Short Wave How science is taking tripping mainstream
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May 6, 2026 
Jon Hamilton, NPR’s brain correspondent, explores how psychedelics moved from Nixon-era prohibition to serious medical research. He looks at the institutions that reignited the field. He gets into brain scans, ketamine’s role in opening psychiatry’s door, and why set and setting became central to treatment.
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Why Psychedelics Reentered Mainstream Medicine
- Psychedelics moved toward mainstream psychiatry because science produced stronger evidence and society became more receptive.
- Jon Hamilton says researchers reframed drugs like psilocybin around depression and PTSD, while a Trump executive order pushed FDA and NIH to speed evaluation.
An LSD Experience Helped Launch A Research Career
- Robin Carhart-Harris says taking LSD at 14 sparked the curiosity that later drove his psychopharmacology career.
- He and David Erritzoe visited Johns Hopkins to learn how to run psilocybin sessions before launching an early depression study in London.
Psilocybin May Loosen The Brain's Sense Of Self
- Psilocybin appears to disrupt the brain's default mode network, which may loosen rigid self-focused thinking.
- Jon Hamilton says that breakdown could help people reframe trauma or see themselves differently, helping explain reports of shifted perspective during trips.