Verruimde Geesten
© Borgerhoff & Lamberigts

GHENT - Psychedelics are illegal, but show great therapeutic promise and are on the verge of medical acceptance. If clinical research and the claims of pharmaceutical start-ups are to be believed, psychedelics may well become the latest weapon in the fight against conditions such as depression, anxiety disorders, trauma, addiction and existential suffering.

Psilocybin (the active ingredient in magic mushrooms), LSD, MDMA, DMT (known from the plant-based brew ayahuasca), 5-MeO-DMT, ibogaine… These are substances that capture the imagination and offer hope to people who have reached a dead end with conventional therapy. Some are not waiting for potential legalisation. In search of a cure or relief, they cross the border, or find their way to guided ceremonies and therapeutic sessions under the medical radar.

Expanded Minds brings together twelve intimate portraits of ordinary people who share their extraordinary experiences with psychedelics. Told in their own words, from a personal and relatable perspective. These are testimonies of a quest for a better life, beyond the boundaries of everyday consciousnes, but also beyond sensationalism, privilege and eccentric clichés.

Supported
€4,500 allocated on 20/02/2026
ID:
FPD/2026/2472

Themes

Publication

BOOK

BOOKPRESENTATION

PRESS

  • 'Psychedelica kunnen mensen uit hun mentale gevangenis bevrijden', Knack, 17/06/2026, p. 58-62

COUNTRY

  • Belgium

Team members