Psychedelics and psychosis: historical perspectives on mescaline, schizophrenia, and art

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.

Study at a glance

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.