Philmont Oblong, bless his soul, was a pioneer in the early research of mind altering substances. A chemistry major at UCLA, he dropped out and dropped acid with Timothy Leary in 1963 and later joined up with Kesey's Merry Pranksters. All the while, he maintained his interest in chemistry and conducted experiments that have since become legendary.In 1966, Oblong was able to synthesize a compound that combined LSD-25, methaqualone and soma. The concoction was administered as a liquid to various groups of people, including the Pranksters, and most who drank it experienced euphoric visions, heightened dream states, and pronounced feelings of peace and contentment. The most unusual effect of 'placid' (the name it was given) was its ability to induce shared dreams among those administered the drug at the same time.
One 'placid-in' held in Palo Alto in September of 1967 marked the turning point for the drug and for Oblong. Approximately 40 individuals drank a potent batch of placid and quickly fell under its spell. A mass dream orgy ensued. While thus engaged, the autumnal equinox came and went, putting an end to the Summer of Love. Coitus interuptus awoke the group and they began bickering with one another in regards their chosen dream-sex partners. Knives were produced, blood was spilled; it was a bad trip.
When word got around, placid was shunned. Philmont Oblong, dejected, soon became addicted to Screaming Yellow Zonkers and in March of 1969 died from a massive overdose. He was 27.
3 comments:
I was a part of that huge shared dream experience on placid, and I can tell you right now that it was a major success for some of us. Our specific group did not participate in the Orgy (well, just a little), but instead ended up on a hillside in western Pennsylvania next to a motel swimming pool. To our great delight, an enormous UFO resembling nothing as much as a large water tank with trees on top of it sailed languidly by. When the group began to yell to one another to point it out, the thing landed in an adjecent field. Calling to us from the forested top was none other than Peter Graves. He came down and announced that he had stumbled upon alien technologies that would change the world as we know it, and he had chosen us to be his vehicle. He personally handed me the Silver Disc with all the information and instruction we would need to change the world for the better (it was the first CD), and we have been doing it ever since. The increases in communication, technology, medicine, and geopolitical understanding have been tremendous since that auspicious day in 1966. I know what you're thinking; that the world is a more dangerous place than ever, and that these advances are miniscule compared to the continued degradation and usury of the human race.
But I pose this; if it wasn't for our little group of Placidians, the rest of you would have made this planet a desert a long time ago. We have not encountered any other Placidians with similar experiences on this planet, though Peter Graves assures us that there are more in other sectors of the galaxy.
I see.
Most likely the UFO-slash-water tower with trees was a television set with rabbit ear antennae. 1966 was the first year that Mission Impossible was on the air, so Peter Graves - aka Jim Phelps - was no doubt talking about technological advances as they pertain to spying, but he was not necessarily speaking to you and your spaced out crew alone, but rather to a much larger TV audience. The silver disc was, I suspect, an ash tray, as they were much more common then. As for increases in geopolitical understanding, you must still be tripping. Have you never heard of George Bush?
Oh, yes, George is actually much less dangerous than the creature that would rule the world were it not for our ministrations. Have you never heard of The Beast? Trust me, Peter has informed me in no uncertain terms that we are directly responsible for keeping that little toad in line.
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