Journal of American History
March 1, 1987
Richard H. Immerman, Martin A. Lee, Bruce Shlain
40 citations
A book review of Acid Dreams, which examines the CIA's involvement with LSD and its impact on the 1960s counterculture. The review notes that the book argues the CIA's covert experiments with the drug and its spread through society shaped the political and social upheavals of the era. The reviewer critiques the work for its sensationalism and lack of rigorous historical analysis, suggesting it overstates the CIA's direct influence on the Sixties rebellion while acknowledging its value as a provocative narrative.
Journal of American History
November 8, 2016
2 citations
Stephen Siff's Acid Hype argues that the American media, not just countercultural figures or mental health professionals, played a crucial role in spreading knowledge about LSD and promoting its recreational use. By informing a broad cross section of the country about the existence and desirability of the psychedelic experience, news reporting—whether critical, neutral, or praiseful—helped diffuse recreational LSD use. The thesis is not new, but Siff provides enough sources to add considerable weight to the claim.
Journal of American History
December 1, 2010
Christopher Vecsey
The Peyote religion became a major historical development among Native Americans in the United States. For millennia, people in northern Mexico ingested the hallucinogenic peyote cactus for medical and inspirational purposes. In the 1800s, peyote use spread to Indian Territory and, influenced by Christianity, formed into a religion with mythology, theology, ritual, ethics, and organization. Government and church agencies launched an assault on their faith. To defend religious freedom, Peyotists established the Native American Church of Oklahoma in 1918, the mother church of Peyotism. Despite prohibitions, the movement grew as pan-Indian yet rooted in tribal spirituality. Its ethical teachings, the Peyote Road, guided people in social distress, and its repute in curing alcoholism heightened its appeal. Today the Native American Church has approximately 300,000 Indian members.