This Week in Psychedelics

"This Week in Psychedelics" is a new Reality Sandwich column that follows the multifaceted media appearances of this class of chemicals and their effects in popular culture. This first entry involves a psychedelic video installation, the physical effects of magic mushrooms on the brain, the musical inspiration of DMT, the links between drugs and art history, a few unfortunate scrapes with the law, and a psychedelics conference recap.

3/26: A Craiglist post on the psychedelic scene in Texas circa 1967 (Craigslist)
3/31: A review of video art pioneer Gary Hill's current psychedelic installation in New York City (The New York Times)
4/1: A discussion of vaporizers & marijuana (Santa Cruz Patch)
4/6: A recap of Breaking Convention: A Multidisciplinary Conference on Psychedelic Consciousness, held at the University of Kent April 1-3 (Psychedelic Press UK)
4/8: The effects of magic mushrooms on blood flow to the brain (New Scientist & World News Australia)
4/12: Review of a prepublished paper suggesting that media reports of ecstasy and brain shrinkage are overblown (MAPS)
4/13: Interview by Damon Orion with psychedelic visionary David Jay Brown (Altered Statesman)
4/14: Rape accusation linked to LSD use (The News-Herald)
4/16: Recap of "Fringe" TV episode "Lysergic Acid Diethylamide" (Los Angeles Times)
4/17: A man's legal claims against facebook are dismissed by the NYTimes on the non sequitur basis of possessing hallucinogenic mushrooms (New York Times)
4/19: Death by falling linked to LSD use (Santa Cruz Patch)
4/20: Slideshow for the influence of drugs in art history (Huffington Post)
4/20: Researchers are investigating whether modified versions of MDMA could help increase the effectiveness of treatments for Parkinson's (The West Australian)
4/21: LSD and psilocybin are beginning to enter the public consciousness as a possible treatment for certain chronic headaches (Brain Blogger)
4/21: Interview with The Black Angels' musician Alex Maas on DMT and more (Riverfront Times)