MULTIDISCIPLINARY ASSOCIATION FOR PSYCHEDELIC STUDIES MULTIDISCIPLINARY ASSOCIATION FOR PSYCHEDELIC STUDIES

Special Issue: Technology and Psychedelics Edited by David Jay Brown, M.A.

Albert Hofmann: January 11, 1906 ~ April 29, 2008 See www.maps.org/albert for obituaries from around the world VOLUME XVIII NUMBER 1 • SPRING 2008 “Xenolinguistics: Intense Play.” Still from LiveGlide performance. “Musical Volume” by Brummbaer By Diana Reed Slattery www.brummbaer.net See article by Diana Slattery on page 9 See article by Brummbaer on page 36. m a p s • v o l u m e x v i i i n u m b e r 1 • s p r i n g 2 o o 8 1

MAPS (Multidisciplinary Association for 2 On The Other Side Psychedelic Studies) is a membership-based Rick Doblin, Ph.D. organization working to assist researchers worldwide to design, fund, conduct, obtain 3 Letter from the Editor governmental approval for, and report on David Jay Brown, M.A. psychedelic research in humans. Founded in 1986, MAPS is an IRS approved 501 (c)(3) non- 6 Mathematics and the Psychedelic Revolution profit corporation funded by tax deductible Ralph Abraham, Ph.D. donations. MAPS is focused primarily on 9 How I Became a Xenolinguist assisting scientists to conduct human studies to generate essential information about the risks and Diana Reed Slattery psychotherapeutic benefits of MDMA, other 11 Networking with the Psychedelic Community psychedelics, and marijuana, with the goal of Sara Huntley eventually gaining government approval for their medical uses. Interested parties wishing to 13 Technology and the Entheogenic Revolution copy any portion of this publication are encour- Jeff Pappas aged to do so and are kindly requested to credit 14 Ecodelic! Plants, Rhetoric and the MAPS and include our address. The MAPS Bulletin is produced by a small group of dedicated staff Co-evolution of the Noösphere and volunteers. Your participation, financial or Richard Doyle, Ph.D. otherwise, is welcome. 19 An Interview with Kevin Herbert ©2008 Multidisciplinary Association Louise Reitman for Psychedelic Studies, Inc. (MAPS) 21 Dreaming of MAPS 10424 Love Creek Rd., Ben Lomond, CA 95005 Phone: 831-336-4325 Josina de Bree Fax: 831-336-3665 22 Use of LSD-25 for Computer Programming E-mail: [email protected] Dennis R. Wier Web: www.maps.org 23 Psychedelic Technology Alexander Beiner 24 Surviving and Thinking with Psychotechnologies Thomas B. Roberts, Ph.D. 34 Transhumanism & the War on Tristan Gulliford & Ken Goffman (a.k.a. R.U. Sirius) This edition edited by: David Jay Brown Design/Build: Noah Juan Juneau 35 Missed, Mist ISSN 1080-8981 Neal Goldsmith, Ph.D. Printed on recycled paper 36 Technology Appreciated by the Psychedelic Mind Front Cover Image: “Dionysian Splendor” Brummbaer © ,1990 39 MAPS Report from the World Psychedelic Forum 2008 Mixed Media/Canvas 48"x72" www.carolynmarykleefeld.com Valerie Mojeiko

Back Cover Image: 42 O Nobly Born “Dr. ” Valerie Leveroni Corral by Brummbaer Canvas, 24x31” 49 For Beloved Laura and Friends See story page 32 Carolyn Mary Kleefeld www.brummbaer.net 50 Letters to MAPS All cover art is available for purchase through the MAPS 51 MAPS - Who We Are online store. Fifty percent of profits support MAPS research. 52 MAPS Membership Information www.maps.org/catalog 2 m a p s • v o l u m e x v i i i n u m b e r 1 • s p r i n g 2 o o 8

Letter from Rick Doblin, Ph.D. On The Other Side

I initially completed this letter on April 16, 2008– was published, “Psychedelic agents in creative problem- exactly four years after Michael and Annie Mithoefer solving: a pilot study.” This paper, by Harman, McKim, conducted their first MDMA-assisted psychotherapy Mogar, Fadiman and Stolaroff–which appeared in Psycho- session on April 16, 2004. Coincidentally, sixty-five years logical Reports–concluded “Tentative findings based on before, on April 16, 1943, the world’s first LSD experience tests of creativity, on subjective reports and self ratings, took place when Dr. Albert Hofmann accidentally in- and on the utility of problem solutions suggested that, if gested some LSD he was synthesizing. I’m now rewriting given according to this carefully structured regimen, this on May 1, to note with sadness, and in celebration of psychedelic agents seem to facilitate creative problem- a life gloriously lived, that Albert died on April 29, at the solving, particularly in the ‘illumination phase.’” Doses age of 102. All MAPS members can take great satisfaction administered were 200 milligrams of sulfate in knowing that Albert lived long enough to see with his (the approximate equivalent of 100 mcg. of LSD). own eyes the recent approval of Dr. Peter Gasser’s MAPS- Psychedelic research at Harvard also ended in 1966. sponsored Swiss LSD/end-of-life anxiety protocol–to After almost forty-two years it resumed on February 23, become the first study of LSD-assisted psychotherapy in 2008, in a MAPS-catalyzed study that administered over thirty-six years. Albert felt that the renewal of LSD- MDMA-assisted psychotherapy to a patient with anxiety assisted psychotherapy research was the “fulfillment of associated with advanced-stage cancer. Perhaps the my heart’s desire.” It was a pleasure to tell Albert several renewal of research into psychedelics and creativity isn’t weeks ago that I looked forward to discussing the final all that far off. results with him in about a year and a half. Close at hand is the completion of MAPS’ U.S. He laughed and said that he’d help anyway he could, MDMA/PTSD pilot study, conducted by Dr. Michael either from this side or the other side. Now, he’s on the Mithoefer and Annie Mithoefer, BSN. This is MAPS’ first other side, as it falls to us to shepherd LSD back into FDA-approved psychedelic psychotherapy protocol and medical use. top priority project. The final experimental session in the Although MAPS’ primary focus is on sponsoring study is scheduled for July, 2008, when the 21st subject research into the therapeutic uses of psychedelics and will receive his third MDMA-assisted psychotherapy marijuana–in order to develop them into legal prescription session. The study will have taken more than four years medicines—we believe that these substances are multipur- to complete. It will end up having cost MAPS about $1 pose tools. They can be used beneficially in contexts other million to design, obtain permission for, conduct, monitor, than just medical use such as in religious/spiritual settings, analyze, and write a paper for publication in a peer- to enhance intellectual and artistic creativity, for scientific reviewed scientific journal. Most importantly, the study is studies of consciousness and the mind, for celebratory/ generating remarkably promising results. We are attempt- recreational purposes, to deepen emotional relationships, ing to replicate these results in MAPS-sponsored MDMA/ or for practical problem-solving tasks. PTSD pilot studies in Switzerland and Israel. We’re also in This special issue of the MAPS Bulletin is primarily the development stage for additional MDMA/PTSD pilot about psychedelics and technology. It focuses on the use of studies in Canada, Spain, and France. psychedelics for intellectual and artistic problem-solving The next breakthrough we’re working toward is to and creativity. This issue also features an article about obtain FDA permission to administer MDMA to therapists psychedelic pioneer , who passed away who are in training to conduct MDMA/PTSD research. It recently, by activist Valerie Corral. (Valerie was a member is our view that therapists administering MDMA to their of a support team that assisted 96-year old Laura in her patients will be more effective if they have experienced dying process). It also includes a painting and photos of MDMA themselves. In order to prove safety and efficacy– Laura. Laura’s book, This Timeless Moment, about how she and to obtain approval for prescription use–we need to assisted in his dying process in 1962, has train about twenty to thirty new male/female co-therapist been a profound inspiration to many psychedelic activists. teams to conduct the two multisite Phase 3 studies Aldous’ classic book, Brave New World, has also been an required by the FDA and the European Medicines Agency. inspiration, since it highlights the need for technological On behalf of MAPS staff and researchers, our deepest advancement to be matched by growth of the human thanks to all MAPS members for your generous support spirit. Psychedelics can help facilitate this growth. over the years. Together, we have amazing opportunities In August of 1966 the last paper in the scientific ahead, on this side, with help from the other side. literature exploring the use of psychedelics for creativity – Rick Doblin, Ph.D., MAPS President ® m a p s • v o l u m e x v i i i n u m b e r 1 • s p r i n g 2 o o 8 3

Letter from the Editor: David Jay Brown, M.A.

More than a few people have pointed out how closely started by two Nobel Prize biochemists—Francis Crick timed the discovery of LSD (April 16, 1943) was with and Kary Mullis—who both reportedly attributed part of the first controlled atomic reaction (December 2, 1942). their insights to their use of LSD. Francis Crick, along with Others point out the close timing of the discovery of James Watson, discovered the double helix structure of mescaline (1897) and the development of X-ray photog- the DNA molecule—the genetic code—and, according to a raphy (1895). Because of these near historical coinci- BBC report, sources close to Crick say that he was regu- dences, it has been suggested that there might be some larly using low-doses of LSD at the time of the discovery. sort of relationship between the timing of these discover- Kary Mullis—who developed PCR (the polymerase chain ies and the development of these inventions, as these reaction), which revolutionized the study of genetics and powerful technologies seem to mirror the discovery of made genetic engineering possible—said, “I think I might the psychedelics in an interesting way. have been stupid in some respects, if it weren’t for my An LSD experience can be subjectively viewed as an psychedelic experiences.” “atomic explosion” or “nuclear meltdown” of the mind. Psychedelic Technology Begins Likewise, the penetrating In the Sixties and Seven- perspective gleaned from a ties, the use of psychedelics by mescaline experience seems creative people in the music strangely similar to the see- industry helped to spawn through point of view pro- technologies that combined vided by X-ray photography, new forms of music with laser as both have the ability to light shows, and magic mush- make normally invisible room-munching film makers aspects of the world visible. were inspired to develop new A number of people—includ- cinematic techniques that used ing Swiss chemist Albert special effects to mimic the Hofmann, who discovered perceptual effects of hallucino- LSD—have suggested that gens. For example, Stanley LSD might have been discov- Kubrick, who directed 2001: ered in 1943 as a spiritual A Space Odyssey, was turned on antidote to the apocalyptic to LSD by psychia- dangers of nuclear weapons trist Oscar Janiger when the that now threaten the was still legal. Many survival of our species. science fiction writers—such Whether these specula- David Jay Brown as Philip K. Dick, Robert Anton tions are true or not, Western [email protected] Wilson, Rudy Rucker, Norman science’s discovery of psyche- Spinrad, and me—have been delic chemicals lead to an inspired by psychedelics in intimate and unusually creative relationship with tech- their thinking about the future of technology. nology. Since psychedelics affect all aspects of the human In the early Eighties the late psychologist Timothy mind, they affect every aspect of human culture. Science, Leary began promoting the idea that personal computers art, medicine, politics, philosophy, and spirituality have all and Virtual Reality were the “new LSD,” and this associa- been transformed by individuals experienced with the tion between psychedelics and technology was embraced psychedelic mind state, as has the major hallmark of our by what became known as the “cyberculture” of the species’ success—our ability to design tools. The interplay Eighties and Nineties—largely fueled by a - between technological innovation and psychedelic mind based magazine called Mondo 2000 (which was an inspira- states has substantially influenced many aspects of tion for Kevin Kelly to launch Wired). The editor-in-chief electronic media and biotechnology—including the of that magazine—Ken Goffman (a.k.a. R.U. Sirius)—joins development of new film techniques and cinematic special us in this Bulletin to share with us his thoughts about the effects, personal computers, the internet, and genetic future of technology. engineering. The cyberculture of the Eighties and Nineties has For example, the biotechnology revolution was largely mushroomed into the global internet culture that per- 4 m a p s • v o l u m e x v i i i n u m b e r 1 • s p r i n g 2 o o 8

vades virtually everyone’s lives today. This history was the software companies Lotus and On Technology, Mark covered in John Markoff’s book What The Dormouse Said, Pesce, a computer programer who claims to have been and Fred Turner’s From to Cyberculture, inspired by an LSD trip to produce Virtual Reality Model- which are about how the sixties counterculture directly ing Language, and Bob Wallace, the ninth Microsoft spawned the personal computer revolution. According to employee who coined the term “shareware,” created the Ph.D. candidate Diana Reed Slattery—who also joins us in word processing program PC-Write, and founded the this Bulletin—the Web-based search engine Google has software company Quicksoft. Wallace contributed become the world’s first “psychedelically-informed substantial funding to psychedelic research organiza- superpower.” The influence of psychedelics on the mass tions—including MAPS—before his untimely death in media has become so pervasive that it’s hard to even find a 2003. Reliable sources have informed me that there are television commercial or a computer game that doesn’t many more highly influential software designers who— bear an obvious psychedelic signature. and due to the current political climate—don’t want their Silicon Valley both appear to have been highly influenced use of psychedelics to become public knowledge. by creative individuals who Mathematician Ralph have experimented with mind- Abraham—who wrote the altering substances. article in this issue about Psychedelics Since psychedelics computers, mathematics, and and Computers psychedelics—tells a great The internet and the affect all aspects story about a computer personal computer revolution columnist from the San are especially intimately of the human mind, Francisco Chronicle who didn’t intertwined with psychedelics. believe the claim made by a Many of the most influential they affect writer for G.Q. magazine that people involved in developing much of the computer industry personal computers, and the every aspect of was inspired and designed by software that runs on them, people who have been influ- admit to having munched on human culture. enced by psychedelics. So this the forbidden fruit. Bill Gates, reporter attended a Siggraph founder of Microsoft, as well as convention—an annual Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, conference for computer who founded Apple Computer, graphic artists—and polled all admit to having used LSD important professionals of the during their formative years in computer graphic field—180 the 1960s. Jobs in particular has talked openly about the of whom answered yes to the question, “Do you take benefits of his experiences with LSD. He told a reporter psychedelics, and is this important to your work?” from the New York Times that taking LSD was “one of However, to people who have used psychedelics this the two or three most important things I have done connection appears obvious. Anyone who has ever had an in my life.” experience with LSD will instantly recognize that com- As an early developer for cisco Systems, MAPS puter graphic morphing techniques, for example, were supporter Kevin Herbert developed software that now obviously inspired by the way that people’s faces appear to runs on millions of Internet routers worldwide, and he someone under the influence of the psychedelic. Trippy was largely inspired by his use of psychedelics. Kevin joins computer software graphics appeal to many young people us in this issue to share some of his insights into how who use psychedelics, and this encourages an intimate technological innovation can be fueled by psychedelic relationship between technology and their psychedelic mind states. Another computer revolutionary who experiences. For example, a college student in Texas wrote considers psychedelics in a positive light is MAPS Board me saying, “The MAC visualizer on iTunes makes music a of Director John Gilmore, who was the fifth employee whole other experience, even not on acid. But when at Sun Microsystems, and who has also contributed you’re tripping, it takes you inside it. We think—this substantial funding to psychedelic research—in addition software was made for trippin’ college kids!” to promoting free software, increasing the availability of However, not everyone agrees that psychedelics data encryption programs to protect personal privacy, enhance technical design abilities. When I asked robotics encouraging freedom of information, creating internet expert Hans Moravec (whose mind-expanding books security, and reforming . about the future of technology tend to appeal to readers Other computer pioneers, programmers and who have experimented with psychedelics) if software developers who were positively influenced by psychedelics played any role in the development of his psychedelics include Mitch Kapor, one of the founders of ideas about technology, he replied, “No! I was college age m a p s • v o l u m e x v i i i n u m b e r 1 • s p r i n g 2 o o 8 5

in the 1960s (and grad school in the 1970s), and quite According to technology theorist and inventor Ray aware of the fads. I found the idea of mind-altering drugs Kurzweil, our developments in technological design are about as attractive as the idea of using woodshop tools to increasing exponentially, and that advances in artificial mechanically alter my brain...I thought, my brain is a intelligence, nanotechnology, quantum computing, virtual complicated, intricate piece of machinery, and there reality, and robotics will soon lead to a rapid explosion of are big things I hope to do with it. No way I want it technological growth and a future of unprecedented scrambled! Fine machinery: handle very cautiously. marvels—where computers exceed human intelligence, For those reasons, I never took up , or and biology and technology merge indistinguishably from anything stronger.” one another. All of our present-day psychedelics may Although not everyone agrees about the reputed appear crude, overly general, and too unpredictable and abilities of psychedelics to enhance technological creativ- nonspecific for this superior race of super-beings. It will ity (although there is scientific evidence that psychedelics certainly be interesting to see what sort of chemical keys enhance creativity in general), it might be noteworthy to they will develop in these far-flung futures, and what sort this discussion to point out that of technological wonders they around a hundred years ago the will in turn inspire. physicist Lord Kelvin declared Already, technologies that “X-rays are a fraud,” and in The cyberculture of the have been built that induce Galileo’s time the Pope refused altered states of consciousness to look through his telescope. It Eighties and Nineties through electrical stimula- seems that more than a few tion, light and sound people have difficulty accepting has mushroomed into brainwave entrainment, and aspects of reality that don’t fit magnetic fields. These new into their belief systems, and the global internet technologies, although still this affects their ability to be in their early development, objective. There appears to be a culture that pervades may someday lead to devices sharp division among people as that reliably and safely to whether or not psychedelics virtually everyone’s bestow a full-blown psyche- enhance creativity, and this delic experience upon the division often seems to correlate lives today. user, and perhaps different with whether or not these same factors could be modulated to people have actually tried create very specific types psychedelics themselves. of experiences. To explore these questions further, and to contem- A Tribute to Laura Huxley plate the fascinating interplay between technology and Also featured in this special edition of the MAPS psychedelics, we gathered together an exceptional group Bulletin are tributes to writer and psychedelic investigator of contributors for this special edition of the MAPS Laura Archera Huxley, who died of cancer at the age of 96 Bulletin. Penn State Science Technology on December 13th, 2007. Laura is best known for her and Society professor, and author of Ecodelics, LSDNA, and memoir, This Timeless Moment, about her husband Aldous Technoscience, Richard Doyle, Ph.D. joins us to share his Huxley’s final struggles with cancer, and how she assisted insights and ideas about psychedelics and the evolution him during his dying process by administering LSD at his of information technologies. request. Laura‘s work was a big inspiration to many of us Educational psychologist Thomas Roberts, Ph.D.— in the psychedelic community and we will miss her wise, who has been teaching a class on the psychedelic noble, and graceful spirit. mindview at Northern Illinois University since 1982— Wo/Men’s Alliance for Medical Marijuana (WAMM) shares with us his ideas about the evolution of “psycho- cofounder Valerie Leveroni Corral joins us to write about technologies.” Computer graphic artist Brummbaer writes Laura’s life, and her experiences with Laura as she was about how different acoustic technologies were developed dying. poet and painter Carolyn Mary Kleefeld by musicians and sound engineers using psychedelics, and (who did the spectacular cover art for this Bulletin, how his own experience with inspired new “Dionysian Splendor”), shares a farewell message and computer graphic techniques. poem for Laura, and she also did the painting of “Laura The Future of Psychedelics & Technology Huxley’s Departure” on the inside back cover. The back A few of the contributors in the Bulletin point out cover photo of Laura Huxley was done by Dean Chamber- that psychedelics are a form of technology; a tool for lain, and the other mind-expanding art in the Bulletin tuning into different states of consciousness in the was done by Brummbaer and Sara Huntley. • brain—and like all forms of technology, they may eventually become obsolete. 6 m a p s • v o l u m e x v i i i n u m b e r 1 • s p r i n g 2 o o 8

Ralph Abraham, Ph.D. Mathematics and the Psychedelic Revolution Recollections of the impact of the psychedelic revolution on the history of mathematics and my personal story.

