Conversations #10 - Rob Harper

Filmmaker

Nicholas McCay

Apr 13, 2020

A conversation with Filmmaker Rob Harper—

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Hey Eclectic Spacewalkers!

Each April 19th is Bicycle Day. The day we remember Albert Hofmann’s infamous bicycle trip as the first person ever to trip on LSD. Recently, I wrote about the second psychedelic renaissance, and how psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy has renewed interest in treating mental ailments such as addiction and the fear of dying.

Last fall (2019), while in London recording another podcast with Vinay Gupta, I had the supreme pleasure of interviewing director, producer, and screenwriter Rob Harper about his most recent film - Journey’s to the Edge of Consciousness.

“Take an animated trip into the depths of the human mind with three brave pioneers of the 1950’s/60’s Aldous Huxley, Timothy Leary and Alan Watts. The film presents three psychedelic trips by these three world-famous authors that together changed them, and Western culture, forever.” - via website

The film follows three revolutionaries in the science of psychedelics: Timothy Leary the disgraced Harvard University professor who said “Turn on. Tune in. Drop out”; the renowned English author Aldous Huxley who later wrote about his trippy experience in Doors of Perception; and lastly Alan Watts, the philosopher who arguably was the main reason why eastern philosophy has become popular in western countries.

"What can expanded states of mind teach us about ourselves, the world, and our place in it?"

That was the question Rob Harper asked twelve leading thinkers. A who’s who of psychonauts like:

· Physician & author Dr. Gabor Mate
·     Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) founder & director Rick Doblin
·     Director of the Beckley Foundation Amanda Feilding
·     Ethnobotanist & famed brother to Terrence - Dennis McKenna
·     Author Graham Hancock
· and many others in the fields of psychiatry, psychology, and neuroscience.

Their expert answers are interwoven in between stylish animation, immersive soundscapes, and a cinematic experience that tries, and succeeds, in mimicking the richness of a psychedelic experience. It is indeed a “journey”!

Film Clip #1:

Sixty or so years after the first psychedelic renaissance was squashed from an authority, culture, and political figures, we are currently seeing a resurgence of interest in how psychedelics could be used to expand our consciousness, but also heal from past trauma.

Film Clip #2:

Rob and I discussed his journey into the psychedelic realm, the filmmaking process, and the promise of therapy, among other topics. I thank Rob for his time, research, and eclectic mind.

I hope you enjoy the conversation.

Timestamps:

Stanislov Grof’s Realms of the Human Unconscious and Graham Hancock’s The War on Consciousness banned TED talk was two of Rob’s biggest influences in being interested in the subject of psychedelics (00:38)
What do psychedelics have to do with consciousness? (03:20)
Why did you partly animate the film? (09:00)
How did you decide on which experts in the field to interview? (14:10)
How did you keep the flow of the film fresh? (17:15)
Tell us about the logistics & funding of the filmmaking process. (20:00)
How was the viewer’s journey of watching the film supposed to be intended? (22:19)
“Fundamentally, this is not a film about psychedelics. In so many ways it is completely, but actually beyond that it’s not. It is a film about consciousness…This film is really about the painful process of making contact with yourself in a world where we are not invited to spend much time in contact with ourselves.” (25:10)
Rob describes the “edge” of consciousness (27:35)
How did you come up with the question: "What can expanded states of mind teach us about ourselves, the world, and our place in it?" (31:05)
How have perceptions of psychedelics changed in the last 5 years? (32:40)
What does our psychedelic-infused future look like? (36:30)
How have your expectations changed throughout the filmmaking process, and since it has been released? (42:00)
What have you learned about yourself during this journey? (46:50)