High Profiles: Amanda Fielding
a pioneer in psychedelic research, consciousness exploration, and drug policy reform who founded the Beckley Foundation
Welcome to High Profiles, where we’ll spotlight unconventional visionaries whose lives have reshaped how we think about mind, medicine, and meaning. Today we remember the fearless and fascinating Amanda Fielding.
Amanda Fielding was a 27-year-old art student when she famously drilled a hole in her own head — and filmed it. The short film she made, Heartbeat in the Brain, was shown to a small, invite-only audience. She wasn’t doing it for shock value. This was a self-performed trepanation, done in the belief that it could enhance consciousness and improve blood flow to the brain. Since no doctor would do it, she took matters into her own hands.
You can read more about that moment here - https://www.cabinetmagazine.org/issues/28/turner.php, in a fascinating and personal interview with the Countess herself.
Known to some as “Lady Mindbender” or the “Crackpot Countess,” it’s tempting to see her as just another eccentric aristocrat pushing boundaries she could afford to push. Rather, Amanda Feilding has become one of the most influential and respected figures in psychedelic science and drug policy reform.
She founded the Beckley Foundation, which has been at the forefront of psychedelic research for over two decades — funding and supporting studies on substances like LSD, psilocybin, and DMT. Her work has helped shift public perception and scientific understanding of these compounds, especially when it comes to treating mental health conditions like depression, anxiety, PTSD, and addiction. Beyond research, she’s also been a tireless advocate for evidence-based drug policy, pushing for laws that reflect science rather than stigma.
Michael Pollan calls her “an essential motivating force in this field,” and Robin Carhart-Harris — one of today’s leading psychedelic researchers — has described her as “a national treasure and a real visionary.”
Michael S. Rosenwald dives into her remarkable journey in The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/12/science/amanda-feilding-trepanation-dead.html (paywalled)
Feilding’s legacy reminds us that genuine progress often begins on the fringe — with those bold enough to ask difficult questions and challenge the status quo. If you're enjoying this series, consider subscribing or sharing with someone curious about the future of mental health, psychedelics, and the brave minds helping shape it.