Free Albion Dreaming by Andy Roberts

one setting may occasion a psychotic experience. Another person, with a different set and different setting, may experience a period of super-sanity ... The aim of therapy will be to enhance consciousness rather than to diminish it. Drugs of choice, if any are to be used, will be predominantly consciousness expanding drugs, rather than consciousness constrictors – the psychic energisers, not the tranquillisers.” 27
    Laing’s reputation as a therapist spread rapidly among London’s artistic crowd, leading him to have some very high profile, and unlikely, patients.
    Diane Cilento, first wife of actor Sean Connery, wrote thatfollowing his success in 1964’s
Goldfinger
the second James Bond film, Connery felt insecure and spiritually blocked; he was convinced he wouldn’t feel “safe” until he had a million pounds in the bank. Cilento met Laing and was impressed with his radical ideas about LSD therapy, which meant patients could be helped without spending years on the analyst’s couch. Cilento eventually arranged a consultation for Connery and Laing accepted the Bond star for treatment. In keeping with the times Laing didn’t believe in selling himself short and demanded: “... a great deal of money, complete privacy, a limo to transport him to and from the meeting and a bottle of the best single malt Scotch at each session.”
    At their first session Laing gave Connery a full dose of LSD, taking a much smaller amount himself to enable him to act as guide during the session. Cilento claims the initial session didn’t go too well. Connery couldn’t “let go” and resisted the drug, having to spend several days recovering in bed as a result. But the LSD had worked its magic in loosening Connery’s tightly wrapped subconscious: “This initial trip opened a Pandora’s box ... Suddenly, Sean began to remember challenging childhood scenes with his mother or father. Buried anger, victories or defeats came tumbling out without warning.” 28
    Laing moved easily between the tight-knit world of psychotherapy and the night-life of swinging London, becoming a frequent sight at counter culture events. When Pink Floyd’s Syd Barrett was undergoing his LSD induced nervous breakdown bassist Roger Waters tried to arrange treatment for him with Laing. After some persuasion Barrett eventually agreed to meet Laing and they took a taxi to his flat, but at the last moment he wouldn’t get out of the cab. A few months later they tried again but Barrett wouldn’t even leave his flat when the taxi arrived. 29
    Laing remained a staunch advocate of the personal and professional use of LSD to his death, his writings making a considerable impact on the Sixties and Seventies counter culture.
    Ronnie Sandison left Powick in 1964. He had worked with LSD for twelve years and wanted a break and running LSD psychotherapy sessions on a daily basis was a time consuming, physically and mentally draining, experience. Powick waschanging too, becoming more a centre for community psychiatry. Two new consultants had recently joined the staff team, both of whom had no interest in pursuing LSD psychotherapy. For Sandison these were all signs that it was time to move on and he took an appointment as Consultant Psychiatrist at Knowle Hospital, near Southampton, in Hampshire. Though he used the drug with a few patients in 1965 after leaving Powick his days of practising LSD psychotherapy were behind him.
    LSD psychotherapy was slowly but surely coming to an end in Britain. From early 1966 onwards the British and American media regularly featured lurid stories and exposés about the social use of LSD. Though LSD had caused no fatalities and there had been a surprisingly low number of episodes of mental illness, for the media LSD had become a social panic. Privately, medical professionals who were practising LSD psychotherapy became concerned that LSD was going to face trial by media. This would bring their activities into the public eye and they realised