JAMA
June 15, 1970
Walter N. Pahnke
214 citations
The history of research with psychedelic drugs has involved a variety of methods and conflicting claims. In the 1950s, researchers initially claimed that lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) could produce a model psychosis useful for understanding schizophrenia. As that promise faded, enthusiastic reports emerged about LSD as an aid to psychotherapy for alcoholism and other psychiatric disorders. These approaches were represented at the first international conference on LSD in 1959, with at least five more published proceedings on psychedelic drugs appearing since then.
Harvard Theological Review
January 1, 1969
Walter N. Pahnke
147 citations
The author reflects on a personal memory of Dean Samuel Miller, who emphasized that birth and death, two of the most profound human experiences, are becoming increasingly insulated from everyday life in the modern 20th century. Miller argued that these experiences have the potential to shape the character and quality of life but are instead falling victim to technological efficiency, contributing to dehumanization rather than counteracting it. The lecture explores these ideas in the context of human immortality.
Pharmacopsychiatry
March 1, 1971
A. A. Kurland, Charles Savage, Walter N. Pahnke et al.
110 citations
A double-blind, controlled study with 135 chronic alcoholics tested whether a high dose of LSD (450 micrograms) as an adjunct to psychotherapy, called psychedelic peak therapy, improved outcomes more than a low dose (50 micrograms). Both groups were treated in a hospital and followed for 18 months. At 6 months, the high-dose group showed a statistically significant advantage in drinking behavior and global adjustment. However, this initial gain faded, and by 12 to 18 months there were no significant differences between groups. Despite this, both groups showed considerably better overall improvement than typical alcoholics in the same setting without LSD-assisted psychotherapy. Further research is needed to sustain initial benefits.
Journal of Psychedelic Drugs
September 1, 1970
Walter N. Pahnke, Albert A. Kurland, Sanford M. Unger et al.
45 citations
A 1970 article describes the use of LSD in psychedelic therapy for cancer patients. The authors report that LSD-assisted therapy can produce profound psychological experiences that help patients confront existential distress, reduce anxiety and depression, and improve their quality of life during terminal illness. The therapy involves carefully controlled sessions with psychological support. The text suggests that such treatment may lead to lasting positive changes in patients' attitudes toward death and their remaining time. However, the article is a clinical description and case report, not a controlled trial, and the findings are based on the authors' clinical observations rather than systematic data.
Journal of Psychedelic Drugs
September 1, 1970
Walter N. Pahnke, William A. Richards
43 citations
The paper explores the implications of LSD-induced mystical experiences, arguing that such states can provide insights into the nature of consciousness and reality, challenging conventional psychological and philosophical frameworks. It suggests that these experiences often share core features with spontaneously occurring mystical states, including unity, transcendence of time and space, and a sense of sacredness, and may have therapeutic potential. The authors caution against simplistic interpretations and emphasize the need for careful integration of these experiences into personal and cultural contexts.