What's New

March 20, 2007 It is with great sadness that we have to post the news of Duncan Blewett's passing on February 24th 2007. Duncan was one of the true pioneers in psychedelic research and he will be missed dearly by his friends and family. We prepared a page with some notes about this wonderful man - Duncan's Obituary.
September 17, 2006

Our member Myron Stolaroff had a lively phone conversation with Dr. Hofmann recently and is providing us with a summary of his discussion. Dr. Hofmann is well on his way to his 101st birthday in January and is doing very well for his age. You can read Myron's note here: A Discussion with Doctor Albert Hofmann, Ph.D.

Oliver Mandrake, president of the Albert Hofmann Foundation, attended the celebratory events in Basel in January 2006. His review was recently published in the MAPS bulletin, his review can also be found here: The Spirit of Basel

We have also been in contact with Richard Yensen, Ph.D., who has been involved with psychedelic treatment for many years. We are looking forward to publishing some of his papers on our site in the near future. We will post a note on this page.

August 17, 2006 We added a review of the outstanding LSD conference in Basel to our reviews section. Titled The Spirit of Basel - the subtitle of the conference - it is a personal recap of the events that took place during this milestone in psychedelic conferences. We hope to add some photos in the future, our camera was not powerful enough to capture good images, but we will try to obtain permission to use some taken with professional equipment.
May 9, 2006

We added an interesting new article to the Garry Fisher collection:

A Note of the Successful Outcome of a Single Dose LSD Experience in a Patient Suffering from Grand Mal Epilepsy
Gary Fisher, Ph.D.

March 27, 2006

Donald P. Allen provides an in depth review of the excellent book "Higher Wisdom - Eminent Elders Explore the Continuing Impact of Psychedelics
Edited by Roger Walsh, MD and Charles S. Grob, MD

Donald goes into great detail in his discussion of this book, providing helpful insight about it's sections and the authors that contributed. We highly recommend this book, one of the finest publications on this topic in the last years.

February 27, 2006

We are excited to present two new updates to our site!

Rak Razam wrote one of the best articles about the recent LSD conference in Basel, held to celebrate Albert Hofmann's 100th birthday. Rak kindly allowed us to present his article on our site, it was originally published in The Age on February 4, 2006. We hope you will find his article - Tripping the Light Fantasmic - as enjoyable as we do!

We are happy to present you with a transcript of Myron Stolaroff's presentation at the recent LSD conference. Myron spoke on The Future of Human Consciousness to an overflowing room with standing ovation; we hope you will enjoy this article, especially if you could not attend the conference or presentation!

Our president wrote his own recap of the Basel conference which will be published in the upcoming Maps magazine; we will add it to our site after the magazine has been published and you will find a link to it here soon.

 

August 18, 2005

Myron Stolaroff provides a detailed and in depth review of the book Zig, Zag, Zen: Buddhism and Psychedelics, with discussions of the different opinions and theories that can be found in this great book.

 

August 8, 2005

We received a revised version of the article "A Family Uniting" by a friend and supporter. This wonderful and touching story of a father sharing very special and healing times with his brother and two adult children can be found in the Voices section by following this link: A Family Uniting

 

July 16, 2005

One new review added to the The Hofmann Collection Reviews.

The Comparison of the Psychotic Effect of Tryptamine Derivatives with the Effects of Mescaline and LSD-25 in Self-Experiments
By S. Szara

 

An other exciting addition: Recently we received images of an original Sandoz box used to deliver vials of LSD-25 to researchers in the USA. The owner of the box kindly allowed us to show this item of his collection on our site, you can find the images on our Sandoz Box page.

 

June 18, 2005

Myron Stolaroff's article "MDMA and personal growth" was added to the papers section.

In this article - originally intended for Julie Holland's book Ecstasy, the Complete Guide - Myron describes his view of MDMA as a tool for personal growth and a great help in therapy. To quote from the introductory paragraph: "The most fitting description that I can give (MDMA) is that it is an outstanding grace."

A wonderful article, sadly it had to be cut from the manuscript to allow for a lower page count of the book. Several articles had to be removed, now you can read Myron Stolaroff's contribution here. To learn more about Dr. Holland's outstanding book please visit her website at drholland.com .

