God in a pill?

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Meher Baba's words about drugs

God in a pill? was a phrase used by Meher Baba facetiously in the 1960s to disparage the growing view that hallucinogenic and mind-changing drugs, especially LSD, might be used to elicit meaingful spiritual insight. Meher Baba wrote, "If God can be found through the medium of any drug, God is not worthy of being God." (God in a Pill? Sufism Reoriented, Inc. 1966)

In 1966 a pamphlet entitled "God in a Pill?" was written by Sufism Reoriented using quotes from letters by Baba to various of his followers, and to others including academics in the West such as Dr. Richard Alpert (Baba Ram Dass), on the subject of drugs. That original material was an inspiration for a new book entitled A Mirage Will Never Quench Your Thirst: A Source of Wisdom About Drugs compiled and edited by Laurent Weichberger (Sheriar Foundation, 2003). This new book also offers many other inspiring and uplifting messages from Baba, a section "Voices of Experience" wherein those with drug experience have shared directly how they managed to overcome the seduction of drug abuse, along with a glossary and harmful-effects (of drugs). According to the "Mirage" author, only the drug related quotes from Baba, NOT all the material, which appeared in the original God in a Pill? pamphlet was reprinted in A Mirage Will Never Quench Your Thirst. Also, quotations from Meher Baba on drugs, alcohol, coffee, tea and tobacco, which were not present in the God in a Pill? pamphlet have been researched and added to this new book. Lastly, the three "apostles" appointed by Meher Baba himself to do drug work in his name during the 1960s, Rick Chapman, Allan Cohen and Robert Dreyfuss have all written original fresh forewords in this new book (see Lord Meher Volume 20, Page 6467 at www.lordmeher.org).

Meher Baba's name spread throughout the counter-culture movement of the 1960s, his image appearing in the documentary movie Woodstock and even on the cover of the Rolling Stone in 1970 along with an article by Pete Townshend which discussed Baba's message on drugs among other concerns of Townshend's. Townshend wrote,

"But Baba did emphasize to a young devotee going to see Baba in about 1966, that the biggest single gesture a man could make for youth, would be to spend his life trying to show the dangers of dope. Remember, Baba was concerned with a set of people that felt the psychedelics held the key to religious experience, to Universal consciousness. God in a pill." (Pete Townshend – Rolling Stone, No. 71 November 26, 1970)