LSD researcher
Humphrey Osmond coined the term psychedelic in 1956, in a letter to
Aldous Huxley. It is from the greek roots
psyche, meaning
mind or
soul, and delos, meaning
revealing or
manifesting. It was coined as a reaction against the terms
hallucinogenic (causing
hallucinations) and
psychotomimetic (mimicking
psychosis), which Osmond felt were both loaded and inaccurate when applied to drugs like
LSD,
mescaline and
psilocybin.
To fathom Hell or soar angelic,
Just take a pinch of psychedelic
- from Osmond's letter to Huxley.
See the Essential Psychedelic Guide and the psychedelic drugs node for more on the psychedelics.