Most hippies did experiment with mind altering drugs, some just occasionally and other to the point that they were stoned all the time. The act of getting stoned initially is what led the hippie to see life in a whole new way. But many hippies abused drugs unfortunately becoming addicts of one type or another. Others experimented with the altered states of consciousness and found natural ways to get high, like being in nature, yoga, spiritual interests, crafts, creativeness. Fortunately for me, I found natural ways to get high, (hiking, making jewelry, cooking, seeking spirit)  that have been a god send for me over the years.

Common Hippie Terms of that era, some have lasted others you may rarely hear these days. I tried to keep this list to the most common everyday phrases or words that were so widely used or known about during that phase of our development.

Acid: Lsd

Bad Trip:  Any bad experience that has gone bad, which was  indicated by paranoia, or intense and uncontrollable feelings.

Bag: What you're into.  Your profession/obsession.  What you enjoy. 

Ball: To have sex. "Let's ball.."

Ban the Bra: Slogan symbolizing the Feminist Movement, women's rights and the sexual liberation of the 60s.

Beautiful People: Used to describe hippies or cool persons.

Bellbottoms: Pants with wide bell shaped legs worn by hippies.

Black Lights:  a black light used at parties or just at home that altered the appearance of colors making the colors extremely intense.

Blow Your Mind: Surprise you in a mind expanding way by something unbelievable. "She really blew my mind with that head trip."

Bong: A long cylindrical tube with a bowl, used to smoke marijuana

Bogart: To hog a joint while others are waiting.

Bread: Money.  "Hey man, gotta any bread for the groceries?"

Bring Down: Something or someone that ruins your day, and makes you lose your high.  "My ol' man's bringin' me down."

Bro: Used to describe any male friend.  Usually someone you can trust.  A brother.

Buds: Not beer, but cannabis flowers

Bummer: A bad thing. "What a bummer, I have to get a job."

Come Down: When the drug wears off you come down.

Chick: A girl.

Commune:   Used to describe a group of people living together, and the place they live.  Communes practice self-sufficiency, often farming the land.

Concrete Jungle:  a common term hippies used for any city or large town, because the earth was cover with cement.

Conscientious Objector: A draftee could apply for 1-O status if they could prove that serving in the military went against their religious or moral beliefs.  With 1-O status your were excused from military duty, but still required to do civilian service.  During the Vietnam War, this status was rarely granted.

Contact High: An altered state of consciousness that people get just being around other people who are doing psychedelic drugs. 

Cool: Groovy, OK, farout.

Cool it: Or Be Cool.  Mellow Out. Calm down or stop what you're doing.  "Hey can you cool it with the music, I'm trying to mellow out."

Co-op: Cooperative business, usually a health food store run by hippies. Members are part owners and many actively participate in the business. 

Cop out:  Escape from responsibility.  "Don't cop out when your bro is in need."

Cosmic: An idea or person really out there on the edge of comprehension.

Counterculture: The encompassing word for the hippie movement.  Not just a sub-culture, but an entire spectrum of individuals rejecting the values of the dominant society. 

Crash: To stay in someone else's place.  To come down off Acid or another intense drug.

Crash Pad: A place where hippies could hang out,  sleep, have sex, etc. without having to pay rent.  They would come and go, with different people staying there every night.

Dig: To understand. "Dig it?"  To like something. 

Do your own thing!: Be yourself!  Do what you want to do.  "I got a few acres out in the country where I can do my own thing"

Donovan: With his song "Mellow Yellow", Donovan made the music scene in the 60's.  His sensitive voice, spacey lyrics, and unusual arrangements evoke a very hippie feeling.  Other hits include Sunshine Superman, The Hurdy Gurdy Man, 

Don't trust anyone over 30! - Popular saying on buttons in the 60s highlighting the generation gap.

The Doors: This band from L.A. with the great Jim Morrison as lead poet, anarchist and debaucher gave the hippie movement a passionate, if somewhat psychotic visionary.

Draft Dodger: Anyone who avoided the Vietnam era compulsory draft either by getting the draft board to declare him undesirable or by fleeing to another country, usually Canada. To be declared undesirable or 4-F, you would have to fail the physical or mental qualifications. Draft dodgers used techniques that ranged from conscientious objector (which rarely worked), to acting gay or pretending to be a junkie.

