LSD: My Problem Child
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- Author：Albert Hofmann
- ISBN：0198840209
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Summary
Albert Hofmann， who died in 2008 aged 102， first synthesized lysergic acid diethylamide （LSD） in 1938， but the results of animal tests were so unremarkable that the chemical was abandoned。 Driven by intuition， he synthesized it again in 1943， and serendipitously noticed its profound effects on himself。 Although his work produced other important drugs， including methergine， hydergine and dihydroergotamine， it was LSD that shaped his career。
After his discovery of LSD's properties， Hofmann spent years researching sacred plants。 He succeeded in isolating and synthesizing the active compounds in the Psilocybe mexicana mushroom， which he named psilocybin and psilocin。 During the 60s， Hofmann struck up friendships with personalities such as Aldous Huxley， Gordon Wasson， and Timothy Leary。 He continued to work at Sandoz until 1971 when he retired as Director of Research for the Department of Natural Products。 He subsequently served as a member of the Nobel Prize Committee， and was nominated by Time magazine as one of the most influential figures of the 20th century。
In 2007， Albert Hofmann asked Amanda Feilding if she could publish his Problem Child， and shortly before his death he approved a new and updated translation of his autobiography （first published by McGraw Hill in 1979）。 It appears here for the first time in print。
After his discovery of LSD's properties， Hofmann spent years researching sacred plants。 He succeeded in isolating and synthesizing the active compounds in the Psilocybe mexicana mushroom， which he named psilocybin and psilocin。 During the 60s， Hofmann struck up friendships with personalities such as Aldous Huxley， Gordon Wasson， and Timothy Leary。 He continued to work at Sandoz until 1971 when he retired as Director of Research for the Department of Natural Products。 He subsequently served as a member of the Nobel Prize Committee， and was nominated by Time magazine as one of the most influential figures of the 20th century。
In 2007， Albert Hofmann asked Amanda Feilding if she could publish his Problem Child， and shortly before his death he approved a new and updated translation of his autobiography （first published by McGraw Hill in 1979）。 It appears here for the first time in print。
Reviews
Adam
，
Such an influential figure in numerous regards。 The father of LSD with which research into therapeutic psychedelic practices were investigated。 Only recently is this research being reignited， though very slowly and with considerable trepidation due to the rebranding of LSD as a drug rather than a medicine due to the recreational usage and abuse of the substance。 Hoffman’s career is spectacular and the latter half of the book reveal the personal， emotional benefits he had gained from his experien Such an influential figure in numerous regards。 The father of LSD with which research into therapeutic psychedelic practices were investigated。 Only recently is this research being reignited， though very slowly and with considerable trepidation due to the rebranding of LSD as a drug rather than a medicine due to the recreational usage and abuse of the substance。 Hoffman’s career is spectacular and the latter half of the book reveal the personal， emotional benefits he had gained from his experiences of ‘higher-consciousness’。 The final chapter， somewhat out of place but still welcomed， advocating for the widespread adoption of solar energy， written some 40 years ago and still echoing its relevance to contemporary social debates。 。。。more
Martyna Wieczorek
，
Albert Hofmann to był gość。Na ostatnim rozdziale się wzruszyłam i płakałam。 Serio。Dzięki， Albercie， żeś pojechał wtedy na tym rowerze！
Akash Kaushik
，
Where mysticism and science blends so seamlessly， and seem inseparable from each other。 Reading about LSD ， especially the last chapter， was a religious experience。
Teun Bastiaans
，
Heel goed boek， leuk om de geschiedenis vanuit het perspectief van the one and only Albert Hofmann te lezen。 Vooral het tweede deel van het boek Insights/Outlooks reflecteert goed weer wat zijn inzichten uiteindelijk zijn op de wereld en het heeft mij in ieder geval wel meer inzicht gegeven in het verwonderen over alles in de wereld。
Kamila
，
