TIMOTHY LEARY
Before there was psychedelic-assisted therapy there was Timothy Leary.
In 1965, Don Snyder formed a close association with Timothy Leary, producing multimedia shows for Leary that reflected his psychedelic philosophy and ideas. From 1965 to 1967, Snyder filmed and prepared multimedia audiovisuals at the Hitchcock Estate in Millbrook. Snyder and Leary called these audiovisuals “The Psychedelic Moment” and used them for Leary’s drug free weekend seminars and Fillmore East shows.
PSYCHEDELIC RETREATS IN MILLBROOK
Heirs to the Mellon family fortune, siblings Peggy, Tommy, and Billy Hitchcock provided a 64-room mansion in Millbrook, New York, where Leary conducted research and hosted psychedelic retreats. intimate portraits of Leary and his family at the estate were included in Aquarian Odyssey.
TURN ON, TUNE IN, DROP OUT
Snyder’s iconic photograph depicting Leary as Christ “sitting” on the water with his arms raised in a crucifixion position was shot at the Millbrook estate waterfall, and a cropped version appeared on the front page of The Village Voice in 1974. Leary's belief in the transformative power of hallucinogenic drugs had a profound impact on American culture.
