Work

Dwelling in Strangeness: Accounts of the Kingsley Hall Community, London (1965-1970), Established by R. D. Laing

Year: 2020

Type: article

Abstract: This article explores archival accounts of the experimental community, Kingsley Hall (1965-70), established by R. D. Laing, the radical Scottish psychiatrist. The paper contributes to renewed interest in Kingsley Hall, R. D. Laing's radical psychiatry and UK counterculture. Archival sources enable not only the further exploration of already known figures but also let us hear previously unheard voices. Following a discussion of archival materials, the Hall is analyzed thematically and historically as (i) an inner spaceship; (ii) an embattled middle-class countercultural plantation; (iii) a site of spiritual renewal and development; (iv) a single-building arts colony; and (v) a countercultural experiment. Finally, it is argued that with re-evaluation of 1960s and 1970s counterculture now underway on the Left, the Hall's experiment in Laingian countercultural psychiatry-as we may fittingly call it-may yet inform future radical projects (in mental health and beyond).

Source: Journal of Medical Humanities

DOI: 10.1007/s10912-020-09656-0

Author: Adrian Chapman

Institution: Florida State University

Language: English

Topic: Historical Psychiatry and Medical Practices

Subfield: Clinical Psychology

Field: Psychology

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $2,750

Funders: Wellcome Trust, University of Glasgow, Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne