He had cultivated a steady interest in Vedanta Hinduism since the end of the 1930s his 1945 book “The Perennial Philosophy,” a comparative study of mystical traditions, argued for the universal compatibility of all spiritual systems. Huxley, after all, had been an aspiring mystic for much of his life. Relevantly, one might surmise that it was a difference in set and setting that was responsible for Huxley’s new and highly divergent interpretation of hallucinogenic effects. While researchers noted the incoherent ramblings of patients undergoing LSD treatment, Huxley used hallucinogenic drug experiences as the basis for an articulate philosophical exploration.
In his view, psychedelics were not simply experimental tools that could be used to artificially induce a demented mind Huxley recognized hallucinogens’ potential as tools for achieving a spiritual and philosophical experience of insurmountable value, not only for psychiatrists but also for artists, intellectuals, mystics, and anyone interested in exploring the secrets of existence.Ī distinguished author and intellectual who gained international fame following the publication of his novel “Brave New World,” Huxley’s immense enthusiasm for the intellectual and spiritual implications of hallucinogenic drugs would prove formative for the generation of psychedelic drug enthusiasts that subsequently changed the face of American society. Whereas previous research referred to the hallucinogenic phenomena as “distortions” and “disorders,” Huxley extolled the perceptual alterations of mescaline, declaring, “This is how one ought to see, how things really are.” While researchers noted the incoherent ramblings of patients undergoing LSD treatment, Huxley used hallucinogenic drug experiences as the basis for an articulate philosophical exploration, drawing inspiration from Meister Eckhart, the Buddha, Plato, Aquinas, Whitman, and Henri Bergson.
It is hard to imagine a sharper departure from the psychotomimetic paradigm than that espoused by Huxley in his book. This article is excerpted from Ido Hartogsohn’s book “ American Trip: Set, Setting, and the Psychedelic Experience in the Twentieth Century.”
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