Draft Lottery: The current system whereby your birthdate determines your draft eligibility.  A number is drawn for every day of the year.  If your birthday gets #15, then people born on your birthday will all be15th in line to be called.

Drag:  Bummer, something definitely unenjoyable.  "It's a drag , if you know what I mean."

Dylan, Bob: Originally from Minnesota, Dylan exploded on the music scene in Greenwich Village in the early 60's.  His blend of rock and folk ballads took everyone by storm, and in turn inspired just about every rock musician who was to follow in his footsteps.  His early songs "Blowin' in the Wind" and "The Times They are A-Changin'" took the protest song and gave it an edge. 

Easy Rider: 1969 film starring Peter Fonda, Jack Nicholson and Dennis Hopper contrasting the hippie lifestyle with the more conservative American values.  Born to be Wild by Steppenwolf added to the flavor.

Ego Trip: Thinking only about yourself.

Enlightenment: Attainment of a higher awareness of the reality beyond the illusion.

Fad: A popular craze, a temporary fashion. 

Far Out!: Something wonderful. An expression of glee or approval. Also a way of saying thanks. "Far Out Man"

Flashback: A spontaneous psychedelic experience that reminds one of a previous trip, but without any drugs. 

Flip Out: To lose it.  To go crazy. 

Flower Children: The hippies were called Flower Children because they wore flowers in their hair, on their clothes and painted flowers on everything.

Flower Power: Term coined in 1965 by Allen ginsberg at an anti-war rally in Berkeley.  It was Ginsberg's way of encouraging a non-violent response to violence protesters encountered.  Since hippies were fond of wearing and sharing flowers.   An extension of the Peace and Love theme, Flower Power assumed that the power of Love would win out over violence and hate.

Foxy: sexy, as in foxy chicks

Freak: To Freak or to Freak OUT.  Freak could be used as a term for  being 'into' something, as in interested in something..like..'Freaking over cars'. To Freak- usually meant to get upset or be afraid of something... Freak OUT- meant to go wild over something--or have a really wild experience..as in "they all freaked out when he showed up in body paint alone."

Freaks:  Calling someone a 'freak'---Freaks were people who were cool because it was who they were.  Hippies often were hippies because it was the 'in thing to do'. Freaks did things not because they were hip, but because it was who they were as a person.

Free Clinic: Medical clinics that provided medical  services free of charge

Free Love: The idealistic concept embraced by the hippies that Love needn't be bound by convention.  People are free to love whomever they please, whenever they please, wherever they please, without attachment or commitment.  This was practiced by many hippies and helped spawn the Women's and Gay Liberation Movements.

Funky: This word was given a new meaning by the hippies. It described clothing that wasn't supposed to go together, but somehow managed to look good. The meaning of the word became more vague, but still meant something with an unusual campy style, like clothes, music, or attitude. Get Funky!

Fuzz:  Another name for the police, pigs, fuzz, cops, and 'the man' were the common terms.

Generation Gap: Term highlighting the differences in perspective between hippies and their parents.

George Harrison: A member of the Beatles, who introduced the eastern philosophy of religion to the west through his music first with the Beatles and later by himself. A very strong advocate for love and peace.

Get High: To turn on.  To do a drug.  To alter your consciousness in a pleasant way.  "I got high just listening to the stream!"

Get into it!:  Dig it!  Go for it!  Do it with your whole being.

Get it together!: Also: Get your shit together.  Shape up!

Get Laid: Have sex.

Get Real!: Stop dreaming!  "Get real man."

Getting Off: When a drug takes effect and you start to get high.  Also means to enjoy something.  "I get off on foxy chicks."

Gig: A concert or a job.  Something to do.

Give Peace a Chance: Saying on banners and John Lennon song sung by protesters.

Going through Changes: To have a transforming experience.  A negative experience.  "My parents are putting me through changes"

Go For It!: Do it!

Gone:  Really out of it.  Not aware.  Asleep.

Go with the Flow: Taoist philosophy of living in the moment, without struggle, letting things happen as they may.

Good Vibrations: good feeling, good intentions coming from a person, place or thing.

Granny Glasses: Small wire framed glasses with round or square colored lenses. Made popular by rock musicians including John Lennon and Jerry Garcia.

