ability of the individual in a free society.’”
I also caught the broadcast on the television, which showed a black and white reel of Albert Einstein at various stages of his scientific life, a man who never shook his German accent or his desire for seclusion. It was truly a sad day for me, and for physics. Who’d complete his Unified Field Theory?
Life went on though, as did the research. I also became involved in the British sibling of MK-ULTRA, a necessity in response to the allegations of Soviet, Chinese, and North Korean mind control techniques on US prisoners of war in Korea . Much of the research conducted focused on the use of chemical substances to alter brain function, particularly LSD. I made attempts to increase extra-sensory perception, withstand torture and coercion during interrogation, employ brain washing techniques, and even induce psychic powers. Experiments with LSD were commonplace, although later I suspected members of the public were exposed to it without their knowledge or consent. I also oversaw some experiments using sensory deprivation tanks and their effect upon the mind.
During these years, I experimented with LSD myself. I took it one day in June 1956 when it was still legal, at home, alone. I created a soft ambience and ingested a small dose of the drug, in an attempt to recreate Albert Hoffman’s now famous ‘Bicycle Day.’ After a short while of riding a bike under the influence, my limbs soon became weak and my perspective of reality too distorted to pedal along safely.
I sat down in a field near home, and became aware of the complexity of the folds in my trousers. I must have spent a while trying to fathom why they fell the way they did, appreciating their intricate beauty. Objects around me began to oscillate, particularly the spokes of the bicycle which now lay on its side. The spokes moved about, drawing together and separating in a rhythmic vibration. I contemplated the dance of the neutrons and electrons within them, vividly remembering my lectures back in the late forties. The flowers in the field shone with an inner light, shimmering as if they were breathing, and I became fascinated with each and every breath.
By now, the drug had reached its full strength, and I found myself enjoying a trip that was rather intense but full of vibrant colours, sounds, and strange visual effects. I closed my eyes to witness a scene of beautiful kaleidoscopic colours, and when my eyes opened, I saw fireworks in the sky. When I moved my hand, it left trails so I spent a good hour or two moving my limbs around and watching the visual effects, not that I had any sense of time whatsoever.
Buying a pint of milk from the shop proved to be very difficult as people’s faces were distorted, which made me laugh uncontrollably, much to the consternation of the other customers. So I cycled back home, wobbling erratically as I tried to avoid the white lines in the road that had become writhing serpents. I found myself back in the study of my cottage, resting in my favourite armchair and listening to the layers of music coming from the gramophone. In turn, a particular instrument became dominant, drowning my senses, then another instrument received my focus and went through the same process. The books on the shelves tried to speak to me, shining with their inner light and wanting to fly towards me, pregnant with knowledge. Eventually, I drifted towards sleep and a lucid dream.
All in all, it had been a positive experience, and one I repeated several times in different settings. It was truly a remarkable substance, one that could easily drive someone insane though, a view I shared with the author, Aldous Huxley.
My time at The Establishment formed some powerful memories and mixed emotions, but I could never leave. Max had been correct, it was my destiny.
However, another interest lurked in the background. I frequently used the Bakelite radio as a background to typing up reports, as it allowed me to
I also caught the broadcast on the television, which showed a black and white reel of Albert Einstein at various stages of his scientific life, a man who never shook his German accent or his desire for seclusion. It was truly a sad day for me, and for physics. Who’d complete his Unified Field Theory?
Life went on though, as did the research. I also became involved in the British sibling of MK-ULTRA, a necessity in response to the allegations of Soviet, Chinese, and North Korean mind control techniques on US prisoners of war in Korea . Much of the research conducted focused on the use of chemical substances to alter brain function, particularly LSD. I made attempts to increase extra-sensory perception, withstand torture and coercion during interrogation, employ brain washing techniques, and even induce psychic powers. Experiments with LSD were commonplace, although later I suspected members of the public were exposed to it without their knowledge or consent. I also oversaw some experiments using sensory deprivation tanks and their effect upon the mind.
During these years, I experimented with LSD myself. I took it one day in June 1956 when it was still legal, at home, alone. I created a soft ambience and ingested a small dose of the drug, in an attempt to recreate Albert Hoffman’s now famous ‘Bicycle Day.’ After a short while of riding a bike under the influence, my limbs soon became weak and my perspective of reality too distorted to pedal along safely.
I sat down in a field near home, and became aware of the complexity of the folds in my trousers. I must have spent a while trying to fathom why they fell the way they did, appreciating their intricate beauty. Objects around me began to oscillate, particularly the spokes of the bicycle which now lay on its side. The spokes moved about, drawing together and separating in a rhythmic vibration. I contemplated the dance of the neutrons and electrons within them, vividly remembering my lectures back in the late forties. The flowers in the field shone with an inner light, shimmering as if they were breathing, and I became fascinated with each and every breath.
By now, the drug had reached its full strength, and I found myself enjoying a trip that was rather intense but full of vibrant colours, sounds, and strange visual effects. I closed my eyes to witness a scene of beautiful kaleidoscopic colours, and when my eyes opened, I saw fireworks in the sky. When I moved my hand, it left trails so I spent a good hour or two moving my limbs around and watching the visual effects, not that I had any sense of time whatsoever.
Buying a pint of milk from the shop proved to be very difficult as people’s faces were distorted, which made me laugh uncontrollably, much to the consternation of the other customers. So I cycled back home, wobbling erratically as I tried to avoid the white lines in the road that had become writhing serpents. I found myself back in the study of my cottage, resting in my favourite armchair and listening to the layers of music coming from the gramophone. In turn, a particular instrument became dominant, drowning my senses, then another instrument received my focus and went through the same process. The books on the shelves tried to speak to me, shining with their inner light and wanting to fly towards me, pregnant with knowledge. Eventually, I drifted towards sleep and a lucid dream.
All in all, it had been a positive experience, and one I repeated several times in different settings. It was truly a remarkable substance, one that could easily drive someone insane though, a view I shared with the author, Aldous Huxley.
My time at The Establishment formed some powerful memories and mixed emotions, but I could never leave. Max had been correct, it was my destiny.
However, another interest lurked in the background. I frequently used the Bakelite radio as a background to typing up reports, as it allowed me to
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