#77 Psychedelic Conversion Therapy, Part 1: The First Wave

Neşe and Russell review the history and harms of conversion therapy practices in the broader medical landscape, as well as their persistence throughout the history of psychedelic research. In the first wave of psychedelic science, influential figures helped legitimize deeply harmful ideas about pharmaceutical assistance in shifting identity.

Timothy Leary publicly suggested psychedelics could "cure" homosexuality. Richard Alpert (later Ram Dass) engaged in psychedelic-assisted conversion efforts with individuals who wrote to him seeking change. Stanislav Grof framed homosexuality as a pathology and explored psychedelic treatments aimed at altering sexual orientation.

This history is often ignored or sanitized in contemporary discussions about psychedelics. But it is more relevant than ever as psychedelics gain support from many of the same political and cultural forces working to roll back protections against conversion therapy and of LGBTQ+ rights.

Chapters:

0:00:00 Intro

0:04:54 Harms of conversion therapy and rollback of conversion therapy ban

0:15:55 Conversion therapy in historic psychedelic research

0:17:50 Andrea Ens research, Timothy Leary claims LSD can cure homosexuality

0:24:30 Archival letters and Ram Dass performing conversion therapy

0:28:45 Stan Grof conversion therapy writings and controversy

Footnotes:

"High dose shock therapy with LSD and mescaline: the experiments of a French doctor on two homosexual adolescents in the 1960s" by Zoë Dubus (Synergetic Press):

https://hal.science/hal-03913920v1/document "A Specific Cure for Homosexuality: Postwar

Psychedelic Conversion Therapies in the United States and Canada" by Andrea Ens (University of Wisconsin-Madison):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsI0LjMuL8g

"'Wish I would be normal': LSD and Homosexuality at Hollywood Hospital, 1955-1973" by Andrea Ens (University of Saskatchewan Master's Thesis): https://harvest.usask.ca/items/0b737538-8322-4ba9-b62e-61e70869794e

"The shameful history of psychedelic gay conversion therapy" (Plastic Brain): https://plasticbrainblog.com/2019/05/29/history-psychedelic-gay-conversion-therapy/

"Consensus Statement Condemning Psychedelic Conversion Therapy and Suggestions for Addressing Ongoing Harms Against LGBTQIA+ People in Psychedelic Research and Therapy": https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfsgdmGs0OxfvZyTP0cETBE-I4P3afwVblJ7cegrCetdmCrEg/viewform

"An Open Letter Reply to Dr. Stan Grof" (Open Foundation): https://open-foundation.org/an-open-letter-reply-to-dr-stan-grof/

"Acknowledging the Past, Affirming Our Commitment to Healing For All" / Stan Grof letter (MAPS): https://maps.org/grof-letter/