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Norman Ohler

Author

Search every verified Norman Ohler interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. Norman Ohler, author of Blitzed: Drugs in Nazi Germany and Tripped: Nazi Germany, the CIA, and the Dawn of the Psychedelic Age, has been active in podcasts and public appearances discussing his research on the role of drugs in World War II and the history of psychedelics. In interviews, he has described his archival findings on the Nazi regime's use of methamphetamine (Pervitin) by the military and the opioid and cocaine use of Adolf Hitler, as well as the SS's experiments with psychedelics at the Dachau concentration camp. He has also discussed the CIA's subsequent MKUltra program and its LSD experiments. Ohler has stated that he believes the Nazi regime used drug policy to control behavior and that prohibitionist drug laws are a form of government control, while arguing that psychedelics are non-addictive and may have therapeutic potential, including for dementia. Ohler has also spoken about his personal experiences with psychedelics, including taking ibogaine to address a cannabis addiction and microdosing his mother with LSD to alleviate symptoms of Alzheimer's disease. He has discussed his upcoming book, Stone Sapiens, which examines human history through the lens of psychoactive substances and argues for a "planetary society" without nation states. In his appearances, he has also commented on historical debates, such as the decision to halt the German advance at Dunkirk and the failure to take Moscow, attributing these to Hitler's decision-making and cognitive decline.

Recent appearances

  • The Unbelievable Story Of The Nazi Quest For A Real Truth Serum | Norman Ohler

    April 01, 2026 · 📺 The Smart Cookies Podcast

    It's a real pleasure having Norman Ohler, author of Blitzed: Drugs in Nazi Germany, back on the pod. Norman recently published a spiritual succession of his bestseller called Tripped: Nazi Germany, the CIA, and the Dawn of the Psychedelic Age, which recounts the wild history of LSD... In this conversation we talk about the Nazi quest to find a truth serum, the crazy MKUltra plot concocted by the CIA, as well as Norman micro-dosing his mother to alleviate her Alzheimer's symptoms. Support Smart Cookies on PATREON!!!   / the_smart_cookies_pod   Tripped: https://www.amazon.com/Tripped-Nazi-G...…

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  • German author and novelist Norman Ohler Address at the Oxford Union

    March 31, 2026 · 📺 OxfordUnion

    SUBSCRIBE for more speakers ► http://is.gd/OxfordUnion SUPPORT the Oxford Union ► https://oxford-union.org/supportus LICENSE Footage ► [email protected] Oxford Union on Facebook:   / theoxfordunion   Oxford Union on Twitter: @OxfordUnion Website: http://www.oxford-union.org/ ABOUT THE OXFORD UNION SOCIETY: The Oxford Union is the world's most prestigious debating society, with an unparalleled reputation for bringing international guests and speakers to Oxford. Since 1823, the Union has been promoting debate and discussion not just in Oxford University, but across the globe. The Oxfo…

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  • German author and novelist Norman Ohler Q&A at the Oxford Union

    March 31, 2026 · 📺 OxfordUnion

    SUBSCRIBE for more speakers ► http://is.gd/OxfordUnion SUPPORT the Oxford Union ► https://oxford-union.org/supportus LICENSE Footage ► [email protected] Oxford Union on Facebook:   / theoxfordunion   Oxford Union on Twitter: @OxfordUnion Website: http://www.oxford-union.org/ ABOUT THE OXFORD UNION SOCIETY: The Oxford Union is the world's most prestigious debating society, with an unparalleled reputation for bringing international guests and speakers to Oxford. Since 1823, the Union has been promoting debate and discussion not just in Oxford University, but across the globe. The Oxfo…

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  • Ibogaine and the Writer's Mind with Norman Ohler | Ibogaine Uncovered