Mar 21, 2005

One new review added to the The Hofmann Collection Reviews.

The Therapeutic Value of Lysergic Acid Diethylamide in Mental Illness
By R. A. Sandison, A. M. Spencer, and J. D. A. Whitelaw

 

A short note from Myron Stolaroff on the current situation of psychedelic research, especially regarding MDMA, and a link to an outstanding article by Neal Goldsmith, Ph. D was added here.

 

The mescaline experience is without any question the most extraordinary and significant experience available to human beings this side of the Beatific Vision. To be shaken out of the ruts of ordinary perception, to be shown for a few timeless hours the outer and inner worlds, not as they appear to an animal obsessed with survival or to a human being obsessed with words and notions, but as they are apprehended, directly and unconditionally, by Mind at Large -- this is an experience of inestimable value to anyone.
-- Aldous Huxley

 

Feb 15, 2005

Two new articles are added to the Gary Fisher Collection:

Some Comments Concerning Dosage Levels Of Psychedelic
Compounds For Psychotherapeutic Experiences

by Gary Fisher, Ph.D.

DEATH, IDENTITY, AND CREATIVITY
Gary Fisher, Ph.D.

Jan 22, 2005

Two new reviews added to The Hofmann Collection Reviews.

The Treatment of Frigidity with LSD and Ritalin
Thomas M. Ling and John Buckman
Psychedelic Rev. 1: 450-458, 1966

Treatment of the Neurotic Patient, Resistant to the Usual Techniques of Psychotherapy, with Special Reference to LSD
By G. W. Arendsen Hein
Topical Problems of Psychotherapy 4, 50-57 (1963)

Our normal waking consciousness...is but one special type of consciousness, whilst all about it, parted from it by the filmiest of screens, there lie potential forms of consciousness entirely different. We may go through life without suspecting their existence; but apply the requisite stimulus, and at a touch they are there in all their completeness....No account of the universe in its totality can be final which leaves these other forms of consciousness quite disregarded. How to regard them is the question,--for they are so discontinuous with ordinary consciousness. Yet they may determine attitudes though they cannot furnish formulas, and open a region though they fail to give a map. At any rate, they forbid a premature closing of our accounts with reality. Looking back on my own experiences [with nitrous oxide] they all converge toward a kind of insight to which I cannot help ascribing some metaphysical significance.
--William James

Jan 12, 2005

Dr. Albert Hofmann celebrated his 99th birthday on January 11th!

To honor and congratulate him on this special day MAPS organized a phone conference with Dr. Hofmann the day after his birthday.
Present during the conference call with Dr. Hofmann:
Dr. Rick Doblin, President of MAPS.
Dr. Michael Mithoefer, MD. Principal Investigator, MAPS sponsored MDMA PTSD study
Dr. John Halpern, MD. (Harvard), Principal Investigator, MAPS sponsored MDMA Cancer Anxiety study
Dr. Andrew Sewell, MD. (Harvard), Principal Investigator, MAPS sponsored LSD Cluster Headache study
Dr. Charles Grob, MD (Harbor-UCLA), Principal Investigator, Heffter Institute sponsored Psilocybin Cancer Anxiety study

MAPS is providing an MP3 recording of this conference as audio stream or file to download. To listen via streaming follow the instructions on this page: http://www.maps.org/conferences/ah99/howto.html

To download the MP3 file to your computer follow this direct link:
http://www.maps.org/conferences/ah99/ah99b.mp3
You will need MP3 capable media player software to listen to the file, for example Windows Media Player.

Dec 12, 2004

Two new reviews added to The Hofmann Collection Reviews.

Lysergic Acid Diethylamide
Letter to the Editor by John Buckman

The Use of Lysergic Acid in Individual Psychotherapy
By T. M. Ling, M.D., and J. Buckman

I believe that if people would learn to use LSD's vision-inducing capability more wisely, under suitable conditions, in medical practice and in conjunction with meditation, then in the future this problem child could become a wonder child.
Albert Hofmann, Ph.D.

Nov 9, 2004

A new review added to The Hofmann Collection Reviews.

LSD and genetic damage. Is LSD chromosome damaging, carcinogenic, mutagenic, or teratogenic?
Dishotsky NI, Loughman WD, Mogar RE, Lipscomb WR

One new article added to the papers section:

Lysergy by Francisco Lázaro Filho, a summary of his experiences with LSD during a lifetime committed to spiritual/mystical research.

