H Pop Culture/Entheogens $14.95 O LSD F and the M A Divine Scientist N N “This book is a jewel box. . . . Each essay is a rare Best known as the first person to synthesize, ingest, and discover the mix—profound and readable. The essay by Alex psychedelic effects of LSD, Albert Grey about the symbolism in his cover portrait of Hofmann was more than just a chem- Hofmann is the perfect conclusion.” ist. A pioneer in the field of visionary plant research, he was one of the first James Fadiman, author of ALBERT HOFMANN (1906–2008), people to suggest the use of entheo- The Psychedelic Explorer’s Guide the father of LSD, was a world- L gens for psychological healing and S renowned scientist, member of the spiritual growth. His insights into D Nobel Prize Committee, Fellow of the consciousness-expanding effects the World Academy of Sciences, a of psychedelics as well as human n and member of the International “Albert Hofmann’s creation of LSD and identifica- d nature, the psyche, and the nature Society of Plant Research and of the t of reality earned him a reputation tion of psilocybin had and continues to have a deep h American Society of Pharmacognosy. as a mystical scientist and visionary e and lasting impact on psychiatry, and even more so He was a leader in pharmaceutical- philosopher. D chemical research and the author of on Western culture and spirituality. This inspiring This book—Hofmann’s last work i several books, including LSD: My v before his death in 2008 at the age of book reveals how fortunate the world is that Albert Problem Child. in 102—offers the acclaimed scientist’s was the father of LSD and in profound ways the e personal experiences and thoughts spiritual father of millions of responsible psychedelic on chemistry, the natural sciences, S users.” c mind-altering drugs, the soul, and the search for happiness and meaning i e Rick Doblin, president and founder of the in life. Hofmann explains different n Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies t methods of pharmaceutical research (MAPS) and author of Manifesting Minds i based on traditional plant medicine s t and discusses psilocybin, the active PARK STREET PRESS compound in psychedelic mushrooms, ROCHESTER, VERMONT that he discovered. He examines the www.ParkStPress.com psychological role of psychoactives, Cover design by Peri Swan their therapeutic potential, and their Cover illustration: St. Albert and the LSD use in easing the life-to-death transi- Revelation Revolution by Alex Grey tion. Sharing a different side of the This book supports the father of LSD, one known only to his www.HaciendaRioCote.com Reforestation Project friends and close colleagues, this book also includes the poetry of this mysti- cal prophet of psychedelic science. SFI-00000 Text stock is SFI certified This page intentionally left blank. LSD and the Divine Scientist “In this collection, Albert Hofmann shares his scientific, philosophical, psychological, and religious insights in an especially candid and engaging manner. His warmth, candor, and strength of character shine in them all, and through them we gain a satisfying glimpse into a great scientist’s life.” Rick Strassman, M.D., author of DMT: The Spirit Molecule and coauthor of Inner Paths to Outer Space “An extraordinary quality of Albert Hofmann was his ability to integrate the spiritual and the material under the conceptual umbrella of the natural. As his last work, LSD and the Divine Scientist presents Hofmann’s most mature thought, the flowering of the scientist as philoso- pher in a natural integration of science and philosophy. May these final essays be the key to achieving Hofmann’s ultimate vision.” Neal Goldsmith, author of Psychedelic Healing LSDSci.indd 1 3/28/13 4:11 PM “This book is a jewel box of the many facets of Hofmann’s mind: as a pure scientist and still in love with the disci- pline, as a science mystic making a clear-eyed case for the need for the two to blend, as a nature mystic drawing out the implications envisioned and verified in altered states, and as a philosopher of science grappling with the hard questions of death and the fabric of reality itself. Each essay was a rare mix—profound and readable. The essay by Alex Grey about the symbolism in his cover portrait of Hofmann is the perfect conclusion.” James Fadiman, author of The Psychedelic Explorer’s Guide “Albert Hofmann’s creation of LSD and identification of psilocybin had and continues to have a deep and last- ing impact on psychiatry, and even more so on Western culture and spirituality. This invaluable collection reveals how, in his personal life, Albert leaned more toward spirituality than psychotherapy. In LSD and the Divine Scientist, Albert Hofmann reveals through his life