The Harvard Psychedelic Club by Don Lattin Summary

The Harvard Psychedelic Club explores the lives of Timothy Leary, Ram Dass, Huston Smith, and Andrew Weil, whose involvement in Harvard’s 1960s psilocybin experiments catalyzed America’s counterculture movement. The book traces their roles in psychedelic research, spiritual exploration, and cultural rebellion, while critiquing Leary’s polarizing legacy and the unintended consequences of their work.

This book is ideal for readers interested in 1960s counterculture, psychedelic history, or the intersection of psychology and spirituality. Historians, psychologists, and those curious about the origins of modern psychedelic research will find it particularly engaging.

Yes. Awarded a 2010 California Book Award Silver Medal, Lattin’s investigative journalism offers a gripping, critical account of the Harvard Psilocybin Project, blending biography, cultural analysis, and firsthand insights into the era’s key figures.

Leary spearheaded Harvard’s psychedelic research, promoting psilocybin and LSD as tools for psychological and spiritual growth. His controversial methods, including administering drugs to students and prisoners, led to his dismissal and fueled the 1960s counterculture.

Ram Dass (formerly Richard Alpert) is depicted as Leary’s collaborator who later rejected academia, embraced Eastern spirituality, and authored Be Here Now. The book highlights his journey from closeted professor to spiritual icon.

Lattin critiques Leary’s recklessness, which hastened LSD’s criminalization, and contrasts Harvard’s experiments with the CIA’s covert drug trials on soldiers. He questions whether psychedelics truly foster lasting enlightenment.

Smith, a religion scholar, participated in Leary’s “Good Friday Experiment,” where theology students took psilocybin during a religious service. His work later integrated mystical experiences into interfaith dialogue, though the book gives him less attention than Leary.

Weil, then a Harvard freshman, criticized Leary’s methods as unscientific but later embraced holistic medicine. The book frames him as a bridge between counterculture ideals and mainstream wellness.

Yes. While Leary’s team experimented at Harvard, the CIA concurrently tested LSD on soldiers, revealing a parallel narrative of institutional drug exploitation during the Cold War.

Lattin, an award-winning journalist specializing in religion and psychedelics, combines rigorous research with narrative flair. His expertise in spiritual movements adds depth to the cultural analysis.

Some reviewers note uneven focus on Leary over other figures and a fragmented timeline. However, Lattin’s accessible style and fresh anecdotes balance these flaws.

Lattin’s work contextualizes today’s psychedelic renaissance, linking 1960s experiments to current studies on treating depression and addiction—a theme expanded in his later book Changing Our Minds.