"In the history of the collective as in the history of the individual, everything depends on the development of consciousness."
- Carl Jung

Archival Collections


This collection documents Allen's research on entheogenic fungi.


This collection documents de Rios' anthropological research on hallucinogens through correspondence, biographical clippings, papers, conference materials, and article reprint request cards.


The Rick Doblin papers (1983-1987) document the intellectual pursuits of Rick Doblin, founder and executive director of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies. Included are three term papers from Doblin's undergraduate career. Subjects include religion, psychopharmacology, experimental mysticism, and national drug policy.


In addition to manuscript materials, the Purdue Archives also collects and preserves web pages. The Entheogen Chrestomathy is an annotated bibliography of books, dissertations, and topical issues of journals about religion and psychoactive sacraments created by Thomas B. Roberts and Paula Jo Hruby.


This collection includes a notebook of Fisher's anecdotes including recollections of his colleague Joyce Martin, patient notes pertaining to LSD psychotherapy treatments for children suffering from mental illness, articles and reports, his doctoral thesis, academic transcripts, his curriculum vitae, correspondence, and photographs.


Signed first edition of the book given to Stewart Frescas and used by him in David Nichols’ lab at Purdue University.


This collection contains writings that document the career and research interests of psychiatrist and author Stanislav Grof. It consists primarily of published research articles and clippings discussing the therapeutic effects of psychoactive substances as well as some first-hand accounts of transcendental experiences.


The George Greer papers (1980-1986; .2 cubic feet) documents Greer's research on MDMA. The collection contains a questionnaire, article, notes, graphs, and several case reports on his research subjects.


This collection documents Belle Hancoff's two LSD sessions guided by Walter Pahnke along with the help of Helen Bonny, as well as Pahnke's discussion of Belle Hancoff's battle with cancer in a letter to Lewis Hancoff. Stephen Hancoff discusses his mother's illness in a response to Alexander Zaitchik's article "Flashback! Psychedelic Research Returns," and he also mentions his relationship to William Richards and Stanislav Grof.


The Harvard Psilocybin Project memos, reports and meeting minutes (1 folder; circa 1961-1962) documents the therapeutic use of psilocybin on inmates at the Concord Prison with Ralph Metzner, Richard Alpert, George Litwin, James Ciarlo, Mike Kahn, Gunther Weil, and Timothy Leary.


This item (1992; .25 cubic feet) is a photocopy of Milan Hauser's self-published booklet on LSD therapy in Czechoslovakia entitled Psyche In Statu Nascendi, LSD Behind the Iron Curtain, Czechoslovakia, 1954-1974.


This collection contains one letter from Abram Hoffer to Ralph Metzner, in which Hoffer gives Metzner permission to use his Berkely LSD paper.


This collection contains correspondence that documents Hofmann's relationship with Ralph Metzner and Rolf von Eckartsberg, as well as clippings and photographs related to Hofmann's professional life. A patent for LSD and a conference brochure are included as well.


The collection contains carbon copies of panel talks presented by doctors at the 1957 LSD-25 program at Hollywood Hospital in Vancouver, British Columbia.


This collection contains three letters. Two letters concern Huxley's novel Island, and are addressed to L. Rust Hills, who was the fiction editor at Esquire magazine from 1956 until 1963. One letter concerns the clinical availability of LSD and references the pharmaceutical companies that were manufacturing LSD, mescaline, and psilocybin in 1961.


This collection contains correspondence between Howard Lotsof and David Soloman. It documents Lotsof's work with ibogaine as well as other psychotropic drugs. The collection also contains and article on ibogaine that was suggested to Lotsof by Ralph Metzner along with an ibogaine bibliography from CIBA Pharmaceutical Company and a clipping concerning Lotsof's research.


The Jan Irvin manuscript (2006; 0.2 cubic feet) contains the article "Wasson and Allegro on the Tree of Knowledge as Amanita" by Michael Hoffman and Jan Irvin.


The Eric Kast papers (1962-1964) document the intellectual pursuits of Eric Kast while at the Chicago Medical School. Included are manuscript drafts and correspondence concerning the efficacy of LSD for dying patients and the role of pain in treatment.


The Darrell Lemaire papers (1980-1990; 0.1 cubic feet) contains the pamphlet "Smart Pills: or Compounds that Increase the Capacity for Mental Work in Humans" and a synthetic methods index by Lemaire.


The Maryland Psychiatric Research Center LSD Professional Training Program Study files (1970 – 1974) contain records that document the study indicated in the aforementioned collection title. Each file contains some combination of psychological profile reports, personal narratives of the LSD session experience, follow-up survey results about how the sessions affected the subject’s life, and written narratives reflecting on the experience as a whole.


