Lucille Kahn
Encyclopedia
Lucille Kahn was a successful Broadway stage actress who became notable in the 1950s and 1960s for her advocacy and support for efforts to expand human consciousness.
In the 1920s, Kahn appeared in several productions opposite theatre legends Otis Skinner
and Lionel Barrymore
, most notably in the David Belasco
production of Laugh, Clown, Laugh
. In 1927 she married David E. Kahn, a close friend and early supporter of the famous psychic Edgar Cayce
. Throughout the 1950s, she played an active role in bringing together proponents of Eastern philosophy
, spiritual exploration, and metaphysical development, and her home on E 80th Street in New York became an informal salon for lectures and discussions that included Aldous Huxley
, Gerald Heard
, and Bill Wilson
(founder of Alcoholics Anonymous).
In 1958, with the encouragement of Wilson and Heard, and with funding from the Eileen Garrett's Parapsychological Foundation, she helped to organize a group of intellectuals to explore clinical and spiritual potential of LSD-25. Between 1958 and 1960, the so-called "Basic Group" gathered on a regular basis to take LSD-25 in an intimate but controlled setting
. The sessions were held in private homes just outside of New York City. A small dose of the drug (75 to 100 micrograms), which was at that time still legally available for research purposes, would be administered to a single subject by an attending physician, Dr. Robert Laidlaw, then chief psychiatrist at Roosevelt Hospital
. In addition to the subject and the physician, several other members of the group would be present, both to offer support, take observational notes and occasionally to ask probing questions of the subject during their experience. The subject’s observations were compiled into written transcripts of the experience, and in most cases were accompanied by audio recordings. After the experience, subjects were asked to write a “subjective report” reflecting on their experiences. The transcripts and reports were distributed to the various members of the group. Participants in these experiments included Eugene Exman (religion editor for Harper and Roe), Dr. Garma Chen Chi Chang (respected Buddhist scholar and Bollingen Fellow
), and early civil rights activist Rachel Davis-Dubois.
Her later lifer was devoted to promoting the work of Edgar Cayce, through the Association for Research and Enlightenment
. She traveled extensively to holy sites, often as part of ARE tours, and once met with the Dalai Lama. She wrote the final chapter of David Kahn's posthumously published memoir, My Life with Edgar Cayce, as well as several articles for ARE publications.
Lucille Kahn was the grandmother of contemporary pageant artist, Alex Kahn
.
Otis Skinner
Otis Skinner was an American actor.He was the son of a Universalist minister; his brother, Charles Montgomery Skinner, was a noted journalist and critic in New York. Skinner was educated in Hartford, Connecticut, with an eye towards a career in commerce. A visit to the theater left him stage-struck...
and Lionel Barrymore
Lionel Barrymore
Lionel Barrymore was an American actor of stage, screen and radio. He won an Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in A Free Soul...
, most notably in the David Belasco
David Belasco
David Belasco was an American theatrical producer, impresario, director and playwright.-Biography:Born in San Francisco, California, where his Sephardic Jewish parents had moved from London, England, during the Gold Rush, he began working in a San Francisco theatre doing a variety of routine jobs,...
production of Laugh, Clown, Laugh
Laugh, Clown, Laugh
Laugh, Clown, Laugh is a 1928 silent film starring Lon Chaney and Loretta Young. The movie was directed by Herbert Brenon and produced and released through MGM Studios.-Cast:*Lon Chaney - Tito/Flick*Loretta Young - Simonetta...
. In 1927 she married David E. Kahn, a close friend and early supporter of the famous psychic Edgar Cayce
Edgar Cayce
Edgar Cayce was an American psychic who allegedly had the ability to give answers to questions on subjects such as healing or Atlantis while in a hypnotic trance...
. Throughout the 1950s, she played an active role in bringing together proponents of Eastern philosophy
Eastern philosophy
Eastern philosophy includes the various philosophies of Asia, including Chinese philosophy, Iranian philosophy, Japanese philosophy, Indian philosophy and Korean philosophy...
, spiritual exploration, and metaphysical development, and her home on E 80th Street in New York became an informal salon for lectures and discussions that included Aldous Huxley
Aldous Huxley
Aldous Leonard Huxley was an English writer and one of the most prominent members of the famous Huxley family. Best known for his novels including Brave New World and a wide-ranging output of essays, Huxley also edited the magazine Oxford Poetry, and published short stories, poetry, travel...
, Gerald Heard
Gerald Heard
Henry Fitzgerald Heard commonly called Gerald Heard was an historian, science writer, educator, and philosopher. He wrote many articles and over 35 books....
