The Psgchedelic Artist

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The psgchedelic artist

S TAN LEY K RIP P NE R, Ph. D.

During 1967 I made a survey by means of interviews and a questionnaire of 91 artists who were known to have had one or more psychedelic experiences. I knew many of these artists personally and obtained the names of others through people active in the psychedelic movement. I avoided interviews with amateurs and "Sunday painters"; the artists in the survey were professionally committed to the creative life. Their talents and comparative development as artists did, of course, vary, but among the 91 were an award-winning filmmaker, a Guggenheim Fellow in poetry, a recipient of Ford, Fulbright, and Rockefeller study grants in painting, and others of substantial reputation. A wide variety of expression was represented by the artists questioned, and many of them engaged in more than one form of creative activity. Production of drawing and painting was the most frequently mentioned (by 47 and 44 of the artists, respectively). Then followed light shows or Iumia (19), mixed media (19), films (16), prose (15), photo- graphy(13), instrumental music (13), poetry (12), collage (4), sculp- ture (4), theater (4), and happenings (3). Smaller percentages of the artists were involved with architecture, ceramics, environments, costume design, dance, fabrics, graphics, interior design, music composition, vocal music, and weaving. Most of the artists were from the New York area. However, some of them lived in other cities in various parts of the United States and Eu- rope. Of the group, 78 were men, 13 were women. Most of the artists were in their twenties or thirties, many were in their forties, and some were in their fifties or sixties. Those whom I could not interview were sent a questionnaire by mail. From some, I never received a reply. A few admitted that they suspected I was an agent for the U. S. Federal Narcotics Bureau or the Food and Drug Administration. A European painter claimed that I was working for the Central Intelligence Agency. Many artists cooperated only after it was made clear that they would remain anonymous. 1""'""""------I -

H.•4n. al'l'leadyexpaltded conscio'usness"

It was suggested to each artist that "the psychedelic artist generally is defined as one whose paintings or other forms of artistic expression show the effects of psychedelic experience, usually chemically induced. The work may have been produced as a result of psychedelic experience, during psychedelic experience, or in an attempt to induce a psychedelic experience." The artists were generally in agreement with this definition; 79 answered affirmatively, 6 gave a qualified affirmative answer, and 6 answered negatively. Those who qualified their answers suggested additional ways in which art and psychedelic experience might be related. A poet noted that psychedelic art often serves to remind people of their psychedelic experiences; the play Frankenstein, as mounted by the Living Theater, was cited as an example.("Acid rock" frequently was mentioned as well; this form of music employs a monotonous, harshly amplified drone sound which sometimes acts as a consciousness-altering stimulus.) One artist proposed a further extension of the definition, saying that "psychedelic art can be work which helps you turn on." He continued: "I paint murals for wealthy acid-heads; they look at my paintings while they're high and they have a more exciting trip." Two artists agreed with the given definition but pointed out certain problems involved in defining psychedelic art Photographer Irwin Gooen stated that all art can be termed "psychedelic" because art "gives the viewer a feeling of sharing something with an already expanded consciousness-that of an artist" Poet Allen Ginsberg noted that the type of consciousness produced by LSD or peyote often resembles the type of consciousness produced by yoga, religious discipline, or "peak experience." Ginsberg continued: "All the art that I always have been inter- ested in-even before my use of psychedelic chemicals-grows out of that area." A photographer said that it may be premature to define psychedelic art because "we have had only about ten years of LSD experience." He continued: "The artistic products of psychedelic experience were formed under police oppression; these products may not resemble what will be demonstrated in a future generation in which psychedelic art represents a natural way of thinking rather than a variant." Each of the 91 artists was asked if he considered himself to be a

"psychedelic artist" Six artists did not answer, 11 answered negatively, 65 answered affirmatively, and 9 gave an affirmative answer with qualifi- cations. In summary, a remarkably large number of the artists surveyed (85 out of 91) agreed with a broad definition of the "psychedelic artist," and 74 felt that the term could be applied to them personally.

i'Ll collective mind"