Ta książka jest po prostu。。。 urocza。 Urocze jest to， jak Hofmann tłumaczy się， że nie spodziewał się że LSD stanie się takie popularne - bo przecież planował je tylko do użytku klinicznego i terapii （no tak， bo morfina przecież też nigdy nie wyszła poza szpitale。。。）。 Ale też to， jak opisuje swoje posiedzenia ze znajomymi i spotkania z fanami。 Pozycja obowiązkowa jeśli ktoś interesuje się hipisami i psychodelikami， lub po prostu chce przygodować się do magicznej podróży ;）
Head Johnson
，
DNF — really enjoyed the pharmacology content in the beginning but then it got a little too spiritual for me。 I also don’t really enjoy reading about other people’s psychedelic experiences。 It’s kind of like listening to someone describe a dream。 Meh。
Stephen Chase
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 LSD？ LOL！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！
Denis Antonov
，
В чем же заключается основное характерное различие между повседневной реальностью и видением мира под воздействием ЛСД？ В нормальном состоянии сознания эго и внешний мир раздельны; мы находимся лицом к лицу с внешним миром; он стал объектом。 Под воздействием ЛСД границы между воспринимающим «Я» и внешним миром более или менее исчезают в зависимости от глубины воздействия。 Имеет место обратная связь между приёмником и передатчиком。 Часть «Я» выходит за свои пределы во внешний мир， мир предметов， В чем же заключается основное характерное различие между повседневной реальностью и видением мира под воздействием ЛСД？ В нормальном состоянии сознания эго и внешний мир раздельны; мы находимся лицом к лицу с внешним миром; он стал объектом。 Под воздействием ЛСД границы между воспринимающим «Я» и внешним миром более или менее исчезают в зависимости от глубины воздействия。 Имеет место обратная связь между приёмником и передатчиком。 Часть «Я» выходит за свои пределы во внешний мир， мир предметов， которые оживают и приобретают иное， более глубокое значение。 。。。more
Matias Singers
，
Interesting read of Albert Hofmann's work at Sandoz， and his discovery of LSD and later in isolating and synthesizing psilocybin and psilocin。Thoroughly enjoyed the section towards the end where he covers his interactions with Ernst Jünger， Aldous Huxley， and Walter Vogt - there's some really amazing letters！I recommended reading this book in conjunction with Aldous Huxley's The Doors of Perception。 Interesting read of Albert Hofmann's work at Sandoz， and his discovery of LSD and later in isolating and synthesizing psilocybin and psilocin。Thoroughly enjoyed the section towards the end where he covers his interactions with Ernst Jünger， Aldous Huxley， and Walter Vogt - there's some really amazing letters！I recommended reading this book in conjunction with Aldous Huxley's The Doors of Perception。 。。。more
Nicolò
，
Una boccata d'aria fresca: questo libro è l'opposto dell'educazione sulle droghe che ho ricevuto in Italia。 Hofmann ， in maniera laica， descrive gli effetti dell'LSD; ne racconta la storia; avverte dei pericoli legati a un consumo disinformato e irresponsabile， senza cadere nel tipico "Le DROGHE uccidono！"。 Dai numerosi racconti di viaggi fatti con sostanze allucinogene capisco che ogni esperienza con queste sostanze è unica， e quanto sia sbagliata la narrativa proibizionista che parla di "tossi Una boccata d'aria fresca: questo libro è l'opposto dell'educazione sulle droghe che ho ricevuto in Italia。 Hofmann ， in maniera laica， descrive gli effetti dell'LSD; ne racconta la storia; avverte dei pericoli legati a un consumo disinformato e irresponsabile， senza cadere nel tipico "Le DROGHE uccidono！"。 Dai numerosi racconti di viaggi fatti con sostanze allucinogene capisco che ogni esperienza con queste sostanze è unica， e quanto sia sbagliata la narrativa proibizionista che parla di "tossicodipendenti， che scappano dalla realtà attraverso le distruttive droghe"， niente di più lontano dalla realtà。 。。。more
Roberto Gurnari
，
Un libro veramente intrigante， che lascia il lettore con molti spunti di riflessione。È curioso notare come la storia dietro ad una delle sostanze più controverse degli ultimi 60 anni， sia interessante al pari， se non a un livello superiore， rispetto alla sostanza stessa。 Infatti， sin dalle prime pagine， notiamo come l'autore avesse già in mente di realizzare questo libro con l'obbiettivo di far capire alla gente quanto sia stata "particolare" l'esperienza di vita dell'LSD（per esperienza di vita Un libro veramente intrigante， che lascia il lettore con molti spunti di riflessione。È curioso notare come la storia dietro ad una delle sostanze più controverse degli ultimi 60 anni， sia interessante al pari， se non a un livello superiore， rispetto alla sostanza stessa。 