Introduction to the Harvard Psilocybin Project Course
created and taught by Ed Reither
Ed Reither
Step into the transformative era of the early 1960s with “The Harvard Psilocybin Project, 1960 to 1963,” an immersive course designed to unravel one of the most groundbreaking and controversial studies in modern academic history. Led by Ed Reither of Beezone Library’s Learning Division, this course invites you to explore the cultural and scientific revolution sparked by pioneering researchers Timothy Leary, Frank Barron, and Richard Alpert (later known as Ram Dass) at Harvard University. In just three years, the Harvard Psilocybin Project would not only challenge the boundaries of psychology and spirituality but would also become emblematic of the larger cultural revolution that defined the 1960s.
The Harvard Psilocybin Project marked an unprecedented chapter in the university’s history as it explored the therapeutic and consciousness-expanding potential of psilocybin, a naturally occurring psychedelic compound derived from mushrooms. With close to 400 documented sessions, Leary and Alpert brought the hidden realms of human consciousness to the academic forefront, sparking curiosity and controversy alike. Artists, intellectuals, students, and professors engaged in these sessions, offering Harvard a unique opportunity to wrestle with what Leary and Alpert described as “the educational potentialities of consciousness-expanding drugs.”
As Alpert and Leary wrote in the Harvard Crimson in 1962, “It is fitting and natural that the Harvard intellectual community be the first to grapple with this new philosophic and practical issue and that the University of William James be given the first chance to accept or reject the educational potentialities of consciousness-expanding drugs.” However, this bold academic exploration soon drew intense scrutiny and alarm from within the institution, leading to the dismissal of both Leary and Alpert amid widespread media attention and controversy.
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Course
Location – San Franscico Theological Seminary
Date TBA
