Misc

[UPDATE] – It has been confirmed. The email from Rick Doblin (head of MAPS) has been published here. In addition, Erowid has updated their site here. Here’s the contents of the message from Mr. Doblin:

“Albert died at home at 9 AM Basel time from a myocardial infarction, quick and relatively painless. Two caretakers were there with him at the time. The only people who were told were people from Burg, the village where he lived, and Peter and others were surprised the word of his death had gotten out so quickly. It’s the age of the internet…

Albert had been increasingly thinking of death these last few months. He had stopped leaving his home, where he said he could feel the spirit of Anita, his wife who died December 20, 2007. He didn’t come to the World Psychedelic Forum a month ago, but did entertain some visitors at his home. We spoke on the phone the day after the Basel conference and he was happy and fulfilled. He’d seen the renewal of LSD psychotherapy research with his own eyes, as had Anita. I said that I looked forward to discussing the results of the study with him in about a year and a half and he laughed and said he’d try to help the research however he could, either from this side or “the other side”.”

[UPDATE] – A comment left in an article on boingboing about the subject states that confirmation has been obtained from Rick Doblin, head of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS)

According to a post made by a reddit.com contributor named t4inted:

Albert Hofmann, the father of LSD, passed away last night.

Here is the quote:

“This isn’t in the news yet. I’m from Basel and Hoffmann lived close (in Burg). My friends mother helped to look after him, he died last night (of old age probably, he was 102).

You might not belive one source you don’t know and who has no way to back up his claims but it’s true. It will probably go public soon.”

I hope that I get to update this page later and say it was a hoax.

But if it is true, then we can only hope that he is dancing and happy.

Thanks Mr. Hofmann. You changed human kind forever.

  • I’m trying to find a source as well…I suspect we’ll know for sure in 4-6 hours. Lots of speculation, especially on internet forums, but little in the way of facts. Wikipedia are sensibly waiting on a verifiable source before they change his entry.

  • Yea, as soon as another source confirms it (or denies it) I will be updating the page.

  • Ken

    it is with great sorrow and regret that i confirm the demise of the Godfather of Psy, Dr Albert Hofmann. he did pass away yesterday morning at about 9am at home in peace! May the lord keep his sole and pick him up to dance in the sky!

  • Robert Cox

    RIP Albert Hofmann

  • Jean

    On death, Hofmann said, “I go back to where I came from, to where I was before I was born, that’s all.”
    On April 19th, 1943, Hofmann created the most powerful psychotropic substance: LSD, and experienced the first LSD “trip”. He was a chemist who valued a drug as a way to understand people’s oneness with nature. For the complete story on “Bicycle Day”, be sure to watch this amazing documentary Hofmann’s Potion