverted attention from the therapeutic method itself, offering a new perspective on LSD psychotherapy's demise and the implications of the 1962 drug amendments.
A recent resurgence of interest in psychedelics—evident in popular culture, decriminalization efforts, and a wave of clinical studies—forms the backdrop for Matthew Oram's book, which traces the history of LSD psychotherapy research in post-World War II America. Oram focuses not on 1960s drug culture but on the fraught relationship between experimental therapies and state-regulated medical research. His account examines tensions between fringe and orthodox medicine, showing how LSD once promised to bridge cognitive therapy and psychiatric drug treatment. The book offers a nuanced contribution to the historical literature on clinical medicine, drug regulation, and the mind sciences.