Hinduism: Details about 'Ram Dass'

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Dr. Richard Alpert (born April 6 1931), later known as Baba Ram Dass, was a professor of psychology at Harvard University who became well known for his controversial research program which studied the effects of LSD. He later converted to Hinduism and is currently one of the most prominent American Hindus. He was born to a prominent Jewish family in Boston, Massachusetts. His father, George Alpert, was one of Boston's most prominent lawyers and was also a railroad executive. Richard Alpert has two older brothers. He received a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Tufts University, a masters' degree from Wesleyan University and a doctorate degree from Stanford University.

Alpert worked closely with Dr. Timothy Leary at Harvard, where the two conducted many experiments on the effects of LSD. The pair were dismissed from the university in 1963 due to their controversial research on the Harvard Psilocybin Project. They relocated, and continued their experiments at a private mansion in New York.

In 1967, Alpert travelled to India, where he became heavily involved in meditative practice and yoga. He



met and studied with the great American spiritual seeker Bhagavan Das, who introduced Alpert to his guru, Neem Karoli Baba, or Maharaj-ji, Hindi for "Great King." Maharaji-ji gave Alpert the name Ram Dass, which means servant of God, and instructed him to receive teaching from Bhagavan Das.

Ram Das has been open about his bisexuality since an interview he did for Gay Soul in 1994.

Upon his return to the United States, Alpert founded several organizations dedicated to expanding spiritual awareness and promoting spiritual growth. In February 1997, he suffered a stroke which left him with expressive aphasia, but he continues to give lectures at a variety of places.

References

Books by Ram Dass

  • Be Here Now (1971)
  • Compassion in Action, with Mirabai Bush (1991)
  • Doing Your Own Being (1973)
  • Grist for the Mill (with Steven Levine) (1977)
  • Journey of Awakening: A Meditator's Guidebook (1978)
  • Miracle of Love (1979) (tales of Maharajji)
  • The Only Dance There Is (1974)
  • Paths to God:Living The Bhagavad Gita (2004)
  • Still Here: Embracing Aging, Changing and Dying (2000)

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This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Ram_Dass". A list of the wikipedia authors can be found here.