1893: Consciousness under the influence of cannabis indica
“The drug finally produced faint illusions, chiefly ceiling as decorated with colored designs, and finally sleep.”
1857: The Hasheesh Eater
Excerpt from one of the earliest published book-length accounts of cannabis intoxication.
1969: Timothy Leary testifies at the chicago seven trial
Timothy Leary's testimony during the Chicago Seven trial highlighted his controversial stance on psychedelics as tools for consciousness expansion.
1750: Padre Veigl encounters Ayahuasca
An 18th-century Jesuit’s account of ayahuasca usage in the Amazon basin.
1882: William James on Nitrous Oxide
The psychologist William James takes a high dose of nitrous oxide and thinks about Hegel. A fascinating and hilarious early foray into the “trip report” genre.
1946: “Let there be Light”
John Huston’s 1946 film about recovery from wartime trauma, which was produced by the US government but never released. Portrays narcosynthesis, a precursor to psychedelic-assisted therapy,
1957: “Psychoanalysis and LSD-25: Foundations for a combined therapeutic technique”
Luisa de Álvarez de Toledo discusses the use of LSD in "combined therapy,” focusing on how LSD facilitates psychological insights.
1966: Sidney Cohen’s UCLA Speech on Psychedelics
Cohen’s 1966 UCLA speech on LSD in which he calls for “using the anthropological approach of insinuating a valuable drug of this sort into our culture.”
1965: Recording of the dolphin Peter after being given LSD
A recording of John C. Lilly's research on dolphins. Features sounds of Peter the dolphin after being given LSD.
1963: “In a drug-filled chalice, total love”
Article in the January 3, 1963 issue of the News Call Bulletin about a Menlo Park woman’s positive experience with LSD-assisted psychotherapy.
1965: Sidney Cohen’s UCLA Speech on ESP
Sidney Cohen’s 1965 UCLA speech on ESP and psychedelics.
1962: “Dolphin’s Voice May Be Key to Communications”
Newspaper article from 1962 describing John C. Lilly’s research at the Communications Research Institute, where Lilly would later dose his dolphins with LSD.