Grass: Marijuana

Grateful Dead: The ultimate hippie band, from San Francisco. For thirty years Jerry Garcia and his faithful band brought hallucinatory music to their legions of fans.  Some of those fans followed them on the road year after year

Groove: A good habit or style.  "I'm getting into the groove of doing gigs every week."

Groovy!: Very pleasing, wonderful.

Guru: A teacher, especially in India.

Haight-Ashbury: The famous intersection in San Francisco near Golden Gate Park where the hippies came in the Summer of Love, and never left!  This area was the focus for much of the hippie movement's beginnings and inspiration

Hallucination: An altered state of awareness where one perceives a completely different objective reality.  More than just visual distortions, the person believes the hallucination to be real.

Hang Up:  A personality quirk resulting from something bothersome that makes your life miserable.  "She ignored me! She must be all hung up about something."

Hare Krishnas: Religious group which grew during the 60s by recruiting many hippies.  Characterized by their chanting, colorful robes, shaven heads and pigtails they could be seen parading through city streets around the country.  They worship the Hindu God, Krishna and abstain from meat, hoping to achieve higher consciousness through devotion.

Hash: Compressed potent form of marijuana, produced in the Middle East, Himalayan region and Africa. Also known as hash. Process removes resin containing THC from the marijuana plant usually using screens, or hands.

Hassle: A bother, something that you'd rather not deal with.  "Don't hassle me about the rent, I'll get it later."

Have a nice day: Which means just what it says, but was used very often in conversation and prior to the hippies, this saying wasn't a popular everyday saying.

Head: Some one who does certain drugs like "pot head" or "acid head".

Headbands:  Headbands obviously keep your long hair out of your face.  They also mop up the sweat on warm days. Both males and females wore them.

Head Shops: (Boutiques) Stores that catered to hippies or the young. Clothes, comics, beads, candles, jewelry and drug paraphernalia were obtainable at these shops.. they also made good hang outs.

Head Trip: To play games with someone's mind. A person or situation that messes with your mind.

Heavy Metal: Hard, loud rock music, characterized by a heavy beat and thunderous guitars. Term originated with Steppenwolf (heavy metal thunder) in the song "Born to Be Wild".

Hendrix, Jimi: The greatest guitar player ever.  Jimi could coax sounds from his axe that no one had ever heard before. His guitar mastery impressed every great musician since.  His on stage persona and charisma is unmatched. Jimi gave legendary performances at Monterey Pop, Woodstock, the Fillmore. He died at the peak of his career.  Jimi was a great soul who soared so high he was able to take us along for the ride of our lives..

High: Stoned.  An altered state.  Pleasantly turned on.

Hip: Aware of what's going on.  Knowledgeable. "I'm hip to what's happening."  Something cool or groovy.  "Those are the hippest love beads I've ever seen!"

Hip Huggers: Jeans that rested low on the hips, exposing the navel, especially on a girl wearing a halter top.

Hippie: A person who's hip. They had long hair (both male and female), wore no make-up, no bras, and usually didn't work.

Huxley, Aldous: Author of the famous science fiction novel, Brave New World, and the ground breaking Doors of Perception, Huxley explored the inner realms of the mind.  His thirst for the insightful psychedelic experience led him to LSD, which he ingested as he lay on his deathbed.

Hype: To promote something excessively.

In:  Whatever's trendy at the moment.  "Beatle boots and granny glasses are really in now!"

Incense:  Incense has been used for millennia to provide a ritual cleansing of a room for religious services.  Temples and churches are fond of it.  Supposedly it drives out the "evil spirits".  Most of the incense we use in the west comes from India.  When the hippies got going they would buy incense to mask the smell of marijuana.  Incense can also assist in meditation by giving your space an exotic feel.  Since incense comes in a wonderful assortment of scents you can just use it to add a nice fragrance to your house.

Jefferson Airplane: A San Francisco band that took off on the Summer of Love. Marty Balin, Grace Slick, Jorma Kaukonen, Jack Cassady were band members. After Balin left it became the Jefferson Starship.

Joint: A marijuana cigarette.

Karma: Indian term for fate. You reap what you sow. Our condition in this life is a result of the action we made in past lives.  We reincarnate until we free ourselves from our Karmic indebtedness.