What I found further surprising about LSD was its ability to produce such a far-reaching, powerful, inebriated condition without leaving a hangover. Completely to the contrary, on the day after the LSD experience I felt myself to be in excellent physical and mental condition.
-- Albert Hofmann

 

Oct 22, 2004

One new article added to the Gary Fisher Collection:

Successful Outcome of a Single LSD Treatment in a Chronically Dysfunctional Man
by Gary Fisher

One new article added to the "Papers" section:

A Case of Homosexuality and Character Disorder in a Man of 37 Treated by L.S.D. and Resolved within Four Months
by Martin A.J.

Oct 5, 2004

Two new reviews added to The Hofmann Collection Reviews.

Lysergic Acid Diethylamide as an Analgesic Agent
Kast EC, Collins VJ

The treatment of twelve male homosexuals with "LSD."
Martin AJ

The spiritual awakening of The Summer of Love left a permanent impact not only on its generation but on the world. In Germany, England and Spain new ideals and ideas have grown from the fertile soil of psychedelics. Even in the Soviet Union bootlegged copies of Peter Stafford's Psychedelics Encyclopedia circulated from hand to hand in an underground based on spirit.
-- Elizabeth Gips


Sep 26, 2004

Two outstanding articles are added to the Gary Fisher Collection:

Counter-Transference Issues in Psychedelic Psychotherapy
by Gary Fisher, PH.D

Treatment of Childhood Schizophrenia Utilizing LSD and Psilocybin
Gary Fisher, Ph.D.

At that time of my life, I was deeply interested in the Eastern religions, and when the drug (LSD) overpowered my awareness I began to experience what can only be described as samadhi: "the final stage in the practice of Yoga, in which individuality is given up while merging with the object of meditation." For the first, and alas, to date the only time in my life, I experienced the unspeakable bliss of total unity and integration. Subject and object became one -- there were no questions because all that existed was a pristine "answer" in and of itself: perfectly related to everything else in seamless unity. There was no good or evil, no right or wrong, only integrated perfection. . . To this day I have wondered how such a state of consciousness can be so close to normal awareness, yet so difficult to attain and maintain.
-- James DeKorne

 

Sep 5, 2004 The Albert Hofmann foundation is proud to announce a new collection of articles in the Gary Fisher Collection.

Gary Fisher, Ph.D., is one of the very knowledgeable investigators in the early days of LSD research. He is a clinical psychologist who is one of the pioneer workers in psychotherapy utilizing LSD and psilocybin. His training was with members of the Saskatchewan Group who were trained by Al Hubbard. He did extensive work treating schizophrenic and autistic children as well as cancer patients. The impressive results he obtained in these categories give testimony to the remarkable potential these substances offer when administered with wisdom and understanding.

Dr. Fisher's published papers will be presented in the category PAPERS; the first two articles to be put online are:

Psychotherapy for the Dying: Principles and Illustrative Cases with Special Reference to the Use of LSD

The Psychotherapeutic Use of Psychodysleptic Drugs, co-authored with another very knowledgeable English investigator, Joyce Martin, M.D.

According to several surveys, over 90% of those taking psychedelics under correct circumstances and in proper dosage have transcendental experiences. In other words, hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions of Americans saw God, or something convinced them this was what we call God and what they saw turned out to match the visions of seers, prophets, saints and poets in all creeds and languages.
-- Sigrid Radulovic


July 19, 2004

Two new reviews added to The Hofmann Collection Reviews.

Note: In this update we review two very good articles that go hand in hand. Since the first article we review is referenced in the second, we recommend that the interested reader follow this sequence.

The Psychedelic Experience - A New Concept in Psychotherapy
J.N. Sherwood, M.D., M.J. Stolaroff, W.W. Harman, Ph.D.

