Creating a Psychedelic Past, 1954–1960
Creating a Psychedelic Past, 1954–1960
This chapter analyzes how the new salience of hallucinogenic drugs inspired a media interest in Indian drug rituals. Indian practices that were previously described as backward and superstitious were seemingly rehabilitated in 1950s news coverage to align with contemporary theories about the drugs. Of particular interest was the “discovery” of hallucinogenic mushrooms by an amateur scientist writing for Life magazine in 1957 and the frenzy that that discovery sparked in the media, in part due to the author's coordinated publicity campaign. Aside from creating a market for magic mushrooms, the coverage also disseminated a seemingly authentic backstory for contemporary psychedelic drug use.
Keywords: hallucinogenic drugs, Indian drug rituals, 1950s, news coverage, drug theories, magic mushrooms, contemporary drug use, psychedelic drug use
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