Definition

Noun: 1. The subculture associated with the use of psychedelic drugs: This term refers to the collective social and cultural phenomena, including styles of art, music, fashion, and philosophy, that emerged from and are characteristic of the experience and use of psychedelic substances. 2. The music, art, or style characteristic of this subculture: It can also describe the specific artistic and sensory outputs, such as a genre of music or a visual style, that are intended to replicate or evoke the experience of psychedelic drugs.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The 1960s were the golden age of psychedelia, marked by vibrant art and mind-expanding music.
  • His apartment was decorated in full psychedelia, with swirling posters and blacklight paintings.
  • The band's latest album is a return to their roots in psychedelia.

Advanced Usage

• As a modifier: The term is often used attributively (like an adjective) to describe things related to this subculture.
  • She collects psychedelia posters from the 1960s.
  • The festival had a strong psychedelia vibe.

Variants and Related Words

• Psychedelic (adj): 1. Relating to or denoting drugs (especially LSD) that produce hallucinations and apparent expansion of consciousness. 2. Having intense, vivid colors, sounds, or patterns resembling the visual and auditory effects of psychedelic drugs.
  • The concert featured psychedelic light shows.
• Psych (verb, slang): A shortened, informal form often used in phrases like "to psych someone out" (to intimidate) or "to psych oneself up" (to prepare mentally). This is a distinct, though etymologically related, usage.

Synonyms

• Counterculture (specifically of the 1960s)
• Acid rock (a musical genre within psychedelia)
• Mind-expanding (adj, describing the philosophy or art)

Related Phrases and Concepts

• Turn on, tune in, drop out: A famous slogan associated with the promoter of psychedelia, Timothy Leary.
• Psychedelic experience: The subjective experience induced by psychedelic drugs, which the art and music of psychedelia attempt to represent.
• Psychedelic rock: A genre of rock music that is intended to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs, often using electronic effects and unconventional song structures.

Noun

1. the subculture of users of psychedelic drugs