While working on the survey, I visited Garnerville, New York, home of US CO ("The Us Company"), a group of painters, poets, filmmakers, technicians, and weavers who live and work communally in an abandoned church. One of the works of art I admired was a nine-foot-high painting of Shiva, the Hindu god of creation, whose outflowing energy was symbolized by pulsating light from which brilliant lines radiated. Superimposed on the Shiva was a painted Buddha; red lights throbbed at the edges of the canvas in the steady rhythm of a beating heart. I asked an attractive young weaver which member of the group had conceived the Shiva-Buddha painting. She replied, with a smile, "We are all one." This visit was very much in my mind when I tabulated the results of a question which asked: "Are you part of a larger group of psychedelic artists?" Affirmative replies were given by 19 of the individuals surveyed, and negative replies by 64. Six artists gave a qualified affirmative answer, being members of loosely organized groups such as New York City's Psychedelic Showcase, but not members of organizations that work co- operatively on projects. Two did not respond. The groups most often mentioned were USCG, the Living Theater, Fluxus, Mandala (a French group), Sigma (a Dutch group), and the League for Spiritual Discovery (a religious group headed by psychologist- turned-prophet Timothy Leary) . Don Snyder, who developed an "organic slide" for projection ma- chines and who was an innovator in the field of lumia, stated that it is quite natural for psychedelic artists to work in groups. Aside from the benefits of shared ideas, Snyder noted that the psychedelics can produce the notion of "a collective mind." Snyder also reported that he had often experienced "intense feelings, under LSD, of entering into another person's thoughts and becoming that person."

HThousauds of doors"

All of the 91 artists in the survey reported having had at least one psychedelic experience. When asked if they had ever taken a psychedelic substance, 87 answered yes; 4 answered no.

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Costume designer Joseph Felician has never ingested chemicals such 166 • The psychedelic artist as LSD but uses self-hypnosis. ACanadian painter has never used psychedelic chemicals but practices yoga.ACalifornia artist stated that he attains alterations in consciousness by means of prayer and meditation; another claims to have experienced consciousness-alteration spontane- ously. Of the chemical substances, LSD is the most popular psychedelic, being mentioned by 84 members of the group. Marijuana (legally classi- fied as a narcotic but actually a mild psychedelic) has been used by 78 of the artists, followed by DMT (dimethyltriptamine)(46), peyote (41), mescaline (38), morning-glory seeds (31), psilocybin (22), hashish (21), DET (diethyltriptamine) (6), and yage (5). A small number of artists reported trying rarer substances, generally considered psychedelic, such as kava-kava, ibogaine, bufotenin, Ditran, the Amanita muscaria mushroom, and the Hawaiian wood rose. In addition, a few artists claimed to have obtained psychedelic effects from substances generally not considered psychedelic-benzedrine (an amphetamine), methedrene (an amphetamine), opium (a narcotic), ritalin, kinotrine, amyl nitrate, and nitrous oxide. Asked when they took a psychedelic substance for the first time, the group gave varied responses. Three persons reported taking psychedelics during the 1940's, 17 during the 1950's, and 65 during the 1960's. All the artists had taken their first trip before 1967.Two did not respond. The people surveyed were asked if their psychedelic experiences (nonchemically as well as chemically induced) were generally pleasant. An unqualified yes response was given by 82 artists of the group; 5 gave a qualified yes. In these five cases, it was stated that some of their initial "trips" were unpleasant but that their later experiences were pleasurable. One artist answered this question negatively, and three others did not respond. An interior designer described his psychedelic experiences as "always . stimulating artistically, whether pleasant or unpleasant." A painter noted , that his experiences were "always meaningful, no matter what." Simon , . ••. Vinkenoog, a Dutch poet, described the reason why his first experience t.I. ••f • was unpleasant: "In 1959, LSD was inflicted on me by a team of un- ••". qualified doctors-to-be who messed up some of my most beautiful experi- •• f. ences ever by having me fill in silly forms, by hooking me up to an ff •• electroencephalograph going momomomomomomomo, etc." I. Several years ago, Alex Gildzen, an Ohio poet, took his first "acid trip." A New York artist and I were his guides. The artist also took LSD; he was the "ingesting guide" and I was the "noningesting guide." As Gildzen felt the effects of the drugs coming on, with harpsichord music pouring from the phonograph, he recapitulated the evolutionary .e; ,;,,-.~.__•..;.••.., .... ,.. •• _.-•.••.• -•• e.•• ,. .If 't' ••. •••• ,•••• ~ •.• /1". 1t1l."'-.Jf':="