1. Introduction In 1972 I met Terence McKenna and we became close friends. Ten years later we were joined by in a special triadic bond. We developed a habit of conversing on common interests in a style that evolved into a form we called a “trialogue,” and eventually we performed public trialogues. These occurred spo- radically from 1989 until 1996. The was very

Ralph Abraham, Ph.D. hospitable and helped us organize and record these trialogue Professor of Mathematics University of events, which led to our two volumes of published trialogues. at Santa Cruz www.ralph-abraham.org In a typical trialogue, one of us would lead off with a trigger [email protected] monologue of fifteen minutes or so. My conversation starter for one of our trialogues in 1996 is the basis of the next section, on my supposed revolutionary role in the psychedelic history of mathematics in the 1960s, and the origin of chaos theory.

2. Math in the 1960s insulting things in the interview, that as One day I was sitting in my office far as I can remember, were largely fiction. with my secretary, Nina, when there was a I didn’t mention it to anybody when I knock on the door. Nina said, “This is a came back to California, and was very It all began friend of a friend of mine, who wants to pleased that nobody mentioned it. Nobody interview you.” I was very busy with the had noticed. There were one or two phone in 1967 telephone and the correspondence, so he calls, and I realized that nobody after all came inside and I answered his questions reads GQ. If they do look at the pictures, when I was without thinking. After a month or so, they overlooked mine. I was safe after all when a photographer arrived, I began to at this dangerous pass. a professor of realize that I had given an interview for Suddenly, my peace was disturbed Gentleman’s Quarterly (GQ) magazine. I once again by a hundred phone calls in a mathematics called my children and asked them what single day asking what did I think of the was GQ magazine. They live in Hollywood article about me in the San Francisco at Princeton, and and know about such things. I was in Italy Examiner, or the San Jose Mercury News, when the magazine finally arrived on the and so on. All the embers in the fire left by one of my students stands. I was very proud, in spite of my GQ had flamed up again in the pen of a style of dress, that I had been the first one journalist. A woman who writes a com- turned me on in our circle of family and friends to puter column for the San Francisco Exam- actually be photographed for GQ. iner had received in her mail box a copy of to LSD. But I was shocked in Firenze to open the Gentleman’s Quarterly article, the first page of the magazine, and see my in which was quoted as picture occupying a large part of the first saying, “The Japanese go to Burma for page, with the table of contents, with the teak, and they go to California for novelty heading: “Abraham sells drugs to math- and creativity. Everybody knows that ematicians.” There were some other California has this resource thanks to m a p s • v o l u m e x v i i i n u m b e r 1 • s p r i n g 2 o o 8 7

psychedelics.” Then the article quoted me one of my students turned me on to LSD. as the supplier for the scientific renais- That led to my moving to California a year sance in the 1960s. later, and meeting at UC Santa Cruz a This columnist didn’t believe what chemistry graduate student who was was asserted by Timothy Leary and others doing his Ph.D. thesis on the synthesis of in the GQ article, that the computer DMT. He and I smoked up a large bottle of revolution and the computer graphic DMT in 1969, and that resulted in a kind innovations of California had been built of secret resolve, which swerved my career upon a psychedelic foundation. She set out toward a search for the connections to prove this story false. She went to between mathematics and the experience Siggraph, the largest gathering of com- of the logos, or what Terence calls “the puter graphic professionals in the world, transcendent other.” This is a hyper- where annually somewhere in the United dimensional space full of meaning and States 30,000 who are vitally involved in wisdom and beauty, which feels more real the computer revolution gather. She than ordinary reality, and to which we thought she would set this heresy to rest have returned many times over the years, by conducting a sample survey, beginning for instruction and pleasure. In the course her interviews at the airport the minute of the next twenty years there were By the time she stepped off the plane. By the time she various steps I took to explore the connec- got back to her desk in San Francisco she’d tion between mathematics and the logos. she got back talked to 180 important professionals of About the time that chaos theory was the computer graphic field, all of whom discovered by the scientific community, to her desk in answered yes to the question, “Do you take and the chaos revolution began in 1978, I psychedelics, and is this important in your apprenticed myself to a neurophysiologist San Francisco work?” Her column, finally syndicated in a and tried to construct brain models made number of newspapers again, unfortu- out of the basic objects of chaos theory. I she’d talked to 180 nately, or kindly, remembered me. built a vibrating fluid machine to visualize Shortly after this second incident in vibrations in transparent media, because I important professionals my story, I was in Hollyhock, the Esalen of felt on the basis of direct experience that the far north, on Cortes in British the Hindu metaphor of vibrations was of the computer graphic Columbia, with Rupert and other friends, important and valuable. I felt that we and I had a kind of psychotic break in the could learn more about consciousness, field, all of whom night. I couldn’t sleep and was consumed communication, resonance, and the with a paranoid fantasy about this outage emergence of form and pattern in the answered yes and what it would mean in my future physical, biological, social and intellectual career, the police at my door and so on. I worlds, through actually watching to the question, knew that my fears had blown up unnec- vibrations in transparent media ordinarily essarily, but I needed someone to talk to. invisible, and making them visible. I was “Do you take The person I knew best there was Rupert. inspired by Hans Jenny, an amateur And he was very busy in counsel with scientist in Switzerland, a follower of psychedelics, various friends, but eventually I took Rudolf Steiner, who had built an inge- Rupert aside and confided to him this nious gadget for rendering patterns in and is this important secret, and all my fears. His response, transparent fluids visible. within a day or two, was to repeat the About this time we discovered in your work?” story to everybody in Canada, assuring me computer graphics in Santa Cruz, when that it’s good to be outed. I tried thinking the first affordable computer graphic positively about this episode, but when I terminals had appeared on the market. I came home still felt nervous about it and started a project of teaching mathematics said “no” to many interviews from ABC with computer graphics, and eventually News, and the , and other tried to simulate the mathematical models people who called to check out this for neurophysiology and for vibrating significant story. I did not then rise to the fluids, in computer programs with com- occasion, and so I’ve decided today, by puter graphic displays. In this way evolved popular request, to tell the truth. a new class of mathematical models called It all began in 1967 when I was a CDs, cellular dynamata. They are an professor of mathematics at Princeton, and especially appropriate mathematical object 8 m a p s • v o l u m e x v i i i n u m b e r 1 • s p r i n g 2 o o 8

for modeling and trying to understand the psychedelics had an influence in the brain, the mind, the visionary experience evolution of science, mathematics, the and so on. At the same time other math- computer revolution, computer graphics, ematicians, some of whom may have been and so on?’ recipients of my gifts in the 1960s, began Another event, in 1990, followed the their own experiments with computer publication of a paper in the International graphics in different places, and began to Journal of Bifurcations and Chaos, when I did not then make films. an interesting article appeared in the Eventually, we were able to construct monthly notices of the American Math- rise to the occasion, machines in Santa Cruz which could ematical Society, the largest union of simulate these mathematical models I call research mathematicians in the world. The and so I’ve decided CDs at a reasonable speed, first slowly, and article totally redefined mathematics, then faster and faster. And in 1989, I had a dropping numbers and geometrical spaces today, by popular fantastic experience at the NASA Goddard as relics of history, and adopting a new Space Flight Center in Maryland, where I definition of mathematics as the study request, to was given access to, at that time, the of space/time patterns. Mathematics has world’s fastest super computer, the MPP, been reborn, and this rebirth is an out- tell the truth. the Massively Parallel Processor. My CD come of both the computer revolution and model for the visual cortex had been the psychedelic revolution which took programmed into this machine by the only place concurrently, concomitantly, person able to program it, and I was cooperatively, in the 1960s. Redefining invited to come and view the result. this material as an art medium, I gave a Looking at the color screen of this super concert, played in real time with a genuine computer was like looking through the super computer, in October, 1992, in the window at the future, and seeing an Cathedral of Saint John the Divine, the excellent memory of a DMT vision, not largest Gothic cathedral in the world, in only proceeding apace on the screen, but . also going about 100 times faster than a 3. Conclusion human experience. Under the control of There is no doubt that the psyche- knobs which I could turn at the terminal, delic revolution in the 1960s had a we immediately recorded a video, which profound effect on the history of comput- lasts for 10 minutes. It was in 1989 that I ers and computer graphics, and of math- took my first look through this window. ematics, especially the birth of post- To sum up my story, there is first of modern maths such as chaos theory all, a 20-year evolution from my first DMT and fractal geometry. This I witnessed vision in 1969, to my experience with the personally. The effect on my own history, Massively Parallel Processor vision in viewed now in four decades of retrospect, 1989. Following this 20-year evolution, was a catastrophic shift from abstract and the recording of the video, came the pure math to a more experimental and story with GQ and the interviews at applied study of vibrations and forms, Siggraph in the San Francisco Examiner that which continues to this day. • essentially pose the question, “Have m a p s • v o l u m e x v i i i n u m b e r 1 • s p r i n g 2 o o 8 9

How I Became a Xenolinguist

Diana Reed Slattery

The grand convergence of psychedelics and technology with many points of change and connection, an abstrac- came in the summer of 1998. I was a grad student at RPI tion of the organic, constantly shifting circuitry of the in communication and rhetoric, fully indoctrinated in brain through which electrical and chemical signals pulse, (mostly French) critical theory, semiotics, new media where myriads of connections are formed and broken in theory, and the history of communication technology. complex patterns, constructing and projecting a world My task was to clarify my topic—the idea of a visual around and inside us. language—for a Ph.D. proposal. Instead of starting my In the The Maze Game, the characters undergo an bibliography, or some other sensible activity that would initiation, where they find their focus, their unique contribute to my academic progress, I began writing a purpose in life, by ingesting the sacrament of the psyche- novel, The Maze Game. delic Lily, invoking its guidance, and making their way The fictional world had estab- through a Glide maze. Taking a cue lished itself well enough that I from the Glides, who, in the could enter it, look around, and ask narrative, were taught the Glide questions of the characters. I asked language while under the influence for the details of how the game that of the Lily, I made a consequential is central to the novel was played. decision—to explore the language The answer arrived as a high-speed more deeply, I would follow the “download”—a blast of information Glide’s path into the maze, ingest- concerning a visual language, Glide. ing a psychedelic sacrament in I got the whole thing in a timeless search of knowledge about the maze instant: game, rules, architecture of itself. At this point, I became a the playing field, the 27 glyphs, character in my own story, while in how they behave as a visual lan- a reciprocal (or self-reflexive) move, guage, and the myth of origin of the Glide lifted itself out of the story language. The game was played in world to be considered and devel- mazes made of the visual language, oped in “real life.” I had written a Glide, taught to the characters by story, and the story was now the hallucinogenic blue waterlily. writing me. I became a scribe and a Glide presented itself in the Diana Reed Slattery, xenolinguist, deciphering a lan- story-world as an alien language. Ph.D. candidate guage from the ancient future. The glyphs of the language formed [email protected] A series of software applica- the patterns and physical structures tions emerged from this process of on which the game was played. As the plot unfolded, it psychedelic self-exploration. First, the glyphs were became evident that the Glide language was intricately animated. The Collabyrinth, an interactive glyph editor, involved at every level of the story: as the game maze was programmed for combining, animating, and translat- architecture; as a secret code; as a literature. The forms of ing glyph formations. the language, especially that the signs moved and Next was the Glide Oracle [www.academy.rpi.edu/ morphed, enabled new modalities of cognition. glide], which involved the translation of approximately When summer of 1998 was over, I did not have a 1100 glyph pairs, and 729 glyph transformations. These visual language topic framed in terms of a semiotic or new translations were useful in exposing the archetypal and media theory. I had instead a model of a gesturing, poetic dimensions of the language. It also taught me that transforming linguistic system, suggesting, in its grammar future efforts to understanding Glide needed to move and syntax, that new forms of writing, of psychedelic away from natural language which provided too con- origin, enabled by the capability of the computer to stricted a reducing valve on “language at large,” to re-tool animate signs and symbols, could offer novel ways of Huxley’s metaphor. expressing meaning. The glyphs, laid out statically, on a The language asked to be confronted on its own two-dimensional surface (like all our natural language terms. What needed to be translated was not the language, written forms) formed webby mazes. Animated, the but the brain/mind, to adapt to language constructed on glyphs transform, linking and unlinking with each other. different sensory ratios. Whether such rewiring of our A Glide maze seemed like a new kind of circuit operating plastic neurons is possible by exposure to new forms of 10 m a p s • v o l u m e x v i i i n u m b e r 1 • s p r i n g 2 o o 8

language, is purely speculative, but would make an sport. I use LiveGlide as a noetic practice. I am learning interesting scientific investigation. about knowing, but the categories of Knower and Known, The next application, LiveGlide, involved the ability Self and Other, taken for granted in our baseline (natural to write in three dimensions interactively with continu- language) grammar of first and third persons, can radically ously moving forms. reconfigure themselves in extended, merged, or blended LiveGlide interface. states of being. Knowing can be re-formed to include not States of extended perception were used in the only linguistic knowledge, and gut-level feelings of conception, design, and implementation of LiveGlide certainty, but knowing by doing, and knowing by being software, in practice and performance, and in learning where I know you and you know me because we have in how to read what I was writing. Primarily, psychedelics an experiential sense become each other. At all mind- provided the means to emerge from the states, the questions arise: Who writes? Who reads? cocoon of natural language into what could Who understands? What, for that matter, be understood as both a pre-linguistic state is a who? Then come the magical moments of direct apperception of the world around when communication shades into commun- and inside us, and as a post-linguistic (post- ion, when Self and Other, and reading and natural language) realm of evolutionary writing become one, in a fluid dance of forms of language, concomitant with the At this point, transformation. sense of consciousness expanded into a The question of the Other’s ontological novel, if temporary, evolutionary state. I became status—is this truly an Other, outside of Glide language became, with practice, a myself, or is the Other an unrecognized direct readout of the process of the commu- a character portion of myself, so strange, so much more nication with the Other. The fluidly than what I think of as my Self at baseline, shifting state of the relationship, the moods, in my own story… so wholly unexpected and so endowed with the qualities of perception and attention, novelty that I perceive it as alien—is moot. the steadiness of awareness is palpable I had written a Either interpretation leads to conclusions when I read the writing. As a deliberate that require considerable re-drawing of the experiment in neural plasticity, trying to story, and the story maps of human nature and experience. rewire the brain-mind from the inside out, With these combined technologies— across multiple states of reality, I launched was now LiveGlide, a language whose writing is into ontological engineering. made possible by the CPU, and psychophar- Psychedelics can transport one beyond writing me.” macology that brings both the Other and the veil of natural language, into the un- new linguistic phenomena into view—a speakable. This unspeakability is often call is placed, across the chasm between described as a communication deficit, where realities; a response comes with consider- natural language is viewed as insufficient to able joy that contact has been made. I dance convey the realities of the psychedelic toward an unspeakable edge, willing to be sphere. I view this “bug” as a “feature,” an opportunity transformed by the unknowable into the unknown. to become aware of the other channels of communication, As to my own research agenda with LiveGlide, I both those available at baseline, such as body language, would like to collaborate with a neuroscientist in building and those opened or enhanced in the psychedelic a device that would take a subset of my own brain signals, experience. and map them to various parameters of LiveGlide. I When I have folded the maps of natural language, the believe this could provide a more aesthetic visualization mindbogglingly novel territory of the psychedelic sphere with which to monitor and record the changes occurring shines forth, nameless, but not unknowable. LiveGlide in brain states, link them to internal states, and, in a becomes for me a kind of biomechanical living language, biofeedback loop, potentially develop the ability to move algorithmic in its means, but moved and changed entirely in and out of different brain states. This would be particu- by my own human gestures on the interface, playing over larly interesting in studying changes throughout the one hundred parameters of expressive possibilities, a vast trajectory of a , from onset, through combinatorial phase space to play in. And in turn, I’m peak, and back to baseline. The LiveGlide software is built played by… This sense of the vastness of possibility, when to take generic MIDI signals from any source. The display experienced under conditions of extended perception and technology and control mapping interface is already built; cognition, parallels the vastness and complexity of what is needed is a partnership with neuroscientific receptor space, the chemical architecture of consciousness, expertise. • as studied by Tom Ray [http://life.ou.edu/pubs/Tuc- More on Glide, LiveGlide, and Xenolinguistics can son04/ ] be found at: http://mazerunner.wordpress.com and In the psychedelic sphere, epistemology’s an extreme http://www.academy.rpi.edu/glide m a p s • v o l u m e x v i i i n u m b e r 1 • s p r i n g 2 o o 8 11

