In this interview, we talk with Erik Davis about the forgotten shadows of psychedelic history, the need for cultural memory, and the deeper meanings hidden within blotter art.
According to Ram Dass (formerly Richard Alpert), when LSD was banned, its illegality brought with it a sense of paranoia and stigma that distorted the experience and limited its potential. Today, in the midst of a blossoming psychedelic renaissance, these substances are closer than ever to being accepted by mainstream culture. This is a welcome development—but not without its complexities. Erik Davis, cultural critic and author of several influential books on psychedelics and the occult, is one of those voices urging us to pause and reflect. He argues that in gaining mainstream acceptance, we may also be losing something vital.
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In his work, Davis explores the intersections of psychedelics with art, media, technology, and science fiction. He champions “weirdness”—often linked to esoteric or fringe subcultures—not as a flaw to be eliminated, but as a profound feature of human experience. Unlike many in today’s psychedelic scene who prefer to distance themselves from controversial figures like Timothy Leary, Terence McKenna, or Carlos Castaneda, Davis engages their legacies with nuance, neither demonising nor romanticising them.
Filmed at the Interdisciplinary Conference on Psychedelic Research (ICPR) 2024 in Haarlem, The Netherlands.
Reporter and text: Péter Sárosi
Video: István Gábor Takács
