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Join Us This Summer to Learn About Leary’s Secret Basement Tapes 

basement tapes
Written by Alexandra Hicks

If you want to learn more about the psychedelics industry and the benefits and research surrounding hallucinogenic drugs, all while making lasting connections with like-minded individuals, there’s no better way to do that then by attending an industry-related event. With so many to choose from, it can get a bit dizzying trying to decide which one suits your needs. Your best bet is to attend a few different types of events (research conferences, investment forums, recreational or spiritual based, etc.), to get a broader understanding of the industry as a whole.

To kick off the summer, Zach Leary, son of renowned psychedelic researcher Timothy Leary, is hosting a tight knit event called the Basement Tapes, during which he will share with attendees numerous different never-before-seen videos, documents, and articles that will give the public a much better understanding of psychedelic therapy. Leary is working in partnership with the Psychedelic Institute, a non-profit organization dedicated to spreading knowledge and improving access to “medically-safe and evidence-based” psychedelic therapies.

Just sit back and watch the magic happen…

Who is Zach Leary? 

Zach Leary is a podcaster, writer, yogi and advocate for hallucinogenic substances who has played a pivotal role in the psychedelic movement over the last 35 years. After spending some time in the digital marketing sector working with many big-name companies, he experienced a sort of spiritual awakening that led him to following in his father’s footsteps to work more extensively with these healing compounds.  


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Zach attributes much of his success in this industry to his primary teacher and mentor, Ram Dass. Leary is now a health and wellness facilitator, student of bhakti yoga, an IFS enthusiast integration coach, and guided session therapist. He also currently runs The MAPS podcast and hosts psilocybin events at the Evolution Retreat Center in Negril, Jamaica.  

Zach is also working on his first book, titled “And Now, The Work Begins – Psychedelics in the 21st Century and How to Use Them”, which looks at modern approaches to utilizing psychedelic therapy. It’s scheduled to be published by SoundsTrue Publications in late 2023.  

Despite all of these accomplishments, however, he refers to himself more humbly as a “Multi verse resident and seeker of all things mystical”.  

Timothy Leary and the psychedelic revolution 

Timothy Francis Leary, Zach’s father, was one of the most prolific figures in the psychedelic industry. He was a psychologist and author known for his work and advocacy in the field of psychedelic research, particularly LSD and psilocybin. He was a Harvard lecturer until he got kicked out of the university for conducting experiments using psychedelics, in which officials claimed that he was using psychedelic drugs along with the students – but, if you’re a psychonaut, you can understand and appreciate the importance of having everyone on the same wavelength when using these substances.  

The experiment was known as the Harvard Psilocybin Project, and he led this experiment from 1960 to 1963, before getting fired in spring of 1963. It all started after Leary had an eye-opening experience with magic mushrooms in Mexico, and concluded that psilocybin and other psychedelics could be the “solution for the emotional problems of the Western man”.   

In 1961, Leary decided to refocus his research a bit and investigate the use psilocybin to rehabilitate inmates and reduce rates of recidivism. This was known as the Concord Prison Experiment, and it ran from February 1961 to January 1963. The test group was composed of young inmates from a maximum-security prison in Concord, Massachusetts.  

Although Leary’s Harvard experiments focused primarily on psilocybin therapy, he had developed a strong interest in LSD. He tried it, and began to develop theories and philosophies about how LSD can be used in psychiatry to expand the mind and help patients “discover personal truths” about themselves. After leaving Harvard, Leary really ramped up his public promotion of psychedelic drugs and his popularity grew as a counterculture icon. He was known for creating and popularizing some fun industry catchphrases such as “turn on, tune in, drop out” and “think for yourself and question authority”.  

He also wrote and spoke extensively about various transhumanist ideas and concepts such as space migration, intelligence increase, and life extension. Leary also developed what became known as the eight-circuit model of consciousness, which he outlined in his 1977 book Exo-Psychology. 

The Basement Tapes  

The Basement Tapes consist of numerous rare interviews, lectures and videos of Timothy Leary. These documents have not been seen for over 50 years, as they have been locked up in the New York Public Library archives. You will have the opportunity to learn about Leary’s life and theories, in his own words. 

Zach Leary will present the tapes, and share personal stories, provide context, moderate an open discussion and answer as many questions as he can. The event will take place on June 3rd, from 11am to 8pm in Los Angeles, California.

Have you tried the new legal Amanita magic mushrooms?

Want to Attend?

We’re certainly very excited for the Basement Tapes event. Coordinators are still working to finalize the venue, so we will update this article as soon as we have that information. As for tickets and pricing, it’s a smaller event so admission will be limited to 200 people max. Tickets cost $249 for general admission and $497 for VIP. Remember to check back here and subscribe to our newsletter for updates on this and other industry events (such as Awaken, also held by the Psychedelic Institute in Los Angeles, taking place on July 28th and 29th.

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About the author

Alexandra Hicks

Managing editor at Cannadelics and U.S based journalist, helping spread the word about the many benefits of using cannabis and psychedelics.