Allan Cohen

    Allan earned a B.A. from Harvard, and went on to pursue a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology there. While a graduate student, he became associated with Harvard Professors Timothy Leary and Richard Alpert (later known as Ram Dass) in a two-year experiment with psychedelic drugs.

            He first learned of Meher Baba in 1964. Soon after, taking LSD while reading Baba’s Discourses and believing that he had reached the sixth plane, he wrote to Kitty Davy, ultimately resulting in a direct response from Meher Baba. At Baba’s urging, Allan gave up his drug use by 1966. Then, at Baba’s suggestion, he moved from Cambridge to San Francisco, where he worked closely with Murshida Ivy Duce and Don Stevens in Sufism Reoriented, which was created and directed by Meher Baba.

            Around this time, Baba directed Allan, Rick Chapman, and Robert Dreyfuss to be Baba’s “apostles” in redirecting Americans (especially youth) away from the physical, mental, and spiritual harm of psychedelic drugs (including cannabis) through any means possible. The next two and a half years included a maelstrom of writing for publications, interviews, campus lectures, local and national radio, and television appearances, many with semi-miraculous and some humiliating outcomes. During this period, Baba approved Allan editing a book for persons new to Baba (The Mastery of Consciousness), which is expected to be reprinted in 2025 or 2026.

            The  drug work was deemed so important by Baba that the “Baba-boys” remained in constant communication with Him even throughout times of His intense seclusion. In late January of 1969, Rick and Allan were mysteriously sent to India, which enabled them to attend the first Amartithi, before Baba’s body was interred. (Allan is one of the three remaining  Westerners who were there.)

            Spurred by the drug work, Allan’s professional career turned toward substance abuse prevention and education. He ultimately became head of the nation’s largest governmental project in the field, consulting with the White House,  and supervising research and programs across the USA. He became one of the top national and international experts in the field, ultimately winning a lifetime achievement award from the National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Directors. He now maintains a small consulting practice in the drug prevention field as well as providing psychological assistance primarily to Baba lovers. He enjoys continued collaboration with other Baba lovers, stays active in issues around drugs, enjoys speaking and sharing at live and virtual Baba groups, and remains deeply involved in a broad scope of Sufi activities and service programs. He has especially enjoyed being with the Northeast Gathering in previous weekend programs in New York and Boston and looks forward to meeting old and new friends.