Infatti， sin dalle prime pagine， notiamo come l'autore avesse già in mente di realizzare questo libro con l'obbiettivo di far capire alla gente quanto sia stata "particolare" l'esperienza di vita dell'LSD（per esperienza di vita si intendono i viaggi e le persone conosciute， non l'utilizzo della sostanza）。Il libro è ricco di esperienze raccontate e analizzate。 Quest'ultime si mostrano molto diversificate， data anche la tendenza（scientifica o artistica） dei soggetti che sperimentavano la sostanza。Già dopo una breve lettura inizierete a porvi domande riguardo ad alcune delle tante tematiche trattate（pericolosità， religioni， abuso。。。）。Le uniche pecche riscontrate in questo libro risultano essere associate alle troppe descrizioni di esperienze， （seppur diversificate） e alle "parti scientifiche" che potrebbero annoiare chi non è molto pratico con le scienze chimiche。Nonostante queste piccole critiche， rimane un libro che consiglio vivamente。 。。。more
Maxwell Rosenbloom
，
LSD changed my life。 This is an essential read for anyone who's had a similar experience。 Hofmann understood the significance of his discovery: after some reflection， he viewed it as something that could bridge the illusory divide between humans and nature on a mass scale—something that would have benefited our now dying planet。 Instead， Hoffmann unfortunately had to witness LSD run rampant through a culture that didn’t have any precedent for it。 Mass hysteria led to prohibition， which halted sc LSD changed my life。 This is an essential read for anyone who's had a similar experience。 Hofmann understood the significance of his discovery: after some reflection， he viewed it as something that could bridge the illusory divide between humans and nature on a mass scale—something that would have benefited our now dying planet。 Instead， Hoffmann unfortunately had to witness LSD run rampant through a culture that didn’t have any precedent for it。 Mass hysteria led to prohibition， which halted scientific/ psychological study for over 50 years。 Now we must undergo this beautiful internal transformation in the shadows， as criminals， in constant fear of being locked in cages。 。。。more
Lana
，
Took me back 4 years ago
Josh Hayles
，
Best social/scientific account of acid so far
Melissa Doordaughter
，
An excellent account of how LSD was discovered and how it changed the course of history。 Refreshing to read a book about psychedelic drugs by a chemist with a strong scientific ethos。
ThePagemaster
，
Ah yes。 "LSD: My Problem Child。" Who among ye does not know about it？ Or let me paraphrase that: who in the psychedelic community does not know of this monument of a book？ Albert Hofmann wrote it as an account of his journey discovering the infamous ergotamine hallucinogen LSD， the compound that has arguably had a stronger cultural influence than any other in the known world。 After having wanted to read it for many， many years， I finally got to add it to my collection。 As such， I deem it suitabl Ah yes。 "LSD: My Problem Child。" Who among ye does not know about it？ Or let me paraphrase that: who in the psychedelic community does not know of this monument of a book？ Albert Hofmann wrote it as an account of his journey discovering the infamous ergotamine hallucinogen LSD， the compound that has arguably had a stronger cultural influence than any other in the known world。 After having wanted to read it for many， many years， I finally got to add it to my collection。 As such， I deem it suitable to ask the question: "who among ye in the psychedelic community have actually read this book？" Well， I can now proudly declare that I have！And I was not disappointed。 Of all I have read and understood about the renowned substance， not much of it has come from the grand master himself。 Well， other than countless audio samples in countless psytrance tracks and documentaries of course。 We begin with a brief personal history of Hofmann’s leading up to his discovery， after which we move on to the iconic ”bicycle day”。 We’ve all heard that story， so there wasn’t much new under the sun there。 However， as our expedition continues， we go to remote parts of the world， investigating mystery cults， tribes， and their sacred plant medicines， including Psilocybe mushrooms， Salvia Divinorum， and Oliloqui （containing LSA）。 Hofmann refers to his voyage as ”the magic circle”， beginning with the discovery of LSD， and ending with LSA。 He openly expresses his surprise and amazement when he ended up so close to where he began; that a compound so closely related to the paradigm shattering acid diethylamide that changed the world actually existed in nature all along。Also expressed are his concerns about the drug he discovered。 