Timothy Leary Essay -- essays research papers fc

Timothy Leary & deoxyadenosine monophosphatequotTurn on, tune in, drop out.& angstrom unitquot That saying has turned into the shibboleth of Timothy Learys mind-expanding movement. Although a graduate of twain West-Point and Berkley, and a Harvard professor, these were not his greatest lifetime achievements. Throughout his publicized life, he became the vocalism of the psychedelic age. His devotion to the belief that lysergic acid diethylamide and marijuana were gateways to authorisement resulted in a new church, numerous prison sentences, and a following of both celebrities and the general public. When people think of Timothy Leary their immediate response is &quotTurn on, tune in, drop out,&quot his trademark line, although the importee of it has much been misinterpreted. Playboy Magazine had thought that his message was advocating, &quotgetting mellow and dropping out of school,&quot (Marwick 311). When asked by the magazine to explain the meaning of the phrase he responded, &quot Turn on subject matter to reach the ancient energies and wisdoms that are built into your nervous system. They provide unspeakable enjoyment and revelation. Tune in means to harness and communicate these new perspectives in a harmonious dance with the external world. Drop out means to detach yourself from the tribal game.&quot (Marwick 312). This was not the basic time his methods were questioned. Leary was first publicly noticed, and criticized by then fellow Harvard professors, for his interest in LSD when he and friend, Robert Alpert, wrote an article for the Bulletin of Atomic Scientist. In the article they set forth a circumstance that in the event of war, the Russians might try to arm the American water supply with LSD. Then, when everybody in America is stoned, the Russians would seize power. They explained that in order to prevent the scenario from happening, everyone should take a dose of LSD so they can get used to the effects (Sterns 278). Although the article shocked the Harvard staff, it didnt cause him to get fired. Leary was dismissed from Harvard in 1962, only four long time afterwards he began teaching there. Leary had experimented with psilocybin, a mind-altering chemical, on his protest and the university repeatedly asked him to stop, he refused (Brash 139). Although it angered university 2. authorities, they couldnt do anything more intimately the subject since it was a legal substance. While conducti... ...eary was dying of cancer and believed that shoe entertainrs last should be a happy occasion rather than a tragicomic one. His last words were &quotWhy not?&quot and after his death his long time friend, John Barlow, wrote, &quotTimothy Leary died brazen-faced and having, as usual, a great time. He made good on his promise to give death a better name or die trying. " (Marwick 345). Timothy Leary has influenced many people throughout his life by his contri furtherion to society. Whether h e advocated the use of drugs or not doesnt make a difference, although the are what stuck out in peoples minds. The great message that his life taught was the will of man, and the lengths a person will go to in order to get the point across to the masses. His focus was not money, he gave that up when he lost his job at Harvard, but in his belief that he was right. He truly believed that LSD could enlighten people, and his intentions were to help. Bibliography Works Cited Brash, Sarah. Turbulent Years The 60s. Alexandra Time-Life Books Inc., 1998. Marwick, Arthur. The Sixties. newfangled York Oxford University Press, 1998. Sterns, Jane And Michael. Encyclopedia of Pop Culture. New York HarperCollins, 1992.