From the 1950s through the 1970s, early clinical research into psychedelics began to suggest potential benefits for a range of psychological conditions. While some psychedelic plants and fungi have long been used in traditional contexts, substances like LSD and MDMA were later investigated by Western scientists and doctors as potential treatments for conditions from addiction to anxiety. Then came the War on Drugs, bringing most psychedelic research to a halt for decades.

Now, psychedelics are having a second act. Over the past two decades internationally, and more recently in Australia, clinical trials have begun to yield promising and sometimes striking results. In 2023, Australia became the first country to approve the clinical use of MDMA and psilocybin at a national level for specific mental health conditions. Dr Paul Liknaitzky, head of Monash University’s Clinical Psychedelics Lab, returns to Beaker Street Festival — along with a participant in a recent psychedelics trial — to discuss emerging findings, future directions, and the lived experience of psychedelic-assisted therapy.

Content warning: This session discusses mental health conditions, trauma, and therapeutic use of psychedelic substances. Recommended for mature audiences.

This event is part of Beaker Street Festival 2026