Promoting social connectedness at music festivals

Issue 169: How psychedelics facilitate positive emotions and prosociality at music festivals

The use of psychedelic drugs has a long tradition at music festivals, perhaps for key psychological reasons, given their effects on the mind and body. One of the most iconic music festivals in the U.S. originated during the psychedelic sixties—Woodstock, where over 450,000 people came to see artists such as The Grateful Dead, Joan Baez and Jimi Hendrix. One of the bands, Santana is known to have been acid tripping during their live performance in 1969. Looking at the footage, it sure seems that there is some air of spiritual transcendence in their performance.