and his work that we can be involved in spiritual practices while embracing the rigor of scientific methodology and a healthy, productive lifestyle. This inspiring book reveals how fortunate the world is that Albert was the father of LSD and, in profound ways, the spiritual father of mil- lions of responsible psychedelic users.” Rick Doblin, president and founder of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) and author of Manifesting Minds LSDSci.indd 2 3/28/13 4:11 PM LSD and the Divine Scientist The Final Thoughts and Reflections of Albert Hofmann Albert Hofmann Translated by Annabel Moynihan Park Street Press Rochester, Vermont • Toronto, Canada LSDSci.indd 3 3/28/13 4:11 PM Park Street Press One Park Street Rochester, Vermont 05767 www.ParkStPress.com Park Street Press is a division of Inner Traditions International Copyright © 2011 by the Estate of Albert Hofmann English translation copyright © 2013 by Inner Traditions International Originally published in German under the title Tun und Lassen: Essays, Gedaken und Gedichte by Nachtschatten Verlag AG First U.S. edition published in 2013 by Park Street Press All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Hofmann, Albert, 1906–2008. [Tun und Lassen. English] LSD and the divine scientist : the final thoughts and reflections of Albert Hofmann / Albert Hofmann ; foreword by Christian Rätsch ; translated by Annabel Moynihan. — First U.S. edition. pages cm “Originally published in German under the title Tun und Lassen: Essays, Gedaken und Gedichte.” Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-1-62055-009-0 (pbk.) — ISBN 978-1-62055-140-0 (e-book) 1. LSD (Drug) 2. Hallucinogenic drugs—Social aspects. I. Title. BF209.L9H63313 2013 154.4—dc23 2012043658 Text design and layout by Brian Boynton This book was typeset in Garamond Premier Pro with Copperplate and Agenda as display typefaces LSDSci.indd 4 3/28/13 4:11 PM Contents Translator’s Note vii Foreword by Christian Rätsch xi 1 Planning and Chance in Pharmaceutical and Chemical Research 1 2 Can Insight into the Truths of Natural Science Be Therapeutically Effective in Psychology? 39 3 Meditation and Sensory Perception: The Search for Happiness and Meaning 63 4 The Use of Psychedelics for the Great Transition 83 Albert Hofmann: The Boundary Walker A Tribute by Roger Liggenstorfer 91 St. Albert and the LSD Revelation Revolution An Afterword by Alex Grey 95 About the Author 105 Index 110 LSDSci.indd 5 3/28/13 4:11 PM The Spiral In the endless nothingness is an imaginary point, the start of every spiral: the spiral of the galaxies, the ammonite, the double helix. In spirit, the perfect spiral leads to eternity. In time and space, all spirals are bound, cut off, yet they too extend toward infinity. LSDSci.indd 6 3/28/13 4:11 PM Translator’s Note Two years before he passed away, Albert Hofmann celebrated his hundredth birthday in good health, spirits, and mind. More than three thousand people from around the world came to Basel, Switzerland, to honor him, including this translator. The events and the attendees represented a colorful array of the topics and themes that spiral around Albert Hofmann. The book at hand touches on many of these themes. At one hundred years of age, Hofmann was sprightly and bright, and his delighted attitude about life shines through in these essays. The spiritual core of these essays and poems is an understanding of how subjective reality is inextricably intertwined with the objective world. Reality is created in the mind, which, with its neurological pathways, sensory organs, and other vii LSDSci.indd 7 3/28/13 4:11 PM viii Translator’s Note physiological elements, is itself part of the mea- surable, objective world. For Albert Hofmann the intersection between these two worlds is a place of wonderful mystery. I have long been drawn to Hofmann’s enchanted view of the world we live in. As a graduate student I had the opportunity to translate one of Hofmann’s essays for a class. After graduating my first trans- lations were of Christian Rätsch’s revisions to Hofmann and Richard Schultes’s book Plants of the Gods. Since then I have worked on additional books and essays about psychoactive plants, including The Encyclopedia of Psychoactive Plants by Christian Rätsch. Translators are faced with many conundrums, and one of the most common in German is what to do with the word Geist, which means both “mind” and “spirit.” Like others, I have chosen one or the other based on the context and my own personal logic. Sometimes the choice is clear, while at other times the choice of “spirit” over “mind” seems as if it would add a superfluous intangibility. “Mind” intuitively sounds more concrete, but of course it LSDSci.indd 8 3/28/13 4:11 PM