From: epm2@lehigh.edu (TED MORGAN)
Subject: Re: Religion and the Sixties
On Religious texts in the 60s, Hesse comes most readily to mind for me:
Siddhartha and Steppenwolf (and, am I right) Damien? Also Carlos Castendada's
works, though I believe they actually came out later.... But, then, when did
the "sixties" really end? (Or has it?)
Ted Morgan
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Department of Political Science
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Lehigh University
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epm2@lehigh.edu
phone: (610) 758-3345
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[2]
From: "Allen Cohen" <SFORACLE@HOOKED.NET>
Subject: Re: Religion and the Sixties (multiple responses)
The San Francisco Oracle, the psychedelic underground newspaper
published in the Haight Ashbury, was very much involved in the
spiritual changes in the 60's. The Oracle and most of the early
pioneers in the Haight (except probably the Digger leadership) entered
the religious quest as result of peering into states of mind and
beyond under the influence of LSD. Realizing that mind body and these
visions of immortality were interrelated we explored many religious
and occult traditions and even changed our food predilections adopting
macrobiotics and vegetarianism. Our religious interests stretched from
Tibet to Egypt and included Zen, Tarot, Hinduism, Vedanta, Meditation
as both science and art, American Indian spirituality, and
astrology. This was really a search for meaning based around the
vision of a merger of humans with nature - universe. We didn't explore
Judaism and Christianity much as many of us were in rejection of our
past book based religions. Later in the 70s people returned and
renewed their religious roots. Though I wouldn't directly attribute
the rise of Evangelical Christianity to LSD, I think there is some
gateway phenomenon or 100 monkey phenomenon that relates the
two. First the material barrier to the spiritual world is broken and
then many can pass through.
I edited a complete reprint of the SF Oracle titled The San Francisco
Oracle Facsimile Edition in rainbow color and cloth bound. I call it
the Rosetta Stone of a forgotten civilization and its inhabitants the
Hippies. It should be in every college library.
Allen Cohen