    February 03, 2026 · 📺 Beond Ibogaine Treatment

    In this episode, Talia Eisenberg talks with Norman Ohler, bestselling author of Blitzed, about creativity, cognition, and how narrative changes when the nervous system changes. Ohler breaks down how ibogaine differs from classic psychedelics, describing a state that feels sober yet radically clear. He explains how his second flood dose shifted quickly from personal healing into an extended, high-precision creative session where he restructured chapters, tone, and architecture for upcoming books. The conversation closes with advice for creatives using psychedelic work to understand themselves…

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  • What the Nazis did with methamphetamines and psychedelics | Norman Ohler | FULL INTERVIEW

    December 30, 2025 · 📺 The Institute of Art and Ideas

    Norman Ohler discusses the Nazis' little-known experiments with drugs, and how they were continued by the CIA. What is so powerful about the psychedelic experience, that successive governments have tried to control and harness it? With a free trial, you can watch Norman's talk, which goes into further detail about the CIA's adoption of psychedelic experimentation, and the potential impact of psychedelics on mental health - including his own mother's. Watch the talk now at https://iai.tv/video/psychedelics-naz... In this interview, Norman Ohler expands on his book 'Blitzed', arguing that the…

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  • Norman Ohler: Blitzed, Tripped, and How Drugs Shaped History

    December 22, 2025 · 📺 Edge City

    In this fireside chat at Edge City Patagonia with Timour Kosters, author Norman Ohler traces how psychoactive substances shaped world history. From Nazi Germany’s use of methamphetamine to the CIA’s LSD experiments and humanity’s deep evolutionary relationship with psychedelics. A wide-ranging conversation on power, consciousness, and the future of society. Norman's talk was supported by PsyDAO. Norman Ohler: https://x.com/normanohler Timour Kosters: https://x.com/timourxyz ABOUT EDGE CITY Edge City convenes people working at the frontiers of tech, science, and society in popup villages a…

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  • Norman Ohler on Nazis, Psychedelics, and Power

    December 19, 2025 · 📺 Leonard Pickard and JLS Fund

    🎙️ JLS Podcast: Hosted by William Leonard Pickard 🚀 About Norman Ohler International bestselling author of Blitzed and Tripped, Norman Ohler is a historian and cultural investigator whose work exposes the hidden role of drugs in shaping 20th-century war, fascism, and modern consciousness. His research has reframed how we understand the Third Reich, LSD’s origins, and the pharmacological forces behind power and control. 🧠 Drugs, War, and the Third Reich Ohler unpacks his groundbreaking archival discoveries revealing the widespread use of methamphetamine (Pervitin) within the Nazi military—and…

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  • The Naz*'s Shocking Dr*g Secret w/ Norman Ohler

    December 14, 2025 · 📺 Mad in Germany with James Jackson

    Mad in Germany - Norman Ohler: The Hidden Pharmaceutical History of the Third Reich From the Führer's opioid addiction to Germany's methamphetamine-fueled Blitzkrieg, from CIA mind control experiments to a potential 2033 chancellor bid—bestselling author Norman Ohler reveals the hidden pharmaceutical history that shaped the 20th century and explains why he believes psychedelics hold the key to humanity's future. We explore: ⚡ The Führer's substance cocktail — oxycodone, hormones, and the doctor who kept him high ⚡ Pervitin and the Blitzkrieg — how crystal meth powered German military victorie…

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  • LSD, Nazis, and the CIA – The Secret History of Psychedelics with Norman Ohler

    November 09, 2025 · 📺 Drugreporter

    In Drugreporter’s new interview, German author Norman Ohler explores how psychedelics became entangled with war, power, and propaganda. Norman Ohler is a German author and investigative journalist, best known for his bestselling book 'Blitzed: Drugs in the Third Reich', which explored the hidden history of drug use in Nazi Germany. In this interview we delve into the lesser known stories of how psychoactive substances shaped war, power and propaganda, and discuss the darker sides of psychedelic history, including their potential for misuse. Chapters: 00:00 Intro 00:34 Why did you decide to…

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  • Are psychedelics good for us? | Norman Ohler vs Joanna Moncrieff

