Career
In the 1920s, Kahn appeared in several productions opposite theatre legends Otis Skinner and Lionel Barrymore, most notably in the David Belasco production of Laugh, Clown, Laugh. In 1958, with the encouragement of Wilson and Heard, and with funding from the Eileen Garrett"s Parapsychological Foundation, she helped to organize a group of intellectuals to explore clinical and spiritual potential of LSD-25. Between 1958 and 1960, the so-called "Basic Group" gathered on a regular basis to take LSD-25 in an intimate but controlled setting.
The sessions were held in private homes just outside New York City.
A small dose of the drug (75 to 100 micrograms), which was at that time still legally available for research purposes, would be administered to a single subject by an attending physician, Doctor Robert Laidlaw, then chief psychiatrist at Roosevelt Hospital. The subject’s observations were compiled into written transcripts of the experience, and in most cases were accompanied by audio recordings.
After the experience, subjects were asked to write a “subjective report” reflecting on their experiences. She traveled extensively to holy sites, often as part of ARE tours, and once met with the Dalai Lama.
She wrote the final chapter of David Kahn"s posthumously published memoir, My Life with Edgar Cayce, as well as several articles for ARE publications.
Lucille Kahn was the grandmother of contemporary pageant artist, Alex Kahn.
