Hippie Counterculture

Yet, numerous Hippies associated themselves with drugs, such as; LSD and Marijuana, as these drugs were effortlessly assessable throughout that era. LSD effects the user and causes them to have hallucinations and effect the person’s mind space and perception of reality; triggering them to hear or see things that do not happen. “Drug experiences shaped many of their symbols and ideas.”(World Book Encyclopedia, 2004

In this essay I will be discussing the ‘hippie’ culture and style, their impact on the 60s and their continued impact in modern life. In today 's world, hippies are known because of the distinct way in which they behave, dress and their overall lifestyles. There are also some who have come to believe that hippies are synonymous with drugs or that they have radical political views on environmentalism, capitalism, religion e.t.c. The dictionary defines a hippie as "one who doesn’t conform to society’s standards and advocates a liberal attitude and lifestyle". What I am interested in is whether this definition is true. Polhemus (2007) says "who is real? Who is a replicant? Who cares? Life is a fancy-dress party, Enjoy”. I will be discussing this quote in more depth, relating it to the hippie culture as well as explaining how the hippie culture developed and what it means to be a hippie today.

The growing debate over drugs and their use is a constant issue in today’s society. Animals and Psychedelics: The Natural World and the Instinct to alter Consciousness offers a unique look into how and why some people and animals have a natural instinct to seek out things to inebriate themselves. With the unique information this book brings to light, it creates new points for policy makers to take into consideration when drug policies are being created.

Lysergic Acid Diethylamide or LSD is a hallucinogenic drug that can be taken orally, injected or even absorbed through the skin. Once LSD has entered the body, it starts to take effects on the levels of serotonin in the brain which can cause; hallucinations, mood change, and even sensory distortion. After taking LSD, the effects on the brain usually last from 6 to 9 hours depending on multiple factors; the dosage of LSD taken, the subject taking LSD, and even the user 's mood can affect the duration of LSD use. LSD is a non-lethal, non-addictive, and a non-habit forming drug that has little to no effect on the long-term health of an individual. However, LSD has been illegal since the 1960 's. Not only did availability of LSD become scarce with the criminalization of the substance, but the legislation also put a halt on the research of the chemical as well. Much of the way LSD interacts with the brain has been left unknown. This derivative from the rye fungus Ergot has been the source of controversy that has left many people wondering why LSD has been classified as a drug that is just as dangerous to use as heroin. It becomes difficult for an individual to understand how legislation could criminalize a chemical without completely understanding how it functions and affects people. LSD should be legalized for scientific, medical and recreational usage.

The counterculture and hippies are becoming extremely popular in our society today. The hippie culture focused on outward signs of nonconformity. The counterculture promoted rock music, free love, and the use of psychedelic drugs. Haight-Ashbury is the place is if you want to be a part of the culture, and go to San Francisco and be a part of love. The counterculture is about new ideas, and going against the social norms. The bright colors, feathers, leather, and hair. There are pop art and rock music. Go have fun, and be a part of the

Furthermore, she first completed questionnaires, chatted with the monitors, and settled down in a comfortable space where the session took place. After taking a capsule of the concentrated hallucinogen psilocybin, she then reclined in a comfortable chair, with eyeshades, and headphones that were playing classical music to further endure that she was to have a comfortable experience. At the end of the session, after the psilocybin effects worn off, she completed more questionnaires. Similar to all the other 35 participants, her responses indicated that during the time spent in the session room she had gone through a “profound mystical-like experience similar to those reported by spiritual seekers in many cultures and across the ages--one characterized by a sense of interconnectedness with all people and things, accompanied by the feeling of transcending time and space, and of sacredness and joy.” A year later, as a follow up research, Andy regarded it as “the most personally meaningful and spiritually significant event of her life”. She felt it had “brought on positive changes in her moods, attitudes and behaviors, as well as a noticeable increase in overall life satisfaction”. But on the

“Hippies were called Flower Children because they gave flowers to communicate gentleness and love” (Salge). The Hippie Movement was a popular counter culture during the 60’s-70’s. Hippies are best known for their practice of psychedelic drug use, interesting political views, where they took up living quarters, and their unique fashion sense.

