Norman Ohler: LSD for Mom (Tripped)

The renowned German writer and journalist Norman Ohler follows up his worldwide bestseller Blitzed, an exploration of Nazi drug use, with Tripped: LSD for Mom, in which he recaps the mid-century birth of psychedelics, laying out the impact of psychoactive substances on society and politics, this time in the post-World War II era. 

A suspense-ridden, astonishingly vivid read verging on science thriller, the book takes us from the discovery of LSD and psilocybin to their impacts on modern medicine, legislation and public discourse. Ohler breaks down the three key roles of drugs: medicine, mind control tool and intoxicant. He also shares how the strict anti-drug laws have held back the therapeutic research of psychedelic drugs despite evidence suggesting that they help alleviate symptoms of mental disorders such as depression or dementia.

The journalist Patricija Maličev will talk to the author about his archival research in Europe and the US, touching on the prominent names that shaped the history of psychedelics use – from Aldous Huxley to Elvis Presley – and the experiment he carried out on his own parents.

The event will be held in English with simultaneous translation into Slovenian.