''God in a Pill? Meher Baba on L.S.D. and The High Roads'' was a 1966

pamphlet A pamphlet is an unbound book (that is, without a hard cover or binding). Pamphlets may consist of a single sheet of paper that is printed on both sides and folded in half, in thirds, or in fourths, called a ''leaflet'' or it may consist of a ...

containing messages from

Meher Baba Meher Baba (born Merwan Sheriar Irani; 25 February 1894 – 31 January 1969) was an Indian spiritual master who said he was the Avatar, or God in human form, of the age. A major spiritual figure of the 20th century, he had a following of ...

speaking out against taking drugs such as

marijuana Cannabis, also known as marijuana among other names, is a psychoactive drug from the cannabis plant. Native to Central or South Asia, the cannabis plant has been used as a drug for both recreational and entheogenic purposes and in various tra ...

and

LSD Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), also known colloquially as acid, is a potent psychedelic drug. Effects typically include intensified thoughts, emotions, and sensory perception. At sufficiently high dosages LSD manifests primarily mental, vi ...

, ultimately saying they were harmful "physically, mentally, and spiritually." The pamphlet was published in 1966 by Sufism Reoriented using quotes by Meher Baba where he disparaged the view that

hallucinogenic Hallucinogens are a large, diverse class of psychoactive drugs that can produce altered states of consciousness characterized by major alterations in thought, mood, and perception as well as other changes. Most hallucinogens can be categorize ...

and

psychedelic Psychedelics are a subclass of hallucinogenic drugs whose primary effect is to trigger non-ordinary states of consciousness (known as psychedelic experiences or "trips").Pollan, Michael (2018). ''How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of ...

drugs, especially

, but also

psilocybin Psilocybin ( , ) is a naturally occurring psychedelic prodrug compound produced by more than 200 species of fungi. The most potent are members of the genus ''Psilocybe'', such as '' P. azurescens'', '' P. semilanceata'', and '' P.&nbs ...

, and other drugs, might be used to elicit meaningful spiritual insight. Meher Baba wrote, "If God can be found through the medium of any drug, God is not worthy of being God." It was compiled from letters to several academics in the West including Allan Cohen, Robert Dreyfuss and

Richard Alpert Ram Dass (born Richard Alpert; April 6, 1931 – December 22, 2019), also known as Baba Ram Dass, was an American spiritual teacher, guru of modern yoga, psychologist, and author. His best-selling 1971 book '' Be Here Now'', which has been ...

. The pamphlet went out of print, but in 2003 the material was republished in ''A Mirage Will Never Quench Your Thirst, A Source of Wisdom About Drugs'' by Laurent Weichberger (Sheriar Foundation, 2003). The new book has material not contained in the original ''God in A Pill?'' and a section entitled ''God in A Pill? Revisited'', which reprints those quotes from ''God in A Pill?'' which were directly from Meher Baba related to drugs.

History

Meher Baba's name spread throughout the

Counterculture of the 1960s The counterculture of the 1960s was an anti-establishment cultural phenomenon that developed throughout much of the Western world in the 1960s and has been ongoing to the present day. The aggregate movement gained momentum as the civil rights mo ...

, his image appearing in the documentary film ''

Woodstock Woodstock Music and Art Fair, commonly referred to as Woodstock, was a music festival held during August 15–18, 1969, on Max Yasgur's dairy farm in Bethel, New York, United States, southwest of the town of Woodstock, New York, Woodstock. ...

'', on posters and inspiration cards of the era, and on the cover of ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...

''. In the mid-1960s Meher Baba became concerned about the rising use of illicit drugs in the West. In correspondence he told several academics, including Richard Alpert, not only to stop using drugs, but to help others to get off drugs. In a November 1970 ''Rolling Stone'' article,

Pete Townshend Peter Dennis Blandford Townshend (; born 19 May 1945) is an English musician. He is co-founder, leader, guitarist, second lead vocalist and principal songwriter of the Who, one of the most influential rock bands of the 1960s and 1970s. Townsh ...

, leader of the rock band

The Who The Who are an English rock band formed in London in 1964. Their classic lineup consisted of lead singer Roger Daltrey, guitarist and singer Pete Townshend, bass guitarist and singer John Entwistle, and drummer Keith Moon. They are considered ...

and a follower of Baba's, discussed Baba's message on drugs, writing:

Baba's statements on drugs

Meher Baba emphatically told several disciples not only to cease taking hallucinogenic drugs, but also to spread his word that drugs were harmful physically, mentally, and spiritually. In addition Baba made certain statements specifically about LSD, giving a clarification to several American professors through his secretary Adi K. Irani on July 4, 1964.''Meher Prabhu: Lord Meher, The Biography of the Avatar of the Age, Meher Baba'', Bhau Kalchuri, Manifestation, Inc. 1986. p. 6469 * Meher Baba did say that the user of LSD could never reach subtle consciousness in this incarnation despite its repeated use, unless the person surrendered to a Perfect Master. To experience real, spiritual consciousness, surrenderance to a Perfect Master is necessary. * The experiences gained through LSD are, in some cases, experiences of the shadows of the subtle plane in the gross world. These experiences have nothing at all to do with spiritual advancement. * Baba stresses that repeated use of LSD leads to insanity which may prove incurable in mental cases, even with LSD treatment. * Medical use of LSD helps to cure, in some cases, mental disorders and madness. * There is no such thing as “areas in the brain reserved for subtle consciousness,” and the question of LSD affecting them has no meaning. * When LSD is used for genuine medical purposes, in controlled doses under the supervision of specialists, there are no chances of the brain, liver or kidney being damaged. * Baba answered again that continued LSD use for non-medical purposes results in madness, and eventually death.

References

{{Meher Baba Works by Meher Baba Pamphlets 1966 documents Books about LSD