J. Neuropsychiat. 4, 69-80 (1962)

LSD: Therapeutic Effects of the Psychedelic Experience
C. Savage, E. Savage, J.Fadiman, W.Harman

Psychological Reports, 1964,14,111-120

LSD is genuinely enlightening, and there are many people who can say, as I have, "I would meditate for a thousand years just for another moment like that one." There are many doors to a broader consciousness. Why are we afraid of the doors that are open?
-- Thaddeus Golas

 

 

June 29, 2004

News from Albert Hofmann in response to some exciting developments:

Spurred by a recent letter, Dr Hofmann called to express his appreciation for the information he had received. This included a report on a recent conference in San Francisco, Altered States and Spiritual Awakening. Many of the presenters were well known investigators of psychedelic substances. Also reported was a review of three FDA approved projects for studying the effectiveness of psychedelic substances in therapeutic applications. This is the first approval of employing psychedelic substances in almost thirty years. Included are a project employing MDMA for Posttraumatic Stress Syndrome, using psilocybin with dying cancer patients to relieve pain and suffering and the fear of dying, and administering psilocybin to treat Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

Dr. Hofmann was particularly excited about treating dying patients with psychedelics. He feels that it is an absolute must for us to help dying patients with psychedelics. A good deal of work has been done in the past which has established the relief of pain that LSD can provide, as well as eliminating the fear of dying. He considers it criminal that dying patients be deprived of this outstanding help, and we must do whatever is possible to provide this comforting service so that they can die in a meaningful way.


June 28, 2004

One new review added to The Hofmann Collection Reviews.

THE USE OF PSYCHEDELIC AGENTS WITH AUTISTIC SCHIZOPHRENIC CHILDREN
by Robert E. Mogar & Robert W. Aldrich

These drugs are also distinguished by great medical safety, particularly the indoles. They do not kill, injure or produce any serious physical toxicity even in large overdoses or chronic use over lifetimes. Despite much desire and activity on the part of some scientists, reporters and governmental agencies to come up with damning evidence of harm, the true psychedelics still look like the safest drugs known.
I refer to medical safety only. There are dangers of psychedelic plants and chemicals having to do with acute psychological toxicity--that is, bad trips. These reactions are more the products of set and setting than of pharmacology. Their probability of occurrence can be reduced to a minimum by careful attention to the purity of the substances, dosage, time and place of use, and availability of experienced guides. Finally, the abuse potential of the true psychedelics is quite low. They are almost never associated with dependence, and very few people use them in destructive ways.

-- Andrew Weil

June 7, 2004

Two new reviews added to The Hofmann Collection Reviews.

PSYCHEDELIC LSD RESEARCH
By A. Kurland, W. Pahnke, S. Unger, C Savage and S. Grof

LSD Chromosomes and Sensationalism
By Fort J and Metzner R

LSD is genuinely enlightening, and there are many people who can say, as I have, "I would meditate for a thousand years just for another moment like that one." There are many doors to a broader consciousness. Why are we afraid of the doors that are open?
-- Thaddeus Golas

May 21, 2004

Two new reviews added to the The Hofmann Collection Reviews.

The Therapeutic Potential of LSD-25
By Cohen S

The Use of LSD-25 in the Treatment of Alcoholism and Other Psychiatric Problems
By Maclean JR, Macdonald DC, Byrne UP, Hubbard AM

LSD shows an unbelievable spectrum. And the only lesson that we can draw from it is that we are not discussing a substance -- that we are discussing intrinsic, inherent properties of the human mind that are somehow activated by this catalyzing effect of the substance. So that the controversy related to LSD simply reflects the controversy in regards to who we are, in regards to our own mind.
-- Stanislav Grof

March 26, 2004

Three new reviews added to The Hofmann Collection Reviews.

As the LSD began to take effect, I suddenly said in a very loud voice, while pounding on top of a file, "Every psychiatrist, every psychoanalyst should be forced to take LSD in order to know what is over here." What I meant was that anybody who has anything to do with the human mind and its care should be trained in these spaces.
-- John Lilly

March 3, 2004

Three new reviews are added to The Hofmann Collection Reviews.

I think that as a result of the psychedelic experience there's a heightened sense of the drama of life, including its brevity, and a realization both of the importance of one's individual life and of the fact that a sacred task has been given to the individual in the development of the self.
-- Frank Barron

February 22, 2004 It is with great sadness that we report that Humphry Osmond, M.D., the man who invented the word "psychedelic," has passed away. He died at home, peacefully, on Friday February 6th, 2004 at the age of 86.

