Metzner, Ralph
Person
Dates
- Existence: May 18, 1936
Ralph Metzner was born to Wolfgang and Jill (Laurie) Metzner in Berlin, Germany on May 18, 1936. Metzner moved to the United States in 1958 and became a naturalized citizen in 1968. He earned his baccalaureate degree at Oxford University in 1958, graduating with first class honors. Metzner then continued his studies at Harvard University, earning a doctorate in Clinical Psychology in 1962. While at Harvard, Metzner worked with Timothy Leary and Richard Alpert (who later became Ram Dass) on the Harvard Psilocybin Projects. Metzner writes of this period, “Starting in 1961 I spent six years researching psychedelic drugs as tools for consciousness expansion and personal growth. Since that time I’ve pursued many other paths to greater awareness.”
Upon leaving Harvard, Metzner began practicing psychology, first as an intern and then as a staff psychologist. He was employed by various institutions, including Concord State Prison (1961-1963), the Castalia Foundation (1963-1965), Mendocino State Hospital (1967-1968), the Kaiser Permanente Medical Group (1968-1969), and the Fairview State Hospital (1970-1972). In addition, Metzner also founded and directed the Star Mountain School, a high school for emotionally unwell adolescents, from 1972 until 1973. Throughout this period Metzner continued to collaborate with Leary and Alpert, co-authoring The Psychedelic Experience in 1964. He also edited the Psychedelic Review publication from 1965 until 1967, and a book (again working with Leary) entitled The Psychedelic Reader.
In conjunction with his career training, Metzner pursued his search for higher levels of consciousness. One mode of thought he found particularly attractive was Actualism as developed by Russell Schofield. To pursue this further, Metzner enrolled in the School of Actualism in Los Angeles in 1968. By the 1970s, Metzner had deeply immersed himself in the study of Agni Yoga, a meditative system focused on life-energies. He practiced this intensively for a decade, during which time he also returned to the School of Actualism as a staff teacher and completed two books. Maps of Consciousness was published in 1971 as one of the first efforts to comparatively chart states of consciousness. Know Your Type was published in 1978 and provided an assessment of all personal typologies, both ancient and modern.
During the late 1960s, Metzner branched out in a new direction, opening his own private practice as a psychotherapist and consultant in Palo Alto, California. By 1975, Metzner started teaching at California Institute of Integral Studies as an associate professor. In 1979 he became the academic dean, a position which he held until 1988. Currently Metzner is Professor Emeritus at the California Institute of Integral Studies and remains active with the Green Earth Foundation. The Green Earth Foundation, with Metzner as its cofounder and president, is an educational organization that seeks to improve the relationship between humanity and the Earth through research in consciousness studies, shamanism and earth mythology, and ecological studies and eco- or green-psychology.
Found in 19 Collections and/or Records:
Fort, Joel and Ralph Metzner. "LSD, Chromosomes and Sensationalism." Psychedelic Review 10., undated
Item — Box: 2, Folder: 4
Identifier: MSP 56, File 11, Item 3
Scope and Contents
Reprint. Revised edition.
Dates:
undated
Fort, Joel and Ralph Metzner. "LSD, Chromosomes, and Sensationalism," Psychedelic Review. 10 (typed manuscript), 1968
Item — Box: 4, Folder: 4
Identifier: MSP 1, Series 3, Sub-Series 2, File 6, Item 38
Scope and Contents
From the Sub-Series:
Includes published and unpublished preprints, reprints, abstracts, and drafts of articles on the use of psychotropic substances as a therapeutic agent. It also includes book chapters, letters to the editor, and conference presentations.
Dates:
1968
Harvard Psilocybin Project records
Collection — Multiple Containers
Identifier: MSP 98
Abstract
The Harvard Psilocybin Project memos, reports and meeting minutes (1 folder; circa 1961-1962) documents the therapeutic use of psilocybin on inmates at the Concord Prison with Ralph Metzner, Richard Alpert, George Litwin, James Ciarlo, Mike Kahn, Gunther Weil, and Timothy Leary.
Dates:
circa 1961-1962; Other: Majority of material found in 1961-1962; Other: Date acquired: 09/10/2012
Abram Hoffer correspondence
Collection — Box: 1
Identifier: MSP 88
Abstract
This collection contains one letter from Abram Hoffer to Ralph Metzner, in which Hoffer gives Metzner permission to use his Berkely LSD paper.
Dates:
January 9, 1967
Albert Hofmann correspondence and other materials
Collection — Box: 1
Identifier: MSP 89
Abstract
The Albert Hofmann correspondence and other materials contains correspondence with Ralph Metzner and Rolf von Eckartsberg, a photocopy of Hofmann's patent for LSD, photographs of Hofmann, a brochure for U.C. Santa Cruz Symposium (1982), and clippings on Hofmann.
Dates:
1948 - 2006
Letter from Ralph Metzner to David Solomon, March 30, 1964
Item — Box: 1, Folder: 1
Identifier: MSP 91, File 1, Item 8
Scope and Contents
From the Collection:
The Howard Lotsof correspondence and other materials contains an article and bibliography on ibogaine, clippings, correspondence with David Solomon, and other correspondence.