Networking with the Psychedelic Community

Sara Huntley

The Internet has been the single most Matrixmasters.com—that provide a place significant connection I have to the for individuals to cross-reference experi- psychedelic culture at large. From my ences, opinions, knowledge, and creative inception as a naive, recreational commons. Not long ago, vital information psychonaut, the resources of the Web regarding psychedelics was scarce, often have cultivated a refined experience of transmuted from person to person. Now synchronicity and expansion of conscious- that we have a digital medium, this ness. From social networking with other knowledge can be pooled into massive like-minded individuals, and researching virtual archives. Under the scrutiny of the scientific and cultural histories of peer-editing, people can make more various chemical compounds, to more educated decisions for themselves regard- philosophical endeavors, my understand- ing their interactions with psychedelics. ing of the psychedelic phenomenon would Electronic music has played a signifi- not be so enriched without the aid of cant role in my personal psychedelic Sara Huntley technology. Though where I live is a more experiences. It has acted as a guide condensed sample of the psychedelic through that often bewildering landscape, Visual artist community at large, nationally and reinforcing the intent of the trip; opened www.myspace.com/machineagemaya worldwide we are a spread out group, and vistas of inspiration and awakened my [email protected] the current social climate doesn’t allow for auditory senses to new realms of discov- open communication regarding obscure ery. Modern electronic music was largely and taboo subjects—such as the use of inspired by the use of psychedelics and psychedelics. newly created synthetic compounds. With The computer revolution has truly its repetitive drumming and ambient Not long ago, created an extension of external reality soundscapes, it is akin to the ancient tool (much as psychedelics do for inner of shamanism, it’s rhythm echoing the vital information reality). File sharing networks have primal heartbeat. This drumming is also spawned viewer-created content as an used now to induce trance and ecstatic regarding psychedelics alternative source of culture, available states of consciousness. The resurgence of outside the mass media. This has become a this archaic character is largely due to the was scarce… catalyst through which we have been able creation of electronic music. Being that to more openly network as a community. Western culture had long been separated Now that we have The Internet is a vast, highly specialized, from the use of entheogenic plants, it is and intangible venue that allows freedom fitting that these plants and newly created a digital medium, of speech and information to flow more compounds would inspire the return of easily because it bypasses limitations such these timeless qualities in music. this knowledge as location, social creed, race and religion. Computer animated visual imagery It would only make sense that this invalu- further propels and enhances the trance- can be pooled able virtual terrain would be the grounds like psychedelic state. Myriads of fantastic for broadening the psychedelic commu- fractals, and digital mandalas envelop the into massive nity. All areas of expression—visionary mind in a cocoon of mirrors reflecting art, experimental music, films, pod-casts, inner worlds. Along with cascading virtual archives. interactive forums, blogs, event organiza- melodies, they blend the boundaries of tion, chemistry, history, archival literature, perceived frequencies, slipping the psyche and philosophy—are all tied together into into synaesthesia. Once while I was at this single network available to those who such an electronic music event, the video seek it. display included a montage of golden There are several types of social spirals in nature. Nautilus shells, hurri- networking and online communities— canes, and galaxies all swirled in unison. such as .org, Deviantart.com, Its juxtaposition of imagery shot at rapid- Deoxy.org, Tribe.net, and fire succession into the audience’s visual 12 m a p s • v o l u m e x v i i i n u m b e r 1 • s p r i n g 2 o o 8

attaining a better life, yet in the hands of greedy corrupt people technology has sown the seeds of our own destruction. To paraphrase Einstein, our technolo- gies were created at a limited level of awareness. The disharmonies of that technology in the environment will be proportional to the lack of awareness. It will take a new level of awareness to recognize this disharmony and to create more efficient means of achieving equilib- rium. I think that this idea is typically too large to be processed on a personal level by most people. Though I thought I had been relatively aware before, after the wake of this experience the stark reality of the situation became inescapably urgent. This realization in itself is just one step in redefining the individual in relationship to the collective and the environment. Leaps of human understanding have completely changed the way we see ourselves in the cosmos. Our minds now peer into realms of micro and macro perception, and exchange information and culture at a dizzying rate all across the world. This experience is unique to our position in human history. Growing up in such a technological culture, alternatively navigating one’s existence between authentic and virtual realities, is a novel and strange path for our and future generations to take on. Humans have for millennia used technology in the service of social identity. For me, personally, “Event Horizon” cortex and it was one most powerful psychedelics have opened a deeper by Sara Huntley & Jordan Price moments of cinema I’ve ever experienced. understanding of this new multifaceted It hypnotized my mind with the beauty of techno/spiritual/natural relationship we geometry. It was brilliantly timed with the have with the global network. music and propelled my brain into the Technology serves a human desire of Milky Way. fulfilling the imagination, of creating For me, personally, this nonlinear magic by controlling science. Psychedelics mode of thought has brought together also serve a human desire of exploring fragments of information to paint an dreams and musing over the mystery that incredibly visceral portrait of our world, of is the nature of reality. These two facets what our technologies have done to the reflect dualism and a commonality; they environment. Technology was once hailed both promise us new worlds. • as the savior of humanity, a means of

Modern electronic music… With its repetitive drumming and ambient soundscapes… is akin to the ancient tool of shamanism, it‘s rhythm echoing the primal heartbeat. m a p s • v o l u m e x v i i i n u m b e r 1 • s p r i n g 2 o o 8 13

Technology and the Entheogenic Revolution Jeff Pappas

Practitioners of indigenous medicine have been perse- danger of direct gastrointestinal ingestion. Research in cuted throughout the entirety of our written history. This this area may be the floodgates which can be released to has particularly been the case for Europe and her former wash away the social stigma associated with by colonies. Europe, however, is not unique in its persecution providing a safer more effective alternative. of indigenous practices, like the use of . Even Personal Reflection as early as the Song dynasty in China, 960 to 1279 AD, I have been researching entheogens online since imperial edicts were printed and distributed condemning 1996, but my genuine intimate experience occurred in certain Buddhist sects, such as the White Lotus and her January of 2005. I had purchased lotus and water-lily many incarnations, for “gathering at night, dispersing at extracts upon learning that their flavonoid content and dawn, wherein men and women intermingled freely, ate circulatory stimulating properties even rivaled gingko. As vegetables and served devils.” The punishments even then a result of my purchase being over fifty dollars, I was able were severe and included fines, banishment and even to choose a free sample of some of their products. I chose death. the enhanced leaf extract. I was familiar Prior to prohibition in the it was quite with salvia, had read about it, and had even tried smoking easy and socially acceptable to obtain a vast array of the leaf. I was rather skeptical of the effects reported natural psychoactive substances. For the past sixty to online claiming that it had to be done in a dark environ- seventy years, however, it has been quite ment and that the slightest distraction difficult to obtain natural plant psychoac- would end the experience. I abruptly tive chemicals without a prescription. found out that this was not the case at all. Even on the ‘street’ it is easier to obtain Salvia has given me and continues to than which is virtually give me the most introspective experi- nonexistent in this country. ences of my life and has sparked a renewed The internet has changed this status sense of wonder and amazement of the dramatically. By taking advantage of legal- mystical intricacy of this existence. Not loopholes, Americans are now able to even my ‘heroic’ doses of indole alkaloids purchase virtually any natural psychoac- can compare to the intense humility tive or at least the means for production which this plant specifically initiates. As a and preparation. Examples include: the result, salvia has become my key ally and seed trade, spores and Jeff Pappas is most definitely a child of this techno- syringes, leaf tea and extracts, poppy Ethnobotanical Researcher logical age. It has gone unnoticed by the pods and seeds, mescaline containing cacti, www.myspace.com/shennong7 world, with the exception of the Mazatec analogues, seeds containing of Mexico. But, even the Mazatec do not ergot alkaloids, absinthe kits, etc. The list goes on and on. utilize the power of pyrolizing or vaporizing this plant. The only exceptions that I could find were and This technique for consuming salvia would not have been iboga. popularized had it not been for the online community, in This market is a potentially valuable resource for a particular, Daniel Siebert of sagewisdom.org. country which has fifty million uninsured citizens. With I would personally like to see MAPS take more of an some guts, a credit card, a mailbox and a little education interest in salvia and take advantage of this precious time from sites like erowid.org, one is empowered to the same in which it is still legal to conduct more research with less degree if not higher than those medical physicians still restrictions than researching schedule one drugs like choosing to practice amidst this social medical crisis. marijuana, psilocybin, and LSD. Outside of its meditative Natural online products can also serve as a very potent properties there exist specific pain-relieving, psychothera- alternative to the toxic FDA-approved pharmaceuticals, peutic, and probable antimicrobial and antiviral proper- whose adverse effects account for the third to fourth ties, which have been reported but not adequately re- leading cause of death in this country. searched. If salvia gets further restricted or placed in Another technological innovation which cannot be schedule one, Great Spirit forbid, this research may be ignored is that of using glass and ceramic heating ele- delayed for years. The opportunity to research and utilize ments for vaporization of plant products instead of this most powerful plant, the most potent naturally smoking. Vaporization is an important way of ingesting occurring substance in the known world, exists now potentially toxic compounds without the severity and and must be taken advantage of. • 14 m a p s • v o l u m e x v i i i n u m b e r 1 • s p r i n g 2 o o 8

Just Say Yes to the Noösphere! Psychedelics and the Evolution of Information Technologies Richard Doyle, Ph.D.

“Instructions emphasized that the experience could be evolutionary search for attention—the original “flower directed as desired. Subjects were told that they would not power”, as flowering plants lured insects with their experience difficulty with such distractions as visions, involve- blossoms—acts through what the biologist V.I. Vernadksy ment with personal problems, and so on.” “Psychedelic Agents in later dubbed the “noösphere”. While the biosphere Creative Problem Solving”, Willis Harman et al., 1966 — irreversibly and undeniably altered the lithosphere from which it emerged, the noösphere transforms the biosphere Before its possession became a criminal offense in the via the gathering and application of attention by all United States, the psychedelic compound LSD-25 was organisms. While many contemporary designers and given to engineers and designers to help break “creative engineers seek to “evolve” designs and programs through logjams” and promote innovation in the Cold War United evolutionary processes, an expanded model of evolution States. In the late 1950’s and early integrating sexual selection and its 1960’s, for example, Stanford attention economy, the noösphere— engineer Myron Stolaroff of the not to mention psychedelics—is Ampex Corporation (inventor of the likely to be even more fruitful for the Video Tape Recorder) studied the development, integration and effects of LSD on engineers, and the transformation of information result was a growing body of litera- technologies. ture and data on psychedelic regi- Indeed, the famous but oft mens and their effects on technical misunderstood mantra “Turn on, innovation. Tune In, Drop Out” suggested that in These regimens included precise their own way, psychedelics ‘’are’’ and intensive recipes for psychedelic information technologies for honing experience such as the epigraph and focusing the attention. As above – although essentially inef- Richard Doyle, Ph.D. Stolaroff put it many years after the fable, psychedelic experience was Penn State University original studies, reflecting on the use treated as fundamentally and of low doses of psychedelics: … it is necessarily ‘’programmable’’ through [email protected] easier to focus attention under their collective human attention. In a influence, which permits developing the forthcoming book, I offer an evolutionary and ecological attributes for good meditation practice. As one develops profi- framework for comprehending and evaluating recent ciency in entering the desired state, it is found that the advan- claims by innovators such as Mitch Kapor, Mark Pesce, tage of one compound over another diminishes. The appropriate and Kary Mullis that psychedelics played an integral role dose (found by experiment—generally equivalent to 25-50 in the invention of their breakthrough information micrograms of LSD) of most any long-acting psychedelic is technologies. Given the importance of programming to helpful. psychedelic experience, the book argues that psychedelic http://ccbs.ntu.edu.tw/FULLTEXT/JR-ADM/ adjuncts were useful to engineers and scientists less stolar.htm because they “expanded” consciousness than because they The ancient discipline of rhetoric—the sometimes trained subjects in practices of focused attention, enabling shamanic practice of learning and teaching eloquence, the perception of forms embedded within larger scale persuasion, healing and information architecture by structures, the “pattern that connects”(Bateson) perhaps practicing and revealing the choices of expression or measured in the Witken Embedded Figure tests, a percep- interpretation open to any given composer, poet, viewer, tual assay on which psychonauts seem to have excelled. listener, singer, patient or reader using what Aristotle One More Time With Feeling?! called “all available means”—has also always been a “Turn On, Tune In, Drop Out” Revisited discipline for managing and modulating attention. The biological science of attention could be said to be Mantra—the rhythmic repetition of words, meaningful or born in Charles Darwin’s model of sexual selection, where not, in order to capture or steer the attention—are Darwin studied the “information technologies” (such as a perhaps the simplest and yet most powerful techniques in peacock feather, or human speech) through which the rhetorical traditions of our planet, so in order to share organisms signal sexual difference and orient attention with you my thoughts on how we might best focus our toward likely reproductive and survival success. This attention in the midst of what hints at a renaissance of m a p s • v o l u m e x v i i i n u m b e r 1 • s p r i n g 2 o o 8 15

psychedelic research fostered by organizations such as ously interactive “wetware” ( Leary) aspect of human MAPS, I want to begin with a rhetorical analysis of a embodiment that LSD seemed to reveal to many after the mantra to see how it might, like the epigraph above, shape often puritanical 1950’s, which featured the public and reshape psychedelic experience. burning of sexologist Wilhelm Reich’s writings by the TURN ON FDA. Microsoft’s old slogan “Where do you want to go This problem of attention tuning is an old one, hacked today?” was perhaps but a simulacrum of this older with practices of mantra in the Buddhist tradition, the exploratory hedonic —and, Kripal argues, tantric—zeal of eloquence and song of Mazatec curandera Maria Sabina, collective psychedelic exploration. ‘Heads”, exploring the and the icaros of Upper Amazonian ayhuascera well capacities of these seemingly new technologies which before anybody thought to synch The Wizard of Oz with turned on the “13 billion cell computer”, saw and felt the Dark Side of the Moon. Why did modern psychonauts, in illusion of the officially scientific body/mind objective/ the thick of the Cold War and, evolutionarily speaking, subjective separation dissolve blissfully into its tantric, barely out of the trees, so favor this language of the “turn sexually selected evolutionary interface. According to on” for all things psychedelic? The favorite analogy for the Leary, it was Richard Alpert (now ) who told novelty and seemingly infinite potential of psychedelic him to “face the facts” of life: experience was a machinic one: if psychedelic experience It’s true you can access any circuit in your brain and change revealed itself to be extremely programmable, some your mind. But it’s time you faced the facts, Timothy. We’re psychonauts scripted themselves as turning on the most powerful sexual organ in the universe! The informational machines both digital brain. ( Leary, p. 131) and analog open to yet further Properly tuned, “turn on” re- …psychedelic adjuncts programming, what Leary compared minded psychonauts of the remark- to the practically infinite “glass bead were useful to engineers able sexual aspects of the LSD experi- game” found in Herman Hesse’s novel ence, which was now, like the Turing and scientists less because of the same name. For John Lilly this Machine with which it was being “turning on” meant “turning off” the they expanded consciousness compared, a place for exploring not sensory world in a flotation tank in only the space of all possible compu- than because they trained order to “turn on”, program and tations and states of mind, but the metaprogram the human subjects in practices space of all possible ecstasies. Albert biocomputer. “Turn on” was digital, Hofmann writes that with LSD “the of focused attention… announcing a discrete state of “on” or sensual orgy of sexual intercourse “off.” So Timothy Leary’s oft quoted can undergo unimaginable enhance- but perhaps misunderstood mantra begins with an ments” (LSD: My Problem Child, p. 116). Yet so too, experimental mapping of ourselves as Boolean machines Hofmann writes, could LSD lead to “ a purgatory or even with two states: on and off. Which one would you choose? to the hell of frightful extinction…” In short, like the TUNE IN engineers with which we begin, LSD needed a script to Clearly, though, what was “turned on” was more than focus the attention and tune the experience towards the a machine. “Set and Setting” was a mantra, too, and “Set” best of all of the (practically infinite) set of possibilities for includes our glorious status as embodied beings meshed any given “set and setting.” So too can the very name of with a pharmacopeia dynamically connected to our own these plants and compounds script our experiences of minds, and “setting” includes the entire (often cosmic) them, as the coinage of “” by , context of psychedelic experience. For many this meant Gordon Wasson, Carl Ruck and Albert Hofmann makes investigating what scholar Jeffrey Kripal has dubbed “the clear. In the vertigo of this “internal freedom”, Leary enlightenment of the body”, an investigation of “the body offered a programming script toward the highest Bliss of and its pleasures.”(Foucault) As the ethnobotanist Giorgio Ananda: Emptiness. Samorini points out, animal use of psychedelics abounds, DROP OUT particularly in the context of courtship display, where Complete dedication to the life of worship is our aim, techniques of ecstasy (such as birdsong) can be as impor- exemplified in the motto “Turn on, Tune In, Drop Out. tant to evolutionary success as fitness for survival. And (Legal Papers, “League of Spiritual Discovery” Leary, 1966) humans are indeed (in part) animals using psychedelics, As a third order cybernetic operation, (a script of a with big brains that likely evolved, biologist Geoffrey script of a script of psychedelic experience) “Drop Out” Miller argues, as a “courtship device.” Miller’s analysis tunes the program toward the most proximate bit of order echoes Leary’s claim that “intelligence is the ultimate available to any psychonaut: a “sample” of the self is aphrodisiac,” especially when it was deployed in the examined and then subsequently dropped, released, “programming” of psychedelic experience. remixed. Drop Out asked psychedelic experimentalists “Tune in” resounds with the suddenly enormous (“renunciants”) to query any aspect of themselves for any freedom to metaprogram in pleasure and joy this obvi- game other than the divine one, “the life of worship.” This 16 m a p s • v o l u m e x v i i i n u m b e r 1 • s p r i n g 2 o o 8

