Ram Dass American spiritual leader Actions Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ram-Dass Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ram-Dass Also known as: Richard Alpert Written by Roland Martin Roland Martin is a freelance writer living in San Francisco. Roland Martin Fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Last Updated: Aug 15, 2024 • Article History Table of Contents Byname of: Richard Alpert (Show more) Born: April 6, 1931, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. (Show more) Died: December 22, 2019, Maui, Hawaii (Show more) Ram Dass (born April 6, 1931, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.—died December 22, 2019, Maui, Hawaii) was an American spiritual leader, psychologist, and writer who was influential in the New Age movement. Born Richard Alpert, he spent much of his early career developing a reputation as an academic psychologist. In the early 1960s, alongside Timothy Leary, he began to research psychedelic substances. He soon became one of their major proponents and grew to be a significant figure in the counterculture and psychedelic movements of the late ’60s. Following a trip to India, where he became a student of Hinduism and was given ...(100 of 1433 words)

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