Albert Hofmann was born on January, 11th 1906 in Basel, the eldest of one brother and two sisters. While his father was working in the small Swiss town as a toolmaker, young Albert had mystical experiences beyond the everyday reality. At the age of 20 he began his studies in chemistry at the university of Basel. Four years later, as apprentice of the novel price winner Paul Karrer he completed his degree with an astounding dissertation on the degradation of `Chinin`. During his army service as a natural chemist, he supervised the pharmaceutical research laboratory Sandoz. In 1938 he synthesized new chemical compounds from the Ergot, including the lysergic acid diethylamide 25.

Five years later on April, 16th 1943, Dr. Hofmann met by an intuitive inspiration, took the LSD out of the lab`s archive once again. Unintendedly he absorbed a minor amount of the 25th LSD derivate and began experiencing slight alterations in perception. On April 19th, the pioneer of modern conciousness research conducted a self experiment which resulted in him leaving his office in a state of panic and bliss, to this day experienced only through supernatural perceptions of saints, shamans, schizophrenics and visionary mystics.

As tests on Sandoz employees proved: the LSD he had discovered was a consciousness altering substance with unknown potency. Only a teaspoon of his psychoactive substance had the potential to open the subconscious of around 50.000 people almost immediatly. Those that partake would temporarily experience a deeply sensitive overextatic state of mind. Insights into LSD appeared also to open a path towards a better understanding of suppressed memories. Psychiatric research was necessary, therefore Sandoz went into production with the brand name Delysid, intending to equip psychotherapeutic centers and mental hospitals worldwide.

Shortly after the war, the US-secret service simultaneously financed a lions share of the consciousness research towards German and American universities and research centers. The CIA`s interest was to use LSD as an agent of control. LSD was considered by the US-Secret Service for purposes of spying (defense), secret operations and researching projects of consciousness control – such as truth- & brainwashing methods practiced in `Operation Artichoke & MK-Ultra`. LSD was tested as an agent of chemical warfare and was applied to US-soldiers, returning from imprisonment in Korea. According to an article in the Lysergic World 1993 Sandoz supplied the CIA the unimaginable quantity of 10 kg of LSD. In following years the warlords of the CIA gave LSD to unknown amounts of people, many who had been completely unaware that they had been given LSD. Many universities financed by the CIA conducted experimental LSD tests on students, such as Ken Kesey (`One flew above the cuckoo`s nest). Viewed without success the experiments were stopped. The remaining LSD leaked out of the laboratories onto the streets, making the CIA responsible for a new youth and culture revolution.

Harvard Professor Dr. Timothy Leary ordered and obtained 100 Grams (40.000.000 LSD trips) from the Sandoz AG, realizing instinctively, that a clinical surrounding was not ideal for the development of the LSD. To Leary it was of value to appreciate this sacred healing plant as a sacrament of a `new indigenous Religion`. Kesey`s group `Merry Pranksters` toured the states in a rainbow coloured school bus, celebrating `be-ins`, spreading out LSD and with it the spirit of a `new age`. On the day of John F. Kennedy`s assassination, 11th 22nd 1963, the mescaline initiated english author Aldous Huxley was already on deaths bed. Two hits of each 100 mg of LSD injected intramuscular by his wife Laura helped him pass over gracefully. Among other ways he describes his mystical experiences through his books `Heaven & Hell`, `Island` and `Doors of Perception. He visited Hofmann in Switzerland in 1961, hailing him the inventor of the true `moksha` medicine.

In the 50’s the Hollywood film star Gary Grant highly praised LSD`s effects in `Times` Magazine. In the 60’s LSD was promoted by media theoretic Marshall McLuhan and Beat-authors such as Kerouak, Ginsberg, Burroughs and bands such as the Greatful Dead, Jefferson Airplane a.m.o. Like a wave of transformation LSD broke over the mainstream culture of the planet. When the sales manager of Sandoz was informed that the price of the underground-LSD had risen to 100.000 USDollars per gram, the distribution from Sandoz was immediately stopped. By this time, more than one million young Americans had experienced the consciousness expanding effects of LSD. The Wonder Child LSD became the problem child of a confused society, as the LSD psychologically threatened a culture without spiritual connection to shamanism.

As the first vice president of the European council of consciousness research (ECBS) Albert Hofmann said: `I hope that over time something similar to Eleusis is created – Meditation centers that don`t intend to heal the ill, but intent to evolve the individual through meditative techniques or chemical aid.`

Discovery of the mexican `magic mushrooms` and other psychoactive agents, synthesized by the chemist and nature philosopher Hofmann (among them the mexican witchcraft plants, such as the Lysergicacid Diethylamide containing morning glory `Ololiuqui`, the psychic sage `Salvia Divinorum` and the hawaian baby wood rose) opened the gateway to our religious cultural heritage.