penchant for letting go of accrued habit structure something larger scale came into relief, the Upanishad’s (“Gelassenheit’’ as Eckhart dubbed it) resonated with past “Tat Tvam Asi”, rendered in Victorian English as “Thou seekers in what Aldous Huxley entitled ( mistakenly after Art That” but perhaps equally well rendered for the 21st Leibniz) “the Perennial Philosophy”, and seemed to century as “Thou art that Fractal!” For Leary it was an initiate a practice of re-imagining self in the light of Self, “inner light” fusing the individual with that multiplicity, embedding the part (ego) within a whole (Self) which it “internal life processes”: “In the introverted state, the self repeated on a different scale. is ecstatically fused with internal life processes (lights, In this sense psychedelic investigation repeated a long energy waves, bodily events, biological forms, etc.)” strand of heterodox science and alchemy which treated This unification with “life processes” could not have the refrain of the Corpus Hermeticum “As Above, So come at a better time, arriving at the same moment when Below” as the ‘’achievement’’ of alchemical practice as well scientific models of living systems were overwhelmingly as a principle fundamental to it. (Terrence McKenna’s focused on the molecular scale of life. Understandably righteous love and enthusiasm for all things fractaled is entranced by the discovery of the genetic code and its perhaps another case in point.) DROP OUT was above all protein messages, researchers sometimes seemed to forget a disciplining and focusing of the attention on any given the embodied, ecological and often symbiotic scalar moment: Was it divine? So according to Leary’s script, contexts for the evolution and expression of DNA. So too “dropping out” was anything but a “giving up”, but was did LSD itself both strengthen the reductionist biochemi- instead an intensification of personal, yes spiritual cal model of mind—you can hack your “13 billion cell informational rhetorical evolution computer” with as little as 50 micro- necessary to the next scale of the …the famous but oft grams of a molecule - and focus human and transhuman adventure, psychonautical attention on the larger misunderstood mantra the discovery of what Albert Hoffman scale structures —”your” body, the called “The most worthwhile spiritual Turn On, Tune In, Drop Out ecosystem, the cosmos—discovered benefit from LSD Experiments...the suggested that in their own through the withering of the ego and inextricable intertwining of the scripting the daily erasure of the ego’s physical and spiritual. “Christ in way, psychedelics “are” incessant news broadcasts about matter” ( Teilhard De Chardin)”. ( LSD information technologies itself. This “liberation” occurred My Problem Child, 188) Teilhard, of through erasure, the production of a for honing and focusing course was the theologian and anthro- “void.” pologist most associated with the next the attention. Liberation is the nervous system scalar jump for human consciousness: devoid of mental-conceptual redun- The noösphere. dancy. The mind in its conditioned state, limited to words Turn in, Turn in, I Beseech you and ego games, is continuously in thought-formation To help each member to use the Sacraments to discover activity. The nervous system in a state of quiescence, alert, the divine within and then express this revelation in an awake but not active, is comparable to what Buddhists call external life of harmony, beauty and, particularly, to help the highest state of dhyana (deep meditation). The each member to devote his entire consciousness and all his conscious recognition of the Clear Light induces an behavior to the glorification of God. Complete dedication ecstatic condition of consciousness such as saints and to the life of worship is our aim, exemplified in the motto mystics of the West have called illumination...The first “Turn on, Tune In, Drop Out.” (Legal Papers, “League of sign is the glimpsing of the “Clear Light of Reality, the Spiritual Discovery” Leary, 1966) infallible mind of the pure mystic state”—an awareness As a rhetorical practice, dwindling any non divine of energy transformations with no imposition of mental aspect of self almost by definition brings out larger scale categories. structures within which we are embedded, and suddenly, “Inner” and “outer” were some of the mental catego- the scale shifts to the ecosystem and our awareness of it— ries that were no longer imposed, and this language and the noösphere. Working with mantra as algorithms, visualization of “light” echoes with many earlier practitio- Metzner and Leary’s “Programming the Psychedelic ners of the Perennial Philosophy such as the Quaker Experience” (www.maps.org/psychedelicreview/n09/ William Penn. In his youth, the founder of Pennsylvania n09005met.pdf) offered a linguistic, visual and sonic discovered an inner light revealed through silence - the reorientation of the self through inquiry that let go of active removal and erasure of information “informing” the linguistic phenomena as anything but labels for our mind in “mental-conceptual redundancy.” Like many benefit and conscious evolution, echoing that other psychonauts, Penn tried hard to describe this light: influential mantra from Count Korzybski, “The Map is not That blessed principle, the Eternal Word... is Pythagoras’s the territory!” real light and salt of ages; Anaxagoras’s divine mind; Socrates’ Letting go of any particular formulation about the self, good spirit; Timaeus’ unbegotten principle and author of all the incessant inner speech of Who I Habitually Am, light; Hieron’s God in man; Plato’s eternal, ineffable and perfect m a p s • v o l u m e x v i i i n u m b e r 1 • s p r i n g 2 o o 8 17

principle of truth; Zeno’s maker and father of all; and Plotin’s our minds by crowding it out in repetition. In this repeti- root of the soul.... www.universalistfriends.org/quf-elc.html tion was epic creativity. She did not merely chant from the In this context, Penn urges us, like Leary, to drop out “dictionary” of motifs and themes of Mazatec healing, in from the ego chatter of self and media, and to behold the Rothenberg’s good phrase, “she rewrote that dynamical inner light common also to meditative and, yes, psyche- dictionary throughout her life.” www.ubu.com/ethno/ delic conditions. In an uncanny resonance with Leary’s discourses/yepez_review.html phrasing, the Pre-Cybernetic Penn asks us to “Turn in” Munn, who sometimes translated for Maria Sabina, rather than “on”: called the rhetorical state achieved by Maria Sabina “Therefore, O friends, turn in, turn in, I beseech you…” ‘ecstatic signification”, implying a simultaneous detach- Turn on, Tune in, Get Epic ment and participation: “ecstasis” means literally a “being- But it was not only Perennial Philosophers who were besides-oneself” (Rotman) Psychologist Roland Fischer, in investigating this “inner” realm that gave way to the scale collaboration with the literary critic Colin Martindale, of the divine, “Hieron’s God in man; Plato’s eternal, mapped the effects of this “ecstatic signification” induced ineffable and perfect principle of truth; Zeno’s maker and by psilocybin on writers, and found that writing influ- father of all...” Researchers Jay Stevens and Steven Marks enced by psilocybin contained more “primary process have helped remind us of the important roles played by content” - content associated with the unconscious—than the intelligence community in the emerging science of writing without. Perhaps most intriguing, Martindale and psychedelics. Initial CIA interest in ‘’psilocybe mexicana’’, Fischer found that the pattern of primary process content for example, focused on the possibility produced by psilocybin induced that “magic mushrooms” could be a writing was isomorphic to the pri- potent “truth drug.” In other words, Why did modern psychonauts, mary process content of epic litera- psychedelics were seen as aids to in the thick of the Cold War ture. By 1973, Fischer was ready to rhetorical practice—in this case, argue that this epic structure of and, evolutionarily speaking, interrogation. This history repeats the psilocybin discourse bore the hall- horror of Dachau, where mescaline barely out of the trees, marks of an information compression was investigated as an interrogation so favor this language or optimization technology: “Thus far, drug. But in their indigenous context, our studies suggest that certain mushrooms were a kind of informa- of the turn on for hallucinogenic drug induced transfor- tion technology of healing and all things psychedelic? mations in visual space may be divination. Maria Sabina, the regarded as an optimization of curandera made famous by (sometime information.” Roland Fischer, 1973 CIA funded) mycologist Gordon Wasson offered her own Just Say Yes to the Noösphere refrains, rhythmic chants with that hallmark of informa- The noösphere is the feedback effect of collective tion: redundancy attention on our environment. Writing in 1943, You are a green Father, a Father of clarity Vernadksy was amazed at the sudden circulation of You are a green Mother, a Mother of clarity “cultural minerals”, compounds and alloys made possible You are a budding Mother, a Mother of offshoots only by the transduction of human consciousness, such as You are a green Mother, a Mother of clarity Aluminum ( which is very rare in its native state), and, we (www.ubu.com/ethno/soundings/sabina.html) might add, LSD-25, first intentionally synthesized that Maria Sabina’s eloquence, as poet and theorist Jerome same year in Switzerland by Albert Hoffmann. Rothenberg points out, was not simply a result of the The attention focused on Maria Sabina and her mushrooms; an entire shamanic and poetic tradition was healing mushrooms and chants by Wasson’s 1957 Life referenced and reworked by Maria Sabina in her healing magazine article indeed had a feedback effect on the Sierra chants. But nor can her eloquence be rigorously separated Mazateca. With the news of ‘’psilocybe mexicana’’ , from the ecology of psilocybe mexicana. Rothenberg: “The thousands of travelers headed in search of Maria Sabina, sacred mushrooms are considered the source of Language and the result was the (partial) destruction of the very itself—are, in Henry Munn’s good phrase, “the mush- context that sustained the mushrooms and the healing rooms of language.” So despite our sense that “information poetics associated with them. So too did media attention technology” is a modern invention and catalyst of the intentionally and unintentionally garnered by Wasson, globalizing economy, Maria Sabina and Stolaroff remind Hofmann, Leary and others seem to amplify the difficul- us that human speech and the attention minding it, and ties always inherent in any attempt to communicate about its poetic, rhetorical and healing effects, can be amplified psychedelic experience, let alone any attempt to commu- and modulated by plants and fungi. nicate about psychedelic experience to millions of people In the case of Maria Sabina, her use of the classical at a distance, reading Life magazine or a MAPS Bulletin… rhetorical form of “repetitio’’ - a form certainly older than Vernadksy conceived the noösphere, after all, in the midst the tradition that named it - helps to paradoxically empty of war, and was amazed at the mass mobilization and 18 m a p s • v o l u m e x v i i i n u m b e r 1 • s p r i n g 2 o o 8

transformations of the planet induced by a war conscious- focusing our attention along with Stamets on those ness with which we are all too familiar. Might the “design patterns” such as the noösphere and its scalar noösphere harbor that “purgatory or even . . the hell of difference. When it comes to naming the plants and frightful extinction…”? Or, listening to Maria Sabina’s compounds that can help us re-scale our collective chants, was this perhaps yet another prophecy of the attention, clearly a mixture of terms is called for, and into mushroom, an early symptom of a post modern globaliza- the mix I want to whorl “ecodelic”, a name that both tion which, if not meshed with awareness, extinguishes samples from tradition and highlights an important but more than it enlivens? Maria Sabina wrote: less discussed effect of these plants and compounds for Before Wasson, I felt that the saint children elevated me. I inducing sudden bouts of interconnection, the perception don’t feel like that anymore. The force has diminished. If of being enmeshed by the terrestrial and extraterrestrial Cayetano hadn’t brought the foreigners. …the saint children ecology. Biologist Theodor Dobzhanksy ended his epic of would have kept their power…From the moment the foreigners human evolution, __Mankind Evolving__(sic) with what arrived, the saint children lost their purity. They lost their force; he called the “poetry” of Teilhard De Chardin: the foreigners spoiled them. From now on they won’t be any A harmonized collectivity of consciousness, equivalent to a good. There’s no remedy for it. kind of superconsciousness. The Earth is covering itself not Wasson struggled with the effects of his mass media merely by myriads of thinking units, but by a single continuum story on his conscience and the Sierra Mazateca. Wasson of thought, and finally forming a functionally single Unit of wrote that he shared news of the magic mushrooms Thought of planetary dimensions. (Mankind Evolving, 347- because of it’s certain “extinction”: “If I did not do this, 348) “consulting the mushroom” would go on for a few years Working with the mantra “harmonized collectivity of longer, but its extinction was and is inevitable.” consciousness” is no simple feat, tending as it does toward www.csp.org/chrestomathy/maria_sabina-estrada.html the idea of “homogeneity” and de-individuation for many, Yet, happily, Wasson was wrong about this extinction. as in “hive mind” ( Leary) or the Borg of Star Trek: The Years later, the noösphere brought Maria Sabina’s little Next Generation. Yet imagining the noösphere, as children to the labs of John Hopkins University, where a Vernadksy did, as a scalar level of living systems (not new, highly technical but alliterative chant emerged: unlike Gaia) that incorporates rather than excludes “Psilocybin can occasion mystical-type experiences, having human consciousness, requires that we wither the ego and substantial and sustained personal meaning and spiritual discover not our homogeneity, but our unique, finite significance. Psilocybin can occasion mystical-type experi- urgent role in the emergent ecology capable of focusing ences, having substantial and sustained personal meaning collective attention on the planet as a whole. For the and spiritual significance.” Global warming, fossil fuel psychonaut engineers, who did so well on the Witkin depletion, colonialism and post colonialism continue Embedded Figure Test, did well indeed when it came to transforming the planet in globalized war, and by all remembering both part and whole, “finding common accounts our attention must finally become focused on geometric shapes in a larger design…,” and at our lab at global survival of biodiversity in response to climate Penn State we are testing Harman et. al’s claim that change and extinction events. So too did the noösphere response to the Witkin Embedded Figure test is indeed bring an awareness, like Wasson’s, of our responsibility to immune to alteration through the use of a flotation tank. and for these extinctions through Life magazine, eventually That’s one of our roles. What’s yours? For the “larger bringing psilocybin and its effects to mycologist and design” is now planetary in scale: bioremediator Paul Stamets. Stamets compares the mycelial For we are the local embodiment of a Cosmos grown to network covering the planet to that avatar of the self-awareness. We have begun to contemplate our origins: noösphere, the Web: starstuff pondering the stars, organized assemblages of ten I believe the earth’s natural Internet is the mycelial net- billion billion billion atoms considering the evolution of atoms; work,” he says. “That is the way of nature. If there is any tracing the long journey by which, here at least, consciousness destruction of the neurological landscape, the mycelial network arose. (Sagan, Cosmos, p. 345) does not die; it’s able to adapt, recover and change. That’s the Yes, it seems as though consciousness could extin- whole basis of the computer Internet. The whole design patterns guish just as it arose. Many contemporary narratives of something that has been reproduced through nature and has been apocalypse, such as 2012, sometimes augur Hofmann’s evolutionarily successful over millions of years. www.new- “hell of frightful extinction,” perhaps scripting us toward chapter.com/media/article/stamets_saloncom.html despair, and, as Buckminster Fuller put it, we face an Perhaps this is our epic, to open to and accept the “inexorable evolution.” Evolution is never easy, so here’s tragedy of that nightmare from which we, like visionaries a mantra to get you through the rough patches: Just say from James Joyce to Terrence McKenna, are trying to yes to the noösphere! • awaken and, yes, evolve. And we might evolve precisely by 22 m a p s • v o l u m e x v i i i n u m b e r 1 • s p r i n g 2 o o 8

Use of LSD-25 for Computer Programming

Here is a way I used LSD-25 for a complex programming project in 1975. I was working in New York developing a compiler for an application language called “MARLAN”. This application was for the then popular IBM 360 and was written in 360 Assembler Language. There were six large phases for this application, and I was the responsible chief architect and programmer for the project. There were approximately eight hundred subroutines in the entire system.

At one point in the project I could not After twenty-four hours when the get an overall viewpoint for the operation effect of the LSD was completely gone, I of the entire system. It really was too much went over my notes. I needed to have a for my brain to keep all the subtle aspects measure of ‘faith’ that the design changes and processing nuances clear so I could get suggested by my notes would produce the a processing and design overview. After beneficial effects they seemed to imply; struggling with this problem for a few that is, I was again in the condition of weeks, I decided to use a little acid to see if being not able to conceive of the entire it would enable a breakthrough, because system at the same time in my mind. otherwise, I would not be able to complete Once all the changes were made, I was the project and be certain of a consistent able to successfully complete the program- Dennis R. Wier overall design. Overall design consistency ming of this huge system. The design [email protected] was important to reduce program and changes I made reduced future program Executive Director design errors. modification errors and contributed to the Trance Research Foundation, Inc. I used only seventy-five micrograms elegance of the design. The system was a , France because I was not interested in tripping, as commercial success for my employer and I had a specific, limited and definite was used for many years by them. Al- purpose for the use of LSD. While stimu- though the use of LSD was an important lated by the LSD I was able to get the component of the success of the system, entire system wholly in my mind at the no one knew of its use except me. • same time. I spent some time mentally visualizing various aspects of the compiler, the language and the processing which would take place. I did discover three or four design inconsistencies while being stimulated by the effect of the LSD, and I made notes for later checking. m a p s • v o l u m e x v i i i n u m b e r 1 • s p r i n g 2 o o 8 23

Psychedelic Technology Alexander Beiner

The entheogenic experience has swum through our are simply too different from the neon glow we return to. collective consciousness for tens of thousands of years. It It is problematic because psychedelics are a technology. may well have made us who we are, guided our hands as Much as an automobile brings you from A to Q, so too we painted onto the moist walls of underground caverns. does an entheogenic sacrament bring you from one state However, this essential experience was all but forgotten in of awareness to another. This transition allows you access the Western world until the twentieth century when it to gnosis that seems to exist within everyone and cru- made an explosive return that shook the ground beneath cially, bring it back and integrate it into your life. our feet once again. The growth of psychedelic thinking in Technology facilitates our interaction with the the Western consciousness has been problematic and material world. Dams create electricity, a toothbrush difficult; its most promising seeds often held by a small allows you to clean your teeth more efficiently than a group of passionate academics while thousands try to fingernail would. Entheogens, I would suggest, connect us wrestle with the experience in a distinctly un-shamanic with an immaterial reality so that we have the choice to world. lose our anxiety and live free from imposed barriers in the To understand the relationship between psychedelics material world, thereby facilitating our interaction with it. and technology, it is necessary to understand the chasm Not only this, but they aid in problem solving and en- that exists between this Western world and hance creativity with often phenomenal the psychedelic realm. One is staunchly results. Francis Crick unlocked the double- material, one immaterial. One promotes helix during an LSD trip. Later, the same peace and unity, the other aggression and substance helped to shift consciousness division. It is no surprise, therefore, that and stop the Vietnam War. One only has contemporary governments rally so fer- to listen to the mesmerizing voice of the vently against psychedelics. It is equally late great Terence McKenna speak of the unsurprising that we have been unable to myriad of ideas and imagery inherent in create a paradigm shift that will enable the psychedelic experience to understand anyone who wants to to take entheogens in the sheer amount of information that lies a safe and productive environment. This is a within those realms. fundamental spiritual right, one being Whether the entities we encounter blocked by fear and imposed ignorance. Alexander Beiner, there, and the truths we feel lie coded in Ironically, some of the best tools we University student/writer our DNA, are the essence of our souls, or have at our disposal to create the aforemen- [email protected] exist completely independently of our tioned paradigm shift are psychedelics. consciousness, is uncertain. What I do While meditation and other spiritual believe is that there are few avenues of practices are also hugely important and, in my opinion, research on this planet that are more important than bring one to a similar awareness, there doesn’t seem to be psychedelic research. I feel we’re on the brink of some- a substitute for the barrier-busting, consciousness- thing, perhaps a breakthrough that will enable us to expanding explosion of energy that defines a trip. It is this utilize entheogens to their full potential. Safely, responsi- energy that leads thousands of people who approach bly, courageously. ’s DMT study was a huge entheogens as recreational drugs to eventually understand step on this path. The words of one volunteer on coming them as spiritual sacraments or psychiatric tools. out of the DMT realm ring in my head as I think about this So where does technology come into it? Coincidence subject: or not, psychedelics were rediscovered in the West at a “Suddenly, beings appeared… They were glad to see time when technology was expanding at an unprec- me…They seemed pleased that we had discovered this edented level. Much has been made of this connection; technology… They told me humans exist on many psychedelics have been juxtaposed with virtual reality and levels…” 1 3-D imaging software and there is a sense of something The message of this technology isn’t straightforward, technological in the almost machinelike characteristics of nor is it absolute. However, even the most rudimentary some LSD and DMT experiences. However, while these glance into trip reports, internet psychedelic forums and connections may be valid and ultimately useful, there is a the dance ground of a suggests some common themes. far broader union between what we term ‘technology’ and Love, understanding, tolerance, freedom. This is what psychedelics. many psychonauts are seeking; it’s what we seek to be. In my opinion the question of how psychedelics relate The question then becomes how to convince everyone else to technology is problematic in itself. This is not because I that what we’ve found with our technology is real. • see no connection, or that the shamanic realms we explore 1. Strassman, Rick. DMT: The Spirit Molecule. (Vermont: Park Street Press, 2001) page 214 24 m a p s • v o l u m e x v i i i n u m b e r 1 • s p r i n g 2 o o 8

