The 23 Must-Watch Psychedelic Documentaries of Our Time
Go beyond the headlines and into the real world of psychedelics — the people they’ve helped, the science that explains them, and the stories that brought them out of the underground.
What was once underground and whispered about is now openly discussed in labs, clinics, and mainstream media. Few mediums have accelerated that transformation more than documentaries.
This list gathers the titles that have shaped my understanding of psychedelics over the years — along with a few new releases I can’t wait to dive into.
They explore everything from cutting-edge research and psychedelic history to the deeply human stories of people seeking healing.
Whether you’re here to learn, reflect, or open your mind a little wider, these documentaries are an excellent place to start.
A Note On Long-Form Learning
I’ve been thinking a lot about the way short-form content has taken over lately — endless clips, reels, and 10-second ideas that vanish as quickly as they appear.
It’s entertaining, sure — but it comes at a cost. Our capacity for depth, nuance, and real understanding is being eroded by our obsession with compressed, bite-sized dopamine hits.
In my opinion, books and documentaries are the antidote. Sitting down for an hour or two with a well-told story gives your mind the space to really absorb the material — to stretch, reflect, and actually learn.
This was the motivation to share this list this week. I invite you to immerse yourself in something meaningful instead of skimming the surface.
If you want to build real knowledge — not just collect fragments — committing the time and focus to long-form content is still the most powerful way in.
Without further ado… here’s the list!
1. The Sunshine Makers (2015)
The Sunshine Makers is a documentary about Nicholas Sand and Tim Scully — two of the pioneers of the counter-culture of the 1960s.
The duo’s story is fascinating, going from a professional chemist and engineer to the leading manufacturers of LSD in the United States.
Directed by: Cosmo Feilding-Mellen
2. How to Change Your Mind (2022)
Based on Michael Pollan’s bestselling book, this four-part series explores LSD, psilocybin, MDMA, and mescaline through the lenses of science, history, and personal story.
Directed by: Lucy Walker
3. Have A Good Trip (2020)
This documentary details the experiences and personal anecdotes of over 30 celebrities who have used psychedelics. It’s essentially a collection of trip reports from famous comedians, actors, and musicians.
Featured interviews include Sting, A$ap Rocky, Reggie Watts, Carrie Fisher, Anthony Bourdain, Ben Stiller, Deepak Chopra, Sarah Silverman, Andy Richter, and many others.
Directed by: Donick Cary
4. Neurons To Nirvana: The Great Medicines (2013)
Featuring interviews with Gabor Maté, Rick Doblin, Dennis McKenna, Dr. Julie Holland, and others, this film examines the role of 5 key psychedelics as therapeutic agents for humanity and consciousness.
Directed by: Oliver Hockenhull
5. Magic Medicine (2018)
This informative and inspiring documentary follows Dr. Robin Carhart-Harris as he examines the effects of psychedelics on treatment-resistant depression. It covers the weight of depression on human consciousness and highlights our inefficiencies in treating it using conventional medicine.
Directed by: Monty Wates
6. From Shock To Awe (2018)
This telling documentary follows the stories of combat veterans suffering from PTSD as they cast aside pharmaceutical treatments in favor of psychedelic therapies, including ayahuasca and magic mushrooms.
Directed by: Luc Côté
7. Dosed (2019)
Dosed chronicles the journey of a woman addicted to opiates and battling severe depression and anxiety as she seeks treatment in the form of illegal psychedelic therapy. This documentary can be confronting, especially to those with a history of addiction, but it does an excellent job at exploring the usefulness (and discomfort) of using psychedelics for mental health.
Note: There’s also a sequel, Dosed 2 (2023), for those who want to go deeper.
Directed by: Tyler Chandler
8. Ram Dass, Going Home (2017)
Baba Ram Dass (formerly Richard Alpert) was one of the lead researchers in the Harvard Psilocybin Experiment and an advocate for the use of psychedelics. He was arguably one of the influential figures involved with the merging of Eastern philosophy with the Western world throughout the 70s and 80s.
Going Home highlights the teachings of Ram Dass surrounding life, death, and spiritual awakening.
Directed by: Derek Peck
9. Tawai: A Voice From The Forest (2017)
Tawai explores the ways humans are connected to nature and the influence it has on society. English documentarian Bruce Parry travels from the rainforests of Borneo and the Amazon to give the forest a voice.
Directed by: Bruce Parry & Mark Ellam
10. Fantastic Fungi (2019)
Fantastic Fungi explores the innate ‘intelligence’ of the fungal kingdom and its usefulness for healing both the planet and ourselves. This documentary is both uniquely informative and visually stunning. Featuring interviews with leading mycologists, including Paul Stamets.
Directed by: Louie Schwartzberg
11. Psychedelia (2020)
Psychedelia explores the state of scientific research surrounding psychedelic medicine. It examines medical breakthroughs surfaced through the field dating back to the 1960s and considers the potential impact of this research in the near future.