Dr. Hofmann`s work brought profits up into the billions for the company of Sandoz (which fused with Ciba-Geigy to Novartis). For his works on Ergot, squill, foxglove and for the developements of the indispensable medication Hydergin®, Dehydergot®, und Methergin® he was awarded with the honorary doctorate of the Universities of Zurich, Stockholm & Berlin. Last but not least, only a few days after the international Symposium `LSD – Problem Child or Wonder Drug` in Basel in 2006, Dr. Albert Hofmann was honored by the organic chemical institute of the Zurich University.

The discovery of LSD-25 by Dr. Albert Hofmann enriched the consciousness of western civilization. It opened a lost treasure of archaic knowledge and a doorway into the world of sacred magical plants.

His scientific explorations provided him deep insights into the various structures of reality. The experience of man and nature as one formed into his own world perception. Controversial discussions in the early 60’s brought up the question, if the use of psychedelics could be comparable to a religious experience. Albert Hofmann represented the point of view, that `every mystical experience is a religious experience`. And in fact, the revolutionary discovery of LSD sheads new light on that which was, for over 2000 years the core of the eleusian Mysteries (the `great mystery games` at the foundations of our greek-roman culture).

As a chemist and a retired nature philosopher, Albert Hofmann rejected the absurd nihilistic ideas of a science `which is harmful, when it takes the spiritual and religious fundament out from our lifes, leaving the individual insecure and lonely in a spiritually empty, technical world.`

Hofmann is one of the few truely gifted scientists humble enough to recognize the true role of science in nature. He explained his LSD experience and the different reality`s he had experienced through the metaphor of television. `To created a picture, we first need a transmitter, we also need a receiver and an antenna. Now, in the creation of what we call reality, the material external world acts as a sender and the antennas as our sense organs. The screen is the consciousness where the incoming impulses from the external world create a living picture of the external world inside of us. So externally, objectively only matter & energy exist- everything else experienced in this so called reality is subjective and happens within the individuals themselfs. Only I can see, hear and feel, this is very decisive because it implies: The world is created inside of each and every human being, each one inhereting cosmological abilities.`

The quantum leap of consciousness that Dr. Hofmann attained through his own LSD experiences, revealed to him `that which in the ordinary sense is called `reality` is not solid, but moreover ambiguous and undefined. Under the influence of LSD I was experiencing another reality… and up until then I believed in only one `true` reality! Now I began to realize that other dimensions do exist.`

Albert Hofmann`s connection to LSD, created a fundamental change in mankind. This change of reality is close to what Albert Einstein revealed to Isaac Newton: The shift of our world view from an absolute reality to a relative one.

Just recently, in 2007, the readers poll of the british daily newspaper „The Guardian“ did choose Albert Hofmann to be the most important living genius of our times!

The alchemical `prime matter` – the matrix of the cyclic nature – reveals itself as an infinite sender. Depending on our instruments and consciousness we can receive various frequencies, wavelengths and realities (as it happens under the influence of LSD). Dr. Hofmann made the point that archaic instruments such as Psylocibin or LSD are both plant agents, chemically as well as structurally related to ordinary brain processes (…) they should not be seen as abnormal, but as in context to our interconnection with the plant kingdom.

In Santa Cruz, California, Dr. Hofmann testified via video to a convention celebrating LSD`s 50th birthday in 1993, that he was convinced of the existence of higher intelligence inherent in all creation, when he said:

„Often I’ve been called `the father of LSD`, which raises the question: Who is the mother? The mother is `Ergot`, a mushroom called `Mutterkorn` (mother-corn) in German. She gave birth to some of my pharmaceutical children. The first one was `Metagin` with birth support effects. The second one was `LSD`. While `Metagin` helps to give birth to a physical child LSD proves itself very helpfull in bearing the spiritual child, which lies latent in all Human beings. LSD is acting upon the spiritual world, this constellation is no coincidence, but the intention of a higher authority.“

Convinced by the importance to consider the spiritual knowledge of the natives, the father of LSD-25 regarded it as a crime to give LSD to unknowing `victims` (regardless if psychiatric patience, civilians, military service staff or prisoners). Albert Hofmann was devoted to the scientific examination of hallucinogenic agents and their healing powers in various cultures, mainly the ritualistic use of alkaloid containing elixirs in the great greek mysteries of Eleusis. Through numerous lectures he shared his philosophical insights on the search for happiness and freedom to a worldwide audience.

In his last Interview with a german news magazine he talked about dying and said: `I don`t believe that I will need LSD to die, I can look forward to death with joy (…) I am happy to see my relatives and friends again`. `I think, I am the re-incarnation of an ancient greek`, he said in a german newspaper-interview that he gave one week before his death. Death for him would not mean the end: `We wont go into nothingness, wont be lost. There is only a transformation.` And proud of his discovery he said: `In the meantime LSD is not a problem-child anymore. I am proud of the wonder-drug LSD as it brought happyness to so many people.` Still LSD would not be the worlds best drug – to him Dr. Hofmann said: `The beauty of creation is the best drug there is.`

The father of LSD-25 died on Tuesday the 29th of April 2008 – 4 month after his wife Anita in their house on the Swisse Rittimatte.

Edited by the mediaShaman – Boris Nikolaus Hiesserer – Doors Of Perception Ethic Committee, Heidelberg 2008