Surviving and Thriving With Psychotechnologies Thomas B. Roberts, Ph.D. Northern Illinois University

When we think about a technology, inclusive view of the human mind. These what usually comes to mind are electronic psychotechnologies are not merely a computers and other digital devices, collection of scattered unrelated psycho- electrical machinery, chemical processes, logical oddities, as has been the case until biotechnologies, and other ways of recently; each takes its place contributing manipulating and engineering physical to a larger, multistate view of the human material. The word technology, however, mind. So people who are interested in, say, means a standard technique, method, way, psychedelics, meditation, and the martial or craft-skill for producing goods or for arts come to realize we are all working efficient ways of solving problems. This together to draw a complete view of the meaning allows us to extend technology human mind and to put the singlestate to psychological techniques—psycho- fallacy to rest. technologies. With attention focused Overcoming the Singlestate Fallacy. Thomas B. Roberts, Ph.D. on psychedelics, in this essay we’ll con- Psychotechnologies help us overcome Northern Illinois University sider (1) the idea of “psychotechnology” the thinking error I call the singlestate and what psychotechnologies are (2) fallacy. This is the erroneous assumption [email protected] how they enhance abilities, (3) the way that all worthwhile psychological pro- www.cedu.niu.edu/lepf/edpsych/ they form one of the three foundational cesses occur in our usual awake mindbody faculty/roberts/index_roberts.html concepts of a multistate model of the state. One origin of this error is a hangover human mind, and (4) a proposal for from Freudian psychology. To Freud, promoting psychotechnology research almost all worthwhile thinking (second- and development via dedicated mindbody ary process thinking) occurred in our institutions and/or foundations. ordinary, awake, rational mature adult Psychotechnologies state. Exceptions were sleeping and Psychotechnologies are ways of using dreaming, but they were primarily psychological processes for a desired important because they were necessary Psychotechnologies outcome and/or to select psychological supporters of secondary process thinking. processes such as perception, cognition, All altered-state thinking, Freud main- help us overcome… emotion, and their biological substrates. tained, occurred in the cesspool of the They include the mostly nonmaterial unconscious. Psychedelics and their sister the Singlestate Fallacy… psychotechnologies such as hypnosis, psychotechnologies give overwhelming meditation, contemplative prayer, sleep evidence that overturns this bias. (The the erroneous deprivation, and dreamwork; they include enhanced abilities discussion below will psychotechnologies that blend the nonma- give evidence of this.) assumption that terial with material including body Completing the map of the human mind. oriented techniques such as yogas, the In Altered States of Consciousness, all worthwhile martial arts, and breathing techniques; Charles Tart made one of my favorite and they extend to psychotechnologies points in psychological theory. psychological processes that are largely material such as sensory The most important obligation of any overload, sensory isolation, and psychoac- science is that its descriptive and theoreti- occur in our usual tive drugs. Within this whole cal language embrace all the phenomena psychotechnological population, MAPS of its subject matter; the data from [altered awake mindbody belongs to the tribe, states of consciousness] cannot be ignored especially the tribe’s psychedelic family. if we are to develop a comprehensive state. A Unified View. psychology. (page 5) One benefit of using the concept For example, by providing ways to “psychotechnology” is that it allows us to explore the “antipodes of the mind,” as see all these diverse techniques as related Benny Shanon called them, ayahuasca to each other in meaningful ways because (and other psychotechnologies) help us each of them contributes to a larger, more discover, describe, and develop these other continued on page 29 m a p s • v o l u m e x v i i i n u m b e r 1 • s p r i n g 2 o o 8 25

Laura Huxley Portrait by Dean Chamberlain 11”x14” Pigment Print 26 m a p s • v o l u m e x v i i i n u m b e r 1 • s p r i n g 2 o o 8

Laura Huxley watching a recorded teleconference with Aldous Huxley. Summer, 2007. Photos © Stacy Valis, www.stacyvalis.com & www.elementalphotoart.com See tribute to Laura Huxley by Valerie Leveroni Corral on page 42 . m a p s • v o l u m e x v i i i n u m b e r 1 • s p r i n g 2 o o 8 27 28 m a p s • v o l u m e x v i i i n u m b e r 1 • s p r i n g 2 o o 8

“Laura Huxley’s Departure” 2007, Acrylics/Canvas 48"x48" © Carolyn Mary Kleefeld, www.carolynmarykleefeld.com See article on page 49. Original painting for sale, with fifty percent of the profits going to help raise funds for MAPS research. m a p s • v o l u m e x v i i i n u m b e r 1 • s p r i n g 2 o o 8 29

continued from page 24 psychological lands and the fullest poten- cultural impact will be that for many tials of our minds. As with exploring the people they asked the key questions: What earth, there are psychological dangers too, other psychotechnologies are out there? and experienced mind-explorers learn to How do we find them? What can we learn be alert to these problems as well as their from them? payoffs. In discussions of diversity, an often When we apply Tart’s intellectual missed aspect is how psychedelics help standard to psychology, old assumptions people look for and accept the give way, and a new paradigm emerges: psychotechnologies of other cultures. (Psychedelic Horizons, Roberts, 2006, page Just as there is globalization of trade, 110): communication, and finance, there is

A Comparison of Singlestate and Multistate Paradigms — General Assumptions — (MBS = mindbody state)

SINGLESTATE ASSUMPTIONS MULTISTATE ASSUMPTIONS HUMAN NATURE …what will we learn Mindbody states other than our ordinary A significant human trait is the ability state are interesting curiosities, but of to produce and use a variety of from a recipe that little professional or practical interest. mindbody states. combines hypnosis, REALITY Time, space and matter are real. The experiences of time, space, psilocybin and Only experiences in our usual and matter depend on the MBS MBS are real. in which they are experienced. deep breathing, INTELLECTUAL CLIMATE while listening to Altered MBSs are not worthy of The major intellectual error of our time is serious intellectual attention. the failure to recognize the fundamental Morten Lauridsen’s primacy of mindbody states. transcendent PERSONAL EXISTENCE A person exists within a material body, Personal existence may go beyond the O Magnum Mysterium? specific place, and at particular times. usual limits of body-based identity, time, and space.

KNOWLEDGE All knowledge comes through sense Reason and perception differ perception and reason. from one MBS to another

Spotting and accepting new worldwide trade in psychotechnologies— psychotechnologies. various types of meditation, yoga, martial The people I know in the multistate arts, psychoactive drugs, prayer, breathing world were all invited to join this world- techniques. These are parts of the cultural view via a specific psychotechnology and/ import-export trade in psychotechno- or the mindbody state it produced. Some logies. Jeffrey Kripal, a professor of stayed with their original psychotech- Religious Studies at Rice University, nology, and others realized that their first describes how Esalen Institute (as prob- psychotechnology experience could lead ably the best known explorer of to many others. (It’s a bit like sex in this psychotechnologies) imported mindbody way.) In addition to psychedelics’ varied psychotechnologies and hybridized them benefits, perhaps their greatest long-term and Americanized them (Esalen: American 30 m a p s • v o l u m e x v i i i n u m b e r 1 • s p r i n g 2 o o 8

and the Religion of No Religion, 2007). By in other states. When we say something is showing that Tart’s admonition to psy- “impossible,” we should qualify that by chology should also be applied to a adding “according to what we know of our comprehensive study of religion, he ordinary, awake state.” By restricting us to implies a still larger point: all scholarly, look only in our ordinary mindbody state, scientific, and practical fields would be the Singlestate Fallacy restricts our idea of strengthened by considering how what is possible in other states. Possible, psychotechnologies can enrich them. impossible, rare, unusual, paranormal—all Inventing new psychotechnologies. these words need to be reexamined when But expanding the options open to we realize that our normal awake state the human mind and fulfilling its determines how we use them now. I expect multistate potentials are not limited to that mind explorers will discover new using the mindbody psychotechnologies kinds of human capacities in other mind- …some previously we now have at hand or limited to new, body states and that mind designers will imported ones. We can move beyond only invent or construct new kinds of thinking impossible events discovering current psychotechnologies, and other abilities. Additionally, these only exploring them, and only developing states may contain enhanced current may be impossible the states they produce: we can invent capacities. new ones. The simplest example is By boosting us past the singlestate in our ordinary inventing new psychoactive drugs. fallacy, the psychotechnological paradigm The Grofs’ Holotropic Breathwork™ is gives us a fuller, multistate view of our mindbody state, a nondrug example. minds. Thanks to psychotechnologies, we So far, most people use one become more realistic about the vast although not psychotechnology at a time, but beyond human possibilities lying in (residing in) this await psychotechnological inventors other mindbody states, about what it in other states. and engineers who will sequence existing means to be a human, and they give us psychotechnologies in novel ways and more realistic expectations of what our combine them into new recipes. For minds may be able to do. Not limited to our example, what will we learn from a recipe current psychotechnologies, these include that combines hypnosis, psilocybin and spotting new psychotechnologies from deep breathing, while listening to Morten other cultures and importing them, Lauridsen’s transcendent O Magnum inventing new ones, and combining Mysterium? Obviously, the construction psychotechnologies to build new and design of new mindbody states should mindbody states and the enhanced abilities be approached cautiously and explored that lie within those states. carefully; I am a fan of our ordinary awake Enhancing Our Repertoire state because I suppose it has evolved over of Abilities the years for our survival, and I find it By increasing the repertoire of cogni- eminently useful for day-to-day functioning, tive processes in our minds, psychotech- but it would be an example of the singlestate nologies empower our mental processes. fallacy to suppose (wrongly) that it is the In a very real sense, installing additional only useful state. Like synthetic chemical cognitive processes (and emotional, compounds, innovative materials, hybrid perceptual and biological ones too), is plants, and transgenic animals, mind design similar to installing a new program in a is derived from natural processes but moves computer. In our minds, as in computers, us beyond the givens of nature. We can to use them fully, we need many programs. build novel kinds of perceptions, emotions, programs : computers :: and cognition—new ways of using our psychotechonologies : minds minds. Psychedelics and other psychotech- nologies provide systematic ways of think- The singlestate error of supposing that ing outside the box. all useful information processing takes Possibling the impossible. place only when we are in our ordinary Grof’s When the Impossible Happens awake state’s program, while denying that (2007) illustrates that some previously other states have any use, is like claiming “impossible” events may be impossible in that there is only one good program to run our ordinary mindbody state, although not on a computer. In this section we’ll briefly m a p s • v o l u m e x v i i i n u m b e r 1 • s p r i n g 2 o o 8 31

sample some innovations that psychedelic cognitive enhancer. programs have brought. Except for the Problem solving in business. first item, they are more fully referenced As the age of personal computers and described in my book Psychedelic began, there was intense competition Horizons. among programs to be accepted as the Cognitive enhancement. standard for the field. “The big quandary As I was writing this, I heard the for software companies was getting into postman delivering my mail and took a the market place, finding shelf space,” said break to open it. There on page B4 in the Bob Wallace in an interview for BBC-TV. Jan. 11, 2008, number of The Chronicle of Bob came up with the idea of shareware, Higher Education [higher in the sense of and he says that idea occurred to him colleges and universities, not higher in the thanks to altered states—micrograms for MAPS meaning] is a brief article about Microsoft. In an earlier study of creative “pill-popping professors” using problem solving, Stanford professor Willis Is failure to perform (Provigil) to strengthen their cognitive Harman gave LSD to 27 people who were processes. The article includes seven stuck with unsolved problems in engi- at the top comments about chemical enhancement, neering, design, academic, and similar but none of the comments considers the work. During the carefully structured and of one’s ability, problem of choosing not to function at monitored sessions, they relaxed, listened one’s highest ability, as modafinil alleg- to music, ate snacks, and discussed their say by not taking edly supports. problems in small groups, then worked Suppose for a moment that modafinil individually for 3 to 4 hours. Here again, modafinil, a failure and/or other drugs do improve cognitive they were successful by using psychedelic functioning. Service to humanity makes psychotechnologies to solve practical work to live up to the ethical an occupation a profession rather than just problems. a way of earning income. With a profes- Intelligence and metaintelligence. standards of one’s field, sional duty to serve to the best of their Cognitive psychologist Howard ability, don’t educators, health profession- Gardner is best known for his theory of a dereliction of als, scientists, and other professional have multiple intelligences; he defines intelli- a duty to do the most they can for gence as the ability to solve problems or professional duty? humanity’s sake? Is failure to perform at produce goods of value in a society. The the top of one’s ability, say by not taking examples above meet these criteria, so do modafinil, a failure to live up to the ethical we have evidence that the cognitive standards of one’s field, a dereliction of processes installed by psychotechnologies professional duty? As this question sometimes can boost intelligence? If we illustrates, mindbody psychotech- use psychologist Robert Sternberg’s nologies open a jungle of complexities definition of intelligence as “mental self for bioethicists. management,” then increasing the degree A Nobel Prize, maybe 2. of mental self management increases Kary Mullis, winner of a Nobel Prize intelligence, and psychotechnologies for inventing the PCR technique, at- increase the number of mental informa- tributes his main insight to his ability to tion processing programs we can select visualize cellular molecular processes, and from, so they increase intelligence. he says he learned that cognitive skill However, like most specialists on thanks to his experiences with LSD. He is intelligence, Gardner and Sternberg limit quite clear about the connection. A less themselves to problem solving and mental clear example of using psychedelics to self management in our ordinary awake provide scientific insights is the report state. To me, the skill of selecting which that Francis Crick, co-discoverer of the state to use is a higher order mental self structure of DNA, had his insight thanks management operation that is prior to to LSD. In a newspaper obituary, reporter using any selected state, so I think this Alun Rees claims that when he challenged cognitive process deserves the name Crick to attribute his insight to his use of metacognition LSD, Crick did not deny the idea but did Clearly, this is not to say that all threaten to sue Rees if he printed it. Like mindbody psychotechnologies always modafinil now, LSD was a 1950s make us more intelligent. Just check out 32 m a p s • v o l u m e x v i i i n u m b e r 1 • s p r i n g 2 o o 8

the nearest drunk. What we do see, ment of music and the arts is widely however, is that learning to select the acknowledged, it is time to recognize their right psychotechnology for the right benefits in advancing science and problem purpose, at the right time can benefit solving in business. Psychotechnologies humanity at large and individuals. prod us to extend the study of intelligence Enormous amounts of metaintelligence to include how to select the right research need to be done to answer: mindbody state for various purposes, and Which psychotechnologies? Taken by they challenge us to explore the multistate whom? For what purposes? Under what prospects of other abilities including circumstances? We have vast storehouses intelligence but not limited to it. But of information about how people learn to how do we learn to use the full range be intelligent in our ordinary mindbody of psychotechnologies, particularly state, thanks to psychedelics and other psychedelics, for their beneficial effects …learning to select mindbody psychotechnologies. Now we while reducing their damaging effects? need to ask similar questions of other Multistate Theory the right states. Expanding intelligence to include Psychotechnology is one of three ideas other states leads us to expanding other which weave together into multistate psychotechnology topics too. theory. (See Psychedelic Horizons.) We’ve The major intellectual opportunity already run into the other two. Mindbody for the right purpose, of our times. state is the second. Residence is the third. Just as additional problem solving Mindbody state or state of at the right time abilities and new kinds of mental self- consciousness. management reside in other mindbody Here I have simply substituted can benefit humanity states, other psychological skills have their mindbody for consciousness as Charles Tart analogs in other mindbody states too. In uses it “an overall pattern of biological and at large and psychology, for example, we can ask how mental functioning at any one time.” I learning and sense of self vary from one substitute mindbody because the word individuals. state to another. In biology, we can consciousness has too many meanings, and examine the underlying neuronal pro- I’ve found that people who are talking cesses and immune system functioning about quite different things all use the differently. In theology we might ask how word consciousness and think they are religious experiences vary from one state talking about the same thing but are to another. The arts and sciences can both actually talking at cross purposes. study other mindbody states and use them, For example, in common language, we as in Mullis’s example, to think freshly might say someone is now conscious, but about their topics. We can take almost any last night was asleep or in a coma. Some- topic and ask what I call the Central one with a political bent will speak of Multistate Question: How does/do _____ women’s consciousness or worker’s conscious- vary from mindbody state to ness; here they mean the thoughts and mindbody state? feelings that result from their places in Remember all the psychotechnologies society. If someone has environmental that exist and the states they produce, consciousness, we are likely to mean that then insert your favorite topic(s) into the person habitually thinks about environ- question. All the knowledge and all the mental issues. A saint or holy person may research and all the questions we have have a higher level of consciousness; indicat- about these topics as they exist in our ing a degree of spiritual development. ordinary, normal, awake state get reasked And, of course, there are psychobiological multiple times for all other states. This states such as Tart means them, overall question blows the roof off current patterns of functioning. singlestate limitations in the sciences, The word mindbody also has the social sciences, arts and humanities, law, advantage of explicitly emphasizing that medicine, education, and other fields that we are taking about a unified combination use the human mind and study it—now of mind and body taken as a whole. our multistate mind. This is practically Mindbody makes the meaning clearer and everything we do. not so ambiguous; although it begs the While psychotechnologies’ enrich- question: When does one mindbody state m a p s • v o l u m e x v i i i n u m b e r 1 • s p r i n g 2 o o 8 33

change to a new one? I expect this will How can we achieve these goals most remain difficult to resolve and that effectively? Until now much mindbody different definitions will be useful for development—especially psychedelic— different purposes. has been informal and outside our current Residence. institutions. In Psychedelic Horizons, I The third term of multistate theory is proposed an Institute for Multistate residence. Residence expresses the idea that Studies. But given the large number of all human abilities, experiences, thoughts, psychotechnologies and the larger number emotions, and so forth take place in of topics to be looked at in each of them, it mindbody states, are expressions of those now seems to me that a large number of states. When a psychotechnology pro- such institutes would be needed. Perhaps duces a mindbody state, then we can an Institute for Psychedelic Studies would explore that state to discover its resident focus on that specific psychotechnology. abilities. Again an analogy helps: just as Others on the implications for a profes- …without different musical instruments produce sional field or academic discipline—say, their distinctive sounds, different an Institute for the Law and Mindbody psychotechnologies, mindbody states produce their distinct Studies. abilities, experiences, etc. Just as an oboe Multistate grants and fellowships. we cannot have and a violin express the note C in their In addition to organizing new centers characteristic voices, various mindbody and institutes, a large foundation could a complete view states express intelligence, thinking, and fund research using existing universities, other potentials in their distinct ways. research institutes, and study centers. of the human Psychotechnologies, mindbody states, Grants and fellowships would empower and residence help us recognize the existing fields away from their singlestate mind. singlestate fallacy and overcome it. They limitations and toward more complete- integrate the enormous variety of ness: health, law, education, politics, psychotechnologies and states into an religion, arts, sciences, humanities—these overall multistate theory. They promote and others. They would be fulfilling specific research hypotheses and formulate Charles Tart’s injunction: “The most broad-scale agendas. They promote important obligation of any science is that experimentation using psychotech- its descriptive and theoretical language nologies and mindstates—sometimes as embrace all the phenomena of its subject independent and sometimes as dependent matter.” variables. Like electronic, chemical, Summary: Surviving biological, material, and other technolo- and Thriving gies before them, psychotechnologies offer Solving practical problems, inventing broad horizons for unknown discoveries scientific ideas and instruments, develop- in the future of human development. ing and using our complete range of Most important, as the quotation thinking programs, becoming more from Charles Tart implies, without realistic about our minds’ cognitive psychotechnologies, we cannot have abilities and learning to use their full a complete view of the human mind. repertoire, recognizing the full ecology of Because we use our minds in everything human brains and bodies and adapting we do, our view of our minds determines with new skills—to anthropologists, what we expect of ourselves and of evolutionary biologists, and developmen- humanity—what we can learn, what we tal psychologists, these are the characteris- can do, who we are. It determines what we tics of successful cultures, species, and think are possible and impossible. If our individuals: they survive and thrive. Used view of our minds is wrong—rather too skillfully and carefully, psychotech- restricted—then our accomplishments are nologies promote surviving and thriving. • restricted and our human future is bound to the singlestate fallacy. Psychotech- nologies free us from a limited view of our minds and encourage us to develop their full multistate future. Institute for Mindbody Studies. 34 m a p s • v o l u m e x v i i i n u m b e r 1 • s p r i n g 2 o o 8

