The Mind - Benders: LSD and the Hallucinogens (1970)
1970 · Newsreel · 24 min
Synopsis
1970. This film explores the history of hallucinogenic drugs, and specifically the effects and therapeutic uses of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD). Combining graphics that suggest a hallucinogenic experience, snippets of interviews with users (who explain their reasons for taking the drug) and doctors, and taped sessions of research with volunteers, the film delves into the destructive as well as possible positive uses of the drug.
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Details
- Running time
- 24 minutes
Reviews on the Internet Archive
★★★★★ · Great Job, FDA! · trilby1989 · 2011-12-14
I agree with the first reviewer - this is a buried Archives cult classic. What makes this one great is that it sends such a mixed message. If you listen closely, you hear the government's anti-hallucinogen message, but if you just go with the feel of the film, you get the impression the drug is fantastic. 5/5
★★★★★ · Food for thought. Consciousness was deemed a threat. · Jo Mama246 · 2026-04-11
Science & Tech Albert Hofmann, Francis Crick, Kary Mullis, Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Elon Musk, Sam Altman, Sergey Brin, Bryan Johnson, and Rick Doblin leveraged psychedelics for scientific discovery, medical advocacy, and cognitive optimization. Philosophy & Culture Aldous Huxley, Michel Foucault, Ram Dass, Alan Watts, Stanislav Grof, Ernst Jünger, Ken Kesey, Timothy Leary, Hunter S. Thompson, and Dock Ellis used them to explore ego death, dismantle societal constructs, and shift perception. Music The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, John Coltrane, Brian Wilson, The Doors (Jim Morrison, Robby Krieger)…
★★★★★ · UN believable. · nighthouse66 · 2011-02-06
If this were in the Prelinger Archives it would definitely be getting watched by all and sundry, but its hidden in the government section like a pair of crushed velvet bellbottoms in back of granny's closet. AMAZING visual representations (by the Man, no less) of what its like to flip your lid lysergic style coupled with the expected cautionary tone that probably only made students even MORE curious to dose. The docs and psychs underplay the positive aspects of LSD while the heads noodle on their sitars to freak-out music and mutter about seeing faces in everything. Careful balance is made…
★★★★★ · classic · raper5190 · 2023-02-09
perfect for projects
★★★ · Today much more is known than was shared in this old film · GreenMarineFiveO · 2022-05-27
I used to joke about the supposed flashback experience that films like this spread about. It would be a free trip for us broke college kids to have a colorful hallucination like LSD, mushrooms etc. One thing I noticed in this film was that Peyote is "Mexican" which has obvious racial implications that aren't likely meant to be positive. Strange too, is the acceptance of one hallucinogen over another based on next to nothing, or the words of some unknown person. As a detective, one of my jobs was conducting background investigations on candidates for law enforcement officer positions. During…