Breakdown or breakthrough? A history of European research into drugs and creativity

Language barriers have largely prevented American scholars from learning ab out European studies concerning drugs and creativity. An art historian repo rts on several Swiss, English, French and German studies conducted from the 1940s to the 1970s, offering new data in a research area that has been ban ned since drugs like mescalin, psilocybin, and LSD became illegal. Differen t views of the operations of these drugs, revealed by such terms as "halluc inogens," "psychotogenics," and "psychedelics," appear to have colored rese archers' aims to a large extent. The notions of drugs "dictating" or "liber ating" the intoxicated artist are criticized by discussing the importance o f set and setting. It is proposed that intentional drug use among artists e xpecting artistic breakthroughs while intoxicated, can be seen as a form of "gaucherie" or disinhibiting technique.