Transhumanism & the Tristan Gulliford & Ken Goffman (a.k.a. R.U. Sirius)

Ken Goffman (a.k.a. R.U. Sirius) is a well- Produce Mystical Experiences.” Wow! known cultural commentator, author, Scientists Discover Ass Not Elbow! editor, and internet talk show host, So yes, I think there’s some hope. On probably best known as cofounder and the other hand, there’s a huge drug war original Editor-In-Chief of Mondo 2000 industry and the prison-industrial com- magazine. He is the author of True Muta- plex is one of America’s biggest businesses, tions, Counterculture Through the Ages, so those are powerful forces for maintain- and six other popular books about the ing the drug war. And hysteria about teens Tristan Gulliford cutting-edge of cyberculture. To listen taking drugs is something politicians can [email protected] to Goffman’s radio show visit: still demagogue about. I think those are http://rusiriusradio.com the reasons why the drug war continues. I This interview was conducted by don’t think the powers that be are that Tristan Gulliford. To find out more about concerned about altered consciousness Tristan’s work see: www.myspace.com/ itself anymore. That cat is already out of djdreamcode the bag and it’s a market that they cater to. Gulliford: Some people have noted Realistically, it doesn’t threaten the power that the “War on Drugs” is actually a war all that much. on certain states of human consciousness. Gulliford: One of the topics covered If this is true, then how can anyone ever in your book True Mutations, and also in hope to “win”? Mondo 2000, is transhumanism. This is a Goffman: There are a lot of cracks in field of futuristic study and speculation Ken Goffman (a.k.a. R.U. Sirius) the drug war façade. For example, that can be defined in many ways. How do [email protected] spokespeople for the War on Drugs now you describe its basic tenets? like to deny that people actually go to Goffman: I don’t know that I would prison for mere . It’s a lie, claim to describe its basic tenets, but I’ll but it’s a lie that speaks of a tremendous say what the intrigue is for me. I see it in change in our social attitude towards drug terms of hacking. One of the basic ideas John Stewart… use. And certainly, casual drug use is sort behind hacking is that you take a techno- of winked at as an optional part of adult logical system or object and you get it to do Colbert and Bill Maher (and teenage) life in America today. things beyond what it was apparently There was a period during the Reagan intended to do or was capable of doing. So get cheers Administration’s big drug war escalation I like to think of the transhumanist when the media was intimidated and drug movement as an ongoing project to hack from the audience humor was virtually eliminated from TV. the human body and the brain, and the Now John Stewart and Colbert and Bill social and material worlds outside our whenever they Maher get cheers from the audience bodies and brains, and get them to do whenever they mention pot; you’ve got things that they can’t do now—including mention pot… shows like “Weeds”, the kids on “That 70s things that humans up to this point would Show” have smoked pot, and even Tony have perceived as being in defiance of even Tony Soprano Soprano had a sort-of-meaningful peyote “nature.” experience. Most of the major Democratic That has, of course, been the story of had a candidates say they’ll leave medical technology, technique, science, and marijuana alone. And, of course, starting human ingenuity since day one. But now sort-of-meaningful in the ’90s, the FDA began allowing some we’re looking at hacking our biologies for psychedelic research and there have been extended lifespans, hacking our brains for peyote experience. all kinds of positive news reports. I was increased intelligence, hacking molecules particularly amused by the New York Times for material abundance, building intelli- headline a few months back that was gences that are greater than ours—or based on some John Hopkins studies with different from ours—and so forth. We also psilocybin. It read, “Mushroom Drugs might be looking at engineering our level m a p s • v o l u m e x v i i i n u m b e r 1 • s p r i n g 2 o o 8 35

of happiness or bliss, engineering out techniques is very complex and it comes painful forms of insanity, hacking our skin with no guarantees. But a number of pigmentation color or our physical design. techno-visionaries have suggested that As Debbie Harry put it in our Mondo 2000 after the bio-age comes the neuro-age. interview back in 1990, “A tail might be With nanotechnology and a greater One of the basic ideas nice.” comprehension of neurology, we may be By the way, this is all terribly ambigu- able to target chemicals—in the words of behind hacking is that ous and potentially “Brave New World.” In Zack Lynch—”to… deliver and regulate some ways, I’m less interested in arguing specific neurological pathways in specific you take a technological about whether it’s socially responsible to regions of the brain without disturbing push forward with all this, and am more nearby processes.” In other words, we may system or object excited by the sense that it’s an irresistible learn to play this instrument—the manifestation of a human impulse that has brain—like Yo Yo Ma plays the fiddle. The and you get it to do been expressed in various adventure myths implement for playing it will be chemical involving grail quests, magick, religious but the choices regarding how to use the things beyond what it imaginings, science fiction imaginings, and instrument will be ours... well, it had so on. So it pleases me to imagine that better be ours or we’ll be locked into the was apparently intended human beings could win the prize, even perfect control system. though I’m not quite sure what the prize is. I hope people will check out my book to do or was capable I don’t think long life, in and of itself, is a True Mutations for ideas and debates about huge value. I’m interested in how all of this this potential trans/psychedelic future. • of doing. might open out into something extraordi- nary and profoundly psychedelic. This interface between the literal expansion of human possibilities in the material realm and the expansion of consciousness through drugs and other

Missed, Mist I feel in a mist Sleepwalking through life Sleeptalking with other sleepwalkers Triggering out my insides.

On the other hand...

I float down to my ground And on the way down I cry my childhood into completion On the ground Neal M. Goldsmith, Ph.D. A glowing mound throbs [email protected] Emanating peace

I touch the glowing orb And my sleeping seed awakens Reigniting the unfolding frozen so long ago Unfolding unto the sun Upward to the warmth of love From the glow to the warmth – Neal M. Goldsmith, Ph.D. February 6, 2008 36 m a p s • v o l u m e x v i i i n u m b e r 1 • s p r i n g 2 o o 8

Technology Appreciated By the Psychedelic Mind Brummbaer

Precisely how psychedelic the sacra- for the electric guitar, which allowed to ments of ancient religions were, we’ll play the sounds between the notes. probably never know, but they appear to (Mind you, Jimi Hendrix was known have used psychedelic technologies to to just violently bend the neck of his instill spiritual states in their believers. “fender” for similar effects.) We can tell because many of their From here on it didn’t take long for buildings are still standing, and produce musical synthesizers to be built, even echoes, or have mysterious whispering though there had been attempts by corners. (You whisper in a hidden corner, Thaddeus Cahill, who around 1890 but the sound is amplified across the built the first synthesizers, the gigantic building, where you can hear it loud and “Telharmonium.” (His Mark II version clear. At times the effect would be used weighed almost 200 tons!) And not to for espionage.) forget the mysterious Mr. Leon Theremin, The echo/reverb, a popular effect, the Russian, who 1919 invented the probably originating in caves, was soon “Theremin,” of which a few are still utilized in temples and churches. The around and used, mainly for “Scary Film long echoes, the returning sound seem to Music.” The invention of transistors in the Brummbaer have calming, meditative effects on the Sixties brought us the “Moog-synthesizer,” [email protected] human brain, preparing it to meet its the “Mini-Moog,” the “Synthy,” the “Fair- www.brummbaer.net maker. (Haha!) In fact, there was a time light,” etc… when churches were built around organs, Visually, the psychedelic mind trad- the church being the sound body of the itionally feasted on ornamental, colorful most sophisticated musical instrument designs. The posters, the album covers of the time. and the fashions of the Sixties clearly Carefully placed, colorful church demonstrate this aesthetic preference. windows, like vibrating mandalas, a little But the lightshows arrived as a incense, and a reverberating choir, almost completely new medium—a mixture of Once I knew guaranty a religious or psychedelic sunsets on alien planets, multicolored experience. From singing in the shower to rainbows, microphotography, unexpected how it worked listening to endless reverb/feedback loops, glimpses into faraway galaxies, and bub- everybody has experienced the unique bling, blubbering semi-biological events, on Ketamine, effect of such acoustic manipulation. in constantly changing colors, solarized, When electronics came around, polarized, and kaleidoscopic. We projected it was relatively easy introducing the first reverb features, outrageously beautiful, luminous visuals and “Telestar”, the first pop-song using that never repeated and left no traces to copy the process feedback, hit the public, it became clear except a few burned slides. Art without a that the echo-monopoly of the churches resulting, sellable object, created just for in my visual cortex. had been broken and now everybody the moment, just for your divine eyes. could do it with a little gadget. It was Not to forget the stroboscope, an Jimi Hendrix, who first understood what originally industrial tool invented to it meant that music, while being transi- observe the mechanics of machines that tionally electronic (between the instru- moved faster than the human eye, by ment and the loudspeaker) could be man- creating very fast, very bright flashes of ipulated any which way he wanted, while light. It worked particularly well with they were in the pliable, electronic state. acid, because of the already highly He understood that now the speakers exaggerated persistence of vision, due were the sound bodies, while the instru- to the drug. ments themselves, hardly made a peep. Sound amplification with reverb, as The “Soundbender” and the “Wa-wa- well as stroboscopes, have a similar, pedal” were the first electronic gadgets liberating effect on people. I have seen the m a p s • v o l u m e x v i i i n u m b e r 1 • s p r i n g 2 o o 8 37

stuffiest of all people (for example, fifty away from his trustee, and tell him that year veterans of the Communist Party) it’s not a good idea to call his mother, to sing and dance for the first time in their explain that now he understands every- life, staring fascinated at the multitude of thing and he wants to forgive her, or be their waving hands. forgiven, or whatever. Then there was Brion Gysin’s Then again, there used to be a time “Dream-machine,” a primitive strobo- when we were communally tripping every scopic device that, when projected on Saturday, as did other communes in town. your closed eyelids, would create psyche- We’d call our tripping friends and leave delic patterns, supposedly because the the receiver lying around for anybody to rhythm corresponds to your brain’s alpha talk and, of course, you never knew who waves, creating a hypnagogic state, or– might be on the other end. This resulted in with other predisposed people–cause interesting meetings between people, who epileptic seizures. might have never known each other. Some of today’s Today they are available in the handy Occasionally somebody would give the size of large sunglasses, and are even worn other group a description of what was screensavers by some people in the isolation-tank– going on at his location, while everybody another important technical device else was listening, and utterly amazed how could have invented by Dr. John Lilly–to experience they were being described, and how the mind on, or off drugs, sensory de- completely different everybody saw the bought you a prived, without the interference of same situation. outside stimuli. These days the cellular is ubiquitous, psychedelic kingdom In the early eighties computers and everybody’s umbilical cord. Now I became almost affordable, and I had the wonder how sessions might work if the in the Sixties. privilege to learn and work with the participants are connected via cellular or “Fairlight CVI,” one of the first real-time computer (with camera!)? Tripping as digitizers, which meant that you could add telepresence! Spontaneous , orches- all kinds of effects to a real-time recording trated by cellulars and coordinated by or any other prerecorded video-material. GPS-data! You could change the colors, solarize, add Technology as a Result of the color trails, strobe and mirror, etc… Psychedelic Experience At the same time I was seriously I’ll start with a question: Is there exploring Ketamine and understood that technology as a result of psychedelic the way the computer puts together an experiences? (Or is it all retro-engineered image is the reversed process by which the alien tech?) This is hard to answer even brain analyzes it, to give meaning to what with the testimony of people like Sir it is that one sees. It didn’t take long until I Francis Crick, who reportedly often took could apply all kinds of “Fairlight–effects” small amounts of LSD to increase his to my sober vision – like color trails, mental abilities, while discovering the multiple images, and kaleidoscopic effects. structure of DNA. Once I knew how it worked on Ketamine, Or Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, it was relatively easy to copy the process who, before inventing the PC, built the in my visual cortex. It was an interesting legendary “Blue box” that allowed you to exercise, but I could not see any other phone anybody else with such blue box, practical application, besides bragging free of charge. It was distributed illegally about it. through underground channels. Jobs took In the meantime, computers have LSD at the time and he called it: “…one of achieved unrivaled abilities in sampling, the two or three most important things he modeling, and manipulating virtual has done in his life.” reality, be it visual or acoustic. Some of Mitch Kapor (Lotus, spreadsheets), today’s screensavers could have bought Mark Pesce (Virtual Reality Markup you a psychedelic kingdom in the Sixties. Language), and Kary Mullis (Polymerase The Future of Psychedelic Chain Reaction) claimed that psychedelics Technology played an instrumental role in their There always comes the moment creation of breakthrough technologies. when the shaman has to take the phone Now, if you imagine how many 38 m a p s • v o l u m e x v i i i n u m b e r 1 • s p r i n g 2 o o 8

Sir Francis Crick admitted his drug use only late in life, and then threatened the interviewer, “Print a word of it and I’ll sue.” In the mid-eighties I took a lot of Ketamine with Dr. John Lilly at his ranch in Malibu. He developed the theory that we should be able to simulate a TV- receiver with the neurons of our brain— all we needed was a transmitter with short enough waves, so the simulated, neuronal antenna would fit inside a brain. He had a young technician build a converter and we set up a video-recorder to feed into the transmitter. We had no idea what tape was in the recorder, and to verify, we needed a monitor, which I procured from the main house. John’s wife, Tony, had cancer, and was dying, surrounded by dozens of people, mostly New-Agers from Mill-Valley to Esalen. They occupied the main house and were appalled by John and me experi- menting with Ketamine, while Tony was dying. I carried the monitor through the unfriendly crowd, but then, at the spur of the moment, turned around to say: “I hope “Timothy's Last Journey” psychedelic drugs have been taken by how you will remember this moment, when in by Brummbaer many millions of people, and this was all five years you will drive down Sunset the technology derived from their use, I Boulevard, while receiving the traffic- would say “not all that impressive,” and report in your head…” we might have to admit that technological Since John was a bona fide genius, it inventions don’t seem to carry the stron- scared everybody into silence. What if? gest argument for the use of such sub- Back with John, we attached the stances. On the other hand, where would monitor without turning it on, started the …Dr. John Lilly… we be without the knowledge of DNA or tape, and we each injected a hundred the PC? milligrams of Ketamine intramuscularly. developed the theory Still, it is obvious that mind-altering And we waited. Forty minutes later, we substances do increase creativity, which took another shot. The results: nothing! that we should be able has been shown many times over the last We leaned into the transmitter’s fifty years. “Thinking outside of the box!” antenna, hovered above the contraption, to simulate a TV-receiver But people might argue that maybe LSD but just the usual Ketamine visuals, actually decreased Jobs’ creativity, and nothing remotely similar of what we later with the neurons only God knows what he could have checked, was a National Geographic tape. invented had he stayed sober? So, to my greatest disappointment, I will of our brain… Then again, not every user will admit have to drive down Sunset and use a to the use of a mind-expanding drug, cellular or another smart GPS-gadget understandably for legal reasons, but also instead of my brain… (Or maybe it did because scientists and artists are a vain work; we just didn’t think mankind was bunch and want the whole credit of their ready for it yet!) • creation for themselves, and they don’t To find out more about Brummbaer’s want to pass, let’s say, five percent of the work visit his Web site: credit on to Dr. Albert Hofmann. Even www.brummbaer.net m a p s • v o l u m e x v i i i n u m b e r 1 • s p r i n g 2 o o 8 39

MAPS Report from the World Psychedelic Forum 2008

There is an almost sensual longing for communion with others who have a larger vision. The immense fulfillment of the friendships between those engaged in furthering the evolution of consciousness has a quality almost impossible to describe. –Teilhard de Chardin (found on WPF Web site)

In recent years we have seen the beginning of a reemergence of psychedelic research. A social change of this sort creates a need for community, a place to gather with others who have similar opinions and to build and strengthen alliances so that we—as a movement—can reach out and present our ideas to the world. The World Psychedelic Forum (WPF) has arisen and established itself as that global gathering. Growing out of the LSD Symposium 2006, this event, also hosted by the Gaia Media Foundation, was held in the same location and with a similar Valerie Mojeiko lineup of speakers. Held in Basel, Switzerland—a small art and [email protected] culture-rich city, where most of the people I encountered seemed to speak at least three languages—this year the WPF drew a crowd of 2000 psychedelic intelligentsia from 37 countries.

