New photography exhibition in Oxford explores how psychedelic drugs are used in clinical trials

The free exhibition, opening on Monday, November 25^th, includes patient experience, the role of the therapist, healing and life after the trial.

The project is a collaboration between photographer Adam Isfedniyar and researcher and DPhil student Eddie Jacobs, who is part of the NEUROSEC research group in the Department of Psychiatry. Mr Jacobs said:

While clinical trials show promising results for psychedelic therapies, the treatment experience is radically different to established modalities in Psychiatry. Psychedelic experiences can bring up material that is often deeply personal and hard to articulate. Patient accounts of life before, during, and after treatment are often side-lined from the scientific literature but are essential for understanding the full impact of psychedelic therapies: pairing participant accounts with images is a powerful way to capture complex personal journeys and give voice to the human experience behind the clinical data.”

Mr Isfendiar added: “Visions explores the evolving role of psychedelics and their emerging applications in modern mental health treatment, capturing trial participants’ profound emotional shifts through intimate portraits captured in a controlled studio setting using real-time lighting adjustments. By presenting the shared experiences of trial participants the project offers a first-hand view of psychedelics' therapeutic potential and the challenges facing their mainstream adoption.”

The public exhibition is part of the Humanities Cultural Programme (HCP) and is part of the current Season of Consciousness. It is funded by the HCP and Oxford Ethics and Humanities.

The exhibition is free and open to the public from Monday, November 25^th to Sunday, December 1^st between 11am and 4pm at the season pop-up venue, 33-35 Little Clarendon Street, Oxford.

There will be a panel discussion including a patient and psychiatrist on Monday afternoon at 4.45pm.