Leary's "Strong Psychedelics"

[Pfafffed]

I've been reading Pollan's new book, and he mentions Leary's started objective to turn 4 million Americans on to "strong psychedelics." I saw this phrase repeated in "The White Hand" and was idly curious if anyone knew what he meant by that. Was he talking about dosage or drug? I'm curious what therapists thought of the differences in therapeutic and spiritual characteristics between classical psychedelics in the days where therapy research could take place openly. I'm sure the price and availability of free Sandoz LSD influenced the decision of many researchers, but I'm sure many had opinions on their own.

 

[pupnik]

Do you like Pollan's book or is it just rehash?

 

[perpetualdawn]

^ Good question, I'm curious too. Either way, it's going to be a game-changer - what's rehash for us will be eye opening for the masses who will read this book.

 

[Pfafffed]

I'm only halfway through, and so far I'm ambivalent. For one, he needs a more assertive editor - the quality is not as high as his prior books.

I've enjoyed his survey into the pre-Leary psychedelic research field, almost a lost era, and seeing a chronological synthesis of all the characters involved is quite helpful.

So far, it's more hits than misses, but it's not revolutionary for me either, which was really the most I could hope for. We are definitely not the audience

 

[ungelesene_bettlek]

I'd say they are the long-acting psychedelics (LSD, Psilocybin and Mescaline) and DMT/5-MeO-DMT. [5-MeO-]DMT, Psilocybin (4-PO-DMT) and Mescaline grow everywhere if you have a look for the plant species, and LSD needs to be synthetised by a "simple" reaction of Ipomoea tricolor - Who needs a dealer?

Those (5-MeO-DMT, DMT, 4-PO-DMT, LSD and Mescaline) are the "big five" of psychedelics (Mescaline was first synhetised by Ernst Sp?th, Professor of organic Chemistry in Vienna some decades ago): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernst_Späth. I'm proud to live in the same city and going to the very same University.

 

[Pfafffed]

I can make an educated guess myself, but I was wondering if anyone knows with certainty. I guess what I'm really wondering is if mescaline was included in that list, or if that clarification was created to exclude mescaline. I'm curious why a psychedelic that seems so transparently wholesome appears to have disappeared off the therapeutic radar for decades, if not for reasons of expense, sourcing, duration, and/or side effects.

 

[JackARoe]

Do you like Pollan's book or is it just rehash?

I read some of it and I do like it. What amazes me is that Pollan is doing what any other person that was turned on to a psychedelic drug does. He is "wow'ed". But what he is doing is really no different. People forget Leary was a respected Harvard professor in the beginning who was also wow'ed. So I think the only thing the book does is add momentum to the Hopkins studies and any future studies. And that also we just added another respected person to the list that thinks psychedelics are important. I think he will give a clearer language to some of the effects. Like plants and consciousness. It is always amusing when a total materialist comes out of a psychedelic trip and then come back and say at least now don't know what consciousness is. Pollan should get together with Stuart Hameroff and Roger Penrose and start designing more up to date maps of consciousness, although all these maps we have had through the years work also.

One thing I do not agree with is the sterile conditions and notion that any government can decide who can and can't take a trip and make it more medical setting. Nonsense I say. Yes I agree Leary was sloppy and irresponsible as was Ken Kesey. But the Ken Kesey model works best for me. It was the old argument between Millbrook and Pranksters. And although I think it was irresponsible to go around in a bus and a bowl of kool aid making it available, but many of us would never have been exposed if it weren't for those irresponsible acts. We probably would not have the art and music that came out of that. I have always been a person that believes access to psychedelics should remain available to any who ask and seek, not a governments call. I know opinions vary on that.

I am still happy Michael Pollan jumped in and added his 2 cents. One thing I found interesting is that he has A-fib. He says it is controlled with meds but I can see where some of his cautions come from. That could be a scary ailment to suffer from when you are tripping.

I really wish Carl Sagan had ventured past cannabis into psychedelics Contact would have been even more trippier. :D