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Mariana Gil holds a PhD in biological sciences from the Free University of Berlin, Germany. She moved into science communication in 2021 after almost two decades in academia.
Since Albert Hofmann’s first LSD discovery in 1943, psychedelic research has undergone a remarkable evolution.
From its early promise in the 1950s, through the social stigma and strict regulations of the 1970s that led to decades of decline, the field has today become a rigorous area of study at the intersection of neuroscience and psychiatry.
This infographic presents a chronological overview of key discoveries and clinical milestones that have shaped the modern understanding of psychedelics.
Download this infographic to explore:
The birth of psychedelic research in the 1940s and 1950s
The cultural explosion and prohibition during the 1960s and 1970s
Modern research that is driving psychedelic-based therapies
1980s–1990s The Multidisciplinary Association
for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) was founded in
1986.
Limited human studies on DMT and MDMA.
Increasing regulations and
the associated loss of federal
funding halted most psychedelic
research for over 20 years.
Since Albert Hofmann’s first LSD experience during his famous bicycle ride in 1943, psychedelic
research has undergone a remarkable evolution. From its early promise in the 1950s, through the social
stigma and strict regulations of the 1970s that led to decades of decline, the field has now re-emerged
as a rigorous area of study at the intersection of neuroscience and psychiatry. This infographic traces
that journey, presenting a chronological overview of key discoveries and clinical milestones that have
shaped the modern understanding of psychedelics.
Psychedelics leave labs and become increasingly
associated with the growing counterculture. This led
to prohibition and research decline.
FROM TRIP TO
TREATMENT:
Early 1960s Timothy Leary and Richard Alpert
conducted pivotal research at Harvard University
on the potential of psilocybin and LSD for
psychotherapy and personal growth.
1962 Timothy Leary was dismissed from Harvard
for his controversial methods.
1963 Psychedelics increasingly became
associated with recreational use, drug abuse and
social unrest.
1965 By this time, over 40,000 patients had received some form of LSD
therapy.
Sandoz, the pharmaceutical laboratories where Hofmann first synthesized
LSD in 1938, halted LSD production.
1966 Peyote, mescaline, LSD and DMT were banned across the USA.
1970 The US Controlled Substances Act classified LSD and psilocybin as
Schedule I drugs.
Psychedelic research was banned in the US.
1973 First paper showing that LSD could provide significant pain relief and
reduce suffering in terminally ill cancer patients.
W r i t t e n b y : M a ri a n a G i l, P h D | De si gn by: J a n e tte Le e -L a to u r
1943 Albert Hofmann discovered LSD’s effects.
1947 A pivotal paper demonstrated the safety
of psilocybin on healthy volunteers.
1950 First paper on the potential use of LSD for
various conditions, including schizophrenia, mania
and psychoneurosis.
1952 First study testing the use of LSD to treat depression.
1958 Psilocybin was isolated from mushrooms.
1959 Pioneer study on the use of LSD to treat alcoholism.
LSD and psilocybin enter psychiatric research.
2016 A paper demonstrated that psilocybin can be used for treatmentresistant
depression.
A study showed the potential use of psilocybin to treat end-of-life anxiety.
2022 A study showed the positive effects of psilocybin on
patients with major depression.
2019 The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) scheduled psilocybin as a
“breakthrough” therapy for major depressive disorder.
2023 A study showed that MDMA-assisted therapy significantly
reduced PTSD symptoms, with effects lasting up to a year.
2020 Johns Hopkins Medicine was awarded the first Federal Grant for
Psychedelic Treatment Research in 50 years to explore the effect of
psilocybin on tobacco addiction.
2025 During the last 70 years,
the number of research papers on
psychedelics has rocketed, with over
1,700 papers published only last year.
(data from PubMed search)
In parallel, the number of clinical trials
has increased exponentially during the
last 10 years. As of October 2025, there
are 94 open clinical trials exploring the
effect of different psychedelic drugs
on diverse conditions.
(data from ClinicalTrial.gov search)
0
500
1000
1500
2000
1945 1965 1985 2005 2025
PEER-REVIEWED
PUBLICATIONS
0
10
20
30
40
50
2015 2017 2019 2021 2023 2025
CLINICAL TRIALS
FUTURE OUTLOOK AND
ONGOING CHALLENGES
The resurgence of interest, increased funding and rigorous research are pushing psychedelicassisted
therapy closer to becoming a viable, mainstream treatment option for diverse conditions
including addiction, depression, PTSD, anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder. As the field
progresses, researchers are addressing new challenges while exploring future possibilities.
Ethical considerations
Informed consent, equitable access and
respect to indigenous traditions (from which
many psychedelics originated) need to be
carefully addressed.
Regulatory hurdles
While some drugs have received FDA
“breakthrough therapy” designations,
the path to widespread clinical approval
is still in progress.
The Journey of Psychedelic Research
THE BIRTH OF
PSYCHEDELIC SCIENCE
CULTURAL EXPLOSION
AND PROHIBITION
RESEARCH DROUGHT
Modern research focuses on
rigorous, placebo-controlled
clinical trials to assess
the safety and efficacy of
psychedelic-based therapies.
2000 Researchers at Johns Hopkins University received
regulatory approval to resume psilocybin research.
2006 A pivotal paper demonstrated the safety of
psilocybin on healthy volunteers.
2009 Robin Carhart-Harris founded the Psychedelic
Research Group at Imperial College London.
2011 A paper demonstrated the potential use of MDMA to treat PTSD.
2014 A study showed the potential use of LSD to treat anxiety.
2012 A pioneering neuroimaging study showed that psilocybin
reduces activity in the brain’s default mode network, correlating
with altered consciousness.
THE
PSYCHEDELIC
RENAISSANCE
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