1960
Harvard Session Report
Huxley and Osmond visited Dr. Timothy Leary at Harvard where the Psychedelic Research Project had gotten underway. The following report of a psilocybin session from unpublished laboratory notes exhibits the methodology of the Harvard researchers, and reveals Huxley as a semi-anonymous subject in a group experiment.
DATE: Sunday, Nov. 6, 1960.
SITUATION:
At this session the remaining members of the research group were exposed to the psilocybin experience. The session began at noon on Sunday and lasted until 8 p.m. The scene was, as in the preceding, the large and comfortable home of the principal investigator.
PARTICIPANTS:
#1, 4: from previous sessions.
#11 : Mr. Aldous Huxley.
#12: 20-year-old woman, wife of #3. She is worrying, rather immature girl who had built up extravagant expectations (and fears) about participating with older and more distinguished persons whom she respected.
#13: A brilliant graduate student in psychology, age 27, a tense, energetic person who had been in a state of anticipatory panic for two weeks before the experience.
#14: A college graduate of 25, the wife of #6 who had been peripherally involved in visionary matters since her husband had been involved in mescaline research the preceding year.
DOSAGE:
# 1 took 10 mg at the start and followed it by 10 mg additional after 40 minutes.
#4, same dosage as above.
#11, took 10 mg at beginning and no more.
#12, same dosage as #1 and #4; this was clearly an over-dose. This person (110 libs.) had an intestinal disorder the preceding day, was menstruating and was in addition not as resilient and “strong” emotionally as any preceding participant.
#13, same dosage as #1, 4 and 12, totaling 20 mg.
#14, same dosage as above.
RESULTS:
#1 experienced the classic phenomena, visual intensification, vedantic calm, philosophic unifying experiences centering around the issues raised by the group activity—i.e., centering around domesticity and duty. This participant was forced to take over executive activities during six of the eight hours and was able to function more successfully than usual in handling routine social decisions which arose; claimed lasting insights into ethical and philosophic matters.
#4 sat calmly for five hours, euphoric, closely observing and empathizing with events around her; was able to exert almost complete control in spite of 20 mg dosage.
#11 sat in contemplative calm throughout; occasionally produced relevant epigrams; reported experience as an edifying philosophic experience.
#12 silly euphoria; felt rather isolated because other participants were sitting quietly in meditation; after additional 10 mg became depressed, wept, focused on personal problems; while experience was painful she brought to the surface problems which she has subsequently been able to deal with and think through.
[remainder of report missing]