The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) is pleased to serve as a community advisory partner on the ROM-original exhibition that explores the cross-cultural and scientific importance of altered states of consciousness.
Psychedelics: Art. Culture. Science. follows the ancient use of psychedelics in cultural practices, the 1960’s pop culture boom, and its role in modern-day mental health research. Developed by Dr. Justin Jennings, ROM Senior Curator, Archaeology of the Americas, and Colin Fleming, ROM Executive Writer and Creative Communications Strategist, Psychedelics explores the diverse cultural practices, art, and science of psychedelics, including the scientific theory of how psychedelics impact the brain, critically examining the risks and their therapeutic potential.
“Our contributions to this ROM-original exhibition are part of a continued effort to provide accessible, evidence-based mental health information to the community,” says Lori Spadorcia, Senior Vice President, Public Affairs & Partnerships and Chief Strategy Officer, CAMH. “Sharing CAMH research with organizations such as Royal Ontario Museum is part of our mission to build a system that works together to improve societal health.”
CAMH a ‘Canadian First’ with Psychedelics Research Grant
CAMH is a leader in the exploration of novel therapies for mental health conditions, including psychedelic therapy for mental illness and addiction. A few of the most commonly researched psychedelics for mental health and addiction include ayahuasca, LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide), and psilocybin–the chemical component of ‘magic mushrooms.’
“CAMH was the first academic health centre in Canada to conduct a clinical trial of psilocybin in the 21st century,” says Dr. Ishrat Husain, Senior Scientist and Psychiatrist, CAMH, and a consultant on the exhibition. “This set the foundation for CAMH to launch a program of psychedelic science research that continues to explore the possibilities of psychedelics for mental illness and addiction.”
With a proven track record of leadership in mental health research, teams at CAMH joined the more than 30 Canadian and international subject-matter experts and community advisors ROM consulted for Psychedelics.
“This exhibition aims to expand understanding, inspire critical reflection, and prompt discussion,” says exhibition curator Justin Jennings. “As the topic of psychedelics is incredibly complex, ROM engaged expert advisors from across Canada and beyond to help inform the exhibition – including the world-leading experts at CAMH, who brought much-needed insight into today’s cutting-edge research into mental-health treatment as well as a lens on the medical history of psychedelics.”
In 2022, CAMH received the first federal grant from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research to study psilocybin and its effect on treatment-resistant depression. Since then, CAMH’s psychedelic research has expanded to include the evaluation of psychedelic therapies for co-morbidities of alcohol use and depression, autism spectrum disorder and depression, and late-life depression and physical health issues, to name a few.
“What’s unique about CAMH is the connection across research, education, and clinical practice,” Dr. Husain shares. “My colleagues are world-leaders in brain imaging, biomarker assessment, and the collaboration across our disciplines means CAMH can move the needle on the unanswered questions in mental health–including the potential of psychedelic therapies and their actions on the brain,” Dr. Husain continues.
An Archival Retrospective
Beyond the science, the exhibition highlights the different ways Indigenous societies have depicted the role of the psychedelics in society, contains artwork and objects from the psychedelic era, and uncovers the little-known Canadian roots of the term ‘psychedelics’ coined by psychiatrist Dr. Humphry Osmond in 1956. Psychedelics features 90 objects from across ROM’s collections, as well as cultural communities, and global institutions–including CAMH.
“2025 marked a 175-year history of a mental health facility along this area of Queen Street West, and the site of what is currently CAMH in downtown Toronto,” says Jackie Edwards, Archivist, CAMH Archives. CAMH Archives houses more than 300 objects that chronicle the history and development of psychiatry in Canada since the mid-1800s. “Archives are the centre of history for a lot of institutions. Our oldest artifacts date back to the construction of the Provincial Lunatic Asylum in 1845.”
A 1950s pill counting tray from the former Whitby Psychiatric Hospital, now Ontario Shores, and a wooden medicine tray and cups (1950-1976) originally from Ward 4A–a male psychiatric ward of what was formally known as the Queen Street Mental Health Centre, now CAMH–can be found in the exhibition.
“For Psychedelics, ROM picked two illustrative objects that tell the history of treatment for mental health at the time,” Jackie continues. “The pill counting tray, for example, was used by pharmacists to count and dispense medication and though it’s a mid-century object, you can still see similar designs today.”
Lived Experience Engagement for Real-world Impact
Spanning modern-day research to century-old history, CAMH teams played a significant role in shaping the exhibition. “Psychedelics has touched on many teams across the hospital, and it is inspiring to see our expertise show up in a global cultural destination such as ROM,” Lori says.
The patient experience is crucial for understanding the potential impact of psychedelics for the treatment of mental illness and addiction. ROM consulted CAMH’s Patient & Family Experience Office to guide the development and engagement of a community advisory group of people with lived and living experience of pursuing psychedelics for mental health and addiction.
“I believe that one of the most powerful aspects of this exhibit is its commitment to elevating lived experience alongside science and history. Dr. Jennings and his team created a space where personal stories, research, cultural perspectives, and even skepticism could coexist with equal respect. In a field often defined by debate, this exhibit invites curiosity, understanding, and meaningful dialogue,” shares Quinn Kirby, a community advisory member for Psychedelics.
“The voices of people who have experienced the therapeutic benefits of psychedelics were not treated as an afterthought, but were valued as an essential part of the conversation. This exhibit demonstrates how meaningful understanding can emerge when lived experience is given equal consideration alongside evidence, history, and culture,” Quinn continues.
“This is the model of collaboration across research, clinical care, education, patient and community impact for mental health education we want to continue,” Lori adds.
The Future of Psychedelics for Mental Health
With an increasing number of mushroom-themed shops luring passersby with the promise of escape and therapeutic benefits, psychedelic substances are a rapidly growing area of scientific exploration that may contribute to evidence-informed public policy and public health information.
“One concern is that psilocybin and other psychedelics become as readily available as cannabis, before we know they are safe for therapeutic use,” Dr. Husain cautions. “It is simply too soon to tell because they are still an experimental treatment.”
Although there is encouraging data on the safety and efficacy of psilocybin for depression, there are risks that need to be explored. In trials conducted at CAMH, research is performed in controlled clinical settings with very selective groups of individuals, and numerous psychological supports in place throughout the process. “Even in the case of depression, in which psilocybin has been studied for almost 10 years, we still can’t confidently say that it is safe, effective, and ready for clinical use.”
CAMH, with the collaboration of its academic health science partners, is advancing research in this field and Dr. Husain is optimistic about scaled capacity for research, and its role answering some of the unknowns.
“With continued interest and funding, I’m interested in answering a lot of the unknown questions in the field of psychedelic science. For example, does a person need the psychedelic experience to get better? How much psychotherapy is required to experience the therapeutic benefits psilocybin? And what actually happens in the brain during psychedelic therapy for people with depression?” Dr. Husain mused.
“These are questions we don’t know the answers to yet, but CAMH is uniquely positioned to explore.”
Psychedelics: Art. Culture. Science. runs June 6 until December 6, 2026. Members of the public interested in visiting Psychedelics: Art. Culture. Science. are encouraged to book tickets in advance online. During the summer season, ROM is open daily from 10:00am to 5:30pm, beginning June 29.
