The surprising new treatment for mental illness

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Anees Bahji |

TED-Ed

• June 2025

In 1943, chemist Albert Hofmann accidentally exposed himself to a drug he derived from ergot fungus and recorded its unexpected, mind-altering effects. The drug, lysergic acid diethylamide— or LSD— was soon heralded for its psychiatric potential. But how do LSD and other psychedelic drugs affect the body? And can they actually be medicinal? Anees Bahji explores the science of psychedelics. [Directed by Rowena Sheehan, narrated by Alexandra Panzer, music by Cem Misirlioglu, WOKRPLAYWORK].