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Metzner, Ralph

 Person

Biography

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 18 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: Series MSP 1, Series 3, 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

Harvard Research Group materials, 1962 - 1976

 File — Multiple Containers
Identifier: MSP 67, File 7
Scope and Contents This file includes two folders that consist of materials related to Timothy Leary's Research Group at Harvard University in addition to the International Federation for Internal Freedom (IFIF) and the League for Spiritual Discovery. Materials include the text of a lecture by Timothy Leary; articles, reprints, photocopies about or authored by Timothy Leary and other colleagues; Research Program on Consciousness- Altering Substances, Newsletter No. 1, February 1962; International Federation...
Dates: 1962 - 1976

Abram Hoffer correspondence

 Collection — Box 1
Identifier: MSP 88
Scope and Contents

The Abram Hoffer correspondence contains a typed letter from Abram Hoffer to Ralph Metzner concerning the use of Hoffer's Berkeley LSD paper by Metzner.  It also includes Hoffer's opinion of the Liangs and Berkes' ideas on schizophrenia.

Dates: January 9, 1967

Albert Hofmann correspondence and other materials

 Collection — Box 1
Identifier: MSP 89
Scope and Contents

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

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: Series MSP 1, Series 3, 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: Series MSP 1, Series 3, 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
Scope and Contents The Ralph Metzner collection of articles documents the progression of psychoactive substance research, legality issues, and the religious or spiritual aspects of its use. These articles were not solely written by Ralph Metzner, but they instead represent the type of work that influenced Metzner during his career. These article files do not contain the personal papers of Ralph Metzner. Instead, they provide insight into the diverse sources that Metzner sampled while conducting his research....
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: Series MSP 1, Series 3, Folder: 4
Identifier: MSP 1, Series 3, Sub-Series 2, File 13, Item 44

Metzner, Ralph. "On the Evolutionary Significance of Psychedelics." Main Currents in Modern Thought. Vol 25, No 1, September - October, 1968

 Item — Box 5: Series MSP 70, Series 3, 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 in Modern Thought. Vol. 25, No. 1, September - October 1968

 Item — Box 8: Series MSP 1, Series 3, 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 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. "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: Series MSP 1, Series 3, 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

Additional filters:

Type
Archival Object 14
Collection 4
 
Subject
LSD (Drug) 3
Correspondence 2
Articles 1
Ayahuasca ceremony 1
Ayahuasca--Therapeutic use 1