|
The most interesting statistic
there is that in one study, 49 percent said that it was the greatest
thing that ever happened to them and in the other study, the figure
was an amazing 78 percent. That's not just me saying that. Those people
were also saying that and in the Savage study all of them were paying
patients. It's too bad that the Janiger and Leary studies didn't ask
that question, but the indications in the coming charts of stats are
that the figures would have been just as impressive. Try and think of
anything else in this world in which half or more of any combination
of any number of people would go as far as to say that it was the greatest
thing that has ever happened to them. Things in ordinary, everyday life
and consciousness can't even approach the level of saying that it was
the greatest thing that ever happened to someone. Only something as
extra special as LSD can make such a huge percentage of people respond
in this way.
In looking at those figures closely, it may appear that something is
wrong or phoney with the Savage figures because if 85 percent are saying
that is was a very pleasant experience and 33 percent are saying that
it was a very unpleasant experience, that adds up to more than 100 percent.
How can that be? The answer is that some, not many, said that it was
both very pleasant and very unpleasant. Similarly, 78 percent said it
was the greatest thing that ever happened to them and 33 percent said
that it was a very unpleasant experience. It means that some, not many,
said that it was very unpleasant, but still the greatest thing that
ever happened to them. In the same way, some were saying that it was
very unpleasant, but still want to try it again or thought that it was
an experience of great beauty, gave them a greater sense of reality
and felt it was of lasting benefit to them, even though, according to
those few, it was a very unpleasant experience.
The next chart of figures also involve just the Ditman and Savage studies.
The people were asked. "How were you, or what were you left with,
after your LSD experience?" Again, the numbers will be the percentage
of people who responded, "quite a bit" or "very much".
|
|
Ditman
|
Savage
|
|
a new way of looking
at the world
|
48
|
85
|
|
a greater understanding
of the importance and meaning of human relationships
|
47
|
86
|
|
a new understanding
of beauty and art
|
43
|
64
|
|
Power, or an Ultimate
Reality
|
40
|
90
|
|
a sense of greater regard
for the welfare and comfort of other human beings
|
38
|
78
|
|
a realization that I
need psychotherapy
|
17
|
26
|
|
more ability to relax
and be myself
|
40
|
74
|
|
improvement noticed
by person closest to me
|
42
|
64
|
|
greater tolerance of
others
|
40
|
75
|
|
a sense of futility
and emptiness
|
7
|
8
|
|
a frightening feeling
that I might go crazy or lose control of myself
|
3
|
6
|
|
sense of relaxation
and freedom from anxiety and tension
|
56
|
(The Savage subjects
were not asked these five questions)
|
|
a better understanding
of the cause and subjects source of my troubles
|
41
|
|
a set of new decisions
and new directions for my life
|
39
|
|
a new sense of fun and
enjoyment
|
39
|
|
a sense of now knowing
what life is all about
|
27
|
The next chart of figures involves just the Ditman study and the figures
are impressive because, in general, the Ditman results were the worst
of the 4 studies. The numbers will be the percentage of people who
responded affirmatively in each of the following areas:
|
|
Ditman
|
|
more ability to relax
|
40
|
|
more comfort with people
|
37
|
|
more initiative since
LSD
|
36
|
|
less anxiety
|
34
|
|
increased interest
in:
|
|
nature
|
38
|
|
art
|
34
|
|
music
|
33
|
|
changes in "perspective":
|
|
deeper significance to things
|
46
|
|
things seem more real
|
40
|
|
problems less important
|
39
|
|
colors brighter
|
39
|
|
changes in "attitude":
|
|
more tolerant
|
40
|
|
more accepting of ideas
|
38
|
|
more broadminded
|
37
|
|
less irritable
|
33
|
|
changes in sense of
values
|
47
|
|
problems such as emotional,
financial, drinking, legal, etc., improved
|
33
|
|
improvement in income,
living quarters and body weight
|
15
|
|
increased sex satisfaction
|
14
|
|