Walter Norman Pahnke (Jan 18, 1931 – July 10, 1971) was a minister, physician, and

psychiatrist A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in psychiatry. Psychiatrists are physicians who evaluate patients to determine whether their symptoms are the result of a physical illness, a combination of physical and mental ailments or strictly ...

most famous for the "Good Friday Experiment", also referred to as the

Marsh Chapel Experiment The Marsh Chapel Experiment, also called the "Good Friday Experiment", was an experiment conducted on Good Friday, April 20, 1962 at Boston University's Marsh Chapel. Walter N. Pahnke, a graduate student in theology at Harvard Divinity School, d ...

or the "Miracle of Marsh Chapel". Pahnke attended Harvard in the early 1960s. He earned an MD from

Harvard Medical School Harvard Medical School (HMS) is the medical school of Harvard University and is located in the Longwood Medical and Academic Area, Longwood Medical Area in Boston, Massachusetts. Founded in 1782, HMS is the third oldest medical school in the Un ...

, a BD (now M.Div.) from

Harvard Divinity School Harvard Divinity School (HDS) is one of the constituent schools of Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The school's mission is to educate its students either in the religious studies, academic study of religion or for leadership role ...

, a Ph.D. from

Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences The Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS) is the largest of the twelve graduate schools of Harvard University, when measured by the number of degree-seeking students. Formed in 1872, GSAS is responsible for most o ...

, and a Harvard psychiatric residency. He was a psychedelic researcher at

Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...

. In 1967, Pahnke joined the Maryland Psychiatric Research Center in Spring Grove, Maryland. He conducted

psychedelic therapy Psychedelic therapy (or psychedelic-assisted therapy) refers to the proposed use of psychedelic drugs, such as psilocybin, ayahuasca, LSD, psilocin, mescaline (peyote), DMT, 5-MeO-DMT, Ibogaine, MDMA, to treat mental disorders. As of 2021, psych ...

sessions using

lysergic acid diethylamide Lysergic acid diethylamide, commonly known as LSD (from German ; often referred to as acid or lucy), is a Semisynthesis, semisynthetic, Hallucinogen, hallucinogenic compound derived from ergot, known for its powerful psychological effects and ...

and

dipropyltryptamine ''N'',''N''-Dipropyltryptamine (DPT) is a psychedelic drug and entheogen belonging to the tryptamine family. Use as a designer drug has been documented by law enforcement officials since as early as 1968. However, potential therapeutic use was n ...

, with terminal cancer patients as well as people suffering from alcoholism and severe neurosis. There he worked with therapists

Stanislav Grof Stanislav Grof (born July 1, 1931) is a Czech-born American psychiatrist. Grof is one of the principal developers of transpersonal psychology and research into the use of non-ordinary states of consciousness for purposes of psychological hea ...

, Bill Richards, and Richard Yensen, among others. Pahnke served as director of the project from 1967 until 1971, when he died in a scuba diving accident in Maine.

Good Friday Experiment

On April 20, 1962, Pahnke conducted the "Good Friday Experiment" as part of his Ph.D. thesis in Religion and Society under his thesis advisors

Timothy Leary Timothy Francis Leary (October 22, 1920 – May 31, 1996) was an American psychologist and author known for his strong advocacy of psychedelic drugs. Evaluations of Leary are polarized, ranging from "bold oracle" to "publicity hound". Accordin ...

and

Richard Alpert Ram Dass (born Richard Alpert; April 6, 1931 – December 22, 2019), also known as Baba Ram Dass, was an American spiritual teacher, guru of modern yoga, psychologist, and writer. His best-selling 1971 book '' Be Here Now'', which has been d ...

.Pahnke, Walter Norman,
Drugs and Mysticism: An Analysis of the Relationship between Psychedelic Drugs and the Mystical Consciousness
'. A thesis presented to the Committee on Higher Degrees in History and Philosophy of Religion, Harvard University, June 1963. See also MAPS collecte
commentary, reviews, and recordings of the sermon
In this experiment, ten students from

Andover Newton Theological School Andover Newton Theological School (ANTS) was a graduate school and seminary in Newton, Massachusetts, affiliated with the American Baptist Churches USA and the United Church of Christ. It was the product of a merger between Andover Theological ...

were given 30 mg

psilocybin Psilocybin, also known as 4-phosphoryloxy-''N'',''N''-dimethyltryptamine (4-PO-DMT), is a natural product, naturally occurring tryptamine alkaloid and Investigational New Drug, investigational drug found in more than List of psilocybin mushroom ...

and ten were given an

active placebo An active placebo is a placebo that produces noticeable side effects that may convince the person being treated that they are receiving a legitimate treatment, rather than an inert placebo. Nomenclature According to a 1965 paper, the term "conceal ...

(

niacin Nicotinic acid, or niacin, is an organic compound and a vitamer of vitamin B3, an essential human nutrient. It is produced by plants and animals from the amino acid tryptophan. Nicotinic acid is also a prescription medication. Amounts f ...

- vitamin B₃) in a religious setting (a

Good Friday Good Friday, also known as Holy Friday, Great Friday, Great and Holy Friday, or Friday of the Passion of the Lord, is a solemn Christian holy day commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus and his death at Calvary (Golgotha). It is observed during ...

service) to see whether

entheogens Entheogens are psychoactive substances used in spiritual and religious contexts to induce altered states of consciousness. Hallucinogens such as the psilocybin found in so-called "magic" mushrooms have been used in sacred contexts since ancien ...

could help facilitate a genuine religious experience. Nine out of ten of the students reported religious or mystical experiences while only one of ten in the placebo group reported the same. Among those who participated in the study were Leary and

Huston Smith Huston Cummings Smith (May 31, 1919 – December 30, 2016) was a scholar of religious studies in the United States, He authored at least thirteen books on world's religions and philosophy, and his book about comparative religion, ''The World's R ...

, professor of philosophy at

MIT The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Established in 1861, MIT has played a significant role in the development of many areas of modern technology and sc ...

and respected religious scholar. Later follow-up studies confirmed the results and the thesis that primary religious experiences could be occasioned by using psychedelic drugs in a religious setting.

Notes

Publications

*Drugs and Mysticism

hD thesis HD may refer to: Business * H-D or Harley-Davidson, a motorcycle manufacturer * The Home Depot, NYSE stock symbol: HD Chemistry * Hydrogen deuteride, a diatomic compound of hydrogen and deuterium * Mustard gas Codes * Air Do, formerly Ho ...

(1966) *Drugs and Mysticism (1966) *Implications of LSD and Experimental Mysticism (1966) *LSD and Religious Experience (1967) *The Psychedelic Mystical Experience in the Human Encounter With Death (1971) *The Use of Music in Psychedelic (LSD) Psychotherapy (1972), with Helen Bonny {{DEFAULTSORT:Pahnke, Walter 1931 births 1971 deaths Psychedelic drug researchers Harvard Medical School alumni Harvard Divinity School alumni American psychedelic drug advocates Psychonautics researchers Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences alumni