Ralph Metzner – Explorer of Consciousness

Ralph Metzner (1936-2019) was a remarkable man who led an equally remarkable and diverse life, vividly captured in these recollections from family, friends and colleagues under a number of thematic headings. I had not realised that he was educated at Gordonstoun in Scotland, gained a scholarship to Oxford and graduated with a first class degree in physiology, philosophy and psychology before going to Harvard on another scholarship where he completed his doctorate in clinical psychology in 1962 – and, most significantly, met Timothy Leary and Richard Alpert (Ram Dass) to become one of the co-founders of the psychedelic revolution – well represented in this volume, including a contribution from Stan Grof.

To say that Ralph lived a full life would be an understatement. One contribution characterises his various roles as scholar, author, alchemist, new-age thinker, artist, human and friend. He himself describes six major paths in which we express our creative energies, three of which were his primary fields: 1) explorer, scientist, seeker, and pioneer; 2) teacher, historian, social scientist, journalist; 3) healer, shaman, therapist, peacemaker. His secondary pathways were 4) artist, storyteller, musician, poet; 5) warrior, guardian, reformer, activist; and 6) builder, organiser, producer, engineer. Summarising, he quotes Gandhi to the effect that his life is his message. His zest for life was clearly infectious, including celebration and dance, while the letter written by his daughter is intensely moving, saying that he taught her to be honest, humble, and responsible. Truly inspirational reading.