Be Here Now

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of substance use.

Ram Dass, born as Richard Alpert in 1931, is both the author and central figure of Be Here Now, embodying the book’s transformation from an academic overachiever to a spiritual teacher. Raised in a secular Jewish home and academically trained at Harvard, Alpert first gained prominence through his partnership with Timothy Leary on psychedelic research. This early phase of his career reflected a Western approach: experimental, intellectual, and heavily influenced by psychology’s scientific rigor. Yet, his repeated encounters with transient “highs” and the fleeting nature of drug-induced insights left him restless for a more enduring spiritual reality.

The life-changing catalyst occurred when Alpert, newly dismissed from Harvard, journeyed to India. There, he met the yogi Bhagwan Dass, who guided him to Neem Karoli Baba—often referred to as Maharaj-ji. Under Maharaj-ji’s guidance, Alpert embraced devotion (bhakti) and inner practices that dismantled his fiercely analytic self-image. He emerged as Ram Dass (meaning “servant of God”), focusing on meditation, service, and an inclusive sense of love that transcends cultural and religious boundaries. Be Here Now reflects this shift and Dass’s emphasis on