Psychoactive Substances. Betsy Gordon Psychoactive Substances Research Collection

This collection contains three letters.  Two letters concern Huxley’s novel Island, and are addressed to L. Rust Hills, who was the fiction editor at Esquire magazine from 1956 until 1963. One letter concerns the clinical availability of LSD and references the pharmaceutical companies that were manufacturing LSD, mescaline, and psilocybin in 1961.

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.

The Leo Zeff papers (1985-1988; 0.2 cubic feet) contain photographs, reports, and correspondence focusing primarily on ibogaine, as well as a manuscript of reflections shared with Alcoholics Anonymous members in 1977.

The John W. Allen digital images and writings (2001-2002; 0.2 cubic feet) documents Allen's research on entheogenic fungi.

The Marlene Dobkin de Rios papers contains correspondence, biographical clippings, papers, conference materials, and article reprint request cards and documents de Rios' professional involvement with anthropological research on hallucinogens.

The Thomas B. Roberts papers documents his research in psychoactive substances through articles, clippings, correspondence, conference materials, and a course syllabus.

The Sanford Unger papers (1961-1974; 0.2 cubic feet) contains writings exploring the therapeutic potential of psychedelic substances. The collection also contains the correspondence between Aldous and Laura Huxley and Sanford Unger, and an excerpt from the 1966 CBS Reports feature, “LSD The Spring Grove Experiment.”

The George Greer papers documents his research on MDMA. The collection contains a questionnaire, article, notes, graphs, and several case reports on his research subjects. The case studies are transcriptions from handwritten notes on the 29 subjects who are mentioned in Greer’s published papers. According to Greer, there are approximately 50 handwritten reports on other subjects still in his possession, which may be donated in the future.

The Jan Irvin manuscript contains the article "Wasson and Allegro on the Tree of Knowledge as Amanita" by Michael Hoffman and Jan Irvin.

The Milan Hausner collection contains a photocopy of his self-published booklet on LSD therapy in Czechoslovakia entitled "Psyche In Statu Nascendi, LSD Behind the Iron Curtain, Czechoslovakia, 1954-1974".

The Darrell Lemaire papers contains two documents pertaining to the creation of novel psychedelic substances.

The Jean Millay papers (1964-2001; 0.2 cubic feet) contains a DVD of the 2001 film The Psychedelic Experience by Millay and Allen Willis and an article by Millay. The collection also documents Millay's friendship with Timothy Leary and contains photocopies of pictures, correspondence, and an article on Leary.

The William Richards Collection on Walter Pahnke (1952-1972; 0.2 cubic feet) contains materials collected and donated by William Richards that document the life and work of his close colleague, Walter Pahnke. It includes some of Pahnke's important academic writings, copies of personal manuscripts, some biographical information, writings by his wife (Eva Sontum Pahnke), and materials memorializing his untimely passing.

This collection contains photocopies and reprints of published scholarly articles by those involved in psychoactive substances research.

The William Richards collection of Helen Bonny materials (1976-2010; 0.25 cubic feet) continas a photocopy of Bonny's PhD thesis, a photograph (1998), and a photocopy of her obituary.

The Howard Lotsof correspondence and other materials contains an article and bibliography on ibogaine, clippings, correspondence with David Solomon, and other correspondence.

The Hollywood Hospital program and lecture notes contains an original typescript of talks delivered by Al Hubbard, U. P. Byrne, D. C. MacDonald, J. Ross MacLean and R. L. Skwarok  for a panel discussion on LSD-25.

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.

The collection consists of one folder which contains the title pages from some of Varro Tyler's published articles and theses. There is also a list of published works.

The collection originally contained eight tapes, but one is missing. The recordings have been digitized to MP3 format for preservation and access purposes. Contact an archivist for more information.

This manuscript, written by John Hannon, is an unpublished, forty page account of the author's experiences while experimenting with nitrous oxide.  Hannon compares his experiences while using nitrous oxide to those while under the influence of cannabis, LSD, ketamine, and psilocybin.  He also provides some historical context for the use of hallucinogenics and experiences while under their influence.

The Rick Strassman papers (1989-1991; 1 folder) contains correspondence, a DMT Rating Scale questionnaire, and an article reprint.

The David Solomon papers contains Solomon's typescript for "Psychedelic Satire," a letter to Timothy Leary, other correspondence, a photocopy of Don Allen's talk on LSD, a poem, notes and correspondence pertaining to "Flight to Reality," Duncan Blewett's proposal for an "Institute for Studies in Normal Psychology, survey of a psychedelic questionnaire, description of a mescaline trip, materials pertaining to Solomon's friend, Robert Burdette.