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104. use o. Shiva. Painting with lights. 110 x 110". 1965. Photo by Yale Joel, courtesy Life Magazine. This is a companion piece to color plate 24. Both are in the USCO tabernacle at Garnerville, New York. 1-' - process, perceiving the artist and himself as flotsam on a wave, as newly 168 • The psychedelic hatched serpents, as "astronauts of the mind," and as visionaries follow- artist ing in the footsteps of Walt Whitman (who spent many years near the place in which the session was held). Gildzen did not perceive me as an "astronaut" because I was not "high"; instead, he jokingly threw grapes at me. Later he wrote a poem based on his experience:

I walked through the door of myself.

I stepped acrosscenturies into an English harpsichord 6- I rolled around in its music until I broke open--a wave shattering against the wall breaking the gildzen stream flowing into the cracks in the floor emerging a stronger wave. The egg serpent turned upon himself 6- I threw grapes at the guru. We orbited ourselves- we gemini of the mind. we expanded expanded into a new dimension. And the loaf became manna 6- the fruit became jewels 6- words became ancient oddities 6- I became Bacchus 6- Bacchus died in joy like Huxley

I penetrated myself until unbound I sensed celebration 6- rolling acrossspace 6- beyond time I celebrated sensation. It wasn't until I walked through the door of myself that I realized Whitman only started.

I was reminded of Gildzen's poem when I asked the artists the most provocative question of the survey:"How have your psychedelic experiences influenced your art?" None of them felt that their work had suf- fered as a result of psychedelic experience, although some admitted that their friends might disagree with this judgment. Three of the queried artists stated that their psychedelic experiences had not influenced their work one way or the other. The others cited a number of effects which feU into three broad categories: content, technique, and approach. In most cases, the artists reported effects that fell into more than one cate- . gory.

"Beassurit~g proof"

Sixty-four members of the group stated that psychedelic experience had affected the content of their work, the most frequently mentioned example being their use of eidetic imagery as subject matter. A Chicago writer described his fantasies with peyote and mescaline as prime subject matter for his poems and stories. A sculptor noted that his LSD-induced visual images "have offered me a limitless amount of subject matter; I have been reintroduced to a sense of wonder." Don Snyder reported that his psychedelic experiences often introduced novel conceptual (rather than perceptual) insights which he has been able to incorporate in his work. Another artist declared: "I have seen sights more beautiful than words can describe; I have tried to incorporate these visions into my art." One artist reported having seen "the most beautiful patterns and mandalas in a clear sky; these in turn influence the lines of my drawings." Still another stated: "LSD and mescaline have literally opened my eyes wide." Morning-glory seeds enabled one artist to "let the drawing draw itself; as the pen moved across the page, a picture appeared." Some artists work while they are high; others do not. A Dutch writer said: "I work only when I'm under the influence of some psychedelic, as I am trying to turn on the reader without his being able to resist the process." On the other hand, another artist stated: "I never paint while I'm high; the imagery changes so rapidly I could not paint what I see, only what I saw." "The loosening-up of psychedelic experience has been very useful," declared a fabric designer,"but without the balance of persistently directed effort, no art could be produced."A painter added: "It is difficult for me to produce anything more than sketches during an LSD session; my mind is too active to maintain a prolonged artistic effort." I have personally observed a number of artists working while they were high. Some of them appeared to be in full command of their craft, demonstrating good muscular control and artistic judgment. Others merely made sketches and notes, claiming that they were in no mood to do painstaking work. The personality of the artist seemed to be only one of several variables responsible for this difference; previous drug usage, set and setting, the dosage level, and the type of drug were important factors. For example, many artists were able to work quite efficiently

under marijuana or under 50 to 100 micrograms of LSD. The same art- r--·····

170 • The psychedelic artist

105. Doll (Hopi god of the fields) as drawn by an artist undergoing an experimental LSD session. The drawing at left was made before and the one at right was made during the session.

