Acid Revival: The Psychedelic Renaissance and the Quest for Medical Legitimacy

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A vivid analysis of the history and revival of clinical psychedelic science Psychedelic drugs are making a comeback. In the mid-twentieth century, scientists actively studied the potential of drugs like LSD and psilocybin for treating mental health problems. After a decades-long hiatus, researchers are once again testing how effective these dru

Reviews

"How does science plow forward in the face of stigma and skepticism In this captivating account brimming with fascinating episodes, Danielle Giffort shows how a new generation of mental health researchers seeks to bring psychedelic drugs out of the shadows as respectable therapiesand how they ward off the specters of the countercultural past."Steven Epstein, author of Impure Science: AIDS, Activism, and the Politics of Knowledge

"Psychedelic medicine has the potential to transform psychiatry, but its advancement is threatened by unique social and legal challenges. Acid Revival provides an inside look at how the researchers conducting this controversial work present themselves as legitimate scientists. In a series of colorful stories, Danielle Giffort explains the role that cultural narrative and performance play in the production of expertise. Essential reading for anyone interested in understanding which drugs are deemed medically useful and why."Joanna Kempner, author of Not Tonight: Migraine and the Politics of Gender and Health

"Acid Revival will appeal to those interested in psychedelic research past and present. The candid interviews the book offers makes it a unique source."Psymposia

"The book will make informative and accessible reading in undergraduate and graduate courses on the field of mental health and the sociology of science."Oxford Academic

"Acid Revival will no doubt become a reference point for those interested in psychiatrys varied attempts to reinvent itself as it has sought to conquer what Whooley (2019) has called its stubborn ignorance."Social Forces

"A thorough case study relevant to the history of science."Isis Journal

"Acid Revival is an engaging and accessible read for anyone interested in scientific expertise or psychedelic science and its history. Gifforts timely focus on psychedelic expertise provides a useful framework that science studies scholars can build on."Journal of Behavioral Sciences

Author Bio

Danielle Giffort is a Senior User Experience Researcher at Ipsos.