15 May The Lounge, 1979

Much of the facility looked like a prison, except for the lounge. It was a fun space, everything was orange and brightly lit. The furniture looked like it was from outer space. We loved it. The ceilings were high and curvy, all the way back to the labs, which allowed the Totem to enter.

Our ‘groovy’ space eventually began to attract visitors. One such was Fritjof Capra. A legend for us. He was interested in our work and the Totem too. We gathered in the lounge and he told us stories of the Esalen Institute, meeting J. Krishnamurti, and the psychedelics at Santa Cruz.

He spoke about his friend Stan Grof and the research being done on LSD in Prague. He lived in Stan’s house in California while he was away, writing in the nude, baking in the sun up on the cliffs—unfiltered tales from an original psychonaut.

Fritjof pulled me aside that day. We spoke privately in the offices while the others stayed in the lounge. In a serious tone, he warned me that I would have to let the Totem go someday and that I would need to prepare for the emotional shock. I dismissed it, trying to keep the mood light-hearted. I wish I hadn’t.