Leary's Legacy

The individual who sent this story my way surely most have known it would end up on my blog.

Mystic mushrooms spawn magic event: Findings could lead to treatments for addiction, depression.

People who took an illegal drug made from mushrooms reported profound mystical experiences that led to behavior changes lasting for weeks -- all part of an experiment that recalls the psychedelic '60s.

The research done points to the same conclusions and positively tested hypothesis as that done by a young Harvard professor by the name of Dr. Timothy Leary. He also began his psychedelic research with the psilocybe mushrooms. He later switched to LSD due to the substance's ability to be manufactured and accurately measured for reliable dosage. He also thought that it packed a lot more punch.

Some people blame Leary for the criminalization of psychedelics. It is proposed that his encouraging of individual use outside of a clinical setting (some called it recreational, others called it self medicating) is what lead to the severe scheduling of all psychedelics, halting clinical studies for several decades. Leary's revolt against the supposed scientific professionals seems justified. I know that I have little trust of psychiatrists, medical doctors, or religious leaders. Each has a valuable role in our society. Each should certainly be consulted for advice. But when it comes down to your physical, mental, and spiritual health, the final choices for treatment should belong to the individual. Leary recognized the mechanizations of a system of control and tried to liberate both the patient and the treatment.

My freshman year of college my World Religions professor was a short, jovial man who enjoyed wearing shorts and socks with his sandals. He also happened to be a prominent area minister. As an introduction to our chapter on substance use and the religious experience, he told us how he had taken LSD when it was legal and wished there was something like it he could bring to class for us to all try. It had been a very profound moment for him. Some weeks later I purchased some LSD from a friend. While the experience was not one I would call profound, I would be hard pressed to name a single moment prior to that in which I had experienced such intense joy. One is tempted to call it rapture.

All those who know what I'm talking about, give a wink with your third eye.