Nationality American Parents William Fadiman | Role Writer Name James Fadiman | |
Born May 27, 1939 (age 85) ( 1939-05-27 ) Los Angeles, California, USA Occupation Psychologist, Researcher, Author, Lecturer Children Maria Fadiman, Renee Fadiman Books The Psychedelic Explorer's, Personality and Personal, The other side of Haight, Unlimit your life, Teorias de la personalidad Similar People |
Episode 35 dr james fadiman
James Fadiman (Born May 27, 1939) is an American psychologist and writer. He is acknowledged for his extensive work in the field of psychedelic research. He co-founded along with Robert Frager the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology, which later became Sofia University, where he was a lecturer in psychedelic studies.
Contents
- Episode 35 dr james fadiman
- Scientific problem solving with psychedelics james fadiman
- Early years
- Educationresearch and psychedelic counterculture
- Transpersonal psychology and personality theory
- Personal life
- Works
- References
Scientific problem solving with psychedelics james fadiman
Early years
Fadiman was born in Los Angeles and lived in Westwood. His father, William Fadiman, was a producer and story editor, and book reviewer in Hollywood, one of his credits being The Last Frontier.
Education/research and psychedelic counterculture

Fadiman received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Harvard University in 1960 and a Master's degree and a doctorate (both in psychology) from Stanford University – the PhD in 1965. While in Paris in 1961, his friend and former Harvard undergraduate adviser, Ram Dass (then known as Richard Alpert), introduced him to psychedelics (reportedly LSD or psilocybin). As a graduate student at Stanford, Fadiman was Stewart Brand's LSD guide on Brand's first LSD trip in 1962 at Myron Stolaroff's International Foundation for Advanced Study in Menlo Park, California. While living in Menlo Park, Fadiman and his wife were Ken Kesey's Perry Lane neighbors and friends.
In 1963 Fadiman worked at Stanford's Augmentation Research Center, a division that did research on networked computing. Fadiman was also part of the team in the psychedelics in problem-solving experiment at the International Foundation for Advanced Study, which was abruptly halted in 1966. The study provided compelling evidence that psychedelics such as mescaline and LSD can enhance creativity and problem solving among various types of professionals.
Transpersonal psychology and personality theory
Fadiman and Robert Frager co-founded the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology (now known as Sofia University) in 1975. Fadiman was a president of the Association for Transpersonal Psychology. He was also a director at the Institute of Noetic Sciences from 1975-77.
Fadiman and Frager published a textbook on personality theory in 1976 titled Personality and Personal Growth, which was one of the first to incorporate Eastern theories of personality alongside Western approaches and the first of its kind to include chapters on women. Personality and Personal Growth has been republished in seven editions as of 2012.
Personal life
He is married to documentary filmmaker Dorothy Fadiman and is the father of Florida Atlantic University professor Maria Fadiman. His uncle was Clifton Fadiman and he is a cousin of Anne Fadiman.