The Dennis J. McKenna papers (1943-2016) contain unpublished manuscripts, field reports, journals of personal reflections, photographs, correspondence, and word processing files pertaining to Dennis and Terence McKenna’s intellectual and research interests.


This collection contains articles and publications collected by Ralph Metzner that explore different aspects of the progression of psychoactive substance research, including scientific research, politics, and religion.


The Jean Millay papers (1964-2001; 0.2 cubic feet) contains a DVD of the 2001 film The Psychedelic Experience by Millay and Allen Willis and a published article by Millay. The collection also documents Millay's friendship with Timothy Leary and contains photocopies of pictures, correspondence, and an article on Leary.


The David E. Nichols papers (1920-2012; 53.05 cubic feet) document David E. Nichols’s time as a medicinal chemist and pharmacologist at Purdue University from 1974 until 2012, as well as his subsequent professional and public activities. The collection features materials pertaining to Nichols’s groundbreaking research on hallucinogens (psychedelics), serotonin receptors, dopamine agonists, MDMA neurotoxicity, and MDMA analogues. The collection also features documents pertaining to the founding and proceedings of the Heffter Research Institute, which Nichols founded in 1993. The collection includes but is not limited to correspondence, corporation records, grey literature, instructional materials, legal documents, popular and scholarly publications, and research materials.


The Psychedelic Summit VHS tape captures a gathering that occurred in 1993 in the San Francisco Bay Area which celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of Albert Hofmann's discovery of LSD. The Summit lasted three days and featured fifty distinguished speakers, whose talks touched on the therapeutic value of LSD.


This collection contains photocopies and reprints of published scholarly articles by those involved in psychoactive substances research.


The Psychoactive Substances Research Collection clipping files contain (0.8 cubic feet) clippings and print-outs of online postings of relevance to psychoactive substances, psychoactive substances research, and those involved in this field of study.


The William Richards papers (1962-2009; 0.2 cubic feet) is a collection of articles and article reprints by William Richards. The articles discuss the use of LSD, DPT, psilocybin, and other entheogens for treating cancer patients and alcoholism, as well as for the study of religious and spiritual experiences. There is also a CD of a Sixty Minutes interview concerning LSD with Richards and a summary of the interview written by Richards.


The William Richards collection of Helen Bonny materials (1976-2010; 0.25 cubic feet) continas a photocopy of Bonny's PhD thesis, a photograph (1998), and a photocopy of her obituary.


This collection contains materials that document the life and work of Walter Pahnke. It includes article reprints, a list of his publications, a photograph of Pahnke, a summary of his doctoral thesis, his curriculum vitae from 1970, an account of his first LSD experience, a poem by his wife, personal manuscripts, and his obituary.


This collection contains scholarly articles, clippings, correspondence, conference materials, and a course syllabus all pertaining to psychedelic research.


The Sandoz Pharmaceuticals annotated bibliography (1958-1961) is a list of article citations related to LSD research followed by brief descriptive paragraphs. Also included are four addendums, all of which Sandoz Pharmaceuticals published.


The collection documents Savage's research concerning the therapeutic use of psychedelic subtances, specifically at the Spring Grove State Hospital and the Maryland Psychiatric Center, as well as his work in West Africa. The collection contains correspondence, manuscripts, articles, grant applications, monthly reports, meeting minutes and some materials pertaining to his personal life.


The David Solomon papers contain Solomon's typescript for "Psychedelic Satire," a letter to Timothy Leary, other correspondence, a photocopy of Don Allen's talk on LSD, a poem, notes and correspondence pertaining to "Flight to Reality," Duncan Blewett's proposal for an "Institute for Studies in Normal Psychology, survey of a psychedelic questionnaire, description of a mescaline trip, materials pertaining to Solomon's friend, Robert Burdette.


This collection contains correspondence that documents Strassman's relationship with Peter Meyer, particularly on the subject of DMT. It includes a DMT questionnaire designed by both Strassman and Meyer for Strassman's FDA approved work.


Leaflet from Myron Stolaroff’s memorial service in 2014


This collection contains the title pages from some of Varro Tyler's published articles and theses. It also includes a list of published works.


The Sanford Unger papers contains several articles concerning the effects of psychedelic drugs on alcoholics and those suffering from neurotic disorders, as well as the implications of those drugs on religious visions and mysticism. The collection contains correspondence between Aldous and Laura Huxley and Sanford Unger, as well as a DVD entitled "LSD: The Spring Grove Experiment" which premiered on CBS Reports in 1967.


The Leo Zeff papers contains photographs, reports, and correspondence that document Zeff's research on ibogaine.