Michael Valentine Smith UNMASKED

Michael Valentine Smith is interviewed by Hamilton Morris, revealing his true identity as a prolific author behind various pseudonymous psychedelic chemistry manuals from the 1970s. The conversation explores his intellectual motivations and the historical context of his writing. Smith details the process he utilized to acquire specific chemicals, reflecting on the academic landscape of the 1970s at UC Berkeley, where he was a graduate student in physiology. Smith discusses the influence of figures from that time and his eventual transition into designing 3D visualization technology. Throughout the interview, the dialogue provides rare insights into the underground scientific community during a pivotal era for psychedelic research and drug culture, documenting the origins of influential texts that have circulated in the decades since.