Albert Hofmann. Father of LSD

1.

Albert Hofmann
Father of LSD

2.

Biography
• Albert Hofmann was a Swiss chemist and writer,
commonly known as the “father” of LSD.
• He was born on 11 January 1906 in Baden,
Switzerlandand and died 29 April 2008 (aged 102).
• He studied chemistry at the University of Zurich.
• He conducted important research on the chemical
structure of the chitin and received his doctorate with
distinction in 1929.
• After that Hofmann became an employee of the
chemical department of Sandoz Laboratories where he
first synthesized LSD on 16 November 1938.

3.

Discovery of LSD
In Sandoz Laboratories he began studying the fungus ergot, as part of a
program to synthesize pharmaceuticals. While researching lysergic acid
Hofmann first synthesized LSD. The main intention of the synthesis was to
obtain a respiratory and circulatory stimulant, but the project was set aside
for five years, until 16 April 1943. When Hofmann re-synthesizedhe LSD
accidentally absorbed a small amount of the drug through his fingertips and
discovered its powerful effects.
He said: «I perceived an uninterrupted stream of fantastic
pictures, extraordinary shapes with intense, kaleidoscopic
play of colors.»

4.

Bicycle Day
Three days later, on 19 April 1943,
Hofmann intentionally ingested
250 micrograms of LSD. This day
is now known as "Bicycle Day",
because he began to feel the
effects of the drug as he rode home
on a bike. This self-experiment
showed that LSD-25 behaved as a
psychoactive substance.

5.

Hofmann and hippie

6.

Hofmann about LSD
Later Albert Hofmann called LSD "medicine for the soul" and was
frustrated by the worldwide prohibition of it. "It was used very
successfully for ten years in psychoanalysis," he said, adding that LSD
was misused by the counterculture of the 1960s and then criticized
unfairly.
«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.»
«I believe that if people would learn to use LSD's vision-inducing
capability more wisely, under suitable conditions, in medical practice
and in conjunction with meditation, then in the future this problem child
could become a wonder child.»

7.

In the list of 100 living geniuses, published by Synectics on the basis of
a survey conducted in 2007 in the UK, Albert Hoffman took first place.