MAPS President Rick Doblin, Ph.D. titled “Everything You Always Wanted was prominently featured on the confer- to Know About Psychedelics” along with ence lineup. During the opening keynote Dennis McKenna, Dale Pendell and panel he gave a critique of The Good Kathleen Harrison. Friday experiment. Doblin spoke about his Last but not least, Doblin moderated vision of nonprofit drug development a panel with Russian ketamine researcher during a group session with MAPS- Evgeny Krupitsky, M.D. and me. This was sponsored researchers Michael Mithoefer one of the more diverse panels in its M.D., Ann Mithoefer R.N. and Psycholo- subject matter. The theme of the panel gist Sameet Kumar, Ph.D. He spoke about was “From Problem Child to Wonder the past, present and future of LSD Child”. It included a very scientific (but research in Switzerland on a panel with playful) presentation by Dr. Krupitsky on MAPS-sponsored Swiss researchers Peter his promising research results, using Oehen, M.D. and Peter Gasser, M.D. And ketamine-assisted therapy in the treat- that was all on the first day! He also ment of heroin . I gave a presen- appeared on a question and answer panel tation titled, “Psychedelic Emergency 40 m a p s • v o l u m e x v i i i n u m b e r 1 • s p r i n g 2 o o 8 Photos pg 36-37: Karl Heinz Stein: www.kongressfoto.de MAPS President Rick Doblin, Ph.D. filled the conference hall with eager listeners.

Services: Lessons from Burning Man to visitors, we came home with thirty new Boom to Beyond,” in which I spoke about members, over $6000.00 in donations and the history of MAPS work in this area, and sales, and over two hundred new email shared tips and techniques for working addresses. with people who are having a difficult In between presentations and table psychedelic experience. staffing, we still found time for many I also presented preliminary results meetings during the weekend. In a world from MAPS’ exploratory outcome study of where most of our communication is done -assisted therapy in the treatment through the computer or on the phone, it of opiate addiction. This was on a panel is rare to get so many of our allies together with study coordinator John Harrison, in one place. We have to make the most of Psy.D. candidate and Iboga Therapy House our time together whenever these occa- Program Director Sandra Karpetas. sions arise. Programmatically, one thing that was We took the opportunity to hold some unique to this event, and which worked planning meetings with Boom Festival out really well, was the “Rising Research- organizers and volunteers about the ers” lecture series, held simultaneously in possibility of MAPS continuing to provide one of the side rooms. This series consisted psychedelic emergency services at the of ten minute presentations from a variety event. No decision was made at the of fresh voices in the psychedelic scene— conference, but we did gather lots of from the evolution of salvia divinorum, to interest and email addresses from poten- ‘xenolinguistics,’ to a forty year follow-up tial European volunteers. I also held a study of psychiatrists who formerly used small training session on the principles of LSD in their practices. psychedelic emergency services work MAPS staffer Josh Sonstroem, along along with Sandra Karpetas, who has with volunteers Judith, Jonah, Joey, John, much experience in this area through and Martha staffed a MAPS exhibit booth organizing a similar service at events in twelve hours a day Friday through Canada and at past Boom festivals. Sunday, and kept the Euros, Swissfrancs, Not only the days, but also the and dollars flying. Thanks to all of their evenings were packed with activities, with hard work, and the generosity of the table a special program guide for “Psychedelic m a p s • v o l u m e x v i i i n u m b e r 1 • s p r i n g 2 o o 8 41

MAPS Staffer Josh Sonstroem, tables at the World Psychedelic Forum, bringing in over $6000, 30 new members and nearly 200 new email addresses

Nights.” Many attended a dance party at France. We are now working with several “Das Schiff” (a docked boat on the river psychiatrists to explore the possibility of Rhein) on Sunday night that continued conducting an MDMA/PTSD pilot study until noon on Monday. On Monday night in France. a select group of MAPS researchers, donors I boarded the plane home from Paris and associates attended a birthday party feeling exhausted and inspired from the for MAPS patron donor Robert Barnhart, dizzying amount of conversations and held in the hotel restaurant. Dr. Peter interactions that had taken place. In a Gasser, who is conducting our Swiss LSD/ community this large, even though we are end-of-life anxiety study, was the special all on the same side, it was humanizing to guest and came to meet with Barnhart, see how many differences arose—slightly who has donated $75,000 to his study. different opinions, hopes, dreams, fears. Other donors to our LSD study were also What held us all together though was a at the dinner, including Kevin Herbert, shared amazement for the wonders of Vanja Palmers and Amanda Fielding, psychedelics, and a desire to come to- as well as MAPS Board of Director John gether for the benefit of the movement. Gilmore. Dr. Stan Grof, Ralph Metzner Overall in this trip, I feel that—as an and Caroline Garcia also joined the organization—MAPS accomplished a lot dinner celebration. more than what was on the agenda or in After the conference was over, Rick, the lecture series. I’ve often found with Josh, and I took the train to Paris where these types of events that it is the conver- Rick and I presented on the first day of sations over hotel breakfast, or the smile another conference, conveniently sched- in the elevator, that can long after turn uled the following week. “Hallucinations out to be the most rewarding or impor- in Philosophy and Cognitive Science” was tant. It’s too early to say now, but I look a free symposium that drew a smaller, yet forward to witnessing the aftereffects very engaged audience of about thirty of the butterfly wings that were flapped people, and took place in a conference in Basel that week as the psychedelic room tucked away in the Université René research renaissance makes its way Descartes. Our goal was to try to catalyze into history. • efforts to start psychedelic research in 42 m a p s • v o l u m e x v i i i n u m b e r 1 • s p r i n g 2 o o 8

O Nobly Born Valerie Leveroni Corral

In a few short pages I shall attempt a summation of a hundred years; a life led with grace and charm, and the power to encourage in others—and to discover in her self—the “possible human.” Were I Laura or Aldous Huxley, I would be able to do this with elegance and style, Valerie Leveroni Corral but I am not so clever or skilled. I am, however, Laura’s [email protected] www.wamm.org devoted friend and humble accomplice, and—with all my heart—I long to share her insights, in some of which I was able to participate. What I have come to know of The Huxleys became Laura during these last years deepened our relationship. pioneers of the It could fill a tome. In many ways the measure of our psychedelic movement friendship is what is revealed to me about myself. forging a As our bond became more interdependent, so much of scholarly approach to my own nature was reflected, not all aspects particularly the development of becoming. Yet, the dying process can engage us in an the human indescribable dance as we are invited to participate in potential. that profoundly intimate relationship with another human being. If every moment is life’s most important, then there is none that compares to this practice. There may not be any better way to fall in love. m a p s • v o l u m e x v i i i n u m b e r 1 • s p r i n g 2 o o 8 43

Laura Archera was born in Turin, Italy on November entertained a discourse on the appropriate terminology 2, 1911. She possessed a commanding sense of self. Laura for drugs used in the intentional evolution of conscious- was a child prodigy and she practiced her violin six hours ness. In 1957 Humphry reported to the New York each day. She played before the Queen of Italy at fourteen, Academy of Sciences, “I have tried to find an appropriate shortly before she came to America, spurred by the war. name for the agents under discussion: a name that will Suspicions grew with Fascist rule and her father, Felice include the concepts of enriching the mind and enlarging Archera, whose mother was Jewish, was put under the vision… My choice, because it is clear, euphonious investigation during Italy’s odious racial decrees of 1938. and uncontaminated by other associations, is psychedelic, He wired her from Italy not to return. Laura stayed in mind-manifesting.” Humphry regarded psychedelics as America and made her debut performing Mozart’s violin “mysterious, dangerous substances, and must be treated concerto n.5 at Carnegie Hall. She then moved to Califor- respectfully.” By 1959 Al Hubbard introduced Aldous to nia and, as a virtuoso, performed with the Los Angeles LSD. Both Humphrey and Aldous regretted the trend that Philharmonic. Mozart and would eventually lead to the loss Beethoven were her constant of scientific research and medical companions; their work filled her Laura often application caused by the ban in house daily playing on the stereo the late 1960s. box in her living room. When her conducted interviews The Huxleys became pioneers beloved and longtime friend, of the psychedelic movement Virginia “Ginny” Pfeiffer became while she strolled on forging a scholarly approach “to ill, Laura put her musical studies the development of the human aside to become a therapist and her walking machine, potential.” Laura was Aldous’ donated her Guarneri violin to muse, constant companion and his Yehudi Menuhin. She began to or while balanced partner in its unfolding. During pursue a lifelong interest in health, their marriage they worked nutrition, psychotherapy, and the atop one of separately on novels—Aldous on advance of the human potential. Island and Laura on You Are Not Laura became accomplished in her the many huge the Target, a condensation of her undertakings and professions, ongoing fascination with the among the many, as author and exercise balls growth of emotional health. visionary. Aldous tempted Laura with LSD. Laura was hired on as a film scattered throughout They took it while they listened editor at RKO Studio. In 1948 she to Bach’s fourth Brandenburg set out to meet Aldous Huxley and the house. concerto. Of that experience they his wife Maria. She had an idea for reflected on having “aesthetic a film. After thumbing through revelations.” Brave New World—and at the suggestion of Director John About their years together Laura wrote, “As for the Houston—she schemed to persuade Aldous to pen a rest of our lives, we would speak of everything under the screenplay about Palio, the horse races in Siena. Nothing sun. I was very active in psychotherapy. We discussed ever came of this; but their meeting fostered a legendary that; we listened to music, experimented with cooking… relationship. The three of them became good friends. In One evening Aldous played a recording of Time Must Have 1955 Maria died of breast cancer. The following year a Stop. ‘It is my favorite book of Aldous’, Maria had told Laura and Aldous were married when he obliquely me the previous summer. It was a passage that has an proposed to her, soliciting, “Have you ever been tempted extraordinary transporting quality. Now we would call it by marriage?’ Then, “Do you think it might be amusing to a psychedelic quality, but at the time the word had not yet travel to Yuma and get married at a drive in?” She agreed been coined. The most amazing fact is that Aldous had and they went to Arizona and were married at a drive written Time Must Have a Stop some ten years before he through chapel. had taken mescaline, yet in the passage describing the In 1953 Aldous sought out Humphry Osmond who transit between two states of consciousness the same had gained some notoriety for his observation of the preternatural qualities of certain aspects of the psyche- chemical similarity between adrenaline and mescaline. delic experience is conveyed. The door which later opened Aldous wanted to be the subject for a mescaline study. wide was already ajar. As mystics and poets had done for Humphry was reluctant to administer the drug, stating centuries before him, Aldous had written of psychedelics that he did not “relish the possibility, however remote, of long before he had partaken of the psychedelic plant.” finding a small but discreditable niche in literary history The words that Laura used to describe Aldous, speak as the man who drove Aldous Huxley mad.” In correspon- of the conscious lover who witnesses the presence of the dence between Aldous and Humphry Osmond, they highest form within the beloved, the divine. Laura 44 m a p s • v o l u m e x v i i i n u m b e r 1 • s p r i n g 2 o o 8

understood the importance of Aldous’ work and its forced to idleness. When you cannot use your body you potential to influence our world. She dedicated herself to think and think of this good thing and that bad thing. So the certainty that as a luminous scholar and author he many thoughts. But I can do nothing by myself. Before would be widely published. In fact, one of her last and thoughts would come and I would act. But now I must ask most challenging efforts was to bring Brave New World to for everything.” She couldn’t tolerate chemo, even the film. Dan Hirsch—Huxley archivist and Laura’s longtime very small amount that she and her oncologist had friend and confidant—assisted the project. She said she bargained she would take. The side effects were daunting hoped instead to make the film of Island; that especially and she wanted to feel vital again. Chemotherapy left her during this dark time, of the two, Island was the more exhausted, her gums burning, her lips scorched and important book. However strong cracked, a fire raged in her mouth. her attempts to persuade, this did The rest of that night I half slept. not come to fruition. Perhaps it But in the morning Laura was up will be the next film, she hoped, and moving through the house although she did not think it likely …when asked with a note of her usual vigor that she would live to see that regained. happen. why she had never Aldous and Laura moved into Laura and Aldous were married Ginny’s Hollywood Hills home for seven years before his death had children of her own, after theirs was destroyed by fire. from cancer in 1963, the same day Those flames consumed many of John F. Kennedy’s assassination Laura responded, manuscripts and letters, making and the death of C.S. Lewis. The ashes of literary history. I slept in manner in which Aldous greeted “I never thought what Laura, as a favor to me, I death is noble. Laura read to him suspect, referred to as “my room,” from the Tibetan Book of the Dead as I was but really it was Ginny’s bedroom. he opened to the possibilities and Ginny adopted two children, the set forth on his adventure. Of this old enough.” first single-woman adoption to she said, “Doing his best to develop occur. Ten years after Aldous’ fully in himself one of the essen- death, Ginny died of cancer. Laura tials he recommended to others: then took legal guardianship of Awareness.” He requested that Ginny’s granddaughter, Karen Laura give him LSD. She complied Pfeiffer. Ginny’s room was located by providing him with two injec- across the hall from Aldous’ and tions, each a few hours apart. looked out onto a grand old Following the second dose, Aldous died, while Laura softly swimming pool. That pool, an invitation to bathe in an urged him to let go, to move toward the light. Peacefully, enduring record of cracked tile and gnarled trees, whis- his breathing stopped, “as a piece of music just finishing pered tales of a collection of guests, including Gerald so gently in a sempre piú piano, dolcemente.” Heard, Krisnamurti, T.S. Elliot, D.H Lawrence, Humphry I often arrived at Laura’s late in the night, entering Osmond, Ram Dass, Buckminster Fuller, Bertrand Russell, past the open iron gates of the driveway that led into a , Timothy Leary, , and Christo- flurry of grasses; mutiny in the garden, still always pher Isherwood—just a few of the illustrious personalities something blossomed. The door was never locked; inside to call on the Huxley’s. Many of Hollywood’s extraordi- her house a continuous spray of orchid flowers bloomed a nary intellectuals and most noted characters joined Laura, salutation to every visitor. I recall Laura saying that Aldous and Ginny for conversation. Laura reportedly orchids possessed a quality that could rouse even the excused herself on more than one occasion. She told me dullest caller. that she never considered herself an intellectual and often On one late night arrival Laura left me a note at the she would find these talks too esoteric. I found her to be top of the stairs, “Goodnight, Dearest Valerie. Maybe I am fathomless about so many things. awake.” I went to her room and knocked lightly on her Another night Laura explained her first encounter door. “Tonight we will speak of everything,” she said. We with earphones. Aldous had come across a pair and spent hours discussing the past, her present situation and brought them for her to try. He placed them on her head how her health was declining. She said that she had told and put Mozart on the phonograph. She lay on her bed her most trusted companion, her nephew, Piero Ferrucci, listening, after some time she felt herself being shaken that she must make a choice between life and death and from her reverie, hearing Ginny’s voice asking why she that she had chosen life. But as these options became was yelling. Laura said she had no idea she had made any fewer, discussion turned to sitting, to waiting and to sound and that for the first time she truly heard the music observing. ‘Idleness is the greatest sin. But then one is of Mozart. She had been transported from this earthly m a p s • v o l u m e x v i i i n u m b e r 1 • s p r i n g 2 o o 8 45

Laura Archera Huxley

Photo courtesy of the Laura Huxley Trust 46 m a p s • v o l u m e x v i i i n u m b e r 1 • s p r i n g 2 o o 8

realm and she was transformed. Many nights Mozart’s hold tiny babies. Several rooms were successfully estab- spell would wander from Laura’s bedside CD player into lished. The second program is Teens and Toddlers. Today my room to lull me into sleep. this program continues to foster success in Los Angeles The phone seldom stopped ringing. Beginning early high schools and pairs young people with toddlers. The each morning and unceasingly throughout the day, idea, as Laura once said, “If you want to teach teenagers someone called to ask Laura for an interview, her counsel, about pregnancy and parenting, put them in the same and always to feast hungry eyes on her profound beauty. room with toddlers.” In England in just a few years Laura’s A constant throng of visitors, laden with chocolates or long time friend, Diana Whitmore, propelled this work bouquets, kept the days busy when she wasn’t setting out into brilliantly successful government supported curricu- to accomplish any number of other lum in schools. projects. She was pursued for her In April 1994, marking the perspicuous viewpoint, with an I commented, centenary of the birth of Aldous editor’s keen eye she would rip Huxley, Laura’s Foundation through the clutter of language, “Laura, I thought that sponsored the highly successful her writings or that of anyone else. four day Conference entitled, Laura could be brutally honest. you had surgery CHILDREN: OUR ULTIMATE A quality that was both charming INVESTMENT, addressing the and harsh. She would say between on your right hip.” issues of children’s conditions in the two of them, Ginny possessed our present society. “The predica- the true talent of editing; but all She quickly answered, ment of the human situation,” she I ever knew of Ginny was what says, “begins not only in infancy, Laura told me. “…Yes, I did, not only before birth, but also in Laura often conducted inter- the physical, psychological and views while she strolled on her but I mustn’t forget spiritual preparation of the walking machine, or while bal- parents before conception.” The anced atop one of the many huge my yoga.” name of the organization has since exercise balls scattered throughout been changed to Children: Our the house. Her home was all light, Ultimate Investment perfectly accented with white (www.children- furniture, arching windows cast sunlight across the length ourinvestment.org/Laura.htm). Karen Pfeiffer oversees of her living room. “Light is everything,” she remarked. this project. Many academics had been enticed to explore the yoga of Laura’s work with her foundation led her to success inner balance while visiting her, sometimes being com- and widespread recognition in humanistic achievement. pelled to accept a ball in place of a chair at her dining She is an Honoree of the United Nations, a Fellow of the room table. She moved constantly and knew more about International Academy of Medical Preventics, she pos- her body than anyone I have ever met. She would inform sesses an Honorary Doctorate of Human Services from her practitioners and her doctors, who were also her most Sierra University, and in 1990 she received the Peace trusted friends, of any ailment and they listened intently, Prize as an Honoree of the World Health Foundation for making house calls, providing care and any treatment at Development and Peace. Laura became the 2003 recipient home. Everyone came to call on Laura. of the Thomas R. Verny award presented by the Associa- Besides developing her own narratives, on which she tion of Prenatal and Perinatal Psychology and Health for worked judiciously with Pierro; two other of Laura’s her outstanding contributions to the field of prenatal and passions were: to maintain the legacy of Aldous and the perinatal psychology. development of environments for children. The latter was Every weekend Laura’s home teemed with laughter, spurred by the arrival of Ginny’s granddaughter into her dance, mountains of wholesome fruit and vegetables, and life. Laura said that when Karen first visited she “threw a bounty of love when Karen’s young daughter, Kaya, me into a state of expanded consciousness. I wandered came to stay. To compliment the long evening meals of around the house feeling great love and compassion.” This delectable conversation, Laura and Kaya would adjourn to process of self-discovery offered a revealing insight, for the living room to share in a pas de deux, always encour- when asked why she had never had children of her own, aging guests to join. Abandon ensued. Laura was indefati- Laura responded, “I never thought I was old enough.” gably nurtured by this relationship, and it is this special In 1977 Laura founded Our Ultimate Investment bond that contributed to the pure, youthful joy that she (OUI), a nonprofit organization dedicated to the nurtur- embraced since the day of Kaya’s birth. ing of the possible human. Two of the programs set in In July Laura took a fall in her bedroom and broke her motion are mentioned here: The first is the Caressing hip. She still lived alone and lay for hours unattended. She Room Project, where seniors are encouraged to simply had much time to think. She asked me to come when the m a p s • v o l u m e x v i i i n u m b e r 1 • s p r i n g 2 o o 8 47

