Ram Dass

Ram Dass, born Richard Alpert on April 6, 1931, gained prominence through his seminal work "Be Here Now" (1971), which became a cornerstone of Western spirituality. During the 1960s, he worked as a psychologist at Harvard University, where he collaborated with Timothy Leary on psychedelic research. His journey to India in 1967 led him to meet his guru, Neem Karoli Baba, who profoundly influenced his spiritual evolution. Ram Dass co-founded the Seva Foundation in 1978, focusing on global health initiatives, particularly in combating blindness in developing countries. He also authored several influential books, including "Grist for the Mill" (1982) and "How Can I Help?" (1985), which offered practical spiritual guidance. Ram Dass passed away on December 22, 2019, in Maui, Hawaii.