Albert Hofmann, creator of LSD dies at age 102

This Tuesday. April 29th, 2008 saw the passing of the “father” of LSD, Albert Hofmann, aged 102.

The Swiss chemist created lysergic acid diethylamide-25 in 1938 while studying the medicinal uses of an ergot fungus found on rye and other grains at the Sandoz pharmaceuticals firm in Basel, Switzerland. His discovery of it’s potent halucinogenic effects was made after he came in contact with a minute amount of the substance, probably absorbed through the skin of his fingertips. It is one of the strongest drugs in medicine – with just one gram enough to drug an estimated 10,000 to 20,000 people for 12 hours.

Hofmann and his colleagues hoped that LSD would make an important contribution to psychiatric research. The drug exaggerated inner problems and conflicts and thus it was hoped that it might be used to recognize and treat mental illness like schizophrenia. For a time, Sandoz sold LSD 25 under the name Delysid, encouraging doctors to try it themselves.

LSD was elevated to international fame in the late 1950s and 1960s thanks to Harvard professor Timothy Leary who embraced the drug under the slogan “turn on, tune in, drop out.” Film stars like Cary Grant and numerous rock musicians extolled its virtues in achieving true self discovery and enlightenment.

Hofmann’s hallucinogen became embraced by millions of the 1960’s hippie generation. Then the U.S. government banned LSD in 1966 and other countries soon followed suit after (mostly false) horror stories emerged about people going on murder sprees or jumping out of windows while hallucinating.

For decades after LSD was banned in the late 1960s, Hofmann defended his invention, maintaining this was unfair, arguing that the drug was not addictive. He repeatedly maintained the ban should be lifted to allow LSD to be used in medical research.

He himself took the drug – purportedly on an occasional basis and out of scientific interest – for several decades. “LSD can help open your eyes,” he once said. Even so, Hofmann readily agreed that the drug was dangerous if in the wrong hands, as was reflected by the title of his 1979 book: “LSD - my problem child.” Follow the link to the book to read the book as well as the entire account of the first “acid trips” experienced by Albert Hofmann.

As an artist and inner cosmonaut myself I think drugs of all sorts have contributed greatly to the art scene. I would also acknowledge that while enhancing the art it has NOT always enhanced the artist. Artists though are a special breed with more than our fair share of misfits, addictive personalities, pychological problems and risk taking.

My own experiments with LSD were something I don’t think I would ever do again, but I would not want to have not tried it. I do consider myself the more enriched for having done so. Maybe I should write or cartoon some of my earlier experimentations?

For now I will end with  a final goodbye to Albert Hofmann, and must add a personal thanks. As Jimi Hendrix once sang, “Have you ever been experienced? Well, I have.”