The first examples of Visionary Art may very well have been created as long ago as the Upper Paleolithic era. During prehistoric times, art frequently took the form of cave paintings, carvings and icons. The Venus of Willendorf, a small fertility sculpture carved between 24,000–22,000 B.C.E, is considered by some to be one the first examples of Visionary Art. There has been discussion that the statue relates to a mushroom cult devoted to Amanita muscaria mushrooms, which are edible, naturally occurring psychotropes that proliferate in the area of Austria where the Venus, named after the Roman Goddess of Fertility, was discovered.

The blanket of Visionary Art extends well beyond prehistory covering everything from the religious trance induced 12th century icons crafted by Hildegard of Bingen to modern art based on drug induced psychedelic experiences. William Blake, who was both an artist and a poet, is frequently referred to when discussing famous Visionary Artists. Frida Kahlo and Salvador Dali are two contemporary Visionary Artists who have achieved acclaim within the art world.

In modern times, Visionary Art is finally beginning to become more clearly defined. Most scholars agree that Symbolism, Surrealism and Psychedelic art are the direct precursors to contemporary Visionary Art as we know it today. They also contend that, in order to truly be considered Visionary Art the subject matter must be related in some way to an altered state of consciousness, whether through the use of psychadelics or through more traditional methods such as fasting and meditation. Additionally, the artists themselves must be self taught, and are usually without formal training. Common modern subjects include but are not limited to ego-death, entoptic imagery, mythic archetypes and spiritual symbolism.