Along with his colleague, John Smythies, Osmond shocked the medical community in 1952 by drawing attention to the structural similarity between the mescaline and adrenaline molecules. They theorized that schizophrenia might result when the brain releases an endogamous hallucinogen, possibly derived from adrenaline.

Osmond observed that using mescaline seemed to allow a healthy person to see the world through the eyes of a schizophrenic person. He suggested that the drug be used as a tool to help doctors and nurses understand their patients better. Working with Abram Hoffer and their team in Weyburn, Saskatchewan, from 1952 until 1961, Humphry Osmond became one of the world's leading experts on the therapeutic use of psychedelic drugs.

His research attracted widespread attention within scientific circles. When Aldous Huxley-- the eminent British novelist who wrote Brave New World--learned of Osmond's work with mescaline and LSD, he wrote to Osmond to offer himself up as a test subject.

Osmond was apprehensive about the experiment. "I did not really want to be known as the man who had driven Aldous mad," he said later. His worries proved to be unfounded, and their experience gave Huxley the inspiration for his famous essay, The Doors of Perception. Their friendship lasted until Huxley's death in 1963.

In correspondence with Huxley in 1956, Osmond coined the word "psychedelic." The two men were looking for a word to describe this new class of drugs, and they were doing so in rhyme. Huxley wrote:

"To make this trivial world sublime,
Take half a Gramme of phanerothyme."

To which Osmond responded:

"To fathom hell or soar angelic
Just take a pinch of psychedelic."

In addition to his clinical practice, Dr. Osmond also taught psychiatry for several years at Princeton University. Later, he and his wife moved to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, where he worked at the Bryce Hospital until his retirement in 1990.

He contributed articles to many journals and authored several books; among them: How to Cope With Illness (1979); How to Live With Schizophrenia (1974; Models of madness, models of medicine (1974); Understanding Understanding (1973); Psychedelics: The Uses and Implications of Hallucinogenic Drugs (editor, 1971); and The Hallucinogens (1967).

Dr. Osmond is survived by his wife Jane, his children Helen, Fee and Julian and his sister Dorothy

For myself, my experiences with these substances have been the most strange, most awesome, and among the most beautiful things in a varied and fortunate life. These are not escapes from but enlargements, burgeonings of reality.
--Huphry Osmond

February 2, 2004

Three new reviews are added to The Hofmann Collection Reviews.

As way-shower of appropriate values and behavior and revealers of man's ultimate capabilities, psychedelics have in my opinion no equal anywhere.
-- Myron Stolaroff

 

December 10, 2003 Three new reviews are added to The Hofmann Collection Reviews.

"It is incredible and shameful that these drugs have been treated the way they have. Albert Hofmann should have won the Noble Prize and been canonized forty years ago for what he started."
-- Robert Forte

November 11, 2003

Added to PAPERS

Announcement of our new endeavor to review the outstanding papers in the Hofmann Collection on the Erowid website. See the discussion and directions on the Science\Papers\Hofmann Collection Reviews. Reviews added at this time are as follows. Click the title to bring up the Review.

"We need to go into the heart of the beast armed with compassion for the fears of the government and the majority of pople who support it. We need to address these fears in a reliable way, and we also need to point out that the drugs we would like to see in wider use are helpful not only to ourselves but also to the very people who are trying to stamp them out. Virtually everyone will either get cancer or will have a loved one get cancer. Marijuana can help them. MDMA can help them. Everyone wonders about religious question. Psychedelics can help them."
--Rick Doblin

March 24, 2003

Update on Dr. Hofmann:

I spoke to Dr. Hofmann on March 12, and found him quite ill, to the extent that he terminated the conversation. He was experiencing much pain in the body so that it was difficult for him to walk. Furthermore, he had a serious congestion in his lungs. With unusual strength at 97 years old, he demonstrated his resilience by several days later responding with interest and strength in his voice.

--Myron Stolaroff, Editor

 

Added to the Section REVIEWS:

  • Excerpts from the book Hallucinogens: A Reader by Charles S. Grob, M.D., compiled by Thomas B. Roberts, Ph.D. Dr. Roberts is a professor of educational psychology at Northern Illinois University, now finishing his 33rd year. Since 1979 he has taught a course "Psychedelic Mindview," originally called "Psychedelic Research."