It seemed to him utterly absurd that anyone would want to use LSD for recreational purposes。 Needless to say， he wasn’t exactly delightfully taken aback when it escaped the laboratory and caused mayhem in the hippie movement of the 60s。 Because of this， the alkaloid got a reputation that， according to the author （and many others）， isn’t all that fair。 His wonder child became a problem child， and yet， Hofmann believes that when it’s used in its proper context， it could change the world for the better。Other than his personal odyssey into the realm of entheogens， we also get a second part， which is philosophical in nature。 Very much so in fact。 Hofmann delves deep into the mysteries of existence， dualism， and spiritual matters。 He seems to be some sort of Christian， though not a zealous one by any stretch of the imagination。 Rather， he leans more to what is commonly known as ”intelligent design”， which is explored continously in the second part of the book。Accordingly， I will have to quote some passages。”In such an ecstatic state， transmitter and receiver， outer material and inner spiritual worlds， outer and inner space， are all melted together， conjoined in consciousness; and so arises a notion of the primordial Idea， the Idea that was in the beginning， that was with God， that was God”。”In the creation history of John one reads: ”In the beginning was the word， and the word was with God and the word was God。” The translation， word， for the original Greek logos is controversial。 Logos might as well be translated as idea。 ”In the beginning was the idea。。”。”As if the quotes you just read weren’t enough to convince you to read this hallmark of all things psychedelic， we also get to read some of the encounters the author had with figures such as Timothy Leary， Aldous Huxley， and other well known figures in literature and counter culture。Not perfect by any means， LSD: My Problem Child is a book I think everyone should read。 It doesn’t matter if you’re particurlarly interested in or experienced with the indole – reading it will provide some well needed understanding about a compound that， whether we like it or not， has had a massive impact on today’s world。4 melting walls out of 5 possible。 。。。more
Lilli
，
Colui che ha scoperto LSD scrive la sua storia con questa sostanza senza opacità， con rigore scientifico dove serve ma anche a cuore/mente aperta。Devo aggiungere che è stata per me la lettura più divertente dell'anno anche。 Fantastico！ Colui che ha scoperto LSD scrive la sua storia con questa sostanza senza opacità， con rigore scientifico dove serve ma anche a cuore/mente aperta。Devo aggiungere che è stata per me la lettura più divertente dell'anno anche。 Fantastico！ 。。。more
Spencer
，
Listened to the new MAPS collective reading of this on youtube
Joseph Hirsch
，
A long time ago， in a galaxy far away （actually it was in Switzerland in the 1930s， I believe） a young chemist was studying the effects of ergot， and its potential applications as a postpartum hemostatic agent。 Like an alchemist， he was tampering with things perhaps beyond his comprehension， and his discovery of LSD （specifically LSD-25） led to a change in human consciousness arguably as large as the one inaugurated by the Curies in their groundbreaking work on the nature of matter。Dr。 Albert Ho A long time ago， in a galaxy far away （actually it was in Switzerland in the 1930s， I believe） a young chemist was studying the effects of ergot， and its potential applications as a postpartum hemostatic agent。 Like an alchemist， he was tampering with things perhaps beyond his comprehension， and his discovery of LSD （specifically LSD-25） led to a change in human consciousness arguably as large as the one inaugurated by the Curies in their groundbreaking work on the nature of matter。Dr。 Albert Hoffman thought his wonder drug would have applications ranging from psychiatry to palliative care， and it did， but when a Harvard-associated Professor named Timothy Leary got his hands on LSD， it hopped its laboratory containment and quickly spread from the campus to the counterculture， and on into mainstream society。 Thus， Dr。 Hoffman's mixed feelings about his eponymous "Problem Child。"As a biography， or even a work solely focused on LSD， the book is largely forgettable。 As one man's personal mission to straddle the line between science and metaphysics， and to try to develop a syncretic spiritual-scientific way of looking at the world， it can at times be a sublime read。 I also enjoyed the sections on Hoffman's various encounters with other questers after some modern Eleusinian elixir。 The chapters on the German titanist Ernst Jünger， and the truly brilliant Aldous Huxley， were worthy reads。 Timothy Leary's starry-eyed guru quality had a creepy， cultish quality to it， and I got the feeling that he made Hoffman a bit uneasy， though he was too kind to share his deepest feelings about acid's principle avatar。 A second book consisting of five essays， obviously influenced by Ernst Jünger's epigrammatic "Strahlen，" is included in the end， and includes some prescient ruminations on how humanity might abandon fission-based nuclear reaction and seek to either harness or mimic the more potent power of fusion as provided by our sun。 Recommended。 Some photos and models included。 。。。more
