The term "psychedelic" came into use with the light hand of the Englishman Humphrey Osmand. As a practicing psychotherapist, he considered the use of LSD, a semi-synthetic psychoactive drug, in the treatment of mental disorders.
In fact, psychedelics are drugs that cause hallucinations. Albert Hofmann, the eminent Swiss chemist whose research led to the synthesis of LSD-25, in his book LSD - My Difficult Child, translates the term psychedelia as mind-expanding. Hoffman himself calls his invention a medicine for the soul. “The spiritual crisis that has engulfed all spheres of Western industrialized society can only be healed by changing our vision of the world. We have to move from the materialistic, dualistic belief that man and the environment are separate to a new awareness of the all-encompassing reality …”However, it is impossible to reduce psychedelia to drugs alone. The effect of "expansion of consciousness" can occur, for example, during meditation, sleep deprivation, some religious practices, etc., as well as in mental disorders.
In the 60s of the last century, the term "psychedelic" overstepped the boundaries of psychotherapy. A new direction emerged in culture, which subsequently influenced all its aspects. To create works, very non-standard techniques are used - bright colors, plots resembling delusions that arise under the influence of drugs. Typical representatives of psychedelic painting, for example, are avant-garde artists - Salvador Dali, Vasily Kondinsky, Pablo Picasso. With the development of computer technology, psychedelic computer graphics appeared.
Psychedelic literature - "mind-expanding" fictional and scientific-publicistic works, studies of the properties of psychoactive drugs, for example, Timothy Larry - "Psychedelic Experience", Hunter Thompson - "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas", Aldous Huxley - "Wondrous new world "and others.
Psychedelic music is a new genre that appeared at the same time as the hippie subculture and is closely associated with it. Psychedelic rock affects listeners like drugs, and was originally created under the influence of drugs. The effect is achieved with unusual instruments and sound effects. Psychedelic rock, kraut rock, trance, goa-trance, psychedelic trance, pop, folk, soul are the main directions of psychedelic music.