ists, however, relaxed completely and "flowed with the stream" while under the influence of higher drug dosages. Many artists spoke of using more personal material in their work since experiencing alterations in consciousness. One writer recalled how, during a psilocybin session, she remembered a vast number of childhood experiences; she was later able to use these incidents as material for novels and short stories. To one painter, "art is a reflection of external and internal reality: LSD has changed my perception of external reality and has increased my awareness of internal reality." Sometimes a psychedelic session produces religious and mystical experiences that affect the content of an artist's work. Allen Ginsberg mentioned having a number of "visionary experiences" early in his life. How- ever, he was not totally convinced that these experiences were valid until a number of psychedelic sessions "confirmed" them. Richard Villegas also described this "reassuring proof that all those forms and shapes within the mind are not just relative to one's imagination, but co-exist in outer as well as in inner experience.Painting, then, becomes neither ab- •I·I: If·, stract nor nonobjective but true reality." I' U Hugo Mujica noted that "during a trip I discovered the shape that "III •••• I am now using. Later I learned that it was a mandala." The ancient •"'• .If mandalic form is a circle within a square representing the unity of man •• and his universe. Many artists reported seeing mandalas for the first time •••• during their psychedelic experiences, and the mandalic form shows up frequently in psychedelic art. 106. R r c H A R D V IL LEG A s. Still The transcendence of one's culturally imposed imprints always has Life. An example of Villegas' work been a goal for the creative person. Many of the artists surveyed reported prior to psychedelic experience. 171 that they have been able, through the psychedelics, to stand apart from their culture and that this ability has had a major influence upon the content of their work. "To perceive in only one way is limiting," stated a photographer. "Therefore we have art =we use another person's eyes and ears, a person who perceives the world differently than we do." The photographer continued: "If the artist's experience has been profound, and if the artist is able to translate his experience into a communicable form, the observer can vicariously transcend the single perception. Psychedelic drugs can help to make the artist's experience profound." A painter described her ability, with the aid of LSD and marijuana, to "transcend the ordinary and enter into the limitless intuitions which are now the basis of everything I do in my work." Another painter stated that mescaline "allows me to transcend the value systems of a culturally designated 'reality' which ordinarily encroaches upon what I now know as true nature." A worker in mixed-media called his most important LSD-induced realization "the awesome new sense of the availability of a transcendent level of experience extraordinarily different from that of usual consciousness." Allen Atwell stated that psychedelic experience "has made me more apocalyptic," thus changing the content of his paintings. A strong desire to communicate these new perceptions and concept- ualizations characterized many of the artists I questioned. From Paris, Gerard Rutten wrote: "In my happenings I am trying to reconsider all my psychedelic experiences and extend them to other people." A film-

107. RICHARD VILLEGAS. Un- titled. Acrylic on canvas. 24 x 30". 1966. Following psychedelic experience the artist abandoned the style of ill. 106 and began painting abstrac- tions.

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maker stated that psychedelics have "enabled me for the first time to 172 • The psychedelic artist communicate my feelings and experiences to other people." A painter reporte.d that during an LSD session he had "a momentous, compelling desire to communicate, which has never left me." In summary, psychedelic experience had reportedly affected the content of the work of 64 of the artists whom I queried. Their new material has ranged from altered sensory impressions to recall of childhood experiences, from novel concepts about man and the universe to visions of archetypal figures and the underlying nature of reality. Many' of the artists appreciated an opportunity to see themselves and their world from unusual vantage points and gave psychedelic experience the credit for enabling them to do so.

