Deliberate provocation of mystical experience, particularly by LSD and related hallucinogens, in contrast to spontaneous visionary experiences, entails dangers that must not be underestimated. Practitioners must take into account the peculiar effects of these substances, namely their ability to influence our consciousness, the innermost essence of our being. The history of LSD to date amply demonstrates the catastrophic consequences that can ensue when its profound effect is misjudged and the substance is mistaken for a pleasure drug. Special internal and external advance preperations are required; with them, an LSD experiment can become a meaningful experience.

Albert Hoffman

Are there lessons we can learn from the past insofar as what went wrong with the research, why it was stopped, that we should be attentive to, so mistakes are not repeated?

On November 26, 1996, Charles Grob, M.D. visited with Albert Hofmann in Rheinfelden, outside of Basel, Switzerland, where Dr. Hofmann was recovering from knee surgery. The following are excerpts from their conversation.

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How did the psychedelic drugs LSD and Ecstasy journey from a scientific discovery to a popular recreation to banned drugs? Mental health professionals once believed that LSD could treat schizophrenia or alcoholism. Meanwhile, Ecstasy, the "penicillin for the soul", was used in marriage counseling. Now, continuing the cycle of the hallucinogen, some of the latest derivatives in this category of drugs, the "rave" drugs such as GHB and Ketamine, are about to be

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A BBC documentary on LSD. [Part 1 of 9]

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A documentary about LSD and how it was created, what usage it had, and how the early experiments were carried out by Albert Hofmann and others..

LSD vereinte sie alle: Medizin, Hippiebewegung, Popkultur. Jim Morrison, Timothy Leary und Ken Kesey wurden von dem psychedelischen Stoff inspiriert wie von keiner anderen Substanz. Vor 65 Jahren entdeckte der Chemiker Albert Hofmann LSD. Jetzt erlebt die Modedroge eine neue Wertschätzung als Arznei.

Laborarbeit muss nicht öde sein. Das hat Albert Hofmann erfahren. Im April 1943 sucht der Chemiker für die Firma Sandoz in Basel nach einem Kreislaufmittel. Am 16., einem Freitag, arbeitet er mit dem Pilz Claviceps purpurea, der das sogenannte Mutterkorn bildet. Er synthetisiert daraus Lysergsäure-Diäthylamid - und berührt die Flüssigkeit mit den Fingern.
So beginnt der erste LSD-Trip der Geschichte. Der Laborant fühlt sich krank, fährt heim und legt sich hin. Dort "wirken ununterbrochen phantastische Bilder von außerordentlicher Plastizität und mit intensivem, kaleidoskopartigem Farbenspiel auf mich ein", berichtet er später. Ein Stuhl, der neben dem Bett stand, beginnt zu leben - "von innen heraus".

welt.de

Der Entdecker der "Wunderdroge" LSD, Albert Hofmann, ist tot. Der Schweizer starb in seiner Heimat 102-jährig an den Folgen eines Herzinfarkts. Der Chemiker hatte LSD zufällig bei Experimenten entdeckt, den Wirkstoff im Selbstversuch getestet und die bewusstseinserweiternde Wirkung des Halluzinogens beschrieben. LSD sei bei unbedachter Einnahme "saumäßig gefährlich", sagte er später. Trotzdem setzte er sich bis ins hohe Alter für eine Aufhebung des Verbots von LSD ein.

orf.at spiegel.de

Albert Hofmann, who died on Tuesday aged 102, synthesised lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) in 1938 and became the first person in the world to experience a full-blown acid trip.

The day, April 19 1943, became known among aficionados as “Bicycle Day” as it was while cycling home from his laboratory that he experienced the most intense symptoms.

Hofmann was working as a research chemist in the laboratory of the Sandoz Company (now Novartis) in Basel, Switzerland, where he was involved in studying the medicinal properties of plants. This eventually led to the study of the alkaloid compounds of ergot, a fungus which forms on rye.

In the Middle Ages, ergot was implicated in period outbreaks of mass poisonings, producing symptoms in two characteristic forms, one gangrenous (ergotismus gangraenosus) and the other convulsive (ergotismus convulsivus).
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Popular names such as “mal des ardents,” “ignis sacer,” “heiliges Feuer,” or “St Anthony’s fire” — refer to the gangrenous form of the disease.

telegraph.co.uk erowid.orgmindhacks.combruceeisner.com
hofmann.org wired.com bbc.co.uk theregister.co.uk

Dr Albert Hofmann was an anonymous Swiss chemist - then he inadvertently created the mind-altering 'psychedelic' drug that would shape popular culture for generations. As he celebrates his 100th birthday, David McCandless hears about the trip of his lifetime

independent.co.uk