Letter From LSD-Inventor Albert Hofmann to Apple CEO Jobs

[Canadian_watcher]

oh goodness. I just wrote a long response but the damn internets tubes swallowed it.

here's a recap (not nearly as well crafted):

to crikkett: I had no intention of condemning anyone. apologies.

to teamdaemon: I don't' recall admitting that I am an addict. I'd say I might be flirting with it.. however to what are you referring? My brain-numbers? I'm not addicted. I hate the effing things. Go on and off in order to stop the madness that you seek with the LSD experience. I mean seriously - could you imagine going to work for the gov't while your brain was trying to show you the glory of truth in the universe? You couldn't do it. And neither can I. And I like having the craeture comforts of heat and food in the fridge.

to monster. I did some research, here's something from TheGoodDrugsGuide.com:

LSD has zero physical addiction potential. It is not physically addictive and it is not a drug that you will want to immediately do again.

However, as with many drugs, users can (and do) become psychologically dependent on LSD. Its pyrotechnic effects and dazzling high can become a distraction, perhaps even an escape from reality for some people. It can become very hard to function in "consensus reality" if you are taking LSD on a regular basis. That, by the way, is an understatement.

Okay. Not addictive. However we should maybe examine this 'physically addictive' thing in greater depth. Is gambling physically or just psychologically addictive? And do you think the answer to that matters to the ten year old kid who depends on the guy spending all his time/money getting high/betting ?

But you know - fill yer boots. I can't begrudge others from wanting to experience a full-throttle version of what I experience in my day-to-day life, can I? I guess I can't. At least you might empathize with me (but it doesn't seem like it from what I'm reading.)

now, if only I could get a drug out there that would let all y'all know what it is like to have your periods! You could share THAT, too! If it isn't an eye opening experience for you, I'll eat a whole box of tampons.

[agitprop]

- bah, druggies. can't you get there from here without them?
jeez, it's disappointing.

Probably not, actually. Not in this lifetime. Depends where you have to go. I attended a workshop with John Perkins on shamanic shapeshifting. I was there purely for the political end and was only mildly interested in the trance state, shamanic work.

Nobody went into deep trance, much less "shape shifted". To make matters worse, the event took place in a wooden yurt, that had a carpet, and was held during the day. It cost a freaking fortune too. (Perkins himself didn't make that much. It was the venue that fleeced everyone) It was so all wrong I couldn't believe it. Perkins himself was the only saving grace there. And I'm sure had he been leading the same group in the Amazon, tripping on mushrooms, it would have been different.

But the breathe deeply, close your eyes and describe what you are seeing?
I see pretty much the inside of my eyeballs. I'm not a visualizer. I would need drugs or the perfect setting for that.

[lightningBugout]

I was there purely for the political end.

How so? Were you writing a story on the workshop or something?

[agitprop]

Canadian Watcher, Have you done acid lately, if ever? If it's high grade, it's not something you want to take regularly. It's brain work. If you have a rough time, it would be worse than watching the movie, Saving Private Ryan in 3D.

If you have a great time, it's still a bit like a scary carny ride. How many people do you know who are addicted to carny rides? That's the better analogy than that it might be sort of addictive, in the way gambling is.

Addiction is so not part of the dynamic with hallucinogens. It's a qualitatively different experience.

Another way of framing it would be worrying if someone would get addicted to visiting Serbia and Croatia, if they told you they were going there on vacation.

[agitprop]

I was there purely for the political end.

How so? Were you writing a story on the workshop or something?

No, I was just hoping to meet him, and meet others who'd read his books. Pure curiosity, on my part. Half the people who attended were like me, interested in the politics of his life and his ideas and experiences. The other half were there for the "vision quest". It became rather bitter with one group stubbornly closing their eyes and jabbering on about splashing around in effervescent pools with dolphins, and sprites, and the other group trying to interrupt them to try to get Perkin's opinion on whether or not 911 was an inside job or not. Hey--I should write about it. It was funny. Not to mention that the food was all "death by roughage" veggie granola overload.

[lightningBugout]

Another way of framing it would be worrying if someone would get addicted to visiting Serbia and Croatia, if they told you they were going there on vacation.

That's a great way of putting it. Psychedelics are less addictive than many of the most popular American fast foods. To even think of addiction as an issue with them reflects the basic erroneous conflation between all different sorts of substances that happened in this country with the prohibition of, ahem, "Drugs."

[sunny]

I was always terrified to drop acid because the few people I witnessed doing it had total freak-outs.

Same with 'shrooms, though not everyone I knew who did it had freak-outs. The one who did was bad enough to put me off it for good.

