Albert Hofmann's LSD | DW Documentary

The psychedelic drug LSD, lysergic acid diethylamide known colloquially as acid, was discovered by Swiss chemist Albert Hofmann by accident.
The documentary traces the path of LSD from the drug's discovery to its use as a party drug. A fraction of a milligram dose of LSD, and everything changes. The hallucinogen causes users to experience reality in a distorted way. In 2016, brain scans revealed LSD's impact on the brain. Although there is no evidence of LSD causing long-term damage to the body, taking the drug carries health risks. The psychedelic has the potential to make existing mental health problems or disorders worse. Albert Hofmann, who was originally hoping to develop a new cardiovascular stimulant, was the first to synthesize lysergic acid diethylamide, better known as LSD, in spring 1943. After accidentally ingesting a small dose of LSD, Hofmann decided to swallow another dose the next day to confirm the drug's hallucinatory properties. Hofmann quickly realized that he was dealing with an extremely potent substance, but the drug went on to have an impact he could never have imagined. To this day, LSD has lost nothing of its fascination and the drug remains one of the strongest known hallucinogens. After initial clinical trials in Switzerland, Sandoz pharmaceuticals decided to release the psychedelic substance for production. Psychiatrists all over the world were extremely interested in this novel drug, which they believed could serve as a tool to decipher the workings of the human psyche. In the early 1960s, the drug that consciousness researchers had dubbed the "atom bomb of the mind" escaped the confines of the psychiatric hospital. LSD seemed tailor-made for the counterculture generation who wanted to "tune in, turn on, and drop out", a phrase popularized by American psychologist and LSD advocate Timothy Leary, but even the military and intelligence services were interested in the drug’s properties. At age 100, Albert Hofmann was interviewed for this documentary on what is probably Switzerland’s most unusual export. The Swiss scientist died aged 102 at his home in Basel in 2008, but what were Hofmann's final conclusions on LSD?
_______
Exciting, powerful and informative – DW Documentary is always close to current affairs and international events. Our eclectic mix of award-winning films and reports take you straight to the heart of the story. Dive into different cultures, journey across distant lands, and discover the inner workings of modern-day life. Subscribe and explore the world around you – every day, one DW Documentary at a time.
Subscribe to DW Documentary:
For more information visit:
Instagram
Facebook:

DW netiquette policy: