A short-lived spiritual movement known as the Acid Churches emerged in New York State during the 1960s, led by Dr. Timothy Leary. From 1963 to 1968, Leary and his communal group lived in Millbrook, New York, where these psychedelic religions gained brief cultural prominence. Negative media attention and a law enforcement crackdown, partly provoked by the leaders' increasingly provocative stance, forced the groups to flee the state by early 1968. The paper establishes the historical significance of these Acid Churches within 1960s culture and draws connections to today's Neopagan and New Age movements, as well as the modern scientific and therapeutic revival of psychedelic substances.
Rosemary Woodruff Leary's unpublished memoir, now published as 'Psychedelic Refugee,' recounts her life at the center of the 1960s counterculture and psychedelic movement, overshadowed by her famous husband Timothy Leary. The memoir, assembled from fragmented drafts by editor David F. Phillips, portrays her as a strong catalyst who enabled Timothy Leary's fame and legal battles, while enduring financial strain, notoriety, and the end of their marriage. After helping him escape prison, she lived 23 years on the run under an assumed name until 1994, while Leary regained celebrity status. The work provides insight into a key but eclipsed female figure in psychedelic history.