By Galina Toktali on March 28th, 2010

New Age Authors
Ram Dass (born 1931) is a contemporary spiritual teacher who wrote the 1971 bestseller Remember Be Here Now. He was born to a prominent Jewish family in Massachusetts. After studying psychology and earning a Ph.D., he conducted research at Harvard University. Ram Dass’s explorations of human consciousness led him to conduct intensive research with LSD and other psychedelic elements. Because of the controversial nature of this research, Ram Dass and Leary was dismissed from Harvard in 1963.
He continued research with a private foundation, when he traveled to India. There he met his spiritual teacher. Under his guru’s guidance, he studied yoga and meditation and received the name Ram Dass, or “servant of God.”
In 1997, Ram Dass suffered a massive stroke in his left brain hemisphere. The stroke left him with extensive right side paralysis, expressive aphasia, and a number of recurring and threatening health problems. However, he interprets his stroke as an act of grace and continues to travel giving lectures, as his health permits. Ram Dass is a vegetarian, and has also acknowledged his bisexuality. Continue reading Words →