Dance with Dionysus

Popularity: 12% [ ? ]

It saddens us to confirm that Dr. Albert Hofmann passed away at his home in Burg outside of Basel, Switzerland today, April 29 2008 at the age of 102 years. Dr. Hofmann was at his home with two of his caretakers, he passed away at 9am local time.

Dr Hofmann follows his late wife Anita, who passed away this past December. We do not have much more information at the moment but we will update this note once more becomes available.

We send out condolences to his family and friends and as you all to join us in celebrating the life of one of the most important scientists of the last 102 years. Dr Hofmann’s discoveries have touched countless people and brought tremendous change to the world in more ways than can be counted. We are very glad that Dr Hofmann could still witness the early stages of new studies with LSD that will start in Switzerland in the near future. This matter was very important to him, we are grateful to all that were involved in getting approval for this study.

We thank you for all you have done dear Dr Hofmann, may your ways be blessed and peaceful. We will keep your spirit alive and will continue with our work.

The Albert Hofmann Foundation
April 29 2008

Strong of mind and sprightly through the age of 102, Dr. Hoffman is best remembered for his discovery of lysergic acid diethylamide in 1938 and his Bicycle Ride of 1943. Whether or not his extended age and young mind are attributable to LSD is unknown, I’ve certainly constructed the preceeding sentence to suggest just such an implausibility.

His death fleetingly appeared early in the day on Wikipedia, but was edited out shortly thereafter. Word trickled down the psychedelic grapevine that Doctor Hoffman was indeed dead. The mainstream media has barely noted his passing so far.

• Dr. Hoffman’s obituary in the UK Telegraph.
• A full retrospective of Albert Hoffman’s accomplishments at Erowid.

Dr. Hoffman’s words of advice for young people:

Open your eyes! The doors of perception must be opened. That means these young people must learn by their own experience, to see the world as it was before human beings were on this planet. That is the real problem today, that people live in towns and cities, where everything is dead. This material world, made by humans, is a dead world, and will disappear and die. I would tell the young people to go out into the countryside, go to the meadow, go to the garden, go to the woods. This is a world of nature to which we belong, absolutely. It is the circle of life, of which we are an integral part. Open your eyes, and see the browns and greens of the earth, and the light which is the essence of nature. The young need to become aware of this circle of life, and realize that it is possible to experience the beauty and deep meaning which is at the core of our relation to nature.

additional links
• download a PDF copy of Hoffman’s book, LSD: My Problem Child .

Popularity: 76% [ ? ]

Pine Barrens. 4/20/08

A psytrancer welcomes the rising sun on 4.20.08. About a hundred folk from the region gathered on forest land in NJ to celebrate Earth Day with trance dancing from midnight through midday.

4.20.08

More party photos are available at alchemism’s flickr page .

Popularity: 80% [ ? ]

A trippy compilation of video scenes put together along with clips from Leary’s “How to Operate Your Brain”. Most of it is set to “White Rabbit” by Jefferson Airplane and “Incense and Peppermints” from Strawberry Alarm Clock. A fun movie, along with some of Leary’s philosophies/ideas incorporated within.

Popularity: 100% [ ? ]