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MJ

Mike Jay

Author, London

Mike Jay is an author and cultural historian. His latest book is Mescaline: A Global History of the First Psychedelic (2019). He lives in London.

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Written by Mike Jay

Vintage photo of a woman with a bob haircut, seated at a desk with papers and a lamp, looking down while writing or reading.

ideaConsciousness and altered states

Why is psychedelic culture dominated by privileged white men?

Mike Jay

Five people lying on the floor around a lamp in a vintage-style room with a patterned carpet and a wooden door.

essayHuman rights and justice

What were drugs?

The war on drugs was always a war against an idea. But ideas have a shelf-life, too, and this one has lost its potency

Mike Jay

Elderly couple sitting at a table and smiling, with the man whispering to the woman. A bowl of fruit and a woven placemat are on the table.

essayPublic health

The Geel question

For centuries, a little Belgian town has treated the mentally ill. Why are its medieval methods so successful?

Mike Jay

A two-storey house at night with lights on inside, a car parked outside, and a streetlamp illuminating the scene.

essayFilm and visual culture

The reality show

Schizophrenics used to see demons and spirits. Now they talk about actors and hidden cameras – and make a lot of sense

Mike Jay