the boom of psychedelic drugs in the 1960's
the road to liberation was started in the 1960’s, a wave of radical social and political change. after ww2, economic and ideological lines divide the world. the pressure of civil rights, paired with violent political radicalism (sound familiar?) fell over american society. the division of these groups created for larger interconnected social disruption against these opposing forces. these individuals fell out of line with traditional systems and found a way to embrace the fight, demanding radical justice while following alternative lifestyles.
this movement of ‘counter culture’ was mostly youth-driven, they rejected the social norms of the 1950’s and yearned for individualism and peace. boiling up in the 1940’s into the 50’s beat movement, a literary circle with Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg and William S. Burroughs at the center, who rejected mainstream post war conformity. they embraced jazz culture, rebellion and alternative spirituality. still having a hard time understanding what the ‘beat generation’ is, jack kerouac described it: “members of the generation that came of age after World War II-Korean War who join in a mystic-disaffiliation and material-simplicity values, supposedly as a result of Cold War disillusionment.”
ok, san francisco 1960’s, the beat movement counterculture made it way west. sf became a hotspot for youth who shared a common desire for peace and freedom. they called themselves ‘flower children’ and loooved playing with drugs. thus, allowing for the psychedelic scene explode. psychedelic not just drugs but music, art, fashion… music was at the forefront of this, with bands like The Beatles and Jimi Hendrix bringing LSD into public discourse. their music was infused with experimental sound, and definitely inspired by the heavy use of acid and psilocybin mushrooms. the breakout use of psychedelic drugs led to not only their ban, but to important mental health treatment research and scientific advancements.
some names who introduced or helped popularized the use of these drugs: ethnomycologist Gordon Wasson - brought mushies to western attention after discovering them in Mexico - though this negatively affected the Mazatec tribe of Oaxaca Mexico, who have been using mushies long before the CC movement,from the environmental impacts of the high demand of this drug. John Lennon, Bob Dylan, Ram Dass, Richard Alpert… Dr. Timothy Leary and Dr. Stanislav Grof advocated for the observation of these substance, suggesting psychological, behavioral and spiritual changes and advancements
Dr. Leary was doing more than just researching these drugs, he was hosting gatherings and events for counterculture, mingling with the grateful dead and promoting the recreational use of psychedelics. the widespread use of psychedelics was a catalyst for social change, it fueled a sense of interconnectedness and empathy. Leary was the one who coined the phrase, “tune on, tune in, drop out” pushing for youth to embrace psychedelics and to find a higher consciousness.
“ultimately you can listen to only one thing, not your president, not your many misguided leaders, save a few... You must listen to your own heart and do what it dictates. Because your heart is the only thing which can tell you what is right and what is wrong.” - Joan Baez 1965
summer of love 1967!!! sounds wonderful. this was a social gathering in san fran’s haight-ashbury district, which was a hub during this hippie movement, where over 100,000 people came together to reject american materialism and promote anti war ideals. fueled by psychedelic music and drugs, love and freedom, this was seen described as a “utopian” alternative to traditional american lifestyle. inspired by the “human-be-in” in golden gate park, this was really a time of social justice and interconnectedness among a large group of like minded people.
one year before, in january 1966, Ken Kesey, who had received lsd from a government testing program MKULTRA, decided to create informal acid tests with a group of his friends. Calling themselves, ‘the merry pranksters,’ they conducted a series of participatory experiment of a mass taking of lsd at a massive 3 day festival, called the trips festival. this featured more than 10,000 people tripping on LSD KOOL AID, as well as featured a performance by The Grateful Dead, light shows and serving as a launching point for the 60’s hippie and psychedelic movement. the merry prankster were al so reported to have traveled around in their school bus, stopping at various locations to hold the acid test, handing out free lsd to whoever may be brave enough to try.
however come october 1966, reagan bans the use of lsd and the love pageant rally was held in golden gate park. sf and these sit ins man. once again, the Grateful Dead performs along with Janis Joplin to a crowd of 300,000. this was a prelude to the human be-in, mentioned previously, and set way for many more to come. the following year, the implementation of the Staggers-Dodd Bill of 1968 officially pulled the plug on the acid test.
jump to august 1969, the first woodstock, a 3 day musical festival to fund a recording studio in new york. names like: Joan Baez, Santana, Jimi Hendrix, The Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin played to over 400,000.(an expected 50,000) described as a ‘psychedelic pasture,’ the hippies were embracing drugs, music, and a communal experience. sounds fun, but conditions were not so great. with the massive overcrowding, sewage with mixing with mud due to torrential rain- which was causing electrical shock to the musicians using the equipment, food was extremely limited, and expensive (nothing new with festival prices though,) which got BURNT DOWN!
the scheduling was so bad that delays in the performances on sunday, and Jimi Hendrix’s contract stating that nobody will perform after him, lead to him playing monday morning, creating an unplanned fourth day of the festival.
something wild i read while researching this was that festival goers were drugging/ laced free food and drinks that they were giving out... more LSD KOOLAID. medics reported to have treated almost 1,000 bad trips and over 1,200 foot injuries, because the hippies didn’t believe in shoes.
in the 70’s the controlled substances act of 1970 put lsd and mushies in the same category with heroin and cocaine, shutting down research and fueling public anxieties. though these drugs prompted artistic advancements and social movements, the irresponsible promotion by those in the music industry contributed to whirl of wrong information and hesitancy to trust. on the other hand, the halt of these drugs also stopped the research of potential mental health benefits and treatments.
