There are a number of factors in the equation described above that have a profound influence on my view of the Cosmos and everything. I believe and state elsewhere that evolution only goes in one direction -- onwards and upwards -- and that consciousness gained is never lost. I take the Sixties phenomenon as exemplifying both these precepts. That, however, is the thin edge of a wedge that holds open the door to the Space Cadets’ Academy.

I believe that within the full-blown psychedelic experience can be found the essence of all spirituality, all belief and every religion. A bold statement, perhaps, but one I can validate -- at least to those who have had the experience. One of the most marked experiences when in the throes of expanded consciousness is a strong sense of personal identity. This ‘personal identity’ is witnessed by another level of consciousness. I would suggest that the perception of oneself as a ‘personal identity’ is no less than the basis of freewill. Whilst personal identity is dissociative, the witnessing facility is quite the reverse. It is only when we can view ourselves as functional entities that we can fit those entities into the bigger picture. That experience actually exemplfies the real meaning of the word ‘religion.’ According to the accepted etomology the word religion comes from the Latin re-ligure, ‘to bind back.’ It does not tell us exactly what we are supposed to be binding back into but I would suggest that it is a more integrated Cosmic view -- exactly what happens with the major hallucinogens. But not so much with organized religions. (The fact that religions do not imbue the individual with spirituality -- fervour and dogma but not spirituality -- seems to me to demonstrate that religions came after spirituality, as it were. Indeed, I have long maintained that religions are the last refuge of the spiritually bankrupt.)

I would go further and suggest that the powerful sense of self-identity as a clearly defined, separate and autonomous entity that emerges within the hallucinogenic experience could be seen as ‘the missing link’ in human evolution. At some stage in human evolution we seem to have made the quantum leap from responding to Nature to making our own decisions. That is some leap but the major hallucinogens offer a springboard that just might have made it possible.

It is clear that the use of hallucinogens goes back a lot further than recorded history. Indeed, it is not too much to postulate that it goes back all the way to those proto-type homo sapians. This extremely ancient history seems to be indicated by the fact that by the time the hallucinogens came into literature they were already totally tied to spirituality and ritual use.

Although the major hallucinogens have a gigantic effect upon individual consciousness to the extent that they can change people from ‘sinners to saints,’ it is impossible to say how they relate to brainwave coherence. My personal view is that substance-induced states of consciousness are largely but not entirely lost. If they were, people would be the same after the experience as they were before. It seems to me that those who have had their consciousness opened by hallucinogens -- even, in this arena, mild-mannered and innocuous cannabis -- vibrate at a different frequency to those who have not. For me -- but possibly only for me -- is not hard to extrapolate that experience and relate it directly to brainwave frequencies.

For those who cannot read between the lines, I should state that I consider hallucinogens to be one of the major formative factors in the establishment of the conceptualized existence that includes civilization, culture and society. What is more I regard Albert Hoffmann, the father of LSD, to be one of the latter day saints and believe that at some time in the future his pivotal role as one of the prime movers of the 20th Century will be recognized.

Before ending this short codicil, there is one more personal statement that I feel impelled to make. It is that this. Some people need drugs to bridge the gap between one reality and another. I was one such person. Without drugs I would never have made it to the place where I started to become what I am today. But if you can bridge that crucial gap without any aids, it is by far the better (if somewhat less scenic) route.

Whilst these are totally personal opinions which I am choosing to share with those who wish to read them, they seek -- somewhat in vain -- for objectivity. They should not be construed or interpreted as encouragement to use illegal substances of any kind. Okay?