Directed by: Pat Murphy
12. A New Understanding: Science Of Psilocybin (2015)
This documentary aims at the role of psychedelics in healing end-of-life depression, existential anxiety, and physical pain. Featuring the voices of Dennis McKenna, Anthony Bossis, and Albert Hofmann, this informative piece shows how the power of mystical experience can help patients come to terms with the uncomfortable experience of a terminal illness.
Directed by: Robert J. Barnhart
13. The Substance: Albert Hofmann’s LSD (2011)
Albert Hofmann discovered LSD the same year the atomic bomb was created. This documentary details the events leading up to the discovery, including his initial research on the compound using himself as the guinea pig and the experiments that followed in the 1950s and 60s.
Directed by: Martin Witz
14. DMT: The Spirit Molecule (2010)
DMT (dimethyltryptamine) is one of the most powerful psychedelic compounds in existence. This documentary, narrated by Joe Rogan, explores the curious research of Dr. Rick Strassman and others on the usefulness and mystery of DMT.
Directed by: Mitch Schultz
15. Hamilton’s Pharmacopeia (2016)
This docuseries, hosted by Hamilton Morris, premiered on Viceland in 2016. It began as a column written for Vice magazine back in 2009.
Morris explores the chemistry, history, and practical use cases of various psychedelics around the world. He interviews researchers, doctors, shamans, and many others to uncover the truth behind mainstream and fringe psychedelics alike.
Directed by: Hamilton Morris
16. Dirty Pictures (2010)
This documentary follows the life and work of Alexander ‘Sasha’ Shulgin — the creator of over 200 unique psychedelic compounds, including 2C-B and the rest of the 2C-X family of psychedelics. He’s considered the godfather of MDMA after inventing a new method of synthesizing the molecule that sidestepped a patent-protected process owned by Merck at the time.
Directed by: Étienne Sauret
17. Dying to Know: Ram Dass & Timothy Leary (2014)
Dying to Know celebrates two of the world’s most influential figures in the psychedelic space — Richard Alpert (Ram Dass) and Timothy Leary. Both figures began their story in the same place, at the Harvard Psilocybin Project in the early 1960s. Alpert later went on to become a spiritual teacher and guru, while Leary ignited a cultural movement and was once labeled “the most dangerous man in America” by then-President Nixon.
Directed by: Gay Dillingham
18. Terence McKenna’s True Hallucinations (2016)
Terence Mckenna was an infamous ethnobotanist and ecologist who dedicated his life to the study of psychedelic plants and fungi.
True Hallucinations was the title of his 1994 book detailing his trip into the Amazon basin in search of psychedelic compounds.
This documentary covers the life and death of Terence McKenna, including interviews with his brother, Dennis McKenna.
Directed by: Peter Bergmann
19. Aya: Awakenings (2013)
This documentary was adapted from the book Aya: a Shamanic Odyssey by Rak Razam.
Razam ventures into the Amazonian rainforest to explore the business of shamanism and spiritual tourism. This documentary is a blend of video footage and interviews with curanderos, spiritual seekers traveling to the Amazon, and retreat center owners, along with narrations taken directly from the book.
Directed by: Timothy Parish & Rak Razam
20. The Last Shaman (2016)
The Last Shaman (2016) follows a young man named James Freeman who, after years of severe depression and failed medical treatments, travels deep into the Peruvian Amazon in search of healing through ayahuasca.
This documentary explores both the hope and the danger of the increasingly commercialized shamanic tourism world.
Directed by: Raz Degan
21. The Mind, Explained: Psychedelics (2019)
This short, 20-minute Netflix documentary dives into the effects of psychedelics on the mind and their usefulness for treating depression, anxiety, and addiction.
Narrated by Emma Stone and featuring a combination of interviews and playful visualizations, this program offers an excellent jumping-off point for people interested in psychedelics.
This is just one episode in a series of 10 — covering other fascinating topics, including memory, learning, creativity, mindfulness, and dreaming.
Produced By: Netflix Studios & VOX
22. The Way of the Psychonaut: Stanislav Grof’s Journey on Consciousness (2020)
Stanislav Grof is a renowned psychiatrist and founder of transpersonal psychology. This documentary explores his life and the ability for non-ordinary states of consciousness to change lives and treat mental illness.
This documentary examines Grof’s philosophy on consciousness, trauma, and holotropic breathwork for the purposes of spiritual exploration and healing.
Directed by: Susan Hess
23. In Waves & War (2025)
In Waves & War (2025) follows three former U.S. Navy SEALs who travel to Mexico seeking psychedelic-assisted treatment for PTSD, depression, and traumatic brain injury.
This film blends personal storytelling with striking animation to explore the promise of ibogaine and 5-MeO-DMT where conventional therapies fall short.
Directed by: Jon Shenk & Bonni Cohen
Any Titles I Missed?
If there’s a documentary or docuseries you think belongs on this list, share it in the comments below!