"Magnificent" Gallagher
，
I enjoy reading about people being annoyed with Timothy Leary， but being annoyed with Timothy Leary isn't really enough to hold my interest。 So far I've never read anything where people talk about the spiritual benefits of hallucinogens in anything other than generalities。This is the only book I've ever read about hallucinogens。 I enjoy reading about people being annoyed with Timothy Leary， but being annoyed with Timothy Leary isn't really enough to hold my interest。 So far I've never read anything where people talk about the spiritual benefits of hallucinogens in anything other than generalities。This is the only book I've ever read about hallucinogens。 。。。more
Serge
，
Хорошее описание того， как зародилось вещество。 Первый трип и последующие。 Как принимало и запрещало общество。 Путешествие в глубь Латинской Америки за галлюциногенными грибами и попытка заключить "дух богов" в пилюлю。Концовка правда слишком духовно заряжена - химические реакции в организме， как путь к Богу。 Что， извини？ Хорошее описание того， как зародилось вещество。 Первый трип и последующие。 Как принимало и запрещало общество。 Путешествие в глубь Латинской Америки за галлюциногенными грибами и попытка заключить "дух богов" в пилюлю。Концовка правда слишком духовно заряжена - химические реакции в организме， как путь к Богу。 Что， извини？ 。。。more
Luca Cerioni
，
Molto interessanti e veramente ben descritti gli episodi di trip causati da sostanze allucinogene。 In alcuni capitoli l'autore si sofferma troppo sui suoi viaggi， a mio avviso non inerenti all'argomento， e sul procedimento chimico di realizzazione della sostanza Molto interessanti e veramente ben descritti gli episodi di trip causati da sostanze allucinogene。 In alcuni capitoli l'autore si sofferma troppo sui suoi viaggi， a mio avviso non inerenti all'argomento， e sul procedimento chimico di realizzazione della sostanza 。。。more
Tom Frater
，
Die Zeit war es wert。 Die Meditation darf ansetzen。 Ich verstehe mich besser als davor。
Sarah Coupal
，
A bit dry and scientific but it was interesting to get Hofmann's perspective。 A bit dry and scientific but it was interesting to get Hofmann's perspective。 。。。more
Matthew Sylvester
，
There's some good material in here that is wide ranging: Hofmann's recounting of the discovery of LSD， a variety of trip-anecdote， some of which are genuinely funny because of how horrific they sound， and recounting the work of ethnobotanists working in indigenous cultures to glean the secrets of esoteric cults。 Throughout， Hofmann's voice is not so much of a writer， but rather as a synthesiser or collector of various material: correspondences with writers， material of expeditions in Central Ame There's some good material in here that is wide ranging: Hofmann's recounting of the discovery of LSD， a variety of trip-anecdote， some of which are genuinely funny because of how horrific they sound， and recounting the work of ethnobotanists working in indigenous cultures to glean the secrets of esoteric cults。 Throughout， Hofmann's voice is not so much of a writer， but rather as a synthesiser or collector of various material: correspondences with writers， material of expeditions in Central America。 The book isn't an objective history of LSD and other compounds， but as the title suggests is rather Hofmann's perspective of a drug he is the father of and is responsible for， having brought it into this world。 That's a unique lens to look through I think - it kept me reading， and deserves some thinking about。 Hofmann struggles with LSD's use as a recreational drug in the 60s， particularly in American society， and this book is an attempt to change the perspective of it as such。 He attempts to use the sacredness of mushrooms and other plants in Central American cultures to situate appropriate use of LSD in the West - the image of psychologists replacing the healing priest is one that best characterises this for me。 While perhaps not intended by Hofmann， the juxtaposition of Western Science profaning indigenous customs and rites in the name of preservation with Hofmann's view of the profanation of the sacredness of LSD by American youth movements is rather interesting。 This tension， the appropriate use and abuse of LSD， is Hofmann's central theme - deriving his authority on the matter almost entirely from having discovered/fathered it。 In short， for Hofmann， he attempts to situate LSD as a substance that provides individuals in modern society with access to "mystical experiences"， which are vital to heal the individual and overcome societal malaise and spiritual degradation。 。。。more
