Albert Hofmann Dies, Age 102
Printed From: Progarchives.com
Category: Topics not related to music
Forum Name: General discussions
Forum Description: Discuss any topic at all that is not music-related
URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=93261
Printed Date: August 05 2025 at 03:09
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 11.01 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Albert Hofmann Dies, Age 102
Posted By: Earendil
Subject: Albert Hofmann Dies, Age 102
Date Posted: April 29 2013 at 22:15
|
The intention of this thread is to honor Albert Hofmann, whose scientific accomplishments radically influenced music and inspired many artists, especially in the music of the 60's and 70's. http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2008/04/lsd-inventor-al/" rel="nofollow - http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2008/04/lsd-inventor-al/ Albert Hofmann, the pioneering Swiss chemist and advocate of psychedelics who discovered the hallucinogenic properties of LSD, died Tuesday. He was 102. Hofmann reportedly http://www.erowid.org/culture/characters/hofmann_albert/" rel="nofollow - died of a heart attack at his home in Basel, Switzerland. Hofmann’s most famous discovery happened on http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2007/04/dayintech_0416" rel="nofollow - April 16, 1943 . He was researching the synthesis of a lysergic acid compound, LSD-25, when he inadvertently absorbed a bit through his fingertips. Intrigued by the effect it had on his perception, Hofmann decided further exploration was warranted. Three days later, on April 19, he ingested 250 micrograms of LSD, embarking on the first full-fledged acid trip. That day became known among LSD fans as “bicycle day” because Hofmann began experiencing the drug’s intense effects on his bicycle trip home from the lab. In his autobiography, http://www.flashback.se/archive/my_problem_child/index.html" rel="nofollow - “In a dreamlike state, with eyes closed (I found the daylight to be unpleasantly glaring), I perceived an uninterrupted stream of fantastic pictures, extraordinary shapes with intense, kaleidoscopic play of colors. After some two hours this condition faded away.” The experience led Hofmann to begin experimenting with other hallucinogens and he became an advocate of their use, in both the arenas of psychoanalysis and personal growth. He was critical of LSD’s casual use by the counterculture during the ’60s, accusing rank amateurs of hijacking the drug he still refers to as In a celebration of http://www.wired.com//science/discoveries/news/2006/01/70015" rel="nofollow - Hofmann’s 100th birthday in 2006, Hofmann told the crowd of well-wishers — which included 2,000 researchers, scientists, artists and historians — that “LSD wanted to tell me something. It gave me an inner joy, an open mindedness, a gratefulness, open eyes and an internal sensitivity for the miracles of creation.” Hofmann was also the first scientist to synthesize psilocybin, the active ingredient in psilocybin mushrooms, in 1958. |
Replies:
Posted By: Man With Hat
Date Posted: April 29 2013 at 22:23
|
RIP ------------- Dig me...But don't...Bury me I'm running still, I shall until, one day, I hope that I'll arrive Warning: Listening to jazz excessively can cause a laxative effect. |
Posted By: Atavachron
Date Posted: April 29 2013 at 22:46
|
Quite an interesting figure, My Problem Child is a good read. Rest in peace, Al. |
Posted By: Icarium
Date Posted: April 30 2013 at 06:49
|
RIP
-------------  
|
Posted By: Guldbamsen
Date Posted: April 30 2013 at 06:57
|
Thanks for the trips Albert.
Rest in peace. ------------- “The Guide says there is an art to flying or rather a knack. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.” - Douglas Adams |
Posted By: Slartibartfast
Date Posted: April 30 2013 at 14:28
|
We skipped the light fandango. Turned cartwheels 'cross the floor. I was feeling kinda seasick, But the crowd called out for more. The room was humming harder, As the ceiling flew away. When we called out for another drink, And the waiter brought a tray. And so it was that later, As the Miller told his tale, That her face, at first, just ghostly, Turned a whiter shade of pale. ------------- Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened... 
|
Posted By: darkshade
Date Posted: April 30 2013 at 14:58
|
He's in that psychedelic trip in the sky. Interesting thought, he may be the most important person in the 20th century as far as the development of our culture, and music. If there were ever a Back To The Future 4, a great premise would be for the bad guy to go back in time and stop Hoffman from discovering LSD, forever changing the course of events in the 1960s and beyond. ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/MysticBoogy" rel="nofollow - My Last.fm 
|
Posted By: Earendil
Date Posted: April 30 2013 at 18:05
If that were to happen, there would be a lot more wars and a lot less good music.
