Picture above : © Tim Leary's web site

A letter from Tim Leary

From Paris to California. January 94

"Sir,

I'm preparing an article (...) about the renewal ofmedical psychedelic studies in the US. Rick Doblin at MAPS gave me yourfax number.

I wonder if you could answer few questions that couldhelp me in my inquiry.

  • Since the Harvard Medical School, whathas happened to you, Mr Leary? Do you still have any official medical positionnowadays?
  • What is your reaction when other psychedelic research veterans are tellingthat you are responsible for the "death of research" into hallucinogens?

    " Quelle est votre réaction lorsque d'autres vétérans des recherches psychédéliques disent que vous êtes responsables de la "mort des études" sur les psychotropes? "

  • And now, when you hear that the FDA'sPilot Drug Evaluation Program accept to revive LSD studies in Baltimore(Drs Dryer and Yensen), do you consider it's a kind of rehabilitation?
  • Globaly, what do you think of the current FDA policy towards psychedelicresearch? "

     

    From California to Paris. Feb 12 1994

    " MonCher Thorel

    It pains me to send you this reply to your friendlyfax concerning my opinions about government "authorization" ofresearch on brain-change drugs.

    My attitude is simple and one which most informed,libertarians would endorse.

    My friends & colleagues (indeed, most Americans)consider the American government a collection of corrupt bureaucrats --no different from those struggling to hold power in the ex-soviet states,Italy, South America, etc.

    Please re read your letter to me and add the adjective"soviet" in front of your terms:

    Harvard Soviet Medical School Soviet-medical psychedelicstudies (...)

    The phrase "death of research" means thesuspension of federal funding for "medical" reserch. I am delightedwhen respectable researchers accuse of me of causing the "death"of federal research. The CIA was spending millions studying the militaryand brain control possibilities of "chaos inducing" drugs likeLSD.

    " Je suis surpris que des chercheurs respectables m'accusent d'avoir causé la "mort" des études fédérales. La CIa a dépensé des millions pour étudier les enjeux militaires du contrôle du cerveau par des drogues chaotiques comme le LSD. "

    The notion or government sponsored agents administeringbrain-change drugs to "patients" is the ultimate Orwellian horror.The government has no business authorizing or "de-criminalizing"activities performed by adults in private settings.

    " L''idée de confier à des agents soutenus par l'Etat le soin d'administrer des drogues qui modifient l'esprit constitue l'ultime horreur Orwellienne. Le gouvernement n'a pas à autoriser ou à "décriminaliser" ce que des personnes adultes décident de faire dans le cercle privé. "

    Happily, there is a new generation of young Europeansand Americans and Japanese!! who understand that governmenal control ofhuman bodies, brains, computer messages, private behaviors is the basicthreat to human freedom & dignity.

    " Heureusement qu'il y a une nouvelle gérénation d'Américains, d'Européens et de Japonais!! qui comprennent enfin que le contrôle par le gouvernement des êtres humains, de leur cerveau, de leur messages électroniques et de leurs comportements privés reste le plus simple danger à la liberté et à la dignité humaine. "

    lt would reward me for my time spending wrtiting thismemo if you could get it published in small irreverent French magazine.

  • Renouveau psychédélique: le point sur les recherches médicales, mai 1994.
  • Ergomania : une petite histoire croiséedu LSD, entre Albert Hoffman et Tim Leary.

    lambda/ arQuemuse
    1993-1995
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