In the year 1963, Richard Alpert embarked on a transformative journey, leaving behind one chapter of his life and inaugurating a new era, as he was expelled from his position on the faculty of Harvard University alongside his co-conspirator Timothy Leary, following their controversial decision to administer hallucinogenic drugs to students.
This decision marked the beginning of Alpert's involvement in the psychedelic movement of the 1960s, a period during which he would experience numerous drug-fueled highs, leading to a profound shift in his perspective.
It was during this time that Alpert embarked on a spiritual sojourn in India, where he underwent a profound transformation, ultimately returning to the United States in 1968 as Ram Dass, a name that would become synonymous with the counterculture movement of the era.
As Ram Dass, Alpert became a prominent figure in the movement to popularize Eastern mysticism among Western minds, utilizing his unique ability to communicate complex spiritual concepts in an articulate, humorous, and self-effacing manner.
Alpert's metamorphosis was chronicled in his seminal work, "Be Here Now," published in 1971, a counterculture classic that has remained in print for almost four decades and has sold millions of copies worldwide.