Laid Back: Someone relaxed, easygoing.  A place that's cool.  "I've been to the commune, it's real laid back."

Later: Good bye.

Lay: Someone who has sex.  "She was a great lay."

Lay it on me: Give it to me.

Leary, Timothy: The psychedelic guru, acid impresario, prolific author, unchallenged hero of the free mind movement. "Turn-on, tune-in, and drop-out." Those words inspired a generation to experience the mind expanding capabilities of acid.

Lennon, John: Beatle, poet, artist, activist, singer, musician.  One of the great figures of the 60s.  Controversial, he once said the Beatles were more popular than Jesus (he was right at the time).  He sang about love and peace and his music inspired millions. He was murdered outside his apartment building in 1980.

Lid: A bag of grass, usually about an ounce (28 grams).

Light Shows: A visual performance accompanying music at clubs and concert venues using strobes, film, video, special effects and more recently lasers. 

Love: A greeting to used to say hello or goodbye, such as "Peace, Love." and the hippie raised their arm and with theirfingers they make  the peace sign

Love beads:  Love beads were orginally made from small seeds.  They came in numerous patterns, and were given as gifts between friends or made by the wearer. They were a common sign of friendship.

Love-In: Like a Be-In it was a reason to get together with other hippies and have fun. Loving everyone and everything was the general theme of the event.

Luv: a way of spelling the work love.

Maintain: To keep one's shit together.  "Every since my babe left me I'm finding it hard to maintain."

Make Love Not War!: Slogan that sums up the hippie attitude. Appeared on signs and buttons during protests against Vietnam War.

Man: A dude.  The Man is the police.  Man! means damn!  My Man! means a friend. 

Mantra: A form of meditation that uses repeated phrase(s) that help to free the yogi from random thoughts by focusing on the phrase.  Different mantras have different effects.

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi: Famous guru to the Beatles, Beach Boys, and other famous personalities. First everyone went to visit him in India, then he bought his teachings to the U.S.  Emphasizing the power of meditation, he drew a huge following among the hippie generation.

Mellow: Something pleasant and enjoyable.  

Mellow out!: Calm down! Equal to chill out!

Mind Game: When someone tries to control your mind, often by trying to bullshit you.

Munchies: Also known as the raving munchies. The mad craving for food, often sweets that you get after smoking marijuana.

O'D': Did too much of anything. "I o'd' on eating all those cookies, last night."

Old Lady: Your girlfriend or wife.

Old Man:  Your boyfriend or husband.

OM: Also AUM. The cosmic vibration.  Used as a mantra and in affirmations and blessings.

Outtasight!: Fantastic!

Paisleys - These fractal like patterns appeared on clothes in the sixties and were a popular psychedelic design.

Patchouli - For some reason this is the fragrance most associated with hippies, probably because it masks the smell of marijuana.  You can still smell it in most head shops.  A very strong earthy, flowery smell, usually found on hippie girls wearing long peasant dresses.  Origin - India.

Peace Bro:  Wishing peace to your fellow man, usually one guy to another guy.

Peace Now!: Rallying call to end the war in Vietnam.

Peak Experience: Refers to any intense personal experience, often drug induced. 

Peace Sign: the hand gesture of your two first fingers made into a V shape. All hippies used the peace sign to say hello, goodbye, peace, love, just a statement declaring that they are hippies.

Peace Symbol: The familiar circle with lines was originally the symbol for nuclear disarmament.  Bertrand Russell is credited with creating the symbol in 1958 from the semaphore flag signals for letters N(uclear) and D(isarmament).  It first appeared in the anti-nuclear protest of the early sixties, and was used extensively during the anti-war movement as a more generic peace symbol.

Pigs: Derogatory name for police.

Plastic: Something or someone artificial, unreal.  "I hate shopping malls, they're so plastic."

Pot: Marijuana.

Power to the People!: Used by Black Panthers and others to describe the need to change the existing power structure. 

Psychedelic: Hallucinatory experience sometimes brought on by altered state of awareness, via drugs like LSD or some other experience or art work. The word originated in correspondence between Aldous Huxley and Humphrey Osmond in the 50's.  From Greek, it literally means a substance that reveals the nature of the soul.

