Timothy Leary

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Even in the 1960s, being a scientist meant you were expected to set aside your personal interests and remain objective at all times. That didn't stop Dr. Timothy Leary from becoming one of the most famous and controversial figures in science at that time, though. Leary was a psychologist who worked as a lecturer at Harvard University and later became its first professor of clinical psychology. But it wasn't long before he began experimenting with psychedelic drugs like LSD. As his interest in these substances grew, Leary believed science could be used to understand the brain and human consciousness better by using psychoactive substances like psilocybin (magic mushrooms), mescaline, or LSD. He also felt that people had been overly cautious about drugs like cannabis, opium, and coca leaves throughout history because they feared their potential for misuse rather than appreciating any potential benefits they might offer when used responsibly.

The Birth of the Psychedelic Movement

In 1957, American psychologist and chemist Dr. Albert Hofmann accidentally discovered the psychedelic effects of LSD during a research project at Sandoz Pharmaceuticals in Switzerland. Hofmann had synthesized the chemical LSD hoping to find a new treatment for neurological disorders, but he found it had psychoactive effects instead. Hofmann was cautious about the use of LSD, and he didn’t think it would become a recreational drug. But he was proven wrong, and the 1960s became known as the Psychedelic Era as the use of psychedelic drugs like LSD, psilocybin, mescaline, and peyote spread across the United States. Psychedelic drugs could induce altered states of consciousness that were often described as transcendental, mystical, or spiritual. Some scientists thought these substances could be used to explore deeper areas of the human mind and unlock some of its mysteries.

Why Tim Leary Was Fired from Harvard

On May 13, 1963, Leary was dismissed from his post as a lecturer at Harvard University for conducting experiments with psilocybin and LSD on himself and a few others. The dismissal came after a lengthy investigation into Leary's research, and a few years of escalating tensions between him and the university. It followed his controversial firing from the Stanford University psychology department in 1960 for a similar transgression, and his growing fame as the founder of a growing psychedelic movement. At the same time, Leary was accused of promoting the use of psychedelic drugs among the general public through a series of articles published in the New York Times, Playboy, and other publications. After his dismissal, Leary became a cultural icon and promoted the use of psychedelic drugs in the public sphere. During the Summer of Love in 1967, he founded the San Francisco Oracle, an influential countercultural newspaper. As the Summer of Love came to an end and the hippie subculture started to fade, Leary became even more vocal about his opposition to the War on Drugs.

Becoming a Cultural Icon

Leary’s advocacy for the use of psychedelic drugs began in the early 1960s when he published a series of articles in the New York Times, Playboy, and other publications. He argued that these substances had the potential to become useful therapeutic tools if they were carefully researched and administered. He also claimed they could be used by artists and other creative people to expand their minds and produce new and exciting ideas. By the mid-1960s, Leary had become a cultural icon, and he was often pictured in newspapers and magazines wearing a flowery shirt or tie, round spectacles, and a wide smile. In 1965, Leary was invited to attend a press conference with the Beatles in London. He was also given a cameo appearance in the film Help! in which he played an anthropologist. On February 21, 1966, Leary was arrested in California for possession of marijuana and arraigned on two charges. This led to a high-profile trial in which he was convicted and sentenced to 30 years in prison.

The Start of the LSD Advocacy Movement

After his marijuana conviction, Leary went underground, but he continued to urge the public to explore the potential benefits of psychedelic drugs. In 1967, he and fellow psychologist Dr. Richard Alpert founded the International Federation for Internal Freedom (IFIF), which soon became known as the International Federation for Internal Freedom and later the IFIF Institute. This organization was dedicated to the responsible use of psychedelic drugs and served as an advocacy movement for the “psychedelic revolution” that was taking place in the United States at the time. After the Controlled Substances Act was passed in 1970, the IFIF Institute was shut down, but not before it had a huge impact on the psychedelic movement. The IFIF Institute helped to establish the idea that people should have the right to use psychedelic drugs as they wished without fear of legal punishment. Although the organization didn't last long, it left a lasting impact on the psychedelic movement.

The Beginning of the End for Leary

On August 1, 1971, Leary was arrested for possession of cannabis and for crossing the border between Mexico and California. He was sentenced to 30 years in prison and was sent to the Federal Correctional Institution at Pleasanton, where he was later diagnosed with an incurable case of terminal cancer. He was released on parole on September 16, 1974, and he died three months later on December 31, 1974, in his home in Berkeley, California. The Psychedelic Era came to an end in the 1970s after the Controlled Substances Act was passed and psychedelic drugs were categorized as Schedule 1 substances. This meant that they were considered to have no medical benefits and a high potential for abuse. As a result, scientists stopped conducting research on psychedelic drugs, and many of them were destroyed. This marked the beginning of the end for the psychedelic movement, which had once seemed so promising with the potential to transform the scientific community.

Conclusion

Although the Psychedelic Era is often remembered as a time of peace and love, it was certainly also a time of controversy. It was also a period when scientists were beginning to look at the potential benefits of psychedelic drugs. As a result, these substances were studied more than ever before, and they offered a unique opportunity to gain valuable insights into the human mind. However, the use of psychedelic drugs was strongly opposed by conservative political forces and led to the creation of the War on Drugs. This meant there was less research conducted into psychedelic substances, and they were less readily available to members of the public. Although the use of psychedelic drugs is less widespread than it was in the 1960s, they continue to be studied by scientists today.