Observations placeholder
The alleged addiction of Dr. Arthur L. Chandler to Ritalin
Identifier
025823
Type of Spiritual Experience
Background
A description of the experience
The Dangerous Magic of LSD - John Kobler, Saturday Evening Post, November 2, 1963
Drs. Arthur L. Chandler and Mortimer A. Hartman, [are] former associates in the Psychiatric Institute of Beverly Hills. Hartman's patients included Cary Grant who said, after a series of LSD treatments, "Now I can give a woman love for the first time in my life because I can understand her."
Chandler and Hartman believe that therapists working with hallucinogens should have at least 20 ingestions themselves. As LSD grew scarce, they resorted to other mind-changers. One was Ritalin, a relatively mild stimulant when administered orally, but a psychic blockbuster when heavy doses are injected intravenously ...
By hypodermic, Ritalin can also become habituating.
One night three years ago, Los Angeles police found Hartman in a stupor behind the wheel of his parked car. At the station house he admitted having shot himself full of Ritalin. Upon evidence that he had long been using dangerous drugs, the State Board of Medical Examiners revoked his license for six months and put him on probation for 10 years without the right to prescribe any narcotic.
I recently visited Chandler at his combined home and office, which has all the appurtenances of the good life as lived in Beverly Hills, including a swimming pool. He is a towering chesty man, with teeth like piano keys, who laughs frequently without apparent cause, as if at some private joke.
Half a dozen boys and girls, the latter of starlet age and shape, swim-suited or draped in bath towels, were lolling at the other end of the living room. I asked Chandler if they were members of his family.
"No, they're patients," he replied. "They like to hang around here and talk about their experiences."
I mentioned the risk of addiction the therapist may run if he takes frequent doses of drugs like Ritalin.
"Oh, yes," said Chandler, "it can be more dangerous to [the therapist] than to the patient. The sorcerer may find he's only the sorcerer's apprentice."
His face split into a huge grin. "You have to fight temptation?" He nodded vigorously. "Who will supervise the supervisor?" Abruptly he held out his hand. "My patient will be ready now." And laughing, he left.