The War on Drugs: A Look Back at Leary and the Psychedellic Movement

Hallucinogenic drugs have always been an interesting study over the course of human history. Humans have a natural affinity to wanting to change their perception from a very early age. This is why many small children can be seen spinning in circles causing their vision to become disoriented. One way or another we as a species like to find ways to change our perceptions. In more recent human years, especially in the last two hundred years or go world governments have worked to outlaw most hallucinogen drugs. This has never been more obvious than the governments campaign in the late 60's and early 70's against Timothy Leary and the LSD psychedelic movement. 

It is quite apparent that many hallucinogens have extremely harmful side effects to the user, but then again all drugs can have harmful side effects. Many over the counter drugs can kill or seriously harm a person if abused, similar to any other drug, yet this does not get them outlawed or pulled from the shelves. When looking historically at drugs in general, it is clear that societies tend to deem some types of drugs as "good" and other types as "bad", often without any real merit. is addicted to drugs that speak to our mindset of a non-stop work ethic, specifically drugs such as caffeine and painkillers. It is frowned upon when these precognitions about what drugs are "good" and which are "bad" are challenged. 

Through his research of LSD, before the drug was outlawed, Timothy Leary made many assertions the positive effects of the drug. In modern day everyone has had the harmful effects of such drugs as LSD hammered home to them, but the question is have we been getting all of the scientific points of view or just one? What if Leary's assertions about the positive effects of LSD and other hallucinogens are true? In this paper we will explore these assertions, multiple points of view, and try to draw a conclusion not just handed to us. In addition, this research coincides with looking at how Leary and the psychedelic movement impacted the 1960's and beyond.