Karl Ferris and Psychedelic Therapy Spotlight Music Industry's Psychedelic Revival

Photographer Karl Ferris pioneered psychedelic imagery in the 1960s, using infrared and colour‑inversion techniques on album covers for artists such as Jimi Hendrix, The Hollies and Cream. His work, including the iconic cover for The Hollies’ Evolution and the recent Fire In Her Eyes album, defined the visual style of the era.

In the contemporary music world, artists and advocates are pushing psychedelics toward therapeutic use. Melissa Etheridge, prompted by her son’s opioid‑related death, leads the Etheridge Foundation’s effort to study psychedelic‑assisted treatment, hosting a summit with addiction expert Dr. Gabor Maté. She says, “I was part of what I know that hundreds of thousands of families go through… you want to fix them. You want to save them.” Other musicians such as Grimes, Kacey Musgraves and MGK have joined the conversation, while a 2026 executive order by President Donald Trump aims to speed research on substances like ketamine, LSD and psilocybin for mental‑health conditions.