Psychedelic philanthropy: The nonprofit sector and Timothy Leary's 1960s psychedelic movement
Journal of the History of the Behavioral Sciences February 1, 2021 DOI: 10.1002/jhbs.22083 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Historical analysis Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Psilocybin |
| Keywords | Movement music |
| Citations | 2 |
| Key points | Argues that classic philanthropic attitudes and wealthy patrons were major supporters of Leary's psychedelic movement in the early 1960s, and that changes in his research objectives and transition to LSD guru were accompanied by changes in support patterns. |
Abstract
Abstract Little has been written on the financial support behind Timothy Leary's unorthodox research into mind‐altering drugs like LSD and psilocybin and his subsequent psychedelic movement. Indeed several individuals and organizations helped the psychedelic cause by directly funding Leary's ventures, offering legal and logistic assistance, and organizing fund‐raising campaigns. I argue that classic philanthropic attitudes and wealthy patrons played a major supporting role for Leary's psychedelic movement in the first part of the decade and that the changes in Leary's research objectives and his transition from academic to LSD guru were accompanied by changes in the patterns of support that occurred throughout the 1960s. This paper also connects Leary's legal troubles in the second part of the decade with the rise of the movement to legalize cannabis and points to historical continuity by looking at contemporary endeavors to fund psychedelic research.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on psilocybin, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| REBUS and the Anarchic Brain: Toward a Unified Model of the Brain Action of Psychedelics | 2019 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Psychedelics as Medicines: An Emerging New Paradigm General population | 2016 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Theorizing that Psychedelic Assisted Therapy May Play a Role in the Treatment of Trauma-Induced Personality Disorders. | 2024 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| What Geometric Visual Hallucinations Tell Us about the Visual Cortex | 2002 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Psilocybin-assisted therapy of major depressive disorder using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy as a therapeutic frame | 2020 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
Citations in the library
Cites 11
- Efficacy and Enlightenment: LSD Psychotherapy and the Drug Amendments of 1962 Journal of the History of Medicine and Allied Sciences August 16, 2012
- Neuropsychedelia: the revival of hallucinogen research since the decade of the brain Choice Reviews Online July 23, 2013
- LSD before Leary: Sidney Cohen's Critique of 1950s Psychedelic Drug Research Isis March 1, 1997
- American Trip The MIT Press eBooks July 14, 2020
- Dr. Leary's Concord Prison Experiment: A 34-Year Follow-up Study Journal of Psychoactive Drugs December 1, 1998
and 6 more in the library