My sister freaked out on pot the first time she tried it and I thought she must be the lamest person, ever. So maybe you guys think I'm lame but I'm still not going to drop acid.

[lightningBugout]

The irony to me is that many more people in their 30s and upwards would benefit from shrooms (and to lesser degree LSD) and be prepared to do all the hard work it requires to take them.

[agitprop]

I was always terrified to drop acid because the few people I witnessed doing it had total freak-outs.

Same with 'shrooms, though not everyone I knew who did it had freak-outs. The one who did was bad enough to put me off it for good.

My sister freaked out on pot the first time she tried it and I thought she must be the lamest person, ever. So maybe you guys think I'm lame but I'm still not going to drop acid.

A bad trip, either having one, or watching one is the best subvertizment out there. People who encourage everyone to do drugs, based on their own experiences are silly. If the brain is the reducing valve for mind at large, and everyone is just a little different, drugs that act to enlarge the valve, are going to have different effects, on different brains.

Last time I smoked pot, I had a tough time with anxiety. It felt like my musculature had been compromised by some weird parasitic force that was trying to literally turn me inside out. Not fun...and definitely NOT addicting. That was several years ago, it was super strong and I wasn't prepared for it. I was uptight for 2 months after I took it, because it takes a long time to leave your system... and I will NEVER do it again, nor will I likely take hallucinogens either.

[agitprop]

The irony to me is that many more people in their 30s and upwards would benefit from shrooms (and to lesser degree LSD) and be prepared to do all the hard work it requires to take them.

LBG--Have to agree with some qualifications. Set and setting and the state of the collective unconscious are really important. When I was a kid in the sixties and early seventies, in Canada, it was a peace love dove kind of scene. The world has become much darker, more frightening, more fascist, and I have the sense this will impact the person taking the drugs. If they do it at all, seeking some kind of illumination, they should start with a very mild dose, and very slowly ratchet up, and then quit shortly thereafter. Like--after you get the message, hang up the phone!

That being said, yes yes yes. We need more experiences which take us out of consensus reality and encourage us to reflect.

[lightningBugout]

Last year there that huge rash of kids taking salvia and posting their trip on YT. Forgive me but I thought it was great. Every time you could see them go somewhere else and be genuinely metaphysically startled to return. Salvia is a fuck strong drug and for just a few moments these kids experienced total ego death. Other than the odd kid with a pre-existing condition, they mostly seem to be no worse for the wear.

Sure there's lots of problems with this, but still something very revolutionary about it, IMHO.

I'm very surprised to see the range of opinions about psychedelics on this thread. I would've thought this was a mostly pro-psyche crowd. Not a problem, just surprised.

[monster]

Last time I smoked pot, I had a tough time with anxiety.

Me too, pot was bad for me (haven't smoked in a decade, but before that, did it a lot).

Whereas, LSD is righteous for me, even though I've had a "bad" trip. I learned a lot about myself from that trip, actually.

But I think acid would mentally destroy some of my straitlaced friends/family, so it's not for everyone. It depends on how strong your worldviews are, because they're going to come crashing down.

[Canadian_watcher]

But I think acid would mentally destroy some of my straitlaced friends/family, so it's not for everyone. It depends on how strong your worldviews are, because they're going to come crashing down.

Forgive me but...
.
.
.
.
.
BAH -Ha-HA-HA-HA-HA ha ha ha he h.. hrmph... hrmph..
Bah-HAHAHA-Ha HA HA

you get the idea.

Yes, acid is only for the truly grounded. he he

[agitprop]

But I think acid would mentally destroy some of my straitlaced friends/family, so it's not for everyone. It depends on how strong your worldviews are, because they're going to come crashing down.

Forgive me but...
.
.
.
.
.
BAH -Ha-HA-HA-HA-HA ha ha ha he h.. hrmph... hrmph..
Bah-HAHAHA-Ha HA HA

you get the idea.

Yes, acid is only for the truly grounded. he he

Perhaps you should define "grounded", so we can follow why you are sh***ing yourself laughing. Should we all grab a Depends now, just in case?

[Canadian_watcher]

I thought it was clear, given that I'd quoted monster's assertion that only those with strong world views (ie 'grounded') could handle an acid trip.

I think this whole drug conversation strikes me as .. I'm struggling to find a different word than juvenile but can't do it... juvenile, is because of my own personal experiences.

You've all used your own personal experiences *with* LSD to try to justify your allegiance to its use, so fogive me for believing that it wouldn't be out of line for me to call upon mine.

Many of you are obviously having a difficult time accepting that I have 'communed with God' (and his/her opposite) while NOT on drugs. But I think I have .. at least I think I have to the same degree that you think you have.