Turned on to the treatment by his third wife, Betsy Drake, Grant submitted himself to weekly sessions with Dr Mortimer Hartman at the Psychiatric Institute of Beverly Hills. The effects were startling. “In one LSD dream I imagined myself as a giant penis launching off from Earth like a spaceship.”Well, hard to know what to say about that without any impropriety.
Yet, despite the silliness of that hallucination, Grant was terribly enthusiastic about the drug as a psychological elixir, at least initially:
“He claimed he was saved by LSD,” explains Mark Kidel, the film’s director. “You have to remember that Cary was a private man. He rarely gave interviews. And yet, after taking acid, he personally contacted Good Housekeeping magazine and said: ‘I want to tell the world about this. It has changed my life. Everyone’s got to take it.’ I’ve also heard that Timothy Leary read this interview, or was told about it, and that his own interest in acid was essentially sparked by Cary Grant.”The article says that his enthusiasm later dampened (after perhaps 100 sessions!), but that early reaction does sound typical of the false promise of mind altering drugs generally, doesn't it? Specifically, it reminds me of the enthusiasm for tripping on mescaline that was the basis of Huxley's The Doors of Perception. (As I have explained before, I actually read that book as a teenager - I think from the high school library, of all places - and found it quite an exciting idea, that a drug could let you see a numinous world as it really is. I was never tempted to actually seek out any hallucinogen, however, realising soon enough that the theory the book promoted was itself a hallucination.)
Anyway, it does seem that Grant was relatively happier late in life, which is pleasing to know for a person who gave so much enjoyment to the world.
3 comments:
but that early reaction does sound typical of the false promise of mind altering drugs generally, doesn't it
Not at all, you're not understanding this. Just yesterday a Phase 2 trial found the use of psilcocbyin produced better results than psychiatric drugs and with much better effect size. That's the whole point Steve, hallucinogens work quickly but no-one knows why. A great advantage of that is the patient does have to be continually taking dangerous psychiatric drugs which produce a wide range of side effects. Even single doses creates marked improvement in some people. There is promise there but because of fools like Leary that research that was happening in the 60's became illegal and since then people have assumed hallucinogens are dangerous and therapeutically useless even though back then promising results were occurring.
Cary Grant's use is typical, the drug has done the job, no need to keep taking it. Much better that than continually taking psychiatric drugs which have a much more dangerous side effect profile.
Perhaps I should have clearer... The false promise I mean is more of the "meta" or philosophical significance of hallucinogens, which u can definitely see in Huxleys book, and perhaps in Grants comment that everyone should take it.
(There is also a bit of a fad for"micro-dosing" of LSD as an all purpose elixir too, I think.)
I don't have a huge problem with well controlled medical administration for those with mental health issues, if it is shown as effective and safe.
But the fanciful idea that, for the average person a hallucination will unlock the meaning of life or be particularly meaningful in any way, that is what I have a problem with...
Perhaps I should have clearer... The false promise I mean is more of the "meta" or philosophical significance of hallucinogens, which u can definitely see in Huxleys book, and perhaps in Grants comment that everyone should take it.
That metaphysical babble babble stuff is ridiculous. I have no idea why but hallucinogens, conversion experiences and near death experiences can have profound effects on peoples' attitude towards life in general. This generates lots of blah blah but those so pontificating forget that for the greater majority of people these events induce no change in their outlook. They just move on.
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