This is the first half of a documentary on the hallucinogenic drug LSD, from its discovery at Sandoz Laboratories in 1943, through the halls of academe, to Golden Gate Park and beyond, told with the help of Michael Horowitz, director of the Fitz Hugh Ludlow Memorial Library. Albert Hofmann, Timothy Leary, Baba Ram Dass (Richard Alpert), Ken Kesey, John Lilly, Frederick Meyers, Huston Smith, and others describe the LSD experience and speculate on its use as a therapeutic tool, a religious sacrament, and a revolutionary or counter-revolutionary agent. Produced by Adi Gevins; engineering by Stan Johnston, Lois Hanson, Andres Alegria; historical narrative written by Michael Horowitz and Adi Gevins using the resources of the Fitz Hugh Ludlow Memorial Library in San Francisco; Hoffman-Horowitz interview courtesy of the Fitz Hugh Ludlow Memorial Library.
This program won the 1975 Ohio State Award for Radio Excellence.