Dates:
March 30, 1964
Manuscripts, Reprints, Clippings, and Advertisements, 1962 - 1976
File — Box: 1, Folder: 5
Identifier: MSP 67, File 5
Scope and Contents
This file includes text of lecture, untitled, undated; articles, reprints, photocopies about or authored by Timothy Leary, circa 1973-circa 1976; Research Program on Consciousness- Altering Substances, Newsletter No. 1, February 1962; International Federation for Internal Freedom, Number 1, May 1963; International Federation for Internal Freedom, Volume 1, Number 3, November 1963; Harvard Law School Forum, "LSD Methods of Control," November 4, 1966; The Illumination of the Buddha, A Psychedelic...
Dates:
1962 - 1976
Metzner, Ralph. "A Note on the Treatment of LSD Psychosis: A Case Report," Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice. Vol. 6, No. 3 (reprint), Summer 1969
Item — Box: 8, Folder: 4
Identifier: MSP 1, Series 3, Sub-Series 2, File 13, Item 46
Scope and Contents
From the Sub-Series:
Includes published and unpublished preprints, reprints, abstracts, and drafts of articles on the use of psychotropic substances as a therapeutic agent. It also includes book chapters, letters to the editor, and conference presentations.
Dates:
Summer 1969
Metzner, Ralph. "A Note on the Treatment of LSD Psychosis," Behavioral Neuropsychiatry. Vol. 1, No. 7 (clipping), October 1969
Item — Box: 8, Folder: 4
Identifier: MSP 1, Series 3, Sub-Series 2, File 13, Item 45
Scope and Contents
From the Sub-Series:
Includes published and unpublished preprints, reprints, abstracts, and drafts of articles on the use of psychotropic substances as a therapeutic agent. It also includes book chapters, letters to the editor, and conference presentations.
Dates:
October 1969
Ralph Metzner collection
Collection — Multiple Containers
Identifier: MSP 56
Abstract
This collection contains articles and publications collected by Ralph Metzner that explore different aspects of the progression of psychoactive substance research, including scientific research, politics, and religion.
Dates:
1958 - 2008; Majority of material found within 1960 - 1990
Metzner, Ralph. "Notes on Current Research," Psychedelic Review. No. 10 (reprint), 1968
Item — Box: 8, Folder: 4
Identifier: MSP 1, Series 3, Sub-Series 2, File 13, Item 44
Scope and Contents
Two copies.
Dates:
1968
Metzner, Ralph. "On the Evolutionary Significance of Psychedelics," Main Currents in Modern Thought. Vol. 25, No. 1, September - October 1968
Item — Box: 8, Folder: 4
Identifier: MSP 1, Series 3, Sub-Series 2, File 13, Item 43
Scope and Contents
Two copies, one reprint and one photocopy. Handwritten note on front page of reprint from Metzner to Grof.
Dates:
September - October 1968
Metzner, Ralph. "On the Evolutionary Significance of Psychedelics." Main Currents in Modern Thought. Vol 25, No 1, September - October, 1968
Item — Box: 5, Folder: 4
Identifier: MSP 70, Series 3, File 4, Item 6
Scope and Contents
From the Series:
Contains dated and undated article reprints that Savage used for research, as well as his article reviews. Some of the article reprints are written by him, or they are articles he may have reviewed. The materials are arranged chronologically.
Dates:
September - October, 1968
Metzner, Ralph. "On the Evolutionary Significance of Psychedelics." Main Currents of Modern Thought 25, 1, 1968
Item — Box: 2, Folder: 7
Identifier: MSP 56, File 14, Item 6
Scope and Contents
Reprint. Editing marks and sections crossed out throughout article.
Dates:
1968
Metzner, Ralph. "On the Evolutionary Significance of Psychedelics." Main Currents of Modern Thought 25, no. 1, 1968
Item — Box: 1, Folder: 7
Identifier: MSP 56, File 7, Item 10
Scope and Contents
Photocopy.
Dates:
1968
Metzner, Ralph. "Reflections on LSD - Ten Years Later." Journal of Psychedelic Drugs 10, no. 2, April - June 1978
Item — Box: 2, Folder: 4
Identifier: MSP 56, File 11, Item 11
Scope and Contents
Reprint.
Dates:
April - June 1978
Metzner, Ralph. "Reflections on LSD - Ten Years Later," Journal of Psychedelic Drugs. Vol. 10, No. 2, . (reprint)), April - June 1978
Item — Box: 8, Folder: 4
Identifier: MSP 1, Series 3, Sub-Series 2, File 13, Item 47
Scope and Contents
Handwritten note on first page from Metzner to Grof.
Dates:
April - June 1978
Metzner, Ralph. "Subjective Effects of Anti-Cholinergic Hallucinogens." Journal of Psychedelic Drugs 9, no. 4, October - December 1977
Item — Box: 2, Folder: 7
Identifier: MSP 56, File 14, Item 7
Scope and Contents
Reprint.
Dates:
October - December 1977
William Richards papers
Collection — Box: 1
Identifier: MSP 67
Abstract
The William Richards papers is a collection of articles and article reprints by William Richards. The articles discuss the use of LSD, DPT, psilocybin, and other entheogens for treating cancer patients and alcoholism, as well as for the study of religious and spiritual experiences. There is also a CD of a Sixty Minutes interview concerning LSD with Richards and a summary of the interview written by Richards.
Dates:
1962 - 2009