Psychoanalysis Meets LSD: Argentina's Lost 1950s Era Of Psychedelic Therapy

Between 1957 and 1967, Argentina experienced a brief yet profound intersection of psychoanalysis and psychedelics, with thousands of therapeutic sessions conducted through the controlled use of LSD and other substances. These treatments, led by pioneering psychotherapists like Dr. Alberto Fontana and Luisa Gambier de Álvarez de Toledo in Buenos Aires, sought to unlock repressed emotions and traumas. 

The story, recounted by Marcelo Leite, Ph.D., in Folha de S.Paulo and later translated for the Chacruna Institute for Psychedelic Plant Medicines, highlights an era that blended science and alternative therapy in ways that foreshadowed modern approaches.

Integrating Psychedelics Into Psychoanalysis

Fontana's work combined LSD, psilocybin and mescaline with psychoanalysis, aiming to help patients access deeply rooted issues. In a country known for its strong psychoanalytic tradition, he incorporated psychodrama and group sessions, often with minimal doses that avoided intoxication but allowed for emotional breakthroughs. 

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Concurrently, Álvarez – the first woman to preside over the Argentine Psychoanalytic Association (APA) – proposed an even bolder perspective. She advocated that therapists experience psychedelics themselves, suggesting that personal familiarity with these substances could deepen empathy and enhance therapists’ understanding of their patients’ journeys.

Medical Pushback: Shift Toward Pharmacology In Psychiatry

However, Argentina's groundbreaking methods soon faced challenges. In the early 1960s, the APA began distancing itself from psychedelic therapies, viewing these treatments as a threat to psychoanalytic orthodoxy. The medical establishment took a conservative stance, deeming psychedelics an experimental risk rather than a therapeutic tool. 

By 1961, an ad in the APA's Revista de Psicoanálisis cautioned against drug-related treatments, including LSD and mescaline, warning they were not recognized as psychoanalytic practice. The official rebuke reflected broader shifts in psychiatry, which was leaning toward a strictly pharmacological view of mental health.

Read Also: Global Psychedelic Drugs Market Expected To Reach $10.2B By 2028 Amid Growing Mental Health Crises

Argentina's Legacy In Psychedelic Therapy

Nevertheless, Fontana and Álvarez remained committed to their methodology despite mounting institutional pressure. In his 1965 book, “Psychotherapy with LSD and Other Hallucinogens,” Fontana detailed the effects of psychedelics on the therapist-patient dynamic, noting that the drug shifted some therapeutic power away from the psychoanalyst. This approach challenged the psychoanalytic status quo, which relied heavily on therapist authority.

The decline of psychedelic therapy in Argentina mirrored global trends. As LSD became associated with counterculture movements, it faced legal restrictions worldwide. Notably, The FDA’s recent rejection of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD reflects the persistent and unresolved tensions between pharmacological approaches and psychotherapeutic methods.

Today, as renewed interest in psychedelics grows in the U.S. and beyond, this forgotten chapter in Latin America offers a compelling reminder of the challenges and potential psychedelics bring to mental health treatments. 

Read Next:

• Multidisciplinary Association For Psychedelic Studies Eyes State-Level Legalization After FDA Denial Of MDMA Therapy

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