In his scientific history, The Harvard Psychedelic Club: How Timothy Leary, Ram Dass, Huston Smith, and Andrew Weil Killed the Fifties and Ushered in a New Age for America (2009), Don Lattin describes the work undertaken by four men to promote spirituality, religious tolerance, and Eastern mysticism in Western society. Critics praise The Harvard Psychedelic Club for how well it captures the growth of the mind/body/spirit movement in the West. A journalist and nonfiction writer, Lattin is best known for covering alternative religious movements in the United States, although he also writes about mainstream religion. The Harvard Psychedelic Club traces the progression of a movement originally called the “Psilocybin Project,” which was designed to promote the use of psychedelics, most notably psilocybin, for recreational, medicinal, and religious use. Unsurprisingly, the project was not without scandal and controversy. Lattin aims to give an unbiased overview of the project’s fiercest advocates, its founders, its critics, and its long-term consequences. The project’s founders are Timothy Leary, Huston Smith, Ram Dass, and Andrew Weil. Timothy, a research psychologist, enjoys using LSD recreationally. Huston is a religious expert and MIT philosophy professor. Ram is a Harvard psychology professor, and Andrew is a popular holistic health doctor and natural foods advocate. Although they come from different educational and professional backgrounds, they have one thing in common—their belief in the benefits of psychedelic drugs. Lattin gives these men nicknames to describe the different roles they play in the Psilocybin Project. Huston, “The Teacher,” promotes religious tolerance. Ram, “The Seeker,” becomes a spiritual activist. Andrew, “The Healer,” campaigns to reform the American healthcare system. Finally, Timothy, “The Trickster,” encourages adolescents everywhere to rebel, indulge in excess, and experiment with psychedelic drugs. Lattin argues that none of these men could have succeeded without the help of the others—the “Harvard Psychedelic Club” was only as strong as its individual members. Although they only worked together for a short time, they completely transformed how Americans view drugs, spirituality, and religious diversity. In the book, Lattin describes the men and their respective ideologies in detail. Timothy is a highly intelligent professor who leads the way in psychedelic research. Genuinely believing that LSD has therapeutic qualities, he encourages his students to use psychedelic drugs to reduce anxiety and improve their academic performance. The main problem with Timothy, Lattin argues, is that he is controversial and controlling. He abuses his power over students, forcing them to take psychedelic drugs even if they don’t want to. Ironically, though he believes in questioning authority and rebelling against superiors, he denies his students the same freedom. Richard Alpert changes his name to Ram Dass after a religious pilgrimage to India. Before traveling to India, he partners with Timothy to launch a religious experiment known as the “Good Friday Experiment.” Ram aims to show that psychedelic drugs boost the effectiveness of prayer and religious worship. He believes that these drugs bring us closer to divinity and help us connect with our spiritual side. However, like Timothy, Ram soon loses his position at Harvard because his research is too controversial. He is also found guilty of administering psychedelic drugs to students against their will. He then founds numerous foundations across America, all of which promote spiritual wellbeing and religious freedom. Lattin argues that, although Ram had good intentions, his methods left him open to widespread criticism. Huston, the third member of the Harvard Psychedelic Club, worked with Ram and Timothy while serving as a philosophy professor at MIT. According to Lattin, Huston is arguably the least committed member of the club. Although he agrees with the club’s work and believes in the therapeutic value of psychedelic drugs, he doesn’t believe in the club’s methodology. More concerned with building religious tolerance than popularizing drug use, he is one of the first members to go his own way. Andrew first attends Harvard in 1960 with a plan to study biology, specializing in ethnobotany, otherwise known as the study of a region’s plants and how these plants shape local culture. He quickly meets Timothy and Ram, and with their help, he organizes research into the holistic use of drugs. Andrew switches to Harvard Medical School. Lattin notes that Andrew didn’t plan to become a doctor. Rather, he only studies medicine to identify how he can revolutionize the system. Andrew wants American healthcare to focus more on holistic treatments rather than harsh, artificial medical therapy, but again, his methods aren’t without controversy. Andrew almost loses out on his medical degree due to a drug-related study he conducts during his final semester. These men only spent a few months working together. However, as Lattin describes, they had such a profound impact on each other and the scientists around them that we’re still reflecting on their work to this day. Although their methods are unorthodox and many argue that they abused their power, there is no denying the impact their work had on Western acceptance of Eastern theology and mysticism.

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Don Lattin

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