Albert Hofmann

Albert Hofmann (1906–2008) was a Swiss chemist who synthesized LSD in 1938 and discovered its psychedelic effects in 1943. He later studied psychoactive substances and wrote about their scientific and cultural significance.

Arthur Stoll: A Swiss chemist who led the pharmaceutical research department where Hofmann worked at Sandoz. Stoll directed the department in which Hofmann investigated ergot compounds.
Lysergic acid: An organic compound that forms the structural core of ergot alkaloids, including lysergic acid diethylamide. Hofmann used lysergic acid as the starting material for synthesizing LSD.
Sandoz: A Swiss pharmaceutical company that became part of Novartis in 1996. Hofmann synthesized LSD while employed in Sandoz’s pharmaceutical research laboratories.
LSD-assisted psychotherapy: A therapeutic approach using LSD in supervised sessions to address psychological conditions. Hofmann’s discovery enabled decades of experiments with LSD in psychiatric treatment.
The Psychedelic Experience: A 1964 book by Timothy Leary, Ralph Metzner, and Richard Alpert interpreting psychedelic sessions through the Tibetan Book of the Dead. Its popular framework differed from Hofmann’s more cautious scientific and humanistic reflections.
Ernst Jünger: A German writer whose friendship and correspondence with Hofmann explored experiences with psychoactive substances. Their conversations connected Hofmann’s chemical research with literary reflection on altered states.
Ergot alkaloids: A family of biologically active compounds produced by fungi such as Claviceps purpurea. Hofmann’s Sandoz research focused on this family before he synthesized LSD.
Claviceps purpurea: A fungus that infects rye and produces ergot alkaloids. The fungus supplied the compounds that motivated Hofmann’s early research.
Psilocybin-assisted therapy: A clinical approach combining psilocybin with psychological support to treat mental health conditions. Hofmann’s identification and synthesis of psilocybin made controlled clinical study possible.
LSD: My Problem Child: Hofmann’s autobiographical account of LSD’s discovery, effects, and cultural reception. Hofmann used this book to recount his discovery and argue for responsible engagement with LSD.

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