If someone in your community became an advocate on "why you should use LSD", hopefully it would spark some questions and you would see the alarmed faces of your peers. Interestingly enough, drugs were a part of the subculture of the 1960s- a defining characteristic of that decade. LSD- lysergic acid diethylamide- also known as acid, became the drug of choice for thousands of Americans. Timothy Leary, once a Harvard University instructor, had become a prominent supporter and advocate of the drug. If you're thinking about the "ethos" behind this argument- if a Harvard Professor was promoting some sort of drug use, you may think "hey, why not?!"His arguments to use the drug were even more interesting. He talked about the drug's spiritual and emotional use, and went on to write over a dozen books on the psychedelic experience of using acid. With media attention, he became a "national guru to a younger generation rebelling against the status quo". His phrase, "turn on, tune in, drop out" became popular as he urged people to "embrace self enlightenment". (Yeah, sure, you'd feel "enlightened" if you died from an overdose...). He explained that people should stop questioning social authority, and instead, be independant. So, how did this Harvard professor turn into an LSD guru in the early 1960s- amidst the Cold War? Leary actually gave psilocybin, or a mushroom that causes psychedelic affects to both graduate students and members of the academic community. Then, he asked them to write about their "trippin" experience. Coupled with skipping lectures, Leary's lax attitude and "turn on, tune in, drop out" sentiments did cause him to lose his job.
But Leary's lectures were not the only thing that was changing America's social and cultural landscape. Bands began to emerge, as did a new genre of music: psychedelic rock. The Grateful Dead (Formed in 1965 in Palo Alto, CA!), Pink Floyd, The Byrds, and Jimi Hendrix were some which emerged out of the subculture that included "mystical and religious symbolism", which was often invoked by drug use and the feeling of getting high and "raising consciousness". This easygoing, peace oriented, anti-authority movement is indeed the hippie movement that emerged in San Francisco in the early 1960s. With the Cold War, Korean War, and Vietnam War later on, people were growing tired of this American state of eternal warfare. As a result, drugs and people mingled throughout the decade to create an iconic group of people who paid little attention to social norms. Although LSD was actually banned in 1966, it remained a popular drug of choice. The inventor of LSD (who actually died in 2008) stated that when doing research and ingesting 250 micrograms of LSD, "“In a dreamlike state, with eyes closed (I found the daylight to be unpleasantly glaring), I perceived an uninterrupted stream of fantastic pictures, extraordinary shapes with intense, kaleidoscopic play of colors. After some two hours this condition faded away.”
Branching away for a second from the counterculture of the 1960s, I found it would be interesting to mention the uses of LSD throughout the crux of the Cold War. In the late 1960s, while the United States struggled to get ahead of Soviet production, scientists and inventors alike thought of ways to counterattack a possible Soviet chemical attack. A press story from September 6th, 1959 from "Cedar Rapids Gazette" stated, "Working in deep secrecy, U.S. scientists almost overnight have developed an arsenal of fantastic new weapons, variously known as psycho-chemicals and “madness” gases, which could virtually paralyze an enemy nation without firing a shot.". Do these "madness gases" not seem similar to some sort of psychedelic drug? Perhaps LSD? Some sort of "shroom gas?!" It makes sense that this heavily mind altering drug would be a potent form of weaponry.
As the decade turned from the 1950s to the 1960s, American culture changed. From a nation riddled with fear and the empty secrets of McCarthyism, the emergence of LSD and mind altering drugs, coupled with a newer generation who longed to be out of a war-torn state created a population of hippies and pacificts. Although hippie culture can be analyzed in more depth, perhaps at the height of its popularity, the drug movements from both people like TIm Leary and those behind the psychedelic rock movement changed the counter-culture of the 1960s forever.
1) Timothy Leary
2) Male hippie: 1960s
3) LIFE Magazine Cover
4) Grateful Dead
5) Albert Hofmann, creator of LSD
Sources:
http://www.pophistorydig.com/topics/tag/1960s-drug-culture/
https://emilyemarsden.wordpress.com/academic-writing/cause-and-effect-of-the-1960s-hippie-movement/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Counterculture_of_the_1960s#Marijuana,_LSD,_and_other_recreational_drugs
https://peaceloveandbeyond.weebly.com/drug-culture.html
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Anya - Your post was very interesting because it talked about a popular point in history that is often overlooked. Because we know much more about the harmful impact of psychedelics and other such drugs, the war on drugs and to prevent young people from engaging in what is considered reckless behavior is much more commonplace. I was reminded of when I went to the De Young Museum in San Francisco and saw exhibitions about the "hippie" period or the 60s and how that influenced fashion and attitude. Through the use of these drugs, people often experienced hallucinations that allowed them to create fantastic pieces of fashion or art. One particular portion showed people tearing down a store that sold drugs like LSD because they were so desperate for them. Alongside these drugs came things such as flower power and peace. Like you mentioned, people were sick of the wars (especially the Vietnam war) and sought peace via demonstrations which could often turn sour. During this time, bell bottom jeans and Levis were introduced, an incredibly fashion forward time. With the use of drugs, we are also reminded of individual creativity.
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