Timothy Leary American psychologist, writer Date of Birth: 22.10.1920 Country: USA

Biography of Timothy Leary

Timothy Leary, an eminent American writer, psychologist, and software developer, was born in Springfield, Massachusetts. He received his education at the University of Alabama and Berkeley. Starting from the spring of 1960, he taught at Harvard. In 1957, he created the psychodiagnostic method "Leary's Interpersonal Relations Test," which is still used in U.S. intelligence agencies. Leary gained scandalous fame for his research on the influence of psychedelics on the human psyche and nervous system. His experiments were at their peak when psychedelics, especially LSD, were declared illegal. Despite having to end the experiments, Leary refused to give up psychedelics and sacrificed his professional career and reputation as an academic scientist for the sake of research. Leary became immensely popular during the height of the hippie movement and was referred to as the "LSD guru" by the press. His own psychedelic experience had a profound impact on him. He wrote, "Suddenly, I felt that beauty and terror, the past and the future, God and the Devil were outside my consciousness, but inside me. In four hours, I learned more about the workings of the human mind than in fifteen years of professional practice." Leary actively promoted psychedelics, gave lectures, and wrote a series of captivating books dedicated to expanding the boundaries of human consciousness.

In 1970, the U.S. Supreme Court, upon the initiative of Dr. Timothy Leary, declared the marijuana tax unconstitutional. In the same year, he was arrested on charges of drug possession and consumption, leading to a 38-year prison sentence. He escaped from prison, took refuge in Switzerland, but was denied asylum there. Timothy was then forced to flee to Afghanistan. However, he was arrested again at the airport and returned to prison in 1972, only to be released legally in 1976.

In the 1980s, Leary became interested in computers and even developed several software products. He passed away from prostate cancer on May 31, 1996. The process of his dying was recorded on video at his request. The last words Leary uttered before his death were, "Why not?" (Timothy Leary: The Temptation of the Future). Leary's biographers say that he managed to fit thousands of lives into his vibrant and eventful life, appearing in multiple roles. One of his famous quotes, given in an interview with "The Realist" magazine, was "Everyone gets the Timothy Leary they deserve."

Leary shared his views with English writer Aldous Huxley (who was also a proponent of the theory of "expanding consciousness"). Correspondence between Aldous Huxley and Timothy Leary can be found in the book "The Temptation of the Future". His work influenced the formation of the views of many well-known individuals, including Robert Anton Wilson and Robert Thurman.