Outside Looking In

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In 1943, LSD is synthesized in Basel, leading to a transformative era two decades later at Harvard, where a group of graduate students becomes captivated by the drug under the guidance of psychologist Timothy Leary. Fitzhugh Loney, a psychology Ph.D. student, and his wife, Joanie, find themselves immersed in the drug's potential, shifting their focus from clinical research to an expansive exploration of consciousness, group dynamics, and communal living. With humor and depth, Boyle chronicles the Loneys' journey from their initiation at Leary's parties to notorious summer seminars in Zihuatanejo, culminating in their expulsion from Harvard. They join a community of thirty individuals—students, spouses, and children—living in a sixty-four-room mansion, engaging in various experiments and philosophical inquiries. The narrative poses provocative questions: Is LSD a belief system? Can it lead to divine experiences? Will the Loneys' marriage withstand the tumultuous and often hedonistic effects of psychedelics? Wry, witty, and insightful, this work showcases Boyle's masterful prose and intricate plots, offering a captivating and occasionally surreal exploration of reality, identity, and the boundless potential for creativity and self-discovery.