Peaking: Term for reaching the highest high on an LSD trip or other psychedelic experience.

Peace Symbol: The familiar circle with lines was originally the symbol for nuclear disarmament. Bertrand Russell is credited with creating the symbol in 1958 from the semaphore flag signals for letters N(uclear) and D(isarmament). It first appeared in the anti-nuclear… Continue reading →

People’s Park: In 1969, hippies setup camp on some vacant land near UC Berkeley and called it the People’s Park. On Memorial 20,000 appeared with flowers at the park. By July the authorities forcibly removed all the squatters and the park was closed.

Pigs: Derogatory name for police.

Plastic: Something or someone artificial, unreal. “I hate shopping malls, they’re so plastic.”

Plateau: The period of maximum effect of a drug, just after the peak, and before coming down.

Pot: Marijuana.

Power to the People!: Used by Black Panthers and others to describe the need to change the existing power structure.

Psilocybin: A hallucinogen based on mushrooms. Raw mushrooms could be found in various places. Notably in Mexico or on particular mountains in California. Could be eaten raw, or with tea. Or could be ingested as a pill form if processed, or smoked.

Psychedelic: Hallucinatory experience sometimes brought on by altered state of awareness, via drugs like LSD or some other experience or art work. The word originated in correspondence between Aldous Huxley and Humphrey Osmond in the 50’s. From Greek, it literally… Continue reading →