University of Virginia Library

Leery Anti—LSD

Perhaps one of the most unexpected
was, "Stay away from
LSD." Mr. Leary emphasized that
LSD was the "graduate school of
psychedelic drugs" and that
"getting high" by use of any
agent required disciplined training.
He also suggested that an
individual should smoke marijuana
for at least two years before attempting
LSD.

As the "guru" continued speaking,
a new opinion of the man
himself began to take form.
Timothy Leary, recipient of a
Ph.D. in psychology from Berkley,
was not some crazy nut who ran
around telling people to get their
kicks from taking drugs. Nor did
he want everyone to become another
Tim Leary, claiming himself
that "that would be a
bore and a drag."

Rather, the man on the platform
was a very able and convincingly
sincere speaker who had
come to speak about the "social,
political, and religious revolution
in this country." His sermon, he
claimed, had already been given
over the loudspeaker system by
Saints George, Paul, John, and
Ringo. His message was the same
handed down over the centuries
in every religion: "Turn on, tune
in, drop out." He then went on to
clarify this message.

Viewing his beliefs as a religion
of sorts, Mr. Leery looks upon
psychedelic drugs as a sacrament.
"The key to every religion is to
get high," he explains, a type of
"ecstatic union" with a supreme
being.

He finds that marijuana, for
instance, makes him "feel good...
and do good things," and claims
that he will "continue to use every
psychedelic sacrament that will
broaden my senses."

But why the need of artificial
drugs to "turn on?" Mr. Leery
contends that it is the result of a
monolithic society which has
"brainwashed" everyone into forgetting
how to "do your own
thing." By "do your own thing"
he means the finding of individual
essence and doing it, something
which the "robots" of modern
society are unable to do. "In
order to find your own essence
you have to turn on."