Mateo Sanchez Petrement- Historicizing Psychedelics: C'culture, Renaissance & the Neoliberal Matrix

Psychedelic history, particularly the counterculture of the 1960s and 70s, is analyzed through the framework of neoliberalism and its evolving material conditions. The analysis positions the counterculture not merely as opposition but as a focal point for understanding neoliberal shifts from social-based models toward individualistic competition. This transition, described as the end of neoliberalism's predecessor phase, serves as a backdrop for examining shifting values in work, consumption, and social solidarity over the following decades. The psychedelic renaissance is examined as a contemporary entry point into these historical tensions, highlighting how personal and collective experiences are navigated within a neoliberal matrix that emphasizes flexibility and technosolutionism. The talk argues that psychedelic state-induced open-mindedness potentially offers a pathway to rebuild solidarity, provided it does not succumb to individualist appropriation or be trapped within the brain-centric focus of modern psychiatry.