James Fadiman is a legendary pioneer in the field of psychedelics. Exploring the brave new world of medical, artistic and liberational uses of LSD and psilocybin, he virtually invented the use of “microdosing” small quantities of psychedelic drugs and in the process revolutionized the world of psychotherapy.
Fadiman’s historic journey began as a 1960s Harvard undergraduate studying psychology with Richard Alpert, later known as Baba Ram Dass. A contemporary of the great LSD guru Timothy Leary, Fadiman fell into a Palo Alto rabbit hole that hosted the birth of the psychedelic subculture, and before his eyes “acid” transformed America.
Along with his wife, Oscar-nominated documentary filmmaker Dorothy Fadiman, James befriended the legendary author Ken Kesey (Sometimes a Great Notion, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest), whose early LSD came straight from the CIA. Heroes of Tom Wolfe’s Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test, Kesey, Alpert, Leary, the Fadimans and their fellow Merry Pranksters remade American culture.
Fast-forward a half-century: Fadiman has pioneered the practice of using very small doses of LSD and magic mushrooms to remedy ailments and improve the quality of life—to enhance the human existence. To date, hundreds of thousands of ordinary folks have practiced microdosing, with astounding results.
Here is James Fadiman’s story…
HUSTLER: What is the purpose of microdosing?