COURSE SPOTLIGHTS PSYCHEDELIC DRUGS

Experimental, Professional Use Of Drugs Among Topics

During his Psychedelic Mindview class, professor Tom Roberts talks about
the FBI doing LSD tests on agents.

From a tribe deep in the Amazon jungle to kids living in the suburbs,
psychedelic drugs have been used for centuries.

Starting in the fall, Psychedelic Mindview, a course offered by the
department of leadership, educational psychology and foundations as only an
honors special topics seminar, will be open to all students.

"It's a way of exploring the human mind," said Dr. Thomas B. Roberts, who
has been the instructor of the course for 23 years.

Roberts stresses the differences between narcotics, barbiturates and
psychedelic drugs, but the course only deals with the experimental use of
the latter. He also talks about the informal use of the drugs versus a
professional use in a controlled setting.

The personal experiences of the instructor are also discussed.

"The effects vary from person to person," he said. "It's more about who you
are rather than the drug itself."

Doug Reisinger, a senior political science major, said taking the course
changed his outlook.

"I am pretty conservative; [the course] has opened my mind," he said. "I
never thought much about the topic, aside from drugs are bad, but there is
more to it than that. It's a lot more complex."

Senior Spanish major Becky Norman was unaware of the medical uses of the drugs.

"I didn't know about the therapeutic use. I just thought it was something
kids did for fun," she said.

The workload for the course includes discussion of required texts, a
current research presentation, a self-selected book presentation and a term
presentation. Videos on the use of psychedelic drugs are also part of the
class.

Roberts also lectures on the use of these substances in the historical
setting of the 1950s through the 1970s. He describes it as an
interdisciplinary course, because it discusses the nature of the human
mind, creativity, psychotherapy uses and drugs in religious ceremonies.

Few people in the class have experienced hallucinogenic drugs, Roberts said.

"What they know is mostly from the D.A.R.E. program, so it's balanced out
with scientific research," he said.

Reisinger said students in the class feel the material is presented in an
objective matter.

"It's a controversial subject, but he does a good job of presenting it in a
non-controversial way," he said.

Senior management major Brent Lindaman said the class is interesting, and
the class addresses misconceptions about drug-related issues.

The three-credit-hour course is open in the fall to undergraduate and
graduate students. It will be from 6 p.m. to 8:40 p.m. Thursdays at Graham Hall.