Abstract

“Begrijpt u nu waarom ik huil?” (Now do you get it?) is a 1969 documentary film by Dutch director Louis van Gasteren, documenting Dr. Jan Bastiaans’ treatment of concentration camp survivors using his method of LSD-assisted psychotherapy. In particular, the film documents the treatment undergone by former concentration camp prisoner Joop. After facing the horrors of several concentration camps between 1941-1945, Joop returned home to his wife a different man. He had nightmares and was incapable of ordinary human contact. With two cameras, Van Gasteren shot over six and a half hours of the first treatment session Joop underwent, which was edited to over one hour of film. During the session he was administered a total of 300 micrograms of LSD by Bastiaans, who aimed to use the substance to break through psychological rigidity to bring emotional release and healing. The film paints a deeply emotional picture of the depth of human trauma endured during the holocaust, and the unique treatment methods of Dr. Bastiaans. English subtitles were added to the film by the Amsterdam Psychedelic Research Association, so it can now be viewed by international audiences for the first time.