"Enhanced and expanded"

Forty-nine of the artists in the group said there had been a noticeable improvement in their artistic technique as a result of their psychedelic experiences; a greater ability to use color was mentioned most frequently. One California painter told of participating in an LSD research study directed by Oscar Janiger, a Los Angeles psychiatrist. "I always had been afraid to use color in my work, but a single LSD session helped me to conquer that fear." One artist noted that when he first used a psychedelic substance he had been studying the problem of reproducing in paint the colors found in microscopic views of butterflies. "One peyote trip," he stated, "explained so much to me about refracted color that I have not painted since but have worked only with colored light." Some artists claimed that the quality of their work improves when they are high. One writer asserted:"I write better stoned." "I prefer writing when high," declared a poet. "I prefer reading poems to audi- ences high, I prefer lecturing high." According to some artists, productivity is enhanced by the psychedelics. A producer of happenings claimed that his LSD, peyote, and marijuana experiences have made him "far more enthusiastic and pro- ductive." A filmmaker described his post-LSD work as "not only enhanced and expanded but increased in quantity." Several others noted that a light dose of a psychedelic improves their ability to concentrate. Arlene Sklar-Weinstein said that LSD helped her to appreciate "the joy of details." One artist claimed that it had assisted him in the understanding of large patterns. A collage-maker felt that the psychedelics had helped him to "integrate" his thought processes. An architect described a similar benefit, stating that LSD enabled him to "make an integrated statement with a building." 108. HUG 0 M U J r c x. Mandala- II. Ink on paper. 42" diameter. 1967.

j I 1, I l "I have added the psychedelic experience to the scope and measure I of myself," declared California writer Ken Friedman. "I in turn use myself and my experience as the basis of my art." Another described "an II awareness of the universal from which all things come," noting that "LSD has enabled me to see more clearly the infinite number of forms

I ,' in which oneness manifests itself." Still another artist described how she was able to "see through superficial coverings and perceive universal I, structures." To another, "the mightiest truth of all is paradox, a simple yet universal balance." While reading over these reports, which were almost uniformly positive, I was reminded that LSD and its relatives are generally regarded as psychotomimetic (psychosis-mimicking) and hallucinogenic (hallucination-producing) by psychologists and psychiatrists. Yet, among 91 artists, over half claimed to have become better craftsmen because of the psychedelics. For some, the utilization of color was enhanced; for others, rI productivity had increased. It would seem unlikely that the quality and 174 • The psychedelic artist quantity of their work would have so improved if the psychedelics had exerted a substantial psychosis-mimicking or hallucination-producing effect upon them. Perhaps these effects-which certainly are associated with the use of psychedelic drugs in some cases-are less operative among artists. Painter Tom Blackwell cited a great many changes in his work due to LSD, DMT, and peyote. "They have influenced it," he stated, "in terms of my use of color, and in the juxtaposition and superimposition of imagery. They have influenced my work in that they have corroborated my original intuitive direction and have given me more conviction of the rightness of my method." Blackwell continued: "They have provided for me a 'map' of my interior self and have enabled me to traverse regions of my mind that I previously was able only to blindly grope after. The psychedelics catapulted me in a direction toward which I was already headed." He concluded: "As a result, my paintings and constructions are concerned with the transformation of matter into energy and vice versa, with the thin line between subjective and objective reality, and with the work of art as a means of getting out of oneself and hopefully bringing about something similar in the viewer.

"Contact with the soul"

Forty-seven of the artists attributed a change in their creative approach to the psychedelics. One artist claimed his work had become more rep- resentational; two others asserted that their work had become abstract. Mentioned more often was the claim that psychedelic experience had eliminated superficiality from the artists' work and had given them greater depth as people and as creators. Some referred to their first psychedelic experience as a "peak experience," as a turning point in their lives. "My dormant interest in music became an active one," said one artist,"after a few sessions with peyote and DMT." Another individual said that a psilocybin experience "caused me to enjoy the art of drawing for the first time in my life." Another painter claimed that LSD, peyote, and marijuana "have radically changed my view of reality in terms of form, color, and size." Tom Blackwell noted how the psychedelics made him aware of several new "levels of consciousness." Regarding the validity of his experiences with altered consciousness, Don Snyder asserted: "I would rather place my faith in the reality of my marijuana episodes than in the products of my everyday state of mind." Dutch writer Ronny van den Eerenbeemt stated: "When very young, I started writing stories and poems. The older I got, the more I had the feeling of not being able to find something really worthwhile to write about. My psychedelic experiences taught me that what I used to do was no more than scratch the surface of life. After having seen and felt the center of life, through the psychedelics, I now think I do have something worthwhile to write about."

