Albert Hofmann

Albert Hofmann (1906-2008) was a Swiss chemist who first synthesized, ingested and described the psychedelic properties of lysergic acid (LSD).

Albert Hofmann CV 

He was born into a poor Swiss family. His education was financed by his godfather, allowing Hofmann to study at the University of Zurich. He studied chemistry, focusing on chitin research. He was a respected scientist because of his enormous scientific contributions to the study of psychoactive substances of natural origin. His longtime friend and research partner was entomologist Ernst Jünger. 

Albert Hofmann Research 

Focusing on synthesizing chemicals from plants for pharmaceutical use, he first synthesized LSD-25 at Sandoz Laboratories in 1938. He conducted the first tests of the substance's effects on himself and colleagues. In the following years, he continued his research on hallucinogenic mushrooms, among other things. He was the first to isolate and synthesize psilocybin and psilocin. He traveled the world in search of plants that could potentially have psychoactive effects. When LSD was outlawed, his research was halted. Although he was looking for a medical use for the substance he discovered, due to its capture by the hippie movement, he faced opposition from the political establishment. In his view, this is what made LSD infamous, despite its widespread use in psychiatry. 

In 2007, he was allowed to conduct research using LSD in a Swiss hospital. This laid the groundwork for the first research in 35 years on the potential use of LSD in medicine. At the time, he was working with cancer patients. A year before his death, he was included in a list of the 100 greatest living geniuses published by The Daily Telegraph. 

His research has had a huge impact on the development of psychotherapy by Ronald A. Sandison, among others.

Major publications:  

1. LSD: Mein Sorgenkind (LSD: My Problem Child) (1979) --- we have a Polish edition in store: "LSD My Difficult Child".
2. The Road to Eleusis: Unveiling the Secret of the Mysteries (1998)
3. Entheogens and the Future of Religion (1999)
4. Outside Looking In (1999)

Sources:

P. Fusar-Pol, Albert Hofmann, the father of LSD (1906-2008)., 2008.

R. M. Hecker, 100 years Albert Hofmann: LSD-miracle drug and problem child, 2006. 

_{*Code does not include the PROMOTIONS category.}