From Leary’s rebellion to microdosing at 70, I explore the spiritual, cultural, and philosophical power of LSD—not as a drug, but as a lens to question reality.
Bret, will you quit telepath-ing me? I feel like you've been inside my head. All my formative psychedelic trips occurred in my adolescence. They were powerful, guiding, and changed me forever. There were some thrills and some spills. 'course there's cannabis which can be plenty sackadelic.
Can't say I agree with you on this one having been hospitalized with a bummer trip (my last one) for nearly a week because nothing could bring me down.
The police brought me to the hospital and I got stuck with a huge bill which I fought, not only because they could not help me (I suspected some of the drugs they gave me to bring me down exacerbated the situation), but also because I had not consented to being there.
I understand your disqualifiers are there for a reason, and that is the responsible thing to do, but I have to say, even the trips I had before the total bummer were not as enlightening as purported to be. Groovy, yea, but I had more enlightening experience on peyote, and I had a former schoolmate (Westlake School for Girls), Diane Linkletter, whose suicide was attributed to LSD.
Still, I have often read that using psychedelics in a controlled environment, as you suggest, has the potential to augment mental health care in significant ways. But in the end, I think Timothy Leary did more harm than good.
Great job of examining The Trip. It is an experience that I enjoyed many times including a three day excursion due to a Berkeley PhD Chemistry student who made a dosing error. I found it everything everybody from Ram Das and Ken Kesey to Jimi Hendrix describes it. If one is very open and in a safe and supportive surrounding discovery is available in all ways. I can get into that place with my mind again without the acid when I let myself go there. I truly value my experience.
Amanda Feilding, Eccentric Countess Who Backed Psychedelic Meds, Dies at 82
She was ridiculed for drilling a hole in her skull to increase blood flow. But her foundation’s research into the therapeutic use of counterculture drugs proved visionary.
Bret, will you quit telepath-ing me? I feel like you've been inside my head. All my formative psychedelic trips occurred in my adolescence. They were powerful, guiding, and changed me forever. There were some thrills and some spills. 'course there's cannabis which can be plenty sackadelic.
Can't say I agree with you on this one having been hospitalized with a bummer trip (my last one) for nearly a week because nothing could bring me down.
The police brought me to the hospital and I got stuck with a huge bill which I fought, not only because they could not help me (I suspected some of the drugs they gave me to bring me down exacerbated the situation), but also because I had not consented to being there.
I understand your disqualifiers are there for a reason, and that is the responsible thing to do, but I have to say, even the trips I had before the total bummer were not as enlightening as purported to be. Groovy, yea, but I had more enlightening experience on peyote, and I had a former schoolmate (Westlake School for Girls), Diane Linkletter, whose suicide was attributed to LSD.
Still, I have often read that using psychedelics in a controlled environment, as you suggest, has the potential to augment mental health care in significant ways. But in the end, I think Timothy Leary did more harm than good.
>Individuals should not attempt to self-medicate with LSD, as unsupervised use can lead to adverse psychological effects.
But where's the fun in that! jk jk
Great job of examining The Trip. It is an experience that I enjoyed many times including a three day excursion due to a Berkeley PhD Chemistry student who made a dosing error. I found it everything everybody from Ram Das and Ken Kesey to Jimi Hendrix describes it. If one is very open and in a safe and supportive surrounding discovery is available in all ways. I can get into that place with my mind again without the acid when I let myself go there. I truly value my experience.
Amanda Feilding, Eccentric Countess Who Backed Psychedelic Meds, Dies at 82
She was ridiculed for drilling a hole in her skull to increase blood flow. But her foundation’s research into the therapeutic use of counterculture drugs proved visionary.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/12/science/amanda-feilding-trepanation-dead.html