Person in history
Ram Dass
Ram Dass, American spiritual teacher and author (born 1931)
Life at a glance
- Died
- 2019 · December 22
Their story
Who they were
Ram Dass, American spiritual teacher and author (born 1931)
Early life
Born Richard Alpert in Boston in 1931, he earned a PhD in psychology from Stanford University and became a Harvard psychology professor. In 1961, he began experimenting with psychedelic drugs, including LSD, as part of Harvard's research program.
Path and career
Alpert traveled to India in 1967, where he met his guru Neem Karoli Baba and adopted the name Ram Dass. He returned to America as a spiritual teacher, blending Hindu and Buddhist teachings with Western psychology.
Ram Dass authored *Be Here Now* (1971), a bestselling guide to meditation and spirituality that influenced the counterculture movement. He founded the Seva Foundation and spent decades teaching, writing, and advocating for conscious aging and service to others.
Why this date
Ram Dass appears on our December 22 calendar for 2019 as a death entry.
Sources
Cite this page
“Ram Dass”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/people/ram-dass, accessed October 27, 2026.
Cite the underlying source as well — the source links above go to the record this entry is adapted from.
Questions about Ram Dass
When did Ram Dass die?
December 22 2019.
Who else was born on this day?
The date page lists everyone we hold for that calendar day.
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