Primo: First quality stuff.  "

Ram Dass:  Formerly Richard Albert, who along with Timothy Leary was involved with the LSD experiments at Harvard.  Albert left the school and traveled to India, where he met his Guru and changed his name.  Author of  "Be Here Now"  He is an inspired Guru himself.

Rap: To have a friendly discussion.

Right On!: Strong agreement, affirmative, yes! Sometimes accompanied by a clenched fist.

Righteous: Something really great.

Rip Off: To steal, or have something stolen.  "Someone ripped off my last lid!"

Rush:  A quick change of consciousness that creates a dizzying sensation.  "What a rush."

Scene: The locale and the cool people who attend comprise the "scene".  A party with an atmosphere you appreciate.

Score: To finally get something highly desired.  

Screw: To have sex.  "We screwed all night".  Insult.  "Screw you!". 

Selling Out: To sacrifice one's counter-culture ideals for acceptance by society or material gain.

Sock it to me!: A recurring segment on Laugh-In, a popular sixties comedy show.  Richard Nixon appeared on the show turning it into a question, Sock it to me? And we did!

Space Cadet: Some one really spaced out on a regular basis.

Spaced Out: Not all here, possibly stoned.  Also Spacey.

Split: To leave the scene.  "I gotta split now, or my ol' lady's gonna be pissed."

Square: Someone who follows all the rules or is part of the establishment.  Something uncool. 

Stash: Your hidden dope supply.  "I'll get my stash and meet you at the Be-In."

Stoked: Totally happy about something.

Stoned: High, from having ingested a drug.  Common description of getting high on marijuana.  It refers to the mind numbing effects of a drug.

Stop the War!: The Vietnam War.

Straight: Some one who doesn't do drugs, or isn't into the "scene".  Also when you're drug free (see clean).

Strobe lights: Used at parties and rock concerts. These bright flashing lights added a groovy psychedelic effect like flash bulbs going off in sequence. It would freeze the action for a split second, allowing the camera in your mind to record the moment.

Synchronous/Synchronicity: When two separate events or thoughts manifest at the same time with a similar meaning.  Carl Jung gave much significance to such events and the person(s) who recognize the synchronicity.

The System: The catchall phrase for the evil power structure that oppresses the masses, controls the economics, and creates war.  Refers to capitalism.

The Void:  going out past your body, past the astral plance into oneness.

Tantra: Yogic sexual practice that seeks to raise awareness by moving energy from the lower to higher chakras through the sexual act. 

Tapped Out: Out of money. "I'd lend you the dough, but I'm all tapped out."

Tao: "The way". Oriental philosophy adopted by many hippies.

Tie Dye: Colorful abstract artwork usually done on clothing by dying fabric by tying it together.

Together: All right.  O.K.  Once you sort out your problems, you're together.  "Get it together, man!"

Toke: A "hit" of marijuana. To smoke marijuana.

Trip: A profound experience.  "That was a trip!" or  when someone tries to blow your mind "He's laying a trip on you."

Trippy: Something unusual or psychedelic.

" Turn On, Tune In, Drop Out" - Timothy Leary's famous quote encouraging young people to discover their true nature through LSD and drop out of society's program.

Turn On: Something that excites you. 

Tye-die: A pattern of bright  intense colors that were made on T-shirts and other articles of clothing by tying the garment with string and putting it into a pot of dye.

Underground: Something anti-establishment, working undercover or hidden.  Term applied to newspapers and comic books or other media that was directed towards freaks. These were often small publications that covered the hippy scene including radical politics, sex, drugs and rock and roll.

Uptight: Stressed out, tense.  "Hey don't get so uptight, it's no big deal!"

Unreal:  Something unbelievable. 

Vibes: Short for vibrations. Used to describe the overall feeling or mood of a place, person or thing. "I kept puttin' out good vibes, but I still didn't get a ride!"

Vision: A dreamlike inspirational experience or scenario viewed in one's mind. 

VW (pronounced V-Dub):  a VW bug or bus  that was the car or van to drive in the sixties, especially if you were a hippie.

Way Out: Something so far out there, it's almost unbelievable.

What's Happenin'?: What's going on?  A greeting.  "Hey man, what's happenin'?

Wow!: An exclamation of excitement.  "Wow! Did you see what Jimi did with his guitar?"