Utopiates

by Richard Blum

Overview

LSD belongs to the class of drugs that, taken orally, can produce dramatic psychological experiences. There appears to be a wide range of response to LSD. Commonly there are reports of sensory changes, extreme variations in strong emotions, new perspectives about oneself, changed views of-and feelings toward-other people, changes from prior chronic situations, shifts in interest, and new integrative experiences which may be delusional or mystically religious.

The contributors to this volume, which was first published in 1965, accent the culture that embraces LSD. They marshal evidence that the effects of any drug tend to be in keeping with the values of the culture or subculture in which it is used, or if the user's wish is to express rebellion or dissidence, the effect will stand in opposition to prevailing values. The same substance has different effects in different cultures; and the same effects may be achieved with different substances. In the past, alcohol was hailed in much the same way as LSD. There was even a time when coffee was brought under the same kind of proscription that today holds for opiates.

Such conflicts in values and morals continue with a new generation of drugs, which makes this volume especially relevant. What could be done was an open issue at the time this book was first published. The contributors encourage citizens, scientists, physicians, mystics, ministers, lawmakers and lawmen, drug users and abstainers, to learn and to think more about the phenomena of drug use and to develop plans for social action. This volume stresses the need to develop a policy regarding the handling of classes of drugs and drug users. Although LSD has fallen in favor as a drug of choice for those interested in experimentation, the issues raised in this volume remain with us.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780202363240
Publisher:	Transaction Publishers
Publication date:	08/15/2009
Pages:	320
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

H. Lark Hall

Table of Contents

FOREWORD -Nevitt Sanford
I. BACKGROUND CONSIDERATIONS -Richard Blum
II. THE RESEARCH ENTERPRISE AND ITS PROBLEMS -Richard Blum
III. THE NATURAL HISTORY OF LSD USE -Richard Blum, Eva Blum, and Mary Lou Funkhouser
IV. LSD "REGULARS": CONTINUING USERS COMPARED WITH DISCONTINUERS -Richard Blum, Eva Blum, and Mary Lou Funkhouser
V. REJECTION AND ACCEPTANCE OF LSD: USERS AND CONTROLS COMPARED -Richard Blum, Eva Blum, and Mary Lou Funkhouser
VI. PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGICAL
CONSIDERATIONS -Keith Killam
VII. THE INSTITUTIONALIZATION OF LSD -Richard Blum, Eva Blum, and Mary Lou Funkhouser
VIII. ZIHUATANEJO: AN EXPERIMENT IN TRANSPERSONATIVE LIVING -Joseph f. Downing
IX. RATIONALE OF THE MEXICAN PSYCHEDELIC TRAINING CENTER -Timothy Leary, Richard Alpert, and Ralph Metzner
X. PSYCHEDELIC EXPERIENCE AND RELIGIOUS BELIEF -Joseph J. Downing and William Wygant, Jr.
APPENDIX TO CHAPTER X: QUESTIONNAIRE RESPONSES
XI. SOCIAL AND LEGAL RESPONSE TO PLEASURE-GIVING DRUGS -Joel Fort
XII. POLICE VIEWS ON DRUG USE -Richard Blum and Jeanne Wahl
XIII. A POLICE ADMINISTRATOR COMMENTS ON THE DRUG MOVEMENT -Edward Comber
XIV. CONCLUSIONS AND COMMENTARY -Richard Blum
INDEX