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The Psychedelic era refers to the decade between 1965 and 1975.
The actual range is sometimes in dispute, as some sections of the music industry have described it to only be between 1965 and 1969 (when confused with The Sixties), but it is widely accepted that it wasn't over until the Disco era took over in 1975.
While music was a strong influence in the psychedelic movement, this era gets its name from how the use of psychedelic drugs influenced everything from the arts to politics. Some say psychedelic drug use encouraged unity, oneness, the breaking down of boundaries, the heightening of political awareness, and the questioning of authority. Other former proponents like George Harrison lost interest in its use early on because of his feeling that it lead to escapism and as a consequence, poverty.
The "we generation" of the 1960s unfortunately led into the "me generation" of the 1970s (the decade of decadence). The drug of choice switched from LSD (a drug that dissolves the ego) to cocaine (a drug which boosts the ego).
As much as the psychedelic era pushed for a return to nature, the 1980s pushed for a return to the 1950s. A backlash of intellectual retrenchment advocated ignorance and blind faith in the powers that be. This led into the 1990s mirroring the technology drive of the early 1960s.
With the fall of the technology market, wars, war protests, and tension over civil liberties, the 2000s are carrying some echos of the 1960s mentality. In recent years we have seen a strong decline in interest in space exploration and science fiction (i.e. Star Trek) replaced with a renewed interest in the earth and fantasy (i.e. Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter). Efforts also continue to end drug prohibition together with research being renewed into use of psychedelic drugs (including MDMA) for therapeutic purposes.
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