Fascinating story. Thanks.
"...he changed the course of history." But of course everyone does, yes?
It is true that everyone has some effect on history, but not everyone has a direct effect on the art, culture, and thought of an entire generation. While I've personally seen folks end up in a very bad way because of LSD, it's effect on the history of the second half of the 20th century shouldn't be understated. It's what put the "psychedelic" in the psychedelic 60s and you see the effects of it in the colors, shapes, images, films, of the times, the resulting interests in transcendental meditation and eastern thought that has enriched our cultural vocabulary and turned the mind in ways that reacted against the effects of the modernist post-war years. It's truly a historical pivot.
Anonymous: I hear and respect what both SteveG and you are saying. It's just that these days I'm in crusader mode against cliches--such as someone having 'direct effect' on the 'thought of an entire generation' or 'historical pivot.' 
I think every single human being would benefit from at least one good experience with LSD. That's what I think.
But using it over and over again? That's avoidance of reality. It's not good. I think that, too.
I think every single human being would benefit from at least one good experience with LSD. That's what I think.
You never saw my brother on LSD. That's what I think.
Gwydion said one "good" experience. And it certainly was a good pivot point for me. And reinforcement seemed important at the time. (if this is also real, then--)
Shouldn't you then also crusade against the use of 'crusade,' especially as a metaphor for moral righteousness?
Isn't 'moral righteousness' a bit redundant?
Is that a yes?
I think the 1943 bicycle day incident would have gone a lot more smoothly had the good doctor taken the time to invent stereophonic high fidelity sound amplification first. And if he had a Greek Theatre 1984 bootleg, or at the very least, an advance copy of DSotM.
Nobody said it? Shame on all of you.
RIP
Albert Hoffman
It Couldn't Have Been a Long Strange Trip Without You
A lil respect, please.
RIP Hoffman, thanks to you I have experienced the world on very many different levels than the common man of ordinary wit who never tasted it. The good thing about LSD was that you did not need to try it more than a very few times. A big pity was that most people took too much and did not know that a little dextrose sugar would turn a bad trip into a good one at once. Valium would also help a suffering soul very fast to bring him down to earthly levels again. The experience that there is more, much more inside your brain than you knew before stays forever.
Hanno: it's a maybe.
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