A coincidental telephone number, KISS-BIG, and the initials IFIF (International Federation for Internal Freedom) captured the euphoric, manic, life-embracing attitude of a prominent organization exploring newly synthesized consciousness-changing substances in the 1960s. The organization caused Harvard's first firings, an expulsion from Mexico, and the Marsh Chapel miracle, where ten theological students and professors ingested psilocybin during a Good Friday service and reported the deepest religious experiences of their lives. Despite such parallels, scholars of religion largely dismiss psychedelic drugs as having little religious relevance, a position the author argues is premature. Drugs may illuminate the history, phenomenology, philosophy, and practice of religious life.
Huston Smith revisits his influential article on whether drugs have religious import. Drawing on personal experience, he discusses how psychedelic experiences have shaped religious traditions and contemplative practices, citing the ancient Vedic tradition, the Eleusinian mysteries, and the contemporary Native American Church. He reflects on why the 1960s psychedelic movement failed to produce lasting social change, critiques current drug policy and culture, and emphasizes the role of elders in society.