# Acid Hype: The Past & Present of Psychedelics & the Media

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/furthure-6969644/acid-hype-the-past-present-of-psychedelics-the-media
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/furthure-6969644/acid-hype-the-past-present-of-psychedelics-the-media.md
Podcast: [Furthure](https://stenobird.com/podcast/furthure-6969644)
Published: 2025-10-25T17:43:12+00:00
Episode link: https://rss.com/podcasts/furthure/2290603
Audio file: https://content.rss.com/episodes/280493/2290603/furthure/2025_10_25_17_42_21_e0c43ebb-07bf-4ef5-915a-2e96fa0c08ca.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/furthure-6969644/episodes/acid-hype-the-past-present-of-psychedelics-the-media
Duration seconds: 3715

## Resource

Psychedelics have long been a hot topic. But in the early days of psychedelics, back in the 1950s, even mainstream media outlets were enthusiastically covering research on a bizarre new drug that was active in minuscule doses. On this episode of Furthure, Dr. Steve Siff, a journalism professor at Miami University and author of Acid Hype , discusses media coverage surrounding psychedelics. We talk about the rise and fall of the psychedelic hype and whether today’s media is bound to make similar mistakes to those of the 1960s. I think this conversation is especially relevant, as in some circles there's mounting backlash against the hype. Also, I highly recommend checking out Steve’s book for more details on some of the media stories, which are just wild. The way people wrote about psychedelics in the 1950s is so campy and sensational that it’s a joy to read. Plus, there’s a lot in there about how psychosis and psychedelics were framed to the public in the ’50s that I haven’t heard discussed anywhere else. This was a far-ranging conversation, and we bounced back and forth between eras a bit. Because of that, there are a few small corrections to make. The pilot with the mental health episode had actually used psilocybin-containing mushrooms recently. Also, to clarify, the Good Friday adverse effects we discussed didn’t involve anyone running out of the church naked, but it did involve Thorazine being administered. Some early LSD therapy manuals did recommend that therapist use psychedelics with their patients, and some did develop sexual relationships and were charged with SA. ✨If you’re enjoying these episodes, consider joining the Furthure Patreon. These episodes take a while to craft, and your support shows that you find this work valuable and interesting. ✨ 🌀✨⚡️Check i…

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## Transcript

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