    September 30, 2025 · 📺 The Institute of Art and Ideas

    Norman Ohler and Joanna Moncrieff go head to head on psychedelics. Did psychedelic mind-expansion give us an advantage over the Neanderthals? Is psychedelic therapy all it's cracked up to be? With a free trial, you can watch the full debate at https://iai.tv/video/out-of-our-minds... From caffeine and alcohol to cannabis, from ketamine to ecstasy, psychoactive intoxicants are widely found in Western culture. Although in some cases illegal, and potentially addictive, they are in large part seen as relatively unimportant additions to our lives. But their use is found across the globe and it s…

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  • Nazi Tank troops used the most meth | Norman Ohler and Lex Fridman

    September 27, 2025 · 📺 Lex Clips

    Lex Fridman Podcast full episode:    • Norman Ohler: Hitler, Nazis, Drugs, WW2, B...   Thank you for listening ❤ Check out our sponsors: https://lexfridman.com/sponsors/cv926... See below for guest bio, links, and to give feedback, submit questions, contact Lex, etc. GUEST BIO: Norman Ohler is a historian and author of "Blitzed: Drugs in the Third Reich," a book that investigates the role of psychoactive drugs, particularly stimulants such as methamphetamine, in the military history of World War II. It is a book that two legendary historians Ian Kershaw and Antony Beevor give very high praise…

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  • Hitler's first big mistake in World War II | Norman Ohler and Lex Fridman

    September 26, 2025 · 📺 Lex Clips

    Lex Fridman Podcast full episode:    • Norman Ohler: Hitler, Nazis, Drugs, WW2, B...   Thank you for listening ❤ Check out our sponsors: https://lexfridman.com/sponsors/cv926... See below for guest bio, links, and to give feedback, submit questions, contact Lex, etc. GUEST BIO: Norman Ohler is a historian and author of "Blitzed: Drugs in the Third Reich," a book that investigates the role of psychoactive drugs, particularly stimulants such as methamphetamine, in the military history of World War II. It is a book that two legendary historians Ian Kershaw and Antony Beevor give very high praise…

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Verified interview transcripts

Notable quotes

“The report was called in German, it's 'Zur Ausserkraftsetzung des Willens', which means I mean it's the report is called like chemical chemical way alteration of chemical ways to overcome the will of a person or something that like that. Wow. Talk about scary. You kind of break down a person, I guess. I read one longer report by a guy who took LSD and actually loved it. Which was like not really what the Nazis were i”

“So it shows us basically that prohibition, drug control, is not necessarily about health. It's basically about control of the subjects of the people of the citizens. So, and I think this is actually a flaw within our democratic societies and I think it contributes to the crisis of democracy to the crisis of the free world because this is in fact a biochemical wall that the government is setting up in our brain. Resea”

“The Third Reich did not just mobilize ideology, it pharmacologically enhanced it. So from that point on, I wondered, is that restricted to fascist governments or maybe do other governments as well condition their citizens through pharmacological regulations? Um what about democratic countries? Is the free world really free or are there similar mechanisms maybe at work? And I decided to take a closer look in regards t”

“Well, psychedelics are especially good in fixing trauma. So they are being used in fixing something that's broken inside. I mean drugs is a bad term in a way because these substances are so different from each other. Methamphetamine will not fix anything inside of you. It will just keep you going and if you're a broken machine, it will keep you going until you finally die basically while a psychedelic will let you pa”

“I think it was because the Nazi regime was very professional in designing a drug regime. So it was doing exactly what I warn against which is governments promoting certain substances in order to promote certain behaviors. So by being this anti-drug government which they officially were but meanwhile promoting methamphetamine, they created a mentality which was working for their goals which was everyone is a part. It ”

“The psychedelic renaissance is weird also because it's also pharmaceutical companies trying to make money from it which is understandable in a capitalist society but I'm very much anti-capitalist. I think we need to change our economy basically our system. We need to change basically everything. So we need a planetary revolution basically. We need to get rid of nation states. We need to curb capitalism. Obviously, we”

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