 

"For myself, my experiences with these substances have been the most strange, most awesome, and among the most beautiful things in a varied and fortunate life. These are not escapes from but enlargements, burgeonings of reality."

--Huphry Osmond


Added to the section LINKS:

  • The collection of Dr. Hofmann's accumulated research papers, now named The Hofmann Collection, has been completely digitized and made available on the Internet, thanks to the excellent work of Earth and Fire and the Erowid website. As stated in Erowid Abstracts, October 2002 Number 3, p. 12: The collection now consists of a nearly complete archive of historical LSD and psilocybin journal articles from the late 1940s through the early 1980s. . .

    Over the 40 years covered, a great deal of research was conducted by a number of investigators. At the time, very few of them understood the real properties and potential of LSD, so results of their work vary considerably. In time we hope to develop evaluations which can lead to the more promising work. Assess to this entire collection is available by clicking here, or selecting The Albert Hofmann Collection in the section LINKS.

 

"Our conclusion after 13 years of research is that properly used LSD therapy can convert a large number of alcoholics into sober members of society… Even more important is the fact that this can be done very quickly and therefore very economically. Whereas with standard therapy one bed might be used to treat about 4 to 6 patients per year, with LSD one can easily treat up to 36 patients per bed per year."

--Abram Hoffer

 

 

November 11, 2002

A major tragedy of our times is the failure of our government and the public at large to recognize the outstanding value of psychedelic substances when properly understood and applied. Totally ignored are many successful research projects in the 1950's and 1960's demonstrating the effectiveness of LSD and other psychedelics in a variety of therapeutic applications. (There were also many projects that were claimed to establish that LSD had no useful functions. These were conducted by investigators determined to find adverse results, or by those who had no understanding of the true nature of psychedelic substances and how to employ them.) Many of these projects will be brought to light in our next and subsequent postings. Dr. Albert Hofmann, the inventor of LSD, in 1996 arranged for his 40 year collection of scientific papers covering over 4,000 publications on LSD, psilocybin, and related topics, to be transferred to the Albert Hofmann Foundation. With the financial support of MAPS, the managers of the Erowid website have digitized this entire collection of documents, and they will soon be available on the Internet. 
 
 

Failure to recognize the true nature and application of psychedelic substances stems primarily from the insistence of modern scientists to view the universe as a physical mechanism. Invisible energy and transpersonal levels of awareness are essentially ignored. Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. and a number of other scientists have now established that the previously strongly held views on the function of genes have now been found inaccurate. Below are links to two papers by Lipton reviewing the current situation. The first, The Human Genome Project, is a less complex overview; the second, Nature, Nurture and Human Development, is more detailed and is complete with references. These papers and others in the field demonstrate that a more thorough investigation of the functions being researched brings to light important realities not previously recognized. Discerning discoveries reveal the errors of long held beliefs, at the same time giving much greater hope for the ability of humans to be masters of their fate. When permitted, the same kind of approach to psychedelics by informed researchers can reveal enormous progress in healing a variety of illnesses and afflictions, as well as open the doors to greater awareness, creative discoveries, improved communication, self knowledge, and personal and spiritual development, as has now been discovered by thousands of individuals throughout the world. 
 
 

Added to PAPERS: 

 

"Consciousness is what we're in need of to avoid running off the cliff into armageddon. If the claim that these drugs expand consciousness, promote empathy, and allow deeper insights into our problems has any validity at all, it should be explored very carefully and very thouroughly."

--Terence McKenna

Added to REVIEWS: 

  • The Future of Life by Edward O. Wilson (2002) New York : Alfred A. Knopf. Many reports from knowledgable scientists have described the tragic outcomes facing humanity if our present destructive habits are not corrected. Probably no one has pointed this out more clearly and acurately than the famous biologist Edward O. Wilson in his recent book The Future of Life. This powerful, expertly written book is a must read for those who are concerned about our future survival.

"I firmly believe that contemporary spiritual use of entheogenic drugs is one of humankind's brightest hopes for overcoming the ecological crisis from which we threaten the biosphere and jeopardize our own survival, for Homo sapiens is close to the head of the list of endangered species."
-- Jonathan Ott  
 

.

