Albert Hofmann, the father of LSD, passed away on Tuesday 29 April 2008 at his home in Basel, Switzerland. Today, 19 April 2009, also known as bicycle day, will be the first time in history that we celebrate this day without Hofmann, the discoverer of LSD.
“Hofmann (January 11, 1906 – April 29, 2008) was a Swiss scientist best known for synthesizing Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD). Hofmann authored more than 100 scientific articles and wrote a number of books, including LSD: My Problem Child (free online book). On January 11, 2006, Hofmann became a centenarian, and the occasion of his 100th birthday was the focus of an international symposium on LSD.”
LSD “was first synthesized on November 16, 1938 … at the Sandoz Laboratories in Basel, Switzerland, as part of a large research program searching for medically useful ergot alkaloid derivatives. Its psychedelic properties were unknown until 5 years later, when Hofmann, acting on what he has called a ‘peculiar presentiment,’ returned to work on the chemical. He attributed the discovery of the compound's psychoactive effects to the accidental absorption of a tiny amount through his skin on April 16, which led to him testing a larger amount (250 µg) on himself for psychoactivity on April 19, the so-called bicycle day.”
“Three days earlier, he had absorbed a small amount of the drug either through his fingertips or by accidentally ingesting it. On Bicycle Day, he took 250 µg of LSD intentionally and, fearing he had made himself ill, cycled home from his lab. During his bicycle ride, he experienced the effects of LSD, making this the date of the first ever acid trip. He wrote about his experiments and experience on April 22, which was later put into his book LSD: My Problem Child.”
“Hofmann always expressed his disappointment with LSD eventually being criminalised, saying the drug had the potential to deal with psychological problems caused by ‘materialism, alienation from nature through industrialisation and increasing urbanisation, lack of satisfaction in professional employment in a mechanised, lifeless working world, ennui and purposelessness in wealthy, saturated society, and lack of a religious, nurturing, and meaningful philosophical foundation of life’.”
“Despite the controversy, Hofmann became a celebrated figure in the scientific community, and in his retirement served as a member of the Nobel Prize Committee as well as being a Fellow of the World Academy of Sciences.”
“In 1988 the Albert Hoffman Foundation was created ‘to assemble and maintain an international library and archive devoted to the study of human consciousness and related fields.’”
What follows is a documentary about Hofmann’s life and his discovery, and some information regarding LSD and its uses:
1) The following National Film Board of Canada documentary “Hofmann's Potion” (56:26), directed by Connie Littlefield is an excellent introduction to this topic. “Featuring interviews with many LSD pioneers, Hofmann's Potion is much more than a simple chronicle of the drug's early days. With thoughtful interviews, beautiful music and stunning cinematography, it is an invitation to look at LSD, and our world, with a more open, compassionate mind. The film features interviews with the following people: Albert Hofmann, Myron Stolaroff, Stanislav Grof, Humphrey Osmond, Abram Hoffer, Duncan Blewett, Ralph Metzner, Ram Dass, Laura Archera Huxley, and in spirit: Aldous Huxley, Al Hubbard, and Timothy Leary.”
DSDS Videos: alle Castings, Recalls und Mottoshows bei Clipfish.de
2) LSD is “a white, odorless powder (Erowid Note : LSD generally comes in ‘blotter’ form; small squares of paper which have been soaked in liquid LSD. It is also found as a liquid, microdot, sugar cubes, and gelatin squares, but is quite rare as a ‘white, odorless powder’) usually taken orally, its effects are highly variable and begin within one hour and generally last 8-12 hours, gradually tapering off. It has been used experimentally in the treatment of alcoholics and psychiatric patients. [Where it showed some success.] It significantly alters perception, mood, and psychological processes, and can impair motor coordination and skills. During the 1950s and early 1960s, LSD experimentation was legally conducted by psychiatrists and others in the health and mental health professions. Sometimes dramatic, unpleasant psychological reactions occur, including panic, great confusion, and anxiety. Strongly affected by SET and SETTING.”
3) If you would like to know how important this discovery has been to our society, then see the following information: Nobel Prize genius Crick was high on LSD when he discovered the secret of life - “Francis Crick, the Nobel Prize-winning father of modern genetics, was under the influence of LSD when he first deduced the double-helix structure of DNA.”
4) If you would like to know how the government of the United States used LSD to conduct secret experiments on its citizens then read the following story: Mind Control, LSD, the CIA and the American People: What the Government Does Not Want You to Know - “The Army tested LSD on approximately 1500 military personnel in the mid-60's, including many men who took their first trip when acid was given to unwitting GI's at mess parties.”
5) If you would like to know how the British government used LSD to conduct secret experiments on its citizens then see the following story: Secret LSD tests now being compensated - “British secret intelligence service MI6 has agreed to compensate soldiers who were dosed with LSD without their consent during the 1950s, according to an article in The Guardian. Similar experiments were carried out by a number of governments during the 1950s and 60s, in an attempt to create 'mind control programmes' and 'truth drugs'.”
6) If you would like to know how the Canadian government used LSD to conduct secret experiments on its citizens then see the following story: Military funded McGill LSD trial - “The documents, obtained by Southam News and the Ottawa Citizen, are believed to be the first public indication the Canadian military tested brain-altering drugs, albeit on a much smaller scale than the Americans.”
7) If you would like to know the impact of LSD and other Psychedelics on the arts community and how they helped shape our society then see the following story: Psychedelic Fungi and Its Impact on Music and Art - “Inspired by their LSD experiences, musical groups began making their musical compositions more complex, and added more sound effects to their music. Their music was an attempt to recreate their experience while still under LSD.”
8) If you want to read books about LSD then check out Albert Hoffman’s LSD: My Problem Child or Martin A. Lee and Bruce Shlain’s book Acid Dreams: The Complete Social History of LSD: the CIA, the Sixties, and beyond. Both are available for free online at the provided links.
9) If you would like to know how people have been treated, how much it has cost our society, and what the police really think about drug laws then see the following information and video: Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP) - “To me, this a pretty damned powerful video. The guilt, regret, and introspection apparent in these former cops is striking -- and admirable.” Since 2002, LEAP has grown from five founding police officers to a membership of 10,000 people. “LEAP is now made up of police, judges, prosecutors, prison wardens, FBI and DEA agents and others. LEAP has a bureau of 85 speakers and membership in 86 other countries.”
10) And If you would like to hear a positive “drug” story, then see the following from Bill Hicks - “Today a young man on acid realized that all matter is merely energy condensed to a slow vibration, that we are all one consciousness experiencing itself subjectively, there is no such thing as death, life is only a dream, and we are the imagination of ourselves.”
Enjoy your journey.
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