Hallucinogenic Training

HALLUCINOGENIC TRAINING

In 1970 I took a 400 level Psychology class at Portland State University entitled Hallucinogenic Training. I became the star of the class. It wasn’t about drugs, but a creative visualization class developed by a former military clinical Psychologist. He developed a process to improve the accuracy of bombardiers in WWII. His technique was very successful.

During the period from the WWII to present 1970 he researched, refined and developed new usages for his techniques. He needed a volunteer for his demonstrations. I was glad to volunteer as his ‘guinea pig,’

“With little or no doubt I said yes.”*

This was a class in hypnosis. Dr. Warren Wilcox had developed a relaxation technique using breathing, physical sensation and colors and images to create the feel & mental picture of your desired outcome.

It was goal-oriented meditation.

The technique recognized phosphene imagery that occurs during & after initiation of full body relaxation by imaging breathing into body parts. Your inner guide/initiator (sometimes policeman) would lead you, working from toes to head.
In this state, with closed eyes, focusing basically on the breathing, relaxation sensation, and the imagery-amoebic looking blobs that appeared to me as black evolving into purple, then the guide added the message in the form of an affirmation of a goal or state you wished to create.

This was a milestone for me to reference internal dialogue, visualization, and the process of de-hypnotizing myself.

*quote attributed to George Ivanovich Gurdjieff