logo
episode-header-image
Jul 2023
36m 11s

LSD in New York: Research, Recreation an...

History Hit
About this episode

Why should we associate LSD and its psychedelic effects with New York as much as we associate it with San Francisco? What use did the CIA think that this drug could be to them? And how did LSD impact the culture of New York City?


Don is joined by Christian Elcock, author of Psychedelic New York: A History of LSD in the City to find out about New York's time as a hub of LSD production, research and consumption.


Produced by Sophie Gee. Edited by Siobhan Dale. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.


Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Dan Snow, James Holland, Mary Beard and more.


Get 50% off your first 3 months with code AMERICANHISTORY. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up at historyhit.com/subscribe


You can take part in our listener survey here.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Up next
Sep 14
What Really Happened At Waco?
76 people died on 19th April 1993 when the compound of a religious sect, the Branch Davidians, went up in flames. It had been under siege by government agencies for 51 days, but no one knows what started the fire.Don is joined by Jeff Guinn, investigative reporter and author of ‘ ... Show More
53m 43s
Sep 10
Sherman's March: Invading the South
General William Tecumseh Sherman's famous invasion of the Confederacy in 1864 has become American legend... but what did Union troops do along their route and how consequential was it to the final defeat of the Confederates?Our guest today is Anne Sarah Rubin, professor of histor ... Show More
55m 31s
Sep 7
America's Worst President
What makes a bad President? Who was the worst of all time? In this episode from the archive, Don is joined by Professor Jeremi Suri, author of The Impossible Presidency and co-host of This Is Democracy.Edited by Tim Arstall. Produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer was Charlotte ... Show More
32m 28s
Recommended Episodes
Apr 2025
36. CIA Mind Control: Fighting Communism with LSD (Ep 2)
Who was the eccentric chemist at the heart of the CIA's most controversial experiments? What happened when Langley was turned into a testing ground for mind-altering drugs? And how did the quest for a truth serum lead to a psychedelic free-for-all? Inside the CIA, the search for ... Show More
52m 9s
Sep 2022
Selects: How LSD Works
In 1943 Swiss chemist Albert Hofman discovered he'd created what may be the most potent hallucinogen known to humankind. Then he took a bike ride. Learn about the chemistry, neurology, history and cultural impact of LSD-25 in this classic episode.See omnystudio.com/listener for p ... Show More
1h 16m
Mar 2023
If walls could talk
Foul play? A CIA coverup? Or just a bad trip? In this episode of Thick & Thin, we dig into an unresolved case from the 1950s to see how a man of science ended up dead on the streets of New York City. Thanks to our sponsors! Get 22% off @iherb with promo code THICK at https://iher ... Show More
52m 22s
Sep 2017
Timothy Leary, Part 1: The Science of LSD
<p>Idolized by some and reviled by others, Timothy Leary remains an icon of 1960s counterculture and psychedelic self-exploration. But who was this rebel, psychologist and celebrity? What did he reveal about LSD’s power and potential? Join Robert and Christian for a special two-p ... Show More
51m 41s
Oct 2024
A One Man (Abridged) History of the Big Apple
On this episode of Our American Stories, if you’re curious enough, the familiar can become fascinating. Bill Bryk briefly recounts how New York City became the city it is today, as well as his love for its past. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support ... Show More
9m 59s
May 2021
6. How Does New York City Keep Reinventing Itself?
In a word: networks. Once it embraced information as its main currency, New York was able to climb out of a deep fiscal (and psychic) pit. Will that magic trick still work after Covid? In this episode, hear Thomas Dyja, author of New York, New York, New York: Four Decades of Succ ... Show More
52m 28s
Jul 2019
Psychedelics: The Manifested Mind, Part 5
What are psychedelics? How have these substances influenced human minds and culture? What exactly do they invoke in the brain and how could a renaissance of scientific study into their properties improve our lives? In this series of Stuff to Blow Your Mind episodes, Robert and Jo ... Show More
50m 29s
May 2020
Psychedelics Playlist: The Manifested Mind, Part 5
What are psychedelics? How have these substances influenced human minds and culture? What exactly do they invoke in the brain and how could a renaissance of scientific study into their properties improve our lives? In this series of Stuff to Blow Your Mind episodes, Robert and Jo ... Show More
50m 29s
Jul 2025
66. The Great Betrayal: An American Traitor (Ep 1)
How did an alcoholic, drug-addicted hippie end up working for the CIA? How are CIA agents trained? And what is the real purpose of a lie detector test? Join David McCloskey and Gordon Corera as they discuss the life of Edward Lee Howard, the only CIA officer ever to defect to Mos ... Show More
47m 40s