PROGRAM: TO THE BEST OF OUR KNOWLEDGE

Sunday      6 June 2010       1000 - 1359 (ET)


PROMO   6/6/2010  "Psychedelics"
*Timothy Leary nearly killed the psychedelic revolution.  He did more
than anyone to popularize LSD and urged us all to "turn on, tune in,
drop out."  But Leary's indiscriminate use of mind-altering drugs
created a backlash, and made them taboo for serious scholars.  Now a new
generation of scientists is studying hallucinogens, and finding
remarkable effects.  In this hour of To the Best of Our Knowledge we'll
take you to the cutting edge of psychedelic research.



PROGRAM RUNDOWN:   "Psychedelics"

0:00 - 25:41        SEGMENT 1: (25:42)
            When Timothy Leary invited everyone to "turn on, tune in,
            drop out" in the Sixties, it captured the public's
            imagination, but it was also bad news for scientists who
            wanted to study the effects of psychedelics. It's taken
            decades for study of mind-altering drugs to be taken
            seriously.  Now a handful of scientists are at the
            forefront of new research.  One of them is Roland
            Griffiths is a neuroscientist at Johns Hopkins.  He's
            just turned his attention to psilocybin, a classic
            hallucinogen commonly known as magic mushrooms.  He tells
            Steve Paulson about his findings.  Then, after an excerpt
            from an interview with Aldous Huxley from 1958 about his
            use of mescaline, we take a look at other mystical
            experiences.  Stefanie Syman explores how to achieve them
            without drugs.  The author of "The Subtle Body: The Story
            of Yoga in America" tells Jim Fleming that today's
            scientific study of psychedelics could lead to new
            breakthroughs.
                         
            Segment One Outcue:  "...PRI - Public Radio
            International."

25:42 - 26:11  LOCAL OPTION with music bed (:29)

26:12 - 39:51       SEGMENT 2: (13:41)
            In 1971 Terrence McKenna, a philosopher and ethnobotanist
            set out with his brother Dennis to travel the Amazon in
            search of drug-induced visionary experiences.  That wild
            adventure led to a lifelong study of hallucinogens. 
            Though Terrence died ten years ago, Dennis, now a
            botanist and lecturer at the University of Minnesota's
            Center for Spirituality and Healing, continues the quest. 
            He tells Steve Paulson how shamanistic cultures use
            hallucinogens.
                         
            Segment Two Outcue:  "...PRI - Public Radio
            International."

39:52 - 40:21LOCAL OPTION with music bed (:29)

40:22 - 53:00       SEGMENT 3: (12:38)
            Annie Levy was diagnosed with terminal cancer.  In the
            late stages she took part in an experimental study
            designed to see if taking psilocybin could help with the
            fear and panic about dying.  In her case, taking a single
            dose was a life-changing experience in her final months. 
            The groundbreaking study was the project of Charles Grob,
            a psychiatrist at the UCLA medical school, who tells Anne
            Strainchamps about his research on psychedelics.
                         
            Segment Three Outcue: PRI Audio Logo


For a copy of this hour, call 1-800-747-7444, and ask for program number
6-6-A.


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