September 17, 2002

Added to REVIEWS:

 "What attracted me to what is called "drugs" mistakenly -- I'm talking about psychedelics -- is the fact that they not only alter but expand consciousness. They allow you to view the world with new eyes in new ways. They are very dangerous because they are going to make people less willing to swallow a lot of stuff that the politicians hand out to them and which the general society believes in."

--Nina Graboi

  •  The American Soul: Rediscovering the Wisdom of the Founders, by Jacob Needleman, 2002. With the marjority of our scientists invested in reductionism, with our government heads and Congressmen deeply steeped in self-interest, which the Buddhists claim is the greatest sin, with the continuing desecration of our Constitution by ignoring or distorting the intent of the Founding Fathers, this is a most refreshing and valuable book to put us back on the track of the real meaning of America. 

". . .I see no real hope in the government field. Brief palliations there may be here and there, but not healing of the fundamental disease. It may be that conditions will have to continue to grow worse, that mass-man will try, as never before, to wield decision with respect to problems hopelessly beyond his comprehension, and that, when he has failed utterly, as he must fail, and is entangled in the impossible maze of his own construction, then in true humility he will call for help from Those who alone can give that help. In that day, and not before, the problem of government can be solved. For the inescapable fact is that the problem of practical government is too complex for mere subject-object consciousness, however highly developed. The perspective of the Higher Consciousness is an absolute requisite."

--Franklin Merrell-Wolff
Page 180, Pathways Through to Space
N.Y.: The Julian Press, Inc., 1973
 
 

 

September 4, 2002

A number of excellent books in the field of psychedelics by outstanding authorities in the field have appeared in the last year. Reviews of two very significant books are presented below. Others will be added at later dates.

Add to Section REVIEWS:


"With moving honesty and rare lack of inflation, Bache has brought forth a conception of the human psyche that intimately reconnects the personal ordeals and awakenings of the individual to the larger collective suffering and spiritual transformation of the entire human species, at the most crucial of historical thresholds. This is a book to read soon and to integrate carefully." Richard Tarnas, author of The Passion of the Western Mind: understanding the Ideas That Have Shaped Our World View. 


"MDMA is a unique compound with great potential for positive use. This is the most complete book about it, with much information to help people realize that potential as well as reduce any possible harm." Andrew Weil, M.D., author of 8 Weeks to Optimum Health and Spontaneous Healing. 

"The experience is something like artificial sanity, a temporary anesthesia of the neurotic self. I mostly use MDMA as an "opener" at some point in psychotherapy, not only for the wealth of the material gained during the session but for how it facilitates therapeutic work in the aftermath. "

--Claudio Naranjo 
 
 

 

August 16, 2002

"With these psychedelic drugs, science stands on an awesome threshold. Some religious leaders would undoubtedly consider it improper for man to tread upon the holy ground of the unconscious, protesting against the exploration of "inner space" as they have campaigned against the exploration of outer space. But man's apparent destiny to seek an ever greater comprehension of the nature of reality cannot be thwarted or suppressed."

--Walter Pahnke and 

--William Richards 
 
 

 

February 12, 2002

Added to the Section REVIEWS: 

"I do not know of any single document illustrating the extraordinary healing and transformative potential of psychedelics in a way that matches in its importance this book by Harriette Frances and the unique illustrations that accompany it. Her ability to find artistic expression for the images and depth of her psyche is truly extraordinary!" 

--Stanislav Grof, M.D. Author, LSD Psychotherapy

 General cleanup of site eliminating outdated information 
 
 

 "I was amazed and somewhat embarrassed to find myself going through states of consciousness that corresponded precisely with every description of major mystical experiences that I had ever read. Furthermore, they exceeded both in depth and in a peculiar quality of unexpectedness the three 'natural and spontaneous' experiences of this kind that had happened to me in previous years."

--Alan Watts

December 17, 2001

For the First time in over 25 years, the FDA has approved the use of psychedelic compounds (now preferably known as entheogens--contacting the God within) to study their effectiveness in therapeutic applications. The first project recently approved employing an entheogen substance involves the application of psilocybin for the treatment of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. Click here for details.