Since the 20th century, many medical professionals and researchers have been attempting to utilize psychedelic drugs in psychological illnesses treatments. In many testing cases, these psychedelic drugs were having hallucination effects on the patients. For examples, psychedelic drugs such as LSD and methoxamine are capable of changing a person’s moods, feelings, or even behaviors in either positive or negative ways. However, after decades of restriction on psychedelic drugs in 1960s, hallucinogens have been researched constantly in order to find a proper ways to utilize them in medicine. In other words, medical experts have been testing these drugs occasionally on patients, raising questions about medical ethics as a result. For instance, various patients reported to experience drug addiction, violent or suicidal thoughts, and physical syndromes such as coma, seizures, or loss of muscular coordination. Therefore, not only the testing of psychedelic drugs causes ethical debates, but the use of these drugs in general also questions whether they should be used in medicine at all.

While psychedelics can create a profound sense of distortion from reality urging the importance of putting yourself in a the right setting with the right people, there is little evidence that links psychedelics to toxic effects on the brain or body. So much so that researchers from the EmmaSofia organization in Oslo Norway claim that psychedelics are no more dangerous than common activities including playing soccer or riding a bike (Krebs, 2015). Psychedelic substances are known for altering your perception of reality, which could be dangerous if you’re somewhere that presents physical risks, but research suggests the psychedelics themselves do no damage physically. Not only are the psychedelics safe but they also provide therapeutic

During the 70’s experimentation on psychedelic drugs like Marijuana and other hardcore stage one drugs played a key factor in the turning of what the Idea of the American Dream could be. Young adults were getting pulled into a tornado of sex, drugs and rock n roll, the influence music had on them at this point was only adding fuel to the fire. The structure of the young mind was mutating, opening doors to undiscovered desires. They wanted the money and fame that came with being the Keeper of the keys for this new world that was dangling in

In the late 2000s the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies, MAPS, received permission from the FDA to run their own MDMA-assisted therapy trials. The results were so incredible that it became the most downloaded article in 2010. Even though patients and data support the use of MDMA-assisted therapy, there is still opposition. A previous MAPS attempt at trials is seen in the article “MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy Using Low Doses in a Small Sample of Women with Chronic Posttraumatic Stress Disorder” which specifically states “political pressures led to the closing of the study before it could be finished” (Buoso 1.) It was extremely devastating because nothing went wrong, and they had very promising data. It is hard to believe that people with power felt threatened enough by the research to force the trials to end. With a growing PTSD epidemic in America, I feel that MDMA-assisted therapy is extremely promising and the side effects are nowhere near as bad as the present medication used to treat disorder.

In a decade of generational rebellion, the 60s was a time of peace, war, sex and drugs as the newest and largest generation of Americans entered college, an environment that encouraged ideas such as freedom and independence from leading authorities of the time. Through the advances in media during the Vietnam War, social conduct within the United States was challenged, sparking impetus amongst the counterculture minority that has left a lasting opposition against authority. These advancements in media and technology projected a bias representation of events during the time, aiding the growing counterculture in producing a lasting resistance towards governments and leaders.

time. What others do not realize is that “Looney Tunes” is also a street name for lysergic acid diethylamide or LSD for short (National Drug Intelligence Center 2003). Moving on, in 1943, Albert Hoffman invented lysergic acid diethylamide and used it (Coney et al 1). Hoffman was known for his interest and studies in “alternative states of consciousness” (Wilson 315). Consequently, since the invention of lysergic acid diethylamide, it has gained popularity. Within this popularity, comes different perspectives of the usage of this drug.

The emergence of alternative cultures and movements during the 1960s were remarkably distinctive in which it contributed to the overall characteristics of the 1960s America. In particular, the hippie counter-culture was developed and it was popular amongst the younger Americans because they believed in peace. They wanted to live differently and wanted to be free from the mainstream society. In the film Easy Rider, it portrayed the hippie culture and at the same time, it portrayed the rejection of the culture by the Americans in the 1960s. Hippie culture and other movements alike were the reactions to the changes in society and political atmosphere in the 1960s.The film was an excellent film work that captured the characteristics of the

It is no secret that drug use has the ability to completely alter a person’s state of consciousness, whether it be through extreme euphoria, increased hyperactivity, pain relief or psychedelic hallucinations. Although many drugs are used for medical purposes, the global issue of recreational drug use is now being fronted as an extremely serious matter that is steadily on the uprise. Recreational drug use is often associated with negativity, addiction and as having serious physical and mental repercussions. One of the few class of drugs that is often associated with both positive and negative connotations are hallucinogens, otherwise known as “psychedelics”, which have powerful altering effects on ones sense of perception, brain function