AttackGirl
，
Very Interesting。 Sadly it has taken many years to get back to where we can now use LSD to advance our civilization and allow our sick to pass in peace。Like all I read I will consider and review my personal thoughts later。 If you have never considered drugs， god or peace when you have finished the book， you will。
Eliz | multiversi。letterari
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Illuminante。
Ray O。
，
The first-hand account of the synthesis of LSD by Hoffman is very interesting， just as the context and historical research on sacred drugs that is provided here。 The testimonies and correspondence between Hoffman and his acquaintances are a bit on the extensive side， but worthy considering that by 1980， when this book was first published， there wasn't much of that available to the public。By the end， Hoffman drives the book home to meditation and non-duality， proving that the basis of all human e The first-hand account of the synthesis of LSD by Hoffman is very interesting， just as the context and historical research on sacred drugs that is provided here。 The testimonies and correspondence between Hoffman and his acquaintances are a bit on the extensive side， but worthy considering that by 1980， when this book was first published， there wasn't much of that available to the public。By the end， Hoffman drives the book home to meditation and non-duality， proving that the basis of all human experience is the same （Consciousness）， regardless if you start off an european scientist or and indigenous shaman。 。。。more
Jyotirmoy Gupta
，
Straight from the horse's mouth， this book by Albert Hoffmann talks about how he created LSD-25， contrary to popular opinion it was not created by mistake， only consumed by mistake。 I didn't Albert Hofmann was the person who separated the active agents in psilocybin mushroom and ololiuqui seeds。 The parts where he talks about his own experiences in Mexico and meetings with other prominent personalities like Timothy Leary and Aldous Huxley are interesting。 It gets very technical in some parts and Straight from the horse's mouth， this book by Albert Hoffmann talks about how he created LSD-25， contrary to popular opinion it was not created by mistake， only consumed by mistake。 I didn't Albert Hofmann was the person who separated the active agents in psilocybin mushroom and ololiuqui seeds。 The parts where he talks about his own experiences in Mexico and meetings with other prominent personalities like Timothy Leary and Aldous Huxley are interesting。 It gets very technical in some parts and throws a lot of information which is difficult to register。 。。。more
Mochalina
，
I highly recommend this book if you are interested in things like chemistry， science， technical details， and if you enjoy inventor/engineering type people describing their life's work and the various personal experiences that go along with it。 I felt like it was written in a very humble manner and just stuck to the facts as experienced by Dr。 Hofman。 Thankfully there was no preaching or proselytizing here。 If you're looking for that kind of stuff then stick to the books by "big thinkers" from th I highly recommend this book if you are interested in things like chemistry， science， technical details， and if you enjoy inventor/engineering type people describing their life's work and the various personal experiences that go along with it。 I felt like it was written in a very humble manner and just stuck to the facts as experienced by Dr。 Hofman。 Thankfully there was no preaching or proselytizing here。 If you're looking for that kind of stuff then stick to the books by "big thinkers" from the TED conferences。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=LSD: My Problem Child
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=LSD: My Problem Child&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,LSD: My Problem Child&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0