109. TOM BLACKWELL. Periphery (series). Acrylic and oil. 48 x 48".1965. Collection Ian Bernard, Laguna Beach, California. - A filmmaker commented: "One acid trip doesn't automatically turn 176 • The psychedelic artist someone into an artist. It still takes years to acquire the discipline of the craft. I had acquired the discipline, but lacked contact with the soul and spirit which makes art come alive. This the psychedelic experience may provide. It did for me." Greater insight and heightened spontaneity were mentioned by several artists. A writer claimed: "When I am high, I can better understand the motives of other people, can more correctly interpret their actions, and can better communicate these understandings to my readers." A composer noted that the psychedelics enabled him to "better understand my ideas and more accurately communicate them through the use of music." To him, LSD experience "has brought about a freer, more spontaneous approach to everything I do." Ronny van den Eeren- beemt asserted that hashish helps to "clear the debris" and enables him to "make use of all the available creativity." (The facilitation of creative effort is not limited to professional artists, according to one California writer I interviewed. Speaking of the Haight-Ashbury district in San Francisco, he commented: "Lots of those kids are pretty mixed up, but others are quite mature and totally committed to their subcultural values. Among these values is a stress on in- dividuality and decentralization; you might call it a new form of tribalism because so many of these young people live together in congenial groups. It is not unusual for the girls to make bread, candles, and their own clothes. It is not unusual for the men to string beads and carve totems. This collection of homemade items is often done with such skill and such care that I sometimes think it is the most genuine form of psychedelic art." ) The abandonment of "ego games" was mentioned by a number of artists. A writer stated: "I try to transcend the ego, attempting to enter into an I/Thou relationship through which the ego fades before the manifest self of the whole person."Another writer claimed:"My work has become more ego-transcendent than it was before I came into contact with these drugs." An actress told how, through the utilization of hashish, she gained the ability to "give of myself" during a performance. Not only did the actress feel that she was able to communicate more di- rectly with the audience; she gave up "stealing scenes," and was able to work better with her fellow actors.

'"Tile dance of life"

The possible impact of psychedelic experience upon an individual is illustrated in the case of Isaac Abrams. In an interview, the artist de- ~F--~~------"'iI dared that "psychedelic experience has deeply influenced all aspects of my life." Upon graduating from college, Abrams got married, toured Europe, and went to work selling furniture. "I had been taught," he said, "that the most important things in life were to look neat, act nice, and make money. Yet I knew that something was missing. There was something to do that I wasn't doing. I had a sense of mission but no idea what the mission might be." Abrams was offered mescaline by a friend but turned it down. Sev- eral years later he was offered psilocybin and decided to give it a try. On Washington's birthday, 1962, Abrams and his wife took psilocybin; he watched the ceiling whirl, turned the lights off, and realized for the first time that during all the years of his life he had been behaving "like a person who had no mind." Abrams enjoyed his psilocybin experience and a few months later had another opportunity to try mescaline. "We took it in the country," he recalled, "and it was beautiful." His next psychedelic experiences were with marijuana; once again, these were pleasant and positive in nature. The inner life having been opened up by these episodes, Abrams thought that he might discover his "life's mission." The search was in vain. He sold more furniture. He wrote a play. He entered graduate school, but it was not for him and he dropped out. Early in 1965, Abrams took LSD. During his session, he began to draw. "As I worked," he said, "I experienced a process of self-realization concerning the drawing. When the drug's effects wore off, I kept on drawing." Abrams attended art classes to learn about technique and materials. His wife went to different classes, took notes, and passed on the informa- tion to him. The skills developed quickly and he stopped attending classes. Abrams entered psychoanalysis with a well-known psychotherapist who fully understands the creative process. The artist remarked: "Ther- apy helps me mobilize the psychedelic experience and externalize it. I think any individual can go just so far on his own. At some point he needs a spiritual teacher or guru. A good psychotherapist can be a guru." "For me," Abrams continued, "the psychedelic experience basically has been one of turning on to the life process, to the dance of life with all of its motion and change. Before 1962, my behavior was based on logical, rational, and linear experiences. Due to the psychedelics, I also became influenced by experiences that were illogical, irrational, and nonlinear. But this, too, is part of life. This aspect is needed if life is to become interrelated and harmonious. "Psychedelic drugs gave me a sense of harmony and beauty. For the first time in my life, I can take pleasure in the beauty of a leaf, I can find ~.-----.-- I

