Never before published photos from Psychedelic Conference II in Santa Barbara, 1983

One of the few major psychedelics conferences during the dark age of the Just Say No Reagan regime was the Psychedelics and Spirituality Conference (aka Psychedelic Conference II), held on the campus of UC-Santa Barbara on May 13-14, 1983.

The speakers were a whos who of drug discoverers and researchers: Albert Hofmann, Humphry Osmond, Ralph Metzner, Alexander Shulgin, Walter Houston Clark, Terence McKenna, Andrew Weil, Carl Ruck and Jonathan Ott.

Timothy Leary, Joan Halifax and Kathleen Harrison (McKenna) were in attendance but did not give formal talks.

Other notables visible in photos: Peter Stafford, Rick Doblin, Deborah Harlow, Robert Forte, John Palmer, Jeremy Tarcher and Shari Lewis.

It was at this conference that Sasha Shulgin announced his discovery of 2C-B and delivered one of his greatest talks, Drugs of Perception. It was also here that Terence McKenna(in his brother Dennis words) marked his emergence as a public persona with his talk Hallucinogens: Monkeys Discover Hyperspace, aka Return to the Logos.

Cynthia Palmer (Horowitz), whose ground-breaking anthologyof womens drug writings (Shaman Woman, Mainline Lady, reprinted as Sisters of the Extreme ) had been published the preceding year, attended the conference with her husband and co-editor, Michael Horowitz. Her candid photos of the speakers and conference-goers during a break from their presentations are published here for the first time.A complete set of the talks delivered at the conference is available on 6 audiocassettes from Soundphotosynthesis.[caption id="attachment_436274" align="alignnone" width="800"] Albert Hofmann in the Cafe.[/caption][caption id="attachment_436273" align="alignnone" width="800"] Rick Doblin, center, Deborah Harlow to his left.[/caption][caption id="attachment_436272" align="alignnone" width="800"] Ann and Sasha Shulgin surrounded by speakers and attendees.[/caption][caption id="attachment_436271" align="alignnone" width="800"] Andy Weil, Michael Horowitz, Sasha Shulgin[/caption][caption id="attachment_436270" align="alignnone" width="800"] Living room scene From L: Andy Weil, Terence McKenna, Kat Harrison McKenna, Walter Houston Clark, Shari Lewis (Jeremy Tarcher's wife), 2 unidentified, Jonathan Ott, Ann Shulgin, Sasha Shulgin[/caption][caption id="attachment_436269" align="alignnone" width="800"] Terrence McKenna, Humphrey Osmond (background). Walter Houston Clark in the foreground.[/caption][caption id="attachment_436268" align="alignnone" width="800"] Sasha Shulgin, living room group[/caption][caption id="attachment_436267" align="alignnone" width="800"] Michael Horowitz (left), Sasha Shulgin (middle), Andy Weil (right).[/caption][caption id="attachment_436266" align="alignnone" width="800"] Andy Weil[/caption][caption id="attachment_436265" align="alignnone" width="800"] Ralph Metzner, Stephanie Bernstein[/caption][caption id="attachment_436264" align="alignnone" width="800"] Carl Ruck, Albert Hofmann, Joan Halifax[/caption][caption id="attachment_436263" align="alignnone" width="764"] Jeremy Tarcher, Cynthia Palmer[/caption][caption id="attachment_436262" align="alignnone" width="800"] From left to right: Andy Weil, Michael Horowitz, Sasha Shulgin[/caption][caption id="attachment_436261" align="alignnone" width="800"] Terence McKenna, Jeremy Tarcher (background), Walter Houston Clark (foreground)[/caption][caption id="attachment_436260" align="alignnone" width="800"] Luminaries on the lawn: Terence McKenna, Kat Harrison (McKenna), Albert Hofmann[/caption][caption id="attachment_436259" align="alignnone" width="800"] Albert Hofmann inscribing books, with John Palmer[/caption][caption id="attachment_436258" align="alignnone" width="800"] Patio scene with Carl Ruck and Joan Halifax in foreground. Albert Hofmann in the background.[/caption][caption id="attachment_436257" align="alignnone" width="800"] Walter Houston Clark (left) Sasha Shulgin (right)[/caption][caption id="attachment_436256" align="alignnone" width="800"] Albert Hofmann with attendees[/caption][caption id="attachment_436255" align="alignnone" width="800"] Living room scene. From Left: Cynthia Palmer, Albert Hofmann, Joan Halifax[/caption][caption id="attachment_436254" align="alignnone" width="800"] Humphry Osmond (left)[/caption][caption id="attachment_436253" align="alignnone" width="800"] Admission Ticket for Santa Barbara Psychedelic Conference II[/caption]