LSD My Problem Child (4th Edition): Reflections on Sacred Drugs, Mysticism and Science

This is a classic/must-read for anyone interested in the topic of psychedelics. It is not like PIHKAL (Alexander Shulgin)-- no chemical syntheses or contemporaneously recorded trip reports; it is just not that kind of book. It is absolutely worth reading to get an understanding of the history of LSD and what it is like to accidentally discover one.

I was interested to know what LSD's creator thought about this notorious drug. I was also curious to know how he accidentally came across this drug. This book explains how Dr. Hofmann came across LSD; and the background of what scientists at Sandoz labs were trying to accomplish at that time. Dr. Hofmann experimented with not only with LSD in controlled laboratory settings, but numerous other psychedelics. This books gives the reader some cold, hard information about LSD (and other psychedelics) that is not filtered through prohibitionists' hands. Dr. Hofmann also writes about the more spiritual aspects of psychedelics that people may find extremely interesting - especially in this spiritually-starved, materialistic world. He also writes how certain cultures treat various psychedelics as a sacred substance. This book has a lot of excellent information about LSD and numerous other psychedelics that will interest people who are tired of prohibitionist propaganda; and desire cold, hard facts. There is probably no better source about LSD than the man who created it.

I read this book on recommendation and didn’t know what I was getting into. The first part details the scientific process. For a non chemist, it’s a rough go. But it sets a stage. This man was an earnest young chemist, set to work in distilling potent medicines from plants. For someone with a very cynical view of the pharmaceutical industry, it was nice to be reminded of some noble pursuits within those labs. Hoffman then weaves in bits of his experiments, describing his own psychedelic journeys and those of his colleagues. The cultural memory here in the US focuses most loudly on Timothy Leary. But here, we see the path not taken for LSD. The one where it is used as a sacred medicine. Psychedelics are back now, being used for their healing properties, and there is great hope that LSD (and other medicines) can resolve some of the psychic wounds that torture many of us. For anyone interested in how LSD plays a role, I highly recommend this book.

Here is the story of the medicine that nature provides to relieve the universally human fear of loneliness and death. Not even necessary or inevitable to use same medicine to understand that we are more than safe here and that we belong. And can find this out.

This is the Word from the discoverer of the most important chemical since gunpowder, and even more potent. Just think: .00001 grams of LSD are enough to send you soaring far beyond the stratosphere. That's one-ten-thousandth of a gram, folks! This is one serious molecule! It is almost as if it had been specifically designed to do what it does to our brains. While Hofmann decries what the Hippies made of his discovery, he strongly believed in its therapeutic potential, and continued to take it throughout his life, the last time at age 97. Amusingly, in this book, Hofmann reveals that Timothy Leary, while at Harvard, tried to order 100 grams of LSD from Sandoz Labs, enough for one million trips! The final chapter of this book is entitled "LSD experience and Reality", and attempts to integrate the inventor's ultimate reflections on his discovery and what it means. Here are the concluding words of this amazing book: "I see the true importance of LSD in the possibility of providing material aid to meditation aimed at the mystical experience of a deeper, comprehensive reality. Such use accords entirely with the essence and working character of LSD as a sacred drug."

This book made me respect Hoffman even more, because he includes a key bit of material on DMT use by South American Indians. I am a strong proponent of psychedelics (or entheogens) being usable therapeutically. But like any pharmaceutical, there can be problems, and not everyone responds biochemically in the same way. We are all mutants. So this note about the one tribe that became hyper-violent is something I am glad he included. Hoffman was a good scientist, and like any such, he didn't shy from problems. Overall, this is a classic, well worth having on the shelf.

Great book! Received in perfect condition. Easy read.

Dr. Hoffman will be forever immortalized as the creator of perhaps the one factor most responsible for the hippie movement and much of the cultural revolution of the 60s. It's fair to say that timeless works of art such as "Sargent Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" would not have been created if it weren't for Dr. Hoffman's creation: LSD. As such this pamphlet is like the Bible of the psychedelic movement. As with any sacred text it deserves to be read and analyzed over and over again. What informs much of this work is Dr. Hoffman the Scientist. While his strong opinions of psychedelic medicine are apparent through much of the text, he writes in a dispassionate, objective tenor of his involvement with psycho-active substances and his meetings with other enthusiasts such as Dr. Timothy Leary and Aldous Huxley. He also catalogues some of the experiences of people under "LSD inebriation" in a thoroughly descriptive manner without attempting to embellish or analyze. A truly remarkable work by a remarkable man about a remarkable subject!!

I already knew quite a lot on this subject, but this was certainly an eye opener, highly recommended. Great service as well, thank you.

I respect and admire Dr. Hoffman--organic chemistry and laboratory synthesis has always been a passion of mine too. Albert Hoffman's synthesis at Sandoz Pharma in 1938 of LSD-25, a compound not itself found in nature, and never expected to do what it did, counts amongst the most positive and important of all human inventions. Hoffman also was the chemist who first extracted, identified and named Psilocybin and Psilocin from sacred Psilocybe mushrooms sampled in Mexico. Albert Hoffman lived for 102 years--and his final LSD dose was taken at age 97. A wonderful, dedicated scientist who was guided to become deeply philosophic as a result of his LSD-25 discovery. Albert saw his invention be demonised by the United States Federal Government in a non-evidence-based process. US treaties incorporated mandatory LSD prohibition and introduced an unwinnable 'War on Chemicals' which rapidly spread World-wide. Fortunately, Albert lived just long enough (2008) to witness the early renaissance for LSD-25, his 'Problem Child' :-) I hope one day Dr. Albert Hoffman receives the recognition--and overdue posthumous awards he so deeply deserves.

If you know, you know.. Incredible read.

The invention of one of the most popular psychedelic molecules through the eyes of its creator. Def worth a read

Excelente producto, llegó en buenas condiciones y mucho antes de lo previsto, 100% recomendado