, and Bill Wilson
Bill W.
William Griffith Wilson , also known as Bill Wilson or Bill W., was the co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous , an international mutual aid fellowship with over two million members belonging to 100,800 groups of alcoholics helping other alcoholics achieve and maintain sobriety...
(founder of Alcoholics Anonymous).
In 1958, with the encouragement of Wilson and Heard, and with funding from the Eileen Garrett's Parapsychological Foundation, she helped to organize a group of intellectuals to explore clinical and spiritual potential of LSD-25. Between 1958 and 1960, the so-called "Basic Group" gathered on a regular basis to take LSD-25 in an intimate but controlled setting
Set and setting
Set and setting describes the context for psychoactive and particularly psychedelic drug experiences: one's mindset and the setting in which the user has the experience. This is especially relevant for psychedelic or hallucinogenic experiences...
. The sessions were held in private homes just outside of New York City. A small dose of the drug (75 to 100 micrograms), which was at that time still legally available for research purposes, would be administered to a single subject by an attending physician, Dr. Robert Laidlaw, then chief psychiatrist at Roosevelt Hospital
St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center
St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center, an academic affiliate of Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, is a 1,076-bed, full-service community and tertiary care hospital serving New York City’s Midtown West, Upper West Side and parts of Harlem....
. In addition to the subject and the physician, several other members of the group would be present, both to offer support, take observational notes and occasionally to ask probing questions of the subject during their experience. The subject’s observations were compiled into written transcripts of the experience, and in most cases were accompanied by audio recordings. After the experience, subjects were asked to write a “subjective report” reflecting on their experiences. The transcripts and reports were distributed to the various members of the group. Participants in these experiments included Eugene Exman (religion editor for Harper and Roe), Dr. Garma Chen Chi Chang (respected Buddhist scholar and Bollingen Fellow
Bollingen Foundation
The Bollingen Foundation was an educational foundation set up along the lines of a university press in 1945. It was named for Bollingen Tower, Carl Jung's country home in Bollingen, Switzerland. Funding was provided by Paul Mellon and his wife Mary Conover Mellon...
), and early civil rights activist Rachel Davis-Dubois.
Her later lifer was devoted to promoting the work of Edgar Cayce, through the Association for Research and Enlightenment
Association for Research and Enlightenment
The Association for Research and Enlightenment , also known as Edgar Cayce's A.R.E., was founded by Edgar Cayce in 1931 to research and explore subjects such as holistic health, ancient mysteries, personal spirituality, dreams and dream interpretation, intuition, philosophy and reincarnation...
. She traveled extensively to holy sites, often as part of ARE tours, and once met with the Dalai Lama. She wrote the final chapter of David Kahn's posthumously published memoir, My Life with Edgar Cayce, as well as several articles for ARE publications.
Lucille Kahn was the grandmother of contemporary pageant artist, Alex Kahn
Alex Kahn
Alex Kahn is an American visual and performance artist, best known for his creation of the large-scale puppet performance works that lead New York's Village Halloween Parade each year.-Pageant Puppetry and Processional Art:...
.
Sources
- Cheever, Susan. "My Name Is Bill: Bill Wilson : His Life and the Creation of Alcoholics Anonymous" (Simon and Schuster), pp. 175, 300.
- Huxley, Aldous. "Letters of Aldous Huxley" (Harper and Roe, 1960), p. 918
- Kahn, David E. and Will Oursler. My Life with Edgar Cayce (Doubleday, 1970).
- Kirkpatrick, Sidney D. An American Prophet (Riverhead Books, 2000) ISBN 1-57322-139-2
- Novak, Steven J. "LSD before Leary: Sidney Cohen's Critique of 1950s Psychedelic Drug Research" Isis, Vol. 88, No. 1. (Mar., 1997), pp. 87–110.
- Wing, Nell. Grateful To Have Been There: My 42 Years With Bill And Lois, And The Evolution Of Alcoholics Anonymous (Hazeldon PES, 1998), p. 125.
- Sugrue, Thomas. There is a River: the Story of Edgar Cayce. (Simon and Schuster)
- Reilly, Harold J, and Ruth Hagy Brod. "The Edgar Cayce Handbook for Health Through Drugless Therapy" (ARE Press, 2004) pp. 15,18,61-62,155
External links
- Internet Broadway Database entry for Lucille Kahn: http://www.ibdb.com/person.php?id=115506
- David and Lucille Kahn entry on AA History website: http://silkworth.net/aahistory_names/namesk.html
- Another AA History Reference site entry: http://www.barefootsworld.net/aapeople.html