Dr. Ido Hartogsohn

Dr. Ido Hartogsohn is a researcher specializing in drugs, media, and technology from historical, sociological, and theoretical perspectives. His work explores the many ways in which drugs and technology function as media (environments) that shape human states of consciousness. His research integrates insights from Science, Technology and Society (STS), media studies, drug research, and critical theory, with the aim of developing practical understandings to promote human well-being in a media-saturated age.

Hartogsohn manages a popular Hebrew-language blog focusing on technology and mysticism, and publishes extensively in Israeli and international newspapers and magazines such as Haaretz, Maariv, Ynet, and Odyssea. He writes a column on the contemporary psychedelic renaissance for Haaretz. Additionally, he frequently appears in Israeli and international media, discussing research topics and drug policy issues.

His book "Technomysticism: Consciousness in the Technological Age" (Hebrew, 2009) was the first Hebrew book to explore psychedelia, examining psychedelic substances within a broader framework and investigating the effects of technologies on consciousness. His book "American Trip: Set, Setting and the Psychedelic Experience in the Twentieth Century" (MIT Press, 2020) received wide acclaim for expanding our understanding of the role of socio-cultural context in psychedelic research and culture, describing how the socio-cultural landscape of mid-20th century America shaped the psychedelic research and culture of the period, creating what became known as the "psychedelic experience."

Within the Graduate Program in Science, Technology and Society, Hartogsohn teaches courses on topics such as the relationship between media and consciousness; techno-optimistic and techno-pessimistic approaches to technology; interdisciplinary perspectives on psychedelia; social, cultural, and philosophical issues in artificial intelligence; and the implications of the increasing merger of humans with technology.