More recently, the FDA has approved a project permitting the study of MDMA for the relief of Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. A detailed account of the actions and events leading up to final approval, as well as details of the project, may be found by clicking here. A great deal of background information is also provided. A variety of media reports covering this subject may be found by clicking here
 

"One feels that one can examine both one's motives and actions, and those of others, calmly and objectively, with acceptance and compassion. Affection and acceptance temporarily replace one's fears. The dominant experience is one of calm and understanding. Depending on the material contained in the unconscious, the patient will deal with any situation, from childhood traumas, to long-felt adult insecurities, to deeply repressed emotions."

--Joseph Downing, M.D.  about MDMA 
 

Added to the Section REVIEWS: 

  • Psychoactive Sacramentals--Essays on Entheogens and Religion. In 1995 The Chicago Theological Seminary and Council on Spiritual Practices held a conference to examine the possible potential benefits and concerns in employing entheogens in spiritual practice. Speakers included leaders in religion, mental health, research, and allied fields. The views of the participants have now been published in this book This valuable collection of information in an exciting field is reviewed by Robin Menken. 

 

September 27, 2001

It is with great sorrow that we announce the death of the co-founder and Chairman of the Board of the Albert Hofmann Foundation, Dr. Oscar Janiger. Oscar Janiger died early in the morning of August 14, 2001, surrounded by his two sons and a few close friends. Kidney and heart failure were the causes of death. 

"Oz," as his friends and associates like to call him, was a scientist, psychotherapist, and author, most noted as one of the early dedicated investigators of LSD and other psychedelic substances. He made very important contributions in this field, and his very active, searching mind took him into many additional areas of study. For a more detailed account of his interests, activities, and contributions, see the Hofmann Report in MAPS dedicated to him. A personal report from Oscar Janiger may be read here
 
 

"An unusual wealth of asociations and images, the sharpening of color perception, the synthesis, the remarkable attention to detail, the accessibility of past impressions and memories, the heightened emotional excitement, the sense of direct and intrinsic awareness, and the propensity for the enviroment 'to compose itself' into perfect tableaus and harmonious compositions."

-- Oscar Janiger, describing psychedelic effects 
 
 

Added to the section: REVIEWS
 
 

Added to the section VOICES
 
 

  • A New Class of Criminals, by Ann Shulgin. Reprinted from LA WEEKLY, July 6 - 12, 2001. A report of how one of the most valuable, effective, rewarding tools for therapy, self-discovery, and spiritual growth, MDMA, has been criminalized by our Federal Government. This article provides an in-depth look at not only the extensive value of MDMA when properly employed, but an assessment of the loss resulting from depriving competent therapists from working with this valuable tool. 

 "In the early '80s a friend of mine talked to me about MDMA. I was a practicing psychotherapist at the time and I began to use it in my practice. I Administered it to hudreds of people while it was legal… I saw extraordinary transformations. What a terrible shame that a tool so valuable to people was taken away."

-- John Robbins 
 
 

 

April 18, 2001

Added to PAPERS under SCIENCE: 

  • Peace, Love, Unity, and Respect: Can Raving Save The Planet? By Nina Bargoche More and persons are participating in the Rave Scene throughout the nation, greatly alarming Congress and law enforcement personal. It is doubted that there is much understanding for the attraction to Raves and certainly not of the positive outcomes experienced by participants which encourages their continuing involvement. This paper describes in depth what the more informed users are seeking and finding, and the steps that are being taken to help more and more participants achieve safer and more beneficial results. 

"Teachers and practitioners of meditation and related forms of spiritual work describe the experience as being fundamentally an opening of the heart-center--which is considered in most systems to be the foundation for all further psychospiritual growth and practice. One teacher suggested that the Adam (MDMA) experience facilitates the dissolving of barriers between body, mind, and spirit: one sensed the aware presence of spirit infusing the structures of the body and the images and attitudes of the mind."

--Ralph Metzner 

Added to the section REVIEWS: 

Added to the section VOICES: 

January 30, 2001

Added to Reviews: 

 Added to Voices: 

"LSD shows an unbelievable spectrum. And the only lesson that we can draw from it is that we are not discussing a substance -- that we are discussing intrinsic, inherent properties of the human mind that are somehow activated by this catalyzing effect of the substance. So that the controversy related to LSD simply reflects the controversy in regards to who we are, in regards to our own mind."

--Stanislav Grof

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