|
darkshade wrote:Posted By: Atavachron
Date Posted: April 30 2013 at 18:20
|
^^ except in her infinite wisdom, Mother Nature gave us mushrooms, peyote, and good pot |
Posted By: Earendil
Date Posted: April 30 2013 at 18:29
Truth
|
Posted By: darkshade
Date Posted: April 30 2013 at 20:28
For sure, but do you think Bob Dylan would have tried to slip in some mushrooms in The Beatles' cereal that one day in the mid-60s? ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/MysticBoogy" rel="nofollow - My Last.fm
|
Posted By: darkshade
Date Posted: April 30 2013 at 20:29
Is it even possible to have more wars than we already have?  ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/MysticBoogy" rel="nofollow - My Last.fm
|
Posted By: King of Loss
Date Posted: April 30 2013 at 21:05
| I wished I had some LSD, so I would... tune in... tune out... |
Posted By: Fox On The Rocks
Date Posted: April 30 2013 at 22:18
|
RIP to a legend. I saw this on Toby Driver's facebook. We all know where that inspiration came from for Kayo Dot., Toby
------------- 
|
Posted By: Earendil
Date Posted: April 30 2013 at 23:08
Also where I saw it
 |
Posted By: moshkito
Date Posted: May 01 2013 at 10:46
Should state that it influenced many more artists, not just the musicians of the 60's and 70's and it had a massive influence in the literary traditions in the 50's ... and many of these early discussions were made famous by the likes of Aldous Huxley and others. John Lilly (Center of the Cyclone) also tested this and helped make it famous. This work was, somewhat, the basis of a film with William Hurt that b*****dizes the whole thing in the end. There are no good films about this work, or what it was meant to happen to it, and how it became totally screwed up. And later many of these observations ends up showing up in the works of Herman Hesse, and specifically "Steppenwolf", though it is also visible in spurts in other works! Ken Kesey and some of the others in the "Beat Generation" were also heavily involved in these things, and they became a serious part of the early development of these feelings and ideas. In fact, Ken's most famous book is the same idea as Albert's ... in reverse! There are many other literary works that are magnificent, and Carlos Castaneda's is very good, but not generally liked because it is merciless, and ends up telling you something that many of us do not like and appreciate ... "was the dope necessary?""Of course not stupid, but we had to shut you up long enough to find a thing or two!" ... Carlos himself never regretted that, but some folks never recovered from that reality! The experiment was good ... but once you knew the road path ... there were other things you could do to get there and not need to take the LSD or anything else. In essence, these made the whole thing easier to work with, and a shortcut to the experience, which in the end, was more difficult for you and I and everyone else to deal with, than the slower path ... a very zen-like process that is much more difficult to experience and go through. While I am not sure that the inventor of the "aspirin" is not important, I do think that the work that it could affect and the things that it can help you with, is far more important and interesting than the fact that someone invented this. However, in this case, Albert did undertake to also experiment with the stuff, though because of his chemist status and position in the academic world, he preferred not to share his experiences ... AND above all ... the fact that most folks that ever took this, failed to do so for the right reasons, and with the good intentions that its founder and worker hoped to use them for ... to help people find their internal issues so they would understand their outward reactions and problems ... even better! ... and even the Beatles tried to do that after their first trips, but the whole thing was corrupted and exposed as just a drug craze ... and eventually killed all the good work that had been done and the amazing writings and work that came out of it ... that no one will take seriously or meaningful. RIP ... your good intentions were never appreciated in a world that is afraid of visions and dreams! But a gun and a bomb has become more important than learning why you hate so much ... instead of love! ------------- Music is not just for listening ... it is for LIVING ... you got to feel it to know what's it about! Not being told! www.pedrosena.com |
Posted By: moshkito
Date Posted: May 01 2013 at 12:14
There was, at the time, a notion that this was much ado about nothing at all ... after all, so was Winchester Cathedral and a lot of silly songs in pop music for a couple of years. It's well written, but not really as good, or literary, as some of the stuff that was written by Amon Duul 2 in Dance of the Lemmings, Carnival in Babylon and Wolf City. And, of course, neither of those are as well written as the acid trips in a couple of long pieces of music by the DOORS, that still resonate heavily with is ... and I'm special to "When the Music is Over", and "Riders on the Storm" ... but the lyrical style is so "visual" and "psychedelic" that it is makes it difficult to even look at the words and poetry of it all ... and appreciate it for what it is. Likewise, "The Soft Parade" even drips good drug thing, but is very harsh when Jim screams, and some folks take offense at the bit about the good book! I also find Edgar Broughton Band's long cut about the same subject as very good, but not something that we "entertainment lovers" want to hear or put up with! ... and that is what hurt the whole scene ... it became just entertainment, and as such ... meaningless! But that piece, by Procol Harum, is not better than many other bits ... pick up "Tonite We All Love in London" and just listen to Alan Ginsburg deliver his poem about VietNam ... and reading it does not have one tenth the effect that he does when he reads it and you go ... ohhh my gawd ... which kinda gives away the "beat poet" free form thing and stream of consciousness that was important in literature in those days ... of which many words in Ken Kesey's works are still in use, but we don't like to mention that book -- because it is the opposite of all this, and then it makes a comment about the establishment that we don't like, specially as corporate kissers! It was a lovely set of lines, and I always thought that singing it in a blues/gospel like style with lots of keyboard/organ was very nice ... and it was one of the albums that was on my hand first ... a meaningful album for me. I really think that by the time everyone put flowers in their hair, the whole thing was a joke, and all set and ready to be trashed by the media and create the anti drug craze in this country ... when for the most part it was harmless!
------------- Music is not just for listening ... it is for LIVING ... you got to feel it to know what's it about! Not being told! www.pedrosena.com |
Posted By: Stool Man
Date Posted: May 01 2013 at 13:25
|
For the last five years, Heaven's been a more interesting place. ------------- rotten hound of the burnie crew |
Posted By: Fox On The Rocks
Date Posted: May 01 2013 at 16:07
 Of course Toby would post it. -------------
|
Posted By: Dean
Date Posted: May 01 2013 at 16:24
Thanks for everything; thanks for nothing.
 ------------- What? |
Posted By: Slartibartfast
Date Posted: May 01 2013 at 16:34
|
Indeed. ------------- Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened...
|
Posted By: JJLehto
Date Posted: May 01 2013 at 18:34
|
RIP Shame drug laws/enforcement still remain quite draconian in much of the world. |
Posted By: JJLehto
Date Posted: May 01 2013 at 18:36
Under his about: "Studied music, drugs" |
Posted By: Fox On The Rocks
Date Posted: May 01 2013 at 22:43
Only as Toby would do it.-------------
|