meaning in the processes of nature. For me to paint an ugly picture 178 • The psychedelic artist would be a lie. It would be a violation of what I have learned through psychedelic experience. "I have found that I can flow through my pen and brush; everything I do becomes a part of myself-an exchange of energy. The canvas becomes a part of my brain. With the psychedelics, you learn to think outside of your head. My art attempts to express or reproduce my inner state. " Abrams concluded: "Psychedelic experience emphasizes the unity of things, the infinite dance. You are the wave but you are also the ocean."

"The color of your dream"

I visited a well-known pop recording artist. He spoke very frankly about the manner in which psychedelic substances influence popular music, stating: "The so-called 'acid-rock' groups aren't the only ones who take drugs. Most of the top rock-'n' -roll groups use marijuana regularly and have tried LSD at least once. Pot and acid have such a strong effect on you that they can't help but affect what you write and how you play. Just listen to the lyrics of the pop songs and you'll catch on to what's happening." He selected a record and played it for me.

Turn off your mind, relax and float down stream It is not dying, it is not dying. Lay down all thought, surrender to the void. It is shining, it is shining- That you may see the meaning of within. It is being, it is being. That love is all, and love is everyone- It is knowing, it is knowing That ignorance and hate may mourn the dead. It is believing, it is believing. But listen to the color of your dream, It is not living, it is not living. All play the game, existence to the end, Of the beginning, of the beginning. * I remarked that the song sounded like an LSD session set to music and expressed surprise that I had not heard the song on radio or television. "Program directors," I was told,"try to keep this type of song off the air or they get static from parents and from pressure groups. Look at the stir caused by , Eight Miles High,,, Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds, ,

* "Tomorrow Never Knows" by John Lennon and Paul McCartney.Copy- right © 1966 by Northern Songs, Ltd., 71-75 New Oxford St.,London \V.C. 1, England. Used by permission. All rights reserved. 110. I S A A CAB RAM s. Birth Cycles. Oil on canvas. 50 x 50". 1966. ! •••••• - -

'Mr. Tambourine Man,' and' Sunshine Superman.' All those songs 180 • The psychedelic have lyrics that refer to pot and acid trips. And the kids buy them by the artist million." I asked if the psychedelics were considered beneficial by most young pop artists. I was told: "When you're high, you get lots of wild ideas for lyrics. After you come down, some of them still sound pretty good and you put them on paper. That's the most important way you can use a high. When it comes to performing, people do different things. Most of us believe we do better if we go on the stage straight, not stoned. But there are exceptions." I inquired about the legal problems that arise in the use of psychedelics. "Well, there's always the problem of the police. Last month, one of the best-known rock-'n'-roll groups left a party just before the fuzz arrived. Over in England, Mick Jagger and Donovan have been busted and they say the worst is yet to come."

