I just wanted to take a minute to rave about Dr. Hofmann, LSD, and all that they have both done for us. Since there is an overwhelmingly exhaustive amount of information available on the internet about Dr. Hofmann, I simply want to point out some of the things we’d be missing out on if it weren’t for him. The quick gist is that he is responsible for the synthesis of one of the most remarkable psychoactive substances known to man; LSD-25. You can read all about Albert Hofmann and the History of LSD on Wikipedia. This is an excellent resource for all things Hofmann.
Let’s have a quick look at a few of the things we’d likely be missing in our lives without Dr. Hofmann and LSD. How about The Beatles? Every member of The Beatles experimented with LSD. I highly doubt we would have ended up with all of the lovely music from The Beatles without Dr. Hofmann’s discovery. The Rolling Stones? The Doors. All influenced by LSD.
Bill Gates of Microsoft admitted to dropping acid in an interview with Playboy in the December 8th, 1984 issue. Here’s the excerpt:
“PLAYBOY: Ever take LSD?
GATES: My errant youth ended a long time ago.
PLAYBOY: What does that mean?
GATES: That means there were things I did under the age of 25 that I ended up not doing subsequently.
PLAYBOY: One LSD story involved you staring at a table and thinking the corner was going to plunge into your eye.
GATES: [Smiles]
PLAYBOY: Ah, a glimmer of recognition.
GATES: That was on the other side of that boundary. The young mind can deal with certain kinds of gooping around that I don’t think at this age I could. I don’t think you’re as capable of handling lack of sleep or whatever challenges you throw at your body as you get older. However, I never missed a day of work.”
Ken Kesey, author of “One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest,” which was turned into a movie that ended up being one of Jack Nicholson‘s best known flicks. Nicholson also wrote the 1967 movie “The Trip” aka “A Lovely Sort of Death.”
Artists Salvador Dali and Alex Grey, both influenced by LSD. Everyone knows the melting clocks painting, it’s a bad ass painting. Alex Grey has done album work for Nirvana, The Beastie Boys, and Tool to mention a few.
Steve Jobs of Apple Computer is quoted “taking LSD was one of the two or three most important things he had done in his life.” That’s right, all you fools on your nice ass Macbook Pros listening to your fancy iPods stuffed with stolen music would be listening to your Sony Discman and your PC laptop battery would be about to die. Okay, doubtful we’d be that far behind. It’d be pretty extraordinary if we still had iPods and Macbooks without one of Jobs’ two or three most important things he’s done in his life though.
Woodstock probably would have sucked.
William S. Burroughs, Hunter S. Thompson. Come on, no Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas? Weak. Which brings us to Johnny Depp, pretty sure he’s tripped some balls.
Freaking Grateful Dead, Jimi Hendrix. Are you experienced? I don’t think any of us would be quite as experienced as we are now.
The list of famous actors, writers, artists, entrepreneurs and musicians that have used LSD goes on and on. And I bet there isn’t a single one of them that would take those experiences back. I just don’t see how any of this could be exactly the same as it is today without him.
Stop by maps.org and support what they are doing with LSD and Psilocybin research. I think there is a lot of potential in the vast unexplored world of these chemicals.
Erowid.org has been so kind to provide a worthy home for all of Dr. Hofmann’s original references available here. Check out the photos.
What’s the 25 in LSD-25? Direct quote from Hofmann in his book entitled “LSD, My Problem Child” – “In 1938, I produced the twenty fifth substance in a series of lysergic acid derivatives: lysergic acid diethylamide, abbreviated LSD-25 … for laboratory usage.” On April 19th, 1943 he decided to revisit his research on a hunch and busted out a 250 microgram dosage orally and successfully rocked the first LSD trip in history. Also known as “Bicycle Day.”
Without Dr. Hofmann, music would suck, computers would suck, books would suck, and religion would suck worse than it does already.
The next time you score a vial of LSD, pour some out for our homie Dr. Hofmann (lol bascule). Hofmann, you were the shit, son.
Telegraph.co.uk Obituary. 102nd Birthday RowTow post.
Dr. Albert Hofmann
“The Father of LSD”
Born: January 11th, 1906. Died: April 29th, 2008.
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