procedure was done. I arrived in LA the night of her message. And she informs me of what to do and whom she surgery. The following day I went to fetch her from the would see. hospital. Everything was ready for her arrival home. She had planned to take LSD, as Aldous did, prior to, When I walked into her room she was stretching, pulling or as she was, dying. But each time I inquired, she re- her knee to her chest. Surprised, I commented, Laura, I sponded with a faint shake of her head. On the days thought that you had surgery on your right hip. She leading up to her death she would say, “Well, maybe quickly answered, “Oh, Darling it is lovely to see you. tonight.” As the evenings passed, she made no request. Thank you for coming. Yes, I did, but I mustn’t forget my Her state of consciousness was changing swiftly. She yoga. Now take me home.” Laura was always her best entered into a realm of exploration of her body’s function healer. She never neglected her and its discomfort, of her loss of health. Following surgery she sight, of the advance of the cancer, declined taking pain medication. She had planned of her thoughts, of allowing and Her physical therapist observed her of letting go. She asked me to post determination and commented that to take LSD, her door with several messages to regardless of age, he had never those who might approach. One encountered a patient so driven to as Aldous did, prior to, message read, “However my body quickly recover. He had never met may appear, remember that I am Laura Huxley. or as she was, dying. soul, just like you.” Once Laura I sometimes stayed with Laura told me to ponder and to speak for extended periods. I had been But each time I inquired, these words often, “The sensuality gone only few days when, on of the spirit and the spirituality of December 6th, Laura left me a she responded with the senses.” Then they took on an message; her voice was strained and even deeper meaning, “I will have quiet. She asked me to “come home”. a faint shake a difficult time dying, I think. I I caught the 5:40 flight and arrived love my body so much, the at her house shortly after 7:30. I of her head. sensuality, all the senses, the rubbed her feet, gave her water, read magnificence; I think I will not let some of the letters that Aldous had go easily.” In the end she did, with written to Humphrey. The night a quiet, peaceful breath, she wore on and we briefly discussed a possible bit of inner opened to the possibilities and she did a master’s work. work with the Moksha medicine on Saturday. I offered She died perfectly. more water; I asked if she would like a smoke. I blew a few Two days before, she called for Diana and me to sit puffs across her lips and under her nose. She coughed, with her. By then I rarely left her side. She was trying to asked for more water, then another fluff of smoke. We said find a comfortable position. I sponged her; we dressed her good night, and I asked if there was anything she needed in cut velvet and silk. We smoked a small amount of before retiring, she smiled deeply, but remained quiet. Is marijuana. She closed her eyes. We sat in that vast silence. there something? “Yes,” she spoke strongly with a cer- Suddenly Laura spoke. “Emptiness, emptiness, emptiness. tainty of force, “I need,” she began, “to live well or to die,” It is emptiness.” Laura laughed with weakened enthusi- she softly smiled again. Hmmm, I thought for a moment. asm. With that smile still on her face she looked at me, Yes, my friend, I promise you that either one or the other “Tell Ram Dass, it’s all brand new. It Is All Brand New,” in will happen. Laura laughed heartily. a soft, rich laugh. She began to speak about the things we We often teased Laura about being the “conductor.” It all must face, uncertainty, longing, pain. But there was no was the one thing, she said, that she regretted not having remorse or sorrow, only peace and luminosity. She was accomplished. Her full participation in every aspect of her stunningly beautiful. life was an extension of the practice she had engaged Laura cried out from her sleep raising her right hand daily. She absolutely became the conductor. A few days skyward, “Help I’m falling, I thought I was falling.” before she died we were talking about the process and the You are perfectly safe, perfectly safe. way that she wanted me to attend to her needs. She said, Stay nearby. “Valerie, you will ask me everything before you do it, and I I am right here. You are perfectly safe. will tell you yes or I will tell you no.” So—at her instruc- She lay quietly. The she called Michael Frederick to tion, and under her tutelage—I ask everything, every her bedside. Michael is an Alexander master. She told him intention to move her body, to touch her, to bathe her, to he had a short time, less than an hour to instruct me in the dress her, to give water. Water, water, water, always more Alexander technique. He was surprised, but he did as she water…one drop at a time. I ask even if I think she may said, coaching me to properly hold and lengthen her. Then not hear; even if I know she will not respond. But when Laura thanked Michael, he left and she took over instruct- listening in silence, the subtle energy presents a powerful ing me. I understood from that lesson that I am the tool, 48 m a p s • v o l u m e x v i i i n u m b e r 1 • s p r i n g 2 o o 8

the only work I was to do, was with myself. From her In Los Angeles when a person dies at home the police deathbed I received this teaching. I held Laura, feeling my must come to make a report. When they arrived I was hands, feeling her head. preparing Laura’s body for honoring; washing, anointing She asked, “Whose hands are these?” and dressing her. I was grateful for many things. Laura, Mine. cloaked in Ginny’s shroud, looked exquisite, beautiful “Right hands, right hands, right hands,” she kept really. Two officers arrived at the house. They were young, repeating. “Right hands, right hands. Massage my heart.” I a woman and a man. Under the man’s turtleneck, sneak- did as she instructed. ing above his collar and only slightly visible were tattoos. A few years ago Laura showed me the shroud that she He was handsome and kind. Laura would have appreci- had adorned Ginny’s body with when she died. She ated him. He asked me what I was doing when she died. showed me the photographs she had taken. Ginny was I told him that she was an author and that I was reading stunning. She asked me to be certain from her book, This Timeless that when I lay out her body to use Moment and from The Tibetan this same fabric. She wanted to be Book of the Dead. I said that we cremated in it. No make up she told Once Laura told me had been reading the same Piero and me. That same night she passages that she had read to her said that both Aldous and Ginny had to ponder and husband when he died in 1963. commented on love. Aldous spoke to I also said that I needed to get her, “We can never love enough.” to speak these words back to tending to Laura. He Then later in a letter written by looked me squarely in the eyes, Ginny, “We must love more than we often, The sensuality “My grandmother is dying. I am can love.” This amused her. She told going back to see her in a few me that while Aldous died peace- of the spirit and days and I don’t know what to fully, Ginny’s pain was great. When say.” Ah, let me send you with a Maria was dying of cancer in 1955, the spirituality of copy of Laura’s book. I will mark Aldous used hypnotic techniques to the passages for you to look at. talk her through the memory of the senses. Perhaps you will find them ecstatic experiences she had earlier helpful. She would like that. in life. It was 1973. Laura did not He eagerly took the book in know what she could do to help hand and then asked if I wouldn’t Ginny. Finally, Ginny was quietly released. mind if he peeked in on Laura again. “Oh, she looks so Aun Aprendo - “I am still learning,” I read aloud from beautiful,” he said. Yes, eternally beautiful. a commencement speech by Aldous, “The process goes on That era of women who possess such grace and style is from the cradle to the grave and doubtless, beyond.” Then concluding. We have surrendered our i più nobili e donne Laura responded, “This is a unique line – it shows he eleganti del nostro tempo. What remains is a courtship believes in the survival of life, because we learn after we with death; it is All Brand New, built from the wisdom of are dead. Very, very extraordinary.” the aged, of the timeless masters. “Emptiness, emptiness, The interdependent relationship between the dying emptiness. It’s all brand new.” person and caregiver is revealed when we sit with aware- ness and observe the becoming of the master. We were (sempre piú piano, dolcemente honored guests, participants really. In the hush of that – more and more plainly, softly, sweetly) night a nocturne drifted from the hearts of each who love her, up the stairs from the living room, across the distance, (i più nobili e donne eleganti del nostro tempo through this timeless moment. Our promise was to repeat - the most noble and elegant women of our time) the message of her life’s work, to recall attention to alert passivity and awareness, to read what Aldous had spoken to Maria and what Laura had spoken to Aldous, to prompt with language that which continues beyond words. m a p s • v o l u m e x v i i i n u m b e r 1 • s p r i n g 2 o o 8 49

For Beloved Laura and Friends Carolyn Mary Kleefeld

There are so many feelings that can’t be O eternal flower expressed. Perhaps the most important (for beloved Laura Huxley) ones must go unsaid. It seems that putting O eternal flower, words to the soul’s tremors can destroy how fragrant your scent, their delicacy. When a beloved is dying, and how far-reaching your stem. how intimate is our heart’s embrace. In the midst of these raw tides, we can only Although you’ve come and gone, cherish the poignancy of every moment. you’re still here, nevertheless. We are all “dying” and being con- Somehow, concepts of life and death scious of this sobering truth gives the are too limited moment its rightful wings. The passion of for your present formlessness intimacy that we can share with another, No, it’s not real to me in crisis and otherwise, seeds our beings that you’ve died and changes us forever beyond what we Carolyn Mary Kleefeld It’s no more real than can imagine. A mysterious exchange of www.carolynmarykleefeld.com life’s other illusions. gifts flows between the caregiver and the recipient, as they become one. My truth is, O eternal flower, The roles we play are interesting to that you still exist — outside of time examine. Often it is possible to see the like a scent that forever lingers. The passion karma or seeds of being a caregiver early How infinite your spirit, on in one’s life. To quote Mephistopheles: as it travels the universe of intimacy “In the end we all create the creatures we and mocks the smallness ourselves depend on,” which is a thought- we dote upon. that we can share provoking statement. Certainly the shadows we cast are ourselves reflected, as O eternal flower, with another, are the rainbows. how fragrant your scent, As always, Laura made the impossible and how far-reaching your stem. in crisis and otherwise, possible. I say this because the nobility No, it’s not real to me and courage she lived in her dying offered that you’ve died. seeds our beings me an undying strength that will live on forever as a blazing torch. I am ever It’s no more real than and changes us forever fortunate to have been inspired by the life’s other illusions muse of Laura, and to share her beams February 10, 2008 beyond what we can of light with you. Carolyn Mary Kleefeld imagine. October 2007 Laura Archera Huxley; 1911-2007; To find out more about Ms. Kleefeld’s beloved friend; violinist; work see: www.carolynmarykleefeld.com therapist; author; founder of Children: Our Ultimate Investment

Carolyn Mary Kleefeld will be having an exhibit at The Frederick R. Weisman Museum of Art at in Malibu, California from August 23rd to December 14th, with an opening reception on Saturday, September 13th from 6:00 to 9:00 PM. Her paintings “Dionysian Splendor” and “Laura Huxley’s Departure”– as well as the art by Brummbaer and Dean Chamberlain, which also appear in this issue of the Bulletin– are for sale, with fifty percent of the profits going to help raise funds for MAPS research. For more information visit: www.maps.org/catalog 50 m a p s • v o l u m e x v i i i n u m b e r 1 • s p r i n g 2 o o 8

Dear MAPS… By no means am I a rich benefactor, Letters I chose to send my support because but I do a fair amount of charitable giving we in the scientific community need to nevertheless, primarily to environmental to MAPS know more about all of these substances. organizations, including my own non- Their use continues to grow, yet our profit, since I think that, without a viable knowledge about them remains fossilized planet, all else means little to humanity. (i.e. LSD-1970s, MDMA-1980s). However, I believe that people are the Ignorance is not bliss. It is my hope that main problem for the environment and MORE researchers WILL be permitted nothing less than a psychedelic revival has access to these drugs that are LARGELY the potency to awaken the masses enough only available on the black market. for us to collectively stop industrially – John Gianoli, M.D. defecating on our own habitat. Ergo, MAPS deserves more support and I will see what I can do. Having received the latest (MAPS) – Research Professor Bulletin, I felt like a lost sailor spotting at a Major University land after drifting at sea. The human mind is a miraculous thing. Coupled with spirit, it has the capacity to endure and overcome I donate more to MAPS than any some of the most trying of circumstances. other group because the research that I look forward to seeing this place in my MAPS supports is a vital part of the radical rear view mirror, and swimming in a sea transformation that humanity must of peaceful, good vibrations. Keep up the experience to survive and flourish. Any good work. methods that help people to see beyond – Solo a limited worldview and embrace a more authentic, primal, and loving life are worth pursuing. – Glenn Smith, Santa Cruz, CA

The Healing Potential of Psychedelic Medicine Now Back in Print LSD Psychotherapy by Stanislav Grof, M.D. This classic text is once again available… in a revised edition, published this Spring by MAPS. The new edition includes a new introduction from Albert Hofmann, Ph.D., a foreword by , M.D. and new afterword with contributions by L. Jerome, Ph.D., Valerie Mojeiko, and Rick Doblin, Ph.D. Also included are 40 pages of color images created by study subjects recording their LSD experiences. Printing of this new edition was made possible by generous grants to MAPS from Kevin Herbert and the Helios Foundation. Available for $19.95 (plus shipping) from MAPS, visit our website www.maps.org/catalog m a p s • v o l u m e x v i i i n u m b e r 1 • s p r i n g 2 o o 8 51

Rick Doblin, MAPS founder and President, earned his Ph.D. in Public Policy from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. Doblin was also in Stan and Christina MAPS: Who We Are Grof’s first training group to receive certification as a Holotropic Breath- MAPS IS A MEMBERSHIP-BASED ORGANIZATION working work practitioner. to assist researchers worldwide to design, fund, conduct, obtain Rick Valerie Mojeiko, Director of governmental approval for, and report on psychedelic research Operations and Clinical Research in humans. Founded in 1986, MAPS is an IRS approved Associate, coordinates projects at 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation funded by tax-deductible MAPS’ Love Creek office and facilitates donations from members. psychedelic research around the globe. Formally educated at New College of Florida and the California Insitute of Integral Sudies. “Most of the things worth doing in the world

Ilsa Jerome, Research and had been declared impossible Valerie Information Specialist before they were done.” Ilsa earned a PhD in psychology from the University of Maryland. She helps – Louis D. Brandeis MAPS and researchers design studies, gathers information on study drugs by keeping abreast of the current literature If you can even faintly imagine a cultural reintegration and discussion with other researchers, of the use of psychedelics and the states of mind they creates and maintains documents engender, please join MAPS in supporting the expansion related to some MAPS-supported of scientific knowledge in this area. Progress is possible Ilsa studies, and helps support the MAPS psychedelic literature bibliography. with the support of those who care enough to take individual and collective action. Josh Sonstroem, Technology Specialist and Events Coordinator, THE MAPS BULLETIN earned his B.A. in Philosophy and Religion from New College of Each Bulletin reports on MAPS research in progress. Florida and is a chef, musician, poet In addition to reporting on research both in the United and technologist. He immensely States and abroad, the Bulletin may include feature articles, enjoys the depths of existential reports on conferences, book reviews, Heffter Research experience. Josh Institute updates, and the Hofmann Report. Issues raised David Jay Brown, Guest Editor, in letters, calls, and e-mail from MAPS members may also earned his master’s degree in psycho- be addressed, as may political developments that affect biology from New York University, and has been interviewing accomplished psychedelic research and use. thinkers about their creative process for over 20 years. He is the author of Mavericks of Medicine, Conversations on the Edge of the Apocalypse, and five other books about the frontiers David Jay Brown of science and consciousness. To find out more about David’s work see: www.mavericksofthemind.com ©2008 Multidisciplinary Association Jalene Otto, Membership and Sales for Psychedelic Studies, Inc. (MAPS) Coordinator, studied philosophy and 10424 Love Creek Road, sociology at Cabrillo College and the Ben Lomond, CA 95005 University of California, Santa Cruz. Phone: 831-336-4325 She is a story weaver and a mother. Fax: 831-336-3665 E-mail: [email protected] Jalene Web: www.maps.org 52 m a p s • v o l u m e x v i i i n u m b e r 1 • s p r i n g 2 o o 8

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SIGNATURE PHONE NUMBER ALSO AVAILABLE FROM MAPS The Ultimate Journey:Consciousness and the Mystery of Death by Stanislav Gof, MD, 356 pgs, $19.95 LSD Psychotherapy by Stanislav Gof, MD, 374 pgs, 40 pgs of color plates, $19.95 LSD: My Problem Child by Albert Hofmann, PhD, 232 pgs, $12.95 The Secret Chief Revealed: Conversations with a Pioneer of the Underground Movement by Myron Stolaroff, 176 pgs, $12.95 Ketamine: Dreams and Realities by Karl Jansen, MD, PhD, 355 pgs, $14.95 Drawing It Out: Befriending the Unconscious (A Contemporary Woman’s Psychedelic Journey) by Sherana Harriette Frances, 128 pgs, $19.95 Ecstasy: The Complete Guide Edited by Julie Holland, MD, 281 pgs, $19.95 Shivitti: A Vision by Ka-Tzetnik 135633, 144 pgs, $15.95 Ibogaine: Rite of Passage DVD $20 Higher Wisdom edited by Roger Walsh and Charles Grob, 267 pgs, $24.95 TRIPPING An Anthology of True-Life Psychedelic Adventures, Edited by Charles Hayes, 486 pgs, $22.00 Marihuana, The Forbidden Medicine (Signed by the author!) by Lester Grinspoon, MD, and James B. Bakalar, JD, 296 pages, $19.95 NEW– Psychedelic Medicine: New Evidence for Hallucinogenic Substances as Treatments: Vol. 1&2. Michael Winkelman and Thomas B. Roberts, 680 pages, $200.00 SHIPPING FOR BOOKS: U.S. and Canada – Priority mail (3–7 days): $6.00, add $2.50 per additional book. Overseas airmail rates (7–10 days): $12.00, add $10.00 per additional book. “Xenolinguistics: Intense Play.” Still from LiveGlide performance. “Musical Volume” by Brummbaer By Diana Reed Slattery www.brummbaer.net See article by Diana Slattery on page 9 See article by Brummbaer on page 36. MULTIDISCIPLINARY ASSOCIATION FOR PSYCHEDELIC STUDIES MULTIDISCIPLINARY ASSOCIATION FOR PSYCHEDELIC STUDIES

Special Issue: Technology and Psychedelics Edited by David Jay Brown, M.A.

Albert Hofmann: January 11, 1906 ~ April 29, 2008 See www.maps.org/albert for obituaries from around the world VOLUME XVIII NUMBER 1 • SPRING 2008