Written By Max Gibson
“I think that in human evolution it has never been as necessary to have this substance LSD. It is just a tool to turn us into what we are supposed to be.” – Albert Hoffman
Known to the world as the father of LSD, Albert Hofmann’s legacy as a scientist was founded through his support and celebration of LSD. As the first person to experience the effects of LSD on the body and mind, Hoffman’s discovery altered the study of hallucinogens, helping to introduce the powers of LSD into the public’s consciousness.
Born on January 11th, 1906, Hofmann’s early years as a youth provided him with the experiences that would later found his passion for life, nature and exploration. Embracing the outdoors from an early age, a chance occurrence in the hills above Baden Switzerland revealed the infinite wonders of the world to Hofmann. The experiences setting the scientists life course for the next 90 years.
“I was completely astonished by the beauty of nature,” said Hofmann. “Our eyes see just a small fraction of the light in the world. It is a trick to make a colored world, which does not exist outside of human beings.”
Enrolling at the University of Zurich at the age of 20, Hofmann pursued his interest in chemistry. Earning his degree in three years, Hofmann worked at the Swiss pharmaceutical company Sandoz Laboratories following school. Taking to the study of plants. Hofmann grravitated to the poisonous ergot fungus in hopes of identifying the properties that produced its poisonous effect. Soon after identifying the active ingredient as lysergic acid, Hofmann began to experiment with various molecules, combining them with the acid in hopes of producing useful pharmaceutical compounds. First synthesizing what would become LSD on November 16, 1938, it was five years until Hofmann discovered the compounds powerful effects.
While unknown whether he inhaled it, swallowed it, or absorbed a small quantity through his fingertips, on April 19, 1943, Hofmann endured his first dose of LSD, the experience altering his life forever.
A paradigm shifting experience in itself, Hofmann jotted down notes describing his experience. His words providing the worlds first account of an LSD trip,
“…affected by a remarkable restlessness, combined with a slight dizziness. At home I lay down and sank into a not unpleasant intoxicated-like condition, characterized by an extremely stimulated imagination. In a dreamlike state, with eyes closed (I found the daylight to be unpleasantly glaring), I perceived an uninterrupted stream of fantastic pictures, extraordinary shapes with intense, kaleidoscopic play of colors. After some two hours this condition faded away.”
The following Monday, Hofmann again tried the magical hallucinogen. Deliberately taking 0.25 milligrams of LSD, and diluting it in to 10cc of water, Hofmann experienced his second mystical trip. Managing to scribble the words, “desire to laugh,” before losing control of his senses, Hofmann and a comrade embarked on a bike ride that revealed the world to Hofmann as he’d never seen it before. Describing the images around him as, “opening and closing themselves in circles and spirals, exploding in coloured fountains.” Hoffman claimed that each sound made colours, the overall experience leaving Hofmann ‘fresh as a newborn child.’
Championing the spiritual powers of LSD throughout the following decades, Hofmann also looked to other hallucinogen’s as a means to connect with the surrounding world. Although embracing LSD as his “problem child,” Hofmann also experimented with mushrooms in Mexico, and the LSD like properties of the seeds in the morning glory flower.
Holding the powers of LSD close to his heart since his first trip some 15 years ago, the perception of Hofmann’s beloved “problem child,” was forever altered through the words 60′s counter culture psychologist Timothy Leary. Urging youth to use LSD to detach from the materialism and social hierarchy of the day, Leary influenced students across the nation to experiment with the substance. Leading to the first national LSD epidemic, Hofmann found his treasured substance demonized by the conservative establishment. Blaming the drug for everything from murders and accidents, to ridiculous excuses to fly, LSD became a polarizing substance, effectively altering public opinion regarding the drug.
The author of several essays and books detailing his experiences with LSD, Hofmann’s most well known work LSD: My Problem Child, details the transformation of LSD from a research medicine to a recreational drug. Passing at the age of 102 only three years ago, the scientist’s message to those contemplating an LSD experience is simple, “Go to the meadow, go to the garden, go to the woods, and open your eyes!” As a scientist and visionary, Hofmann’s contributions to the realm of hallucinogens will be felt by the curious and adventurous for generations to come.
original graphic 2008