What the Nazis did with methamphetamines and psychedelics | Norman Ohler | FULL INTERVIEW

Quick Overview

Norman Ohler argues that Nazi Germany’s extensive use of methamphetamine, particularly for soldiers during World War II, and the subsequent CIA research into LSD as a truth drug, were significant but often overlooked factors influencing military outcomes and later counter-culture movements, suggesting that drugs were integral to the war effort and Hitler's personal behavior.

Key Points: The German army heavily utilized methamphetamine (Pervitin) for performance enhancement, supplying millions of doses to soldiers, especially during the invasion of France in 1940, leading to tactical advantages like driving soldiers for days without sleep. The Nazi regime's anti-drug propaganda was ironic because their military and Hitler himself were reliant on psychoactive substances; Pervitin was legally obtainable from pharmacies before the war and was not stigmatized among the military until later. Hitler’s personal physician, Theodor Morell, administered a wide array of drugs, including opiates intravenously, to Hitler, who became dependent on this cocktail to maintain his charisma and energy. LSD research was conducted by the Nazis, who were looking for a 'truth drug' to use in interrogations, though Ohler notes that LSD does not function as a reliable truth serum. After the war, the CIA took over much of the LSD research, exemplified by the CIA's experimentation in concentration camps like Dachau, which later influenced the psychedelic counter-culture in the US. The speaker advises that the current psychedelic renaissance must avoid the mistakes of the past by focusing on education and careful integration, rather than falling into capitalist exploitation or simplistic views that psychedelics are universally good for the brain. The speaker claims that without opiates, the British Empire would likely not have existed in its historical form, indicating the deep, often hidden, influence of psychoactive substances on major historical events.

Context: This interview features author Norman Ohler, known for his book "Blitzed: Drugs in Nazi Germany," discussing the widespread and official use of psychoactive substances by the German military and leadership during World War II. The interviewer, Ricky Williamson, guides the conversation from methamphetamine use in the Wehrmacht to Nazi interest in LSD, and finally to the broader role of psychedelics in human culture and the modern revival of psychedelic research.