The Untold History of Psychedelic Medicine with Dr. Erika Dyck

What if the future of psychedelic medicine lies in stories that are largely forgotten in society today?

Long before psychedelic therapy became a billion-dollar industry, it was a radical experiment on the Canadian prairies. Long before LSD grabbed headlines, Indigenous communities were practicing plant-based healing grounded in connection and spiritual ceremony. And well before clinical trials standardized “set and setting,” it was lived wisdom passed through generations.

In this episode of The Integration Session, I’m joined by Dr. Erika Dyck—Professor and Canada Research Chair in the History of Health & Social Justice—to explore the surprising, complex, and often overlooked history of psychedelic medicine. We trace the early origins of psychedelic therapy, the rise and fall (and rise again) of psychedelic psychiatry, and what we can learn from this important history so we don’t repeat its mistakes.

Erika Dyck is a professor and a Canada Research Chair in the History of Health & Social Justice at the University of Saskatchewan. She is the author or co-author of several books, including Psychedelic Psychiatry (2008); Managing Madness (2017); The Acid Room (2022); and Psychedelics: A Visual Odyssey (2024). She is the co-editor of Women & Psychedelics (2024) and Expanding Mindscapes (2023). She is currently the President of the Alcohol and Drugs History Society. Currently she is working with First Nations communities in Canada on preserving the history of the Native American Church and its associated ceremonies involving peyote.

Disclaimer: This podcast is for entertainment purposes only and does not reflect legal or medical advice.