LSD, Liberty, and Timothy Leary: A 1960s Odyssey with John Schewel

LSD, Liberty, and Timothy Leary: A 1960s Odyssey with John Schewel

From Michael Parker Media by Michael Parker

February 10, 2026 · 35 min

About this episode

John Schewel discusses his experiences with Timothy Leary and the psychedelic movement of the 1960s.

John Schewel was a confidant of LSD guru Timothy Leary during the rise of the psychedelic revolution of the 1960s. John explains the historical context of LSD, MKUltra, and the founding of the League of Spiritual Discovery. Schewel shares insights into the personal and political struggles of the psychedelic movement, including Leary's legal troubles and eventual escape from prison. John co-founded the first NYC Be-In and was one of the 19 original members of the League for Spiritual Discovery. Original recording date 3/28/16 Follow Michael Parker on x.com/MichaelParkerLA linktr.ee/MichaelParkerLA youtube.com/c/MichaelParkerMedia

People in this episode

Host: Michael Parker

Guest: John Schewel

Topics covered

  • psychedelic revolution
  • LSD history
  • Timothy Leary
  • political struggles
  • personal struggles
  • 1960s culture

Keywords

  • LSD
  • Timothy Leary
  • psychedelic movement
  • MKUltra
  • 1960s
  • League of Spiritual Discovery
  • Be-In
  • personal struggles
  • political struggles

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: League of Spiritual Discovery, League for Spiritual Discovery, MKUltra

More episodes of Michael Parker Media

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Michael Parker Media podcast page.