Timothy Leary

Dr. Timothy Francis Leary (October 22, 1920 – May 31, 1996) was an American writer, psychologist, campaigner for psychedelic drug research and use, 60s counterculture icon and computer software designer. He is most famous as a proponent of the therapeutic and spiritual benefits of LSD. During the 1960s, he coined and popularized the catch phrase "Turn on, tune in, drop out."

Miscellaneous pursuits

Other interests

Leary has on several occasions flirted with the occult and was a member of the magical order of the Illuminates of Thanateros.

Related Topics:
Occult - Illuminates of Thanateros

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Leary also believed that advances in technology could provide insights similar to those of psychedelic drugs, and lectured in the early 1990's on virtual reality.

Related Topics:
1990 - Virtual reality

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Leary's final forecast for the future was encompassed in the acronym "SMI2LE" standing for "space migration", "intelligence increase" and "life extension."

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Influence on others

Leary once recruited John Lennon to write a theme song for his California gubernatorial campaign (which was interrupted by his first arrest), inspiring Lennon to come up with the hit "Come Together," which Lennon later reclaimed for himself. Leary was the explicit subject of the Moody Blues song "Legend of a Mind", which memorialized him with the words, "Timothy Leary's dead. No, no, no, no he's outside looking in," a refrain he once detested but later found the sense of humor to adopt as his PR theme song when he hit the university lecture circuit promoting NASA scientist Gerard O'Neill's innovative plans to build giant Eden-like orbiting mini-earth's using existing technology and raw materials from the moon. He is also mentioned in the song "The Seeker" by The Who: "I asked Timothy Leary/ But he couldn't tell me either".

Related Topics:
John Lennon - California gubernatorial - Moody Blues - NASA - Gerard O'Neill - Eden - Moon - The Who

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A number of other musical groups have admired and been influenced by Leary, including the progressive-rock band Tool, the metal band Nevermore, Marcy Playground, and Dog Fashion Disco. Nevermore mentions Leary in their lyrics, and titled one of their albums "The Politics of Ecstasy" (after Leary's book by the same name). Leary made a cameo appearance in "STUFF," a short film directed by Johnny Depp and Gibson Haynes about the Red Hot Chili Peppers guitar player John Frusciante.

Related Topics:
Tool - Nevermore - Marcy Playground - Dog Fashion Disco - Johnny Depp - Red Hot Chili Peppers

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In the movie, The Ruling Class, the character, Jack Gurney (played by Peter O'Toole), who thinks he is Jesus, claims that the voice of "Timothy O'Leary" told him he was God (see film clip here).

Related Topics:
The Ruling Class - Peter O'Toole - Jesus

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Leary is regarded as and referred to as Saint Timothy in the open source religion, Yoism.

Related Topics:
Open source religion - Yoism

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Timothy Leary's ideas also heavily influenced the work of Robert Anton Wilson. This influence went both ways and Leary took just as much from Wilson. Wilsons book 'Prometheus Rising' was an in depth, highly detailed and inclusive work documenting Leary?s eight circuit model of consciousness. Wilson and Leary conversed a great deal on philosophical, political and futurist matters and became close friends who remained in contact through Leary's time in prison and up until his death. Wilson regarded Leary as a brilliant man and often is quoted as saying (paraphrase) "Leary had a great deal of 'hilaritose', the type of cheer and good humour by which it was said you could recognise a deity".

Related Topics:
Robert Anton Wilson - Eight circuit model of consciousness

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Trivia

The term Timothy Leary tickets is an affectionate nickname given to the small squares of blotter paper to which liquid LSD has been applied. Presumably, this is because such tabs offer a "ticket" to a whole new show: a "trip" to lands hitherto unexplored.

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Leary was the godfather of Winona Ryder, Uma Thurman (daughter of his ex-wife Nena), and Joi Ito.

Related Topics:
Godfather - Winona Ryder - Uma Thurman - Joi Ito

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