UPure bunk"

The police have conventional medical opinion as well as the law on their side. Dr. Roy Grinker, editor of the Archives of General Psychiatry, wrote in 1963 that "LSD experiences are subtly creating a psychopathology." Dr. James Goddard, Commissioner of the U. S. Food and Drug Admin- istration, in 1966 reacted to reports that psychedelics may produce valid spiritual, religious, and creative experiences by branding the claims "pure bunk." Dr. Donald Lauria, Chairman of the New York State Council on Drug Addiction, in 1966 called for a "substantial increase" in the pen- alties for the illicit handling of LSD, a drug which he said "must be listed as one of the most dangerous in the pharmacopeia of man." Lauria further described LSD as "a potent hallucinogen" which may be "even more dangerous than heroin." I am sympathetic to the alarm of responsible officials because I have observed many psychedelic sessions and have seen the variety of effects produced by these powerful chemicals. I have known hundreds of individuals who, for better or for worse, have used psychedelic substances on one or more occasions and I am fully aware of the potential dangers of these drugs. I have seen individuals develop panic reactions, enter a tem- porary or long-lasting psychosis, or deteriorate slowly under the influence of LSD and its relatives. It is apparent to me that, without proper screening and guidance, LSD can be a psychotomimetic agent for some people-especially for those who cling tightly to their culturally imposed understanding of themselves and their world. Furthermore, these drugs can be hallucino- ;::w

genic agents and produce "bad trips" for those who have vested interests in the socially defined percepts and concepts of reality. In addition, the drugs can lead to psychosis or suicide for those persons who are suffi- ciently unstable emotionally before embarking on their trips and are unable to cope with the dramatic material that may manifest itself during a psychedelic session. Even granting the very real dangers of psychedelic drug use, however, the reaction of medical and governmental authorities to the problem has shown more signs of hysteria than of intelligence. Although it is obvious that these drugs have tremendous potential value, and although it has been demonstrated that careful screening procedures and well- trained guides can virtually eliminate the risks, in 1966 the U. S. Food and Drug Administration drastically reduced the number of government- approved research projects, claiming that severe measures were needed to eliminate illicit drug use. As a result, there is at this writing no clinic in the United States where an artist can go and have a legal psychedelic experience under the proper conditions, or where the effects of such an experience can be studied by competent investigators. Such a clinic did exist at one time. The Psychedelic Research Insti- tute of San Francisco State College published a provocative article in a 1966 issue of Psychological Reports. The article told how LSD and mescaline had been administered to a carefully screened group of artists who brought projects with them to the session. Not one of the artists reported a bad trip. Half of the artists claimed that they had accomplished a great deal more during the session than they would have during a similar period of time at their studios. One fourth of the group said they completed about the same amount of work during the session as they would have at their studios. The remainder of the artists accomplished less; they abandoned their projects because they were diverted by the en- riched sensory impressions and vivid visual imagery provided by the drugs. Psychological tests indicated an increase in certain areas of creative func- tioning during the experiment. The results of this study were hailed by many psychologists and psychiatrists as ushering in a new era of imaginative experimentation with the psychedelics. However, shortly after the research study was concluded, the Food and Drug Administration withdrew the institute's LSD and mescaline permits. As a result, the Psychedelic Research Institute had to close its doors. In my experience with the users of psychedelics, I rarely have found artists among the casualties of drug use. This may be related to the fact that an artist must stand somewhat apart from his culture in order to create. To create or invent something new, one cannot be completely conditioned or imprinted. Perhaps it is this type of individual-the per- 1- -

son who will not be alarmed at what he perceives or conceptualizes 182 • The psychedelic artist during a psychedelic session-who can most benefit from these experiences. It must be left to professional critics to evaluate the work of the 91 artists I studied. However, my work with them impressed upon me the need for more, not fewer, research studies with LSD, DMT, mescaline, marijuana, psilocybin, and the other chemicals, brews, and herbs that can make manifest one's mental processes and magnify one's inner life. This survey was the first of its type to be reported-but the findings suggest a need for more intensive studies of the relationship between creativity and psychedelic experience. It may well be that in the future the most rewarding uses of these chemicals will be among the artists of a culture, among those people who commit themselves to a life of discovery and innovation. The exploration of one's mental processes with drugs, seeds, and plants may have to be circumscribed and limited, but the current movement in psychedelic art demonstrates that this exploration cannot be prohibited entirely without suppressing a vital and growing creative force.