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'Godfather of Ecstasy,' Chemist Sasha Shulgin Dies Aged 88
EwanPalmer (2536690) writes "Alexander 'Sasha' Shulgin, the chemist, pharmacologist and author known for popularizing the drug MDMA as well as creating and synthesizing hundreds of psychoactive drugs, has died aged 88. Shulgin was known for discovering, creating and personally testing hundreds of psychoactive chemicals and documenting the results, along with his wife, in his books and papers. He is also known for introducing the positive aspects of MDMA to psychologists, which in term helped it become a popular recreational drug in the 1980s." With less irritation from auto-playing video sound, try the BBC.
And thousands of candy ravers bit down on their soothers and took another one.
Lost at C:>. Found at C.
This is no longer 1999. Raves still exist, but pacifiers are far, far less common and the drugs are far better quality.
He lived a truly ecstatic life.
I am the one who dies!
How sad it is that psychoactive chemicals like this and LSD, which have been well demonstrated to have profoundly positive psychological effects (under responsible use) still cannot be used by responsible, grown adults? They can be the key to truly overcoming the psychological demons seem to be the human condition, and unlocked our true potential as self-aware, well-adjusted human beings.
He also wrote two books on these experiments, Pihkal and Tihkal, both of which are part fictional autobiography, part detailed instructions on how to synthesize a lot of what he discovered. They're interesting reads, at the least.
A friend of mine called me up and told me he was presenting a talk at MIT so we went. It was amazing to see a nearly 80 year old man bouncing around. He is the same age as my Grandmother, yet he had more energy and was more with it than she was at 60.
It was a really great talk; I could watch him talk about his "dirty pictures" all day long.
Very sad day but, it had to come someday.
"I opened my eyes, and everything went dark again"
I'm not quite sure what you mean by "cannot be used by responsible, grown adults". They can't be used legally, no, but they certainly can be used responsibly, and do! One thing I've noticed about soft psychedelic drug culture (which is far removed from hard drug addict culture), is that users are primarily intelligent, contributing members of society. They are utterly under the radar of law enforcement and it's extremely rare for these types to get caught. In general, only the stupid and reckless drug users get caught.
I'd post a comment in this thread, but my NSA file is getting heavy enough as it is. How sad that Sasha did not live to see a bit more sanity in this world.
As a former and still (sadly :() marijuana user i can tell you right now that if you are vulnerable to it drugs, any drug can cause you serious mental harm. I have suffered a psychoses episode just by smoking pot 1.5 year ago. Do note however I was seriously "down" at the time. Constant headaches, constant thinking about my problems really fucked me up. Worst 4 weeks of my life thus far. I literally trusted noone (not even my parents who in my psychoses state were holding me back from fully embracing the world order Illuminati!, yes I actually believed in it, I could write a book about how I viewed the world...) and I was a danger to myself.
I still sadly smoke it but I'm hoping to go clean in the next week or so. Thankfully I'm in a much better place right now so hopefully no more mental stuff.
Sadly the lure of the high still gets me. I listen to the Johnny Cash song "A Junkie's Prayer" a lot.
can you imagine all the touchy-feeling-corpsey groping otherwise? dude...
This headline is terrible - Shulgin was WAY more than just some "godfather of ecstasy." He was a true scientist, pioneer, and explorer - a brilliant chemist and great writer. Everyone should at least read his book, PIHKaL. You'll get great insight into why he explored psychoactive chemicals, how he synthesized them, and (imo, most interestingly) how he went about exploring their effects.
He was much more than just the Godfather of Ecstasy. A brilliant chemist who wanted to unlock the secrets of the brain and the inner workings of the mind and soul. He was bigger than just one drug, his work was far more important than just the Rave culture. He won't be understood in his own time and his contributions will not be fully understood for hundreds of years. Once humanity has decided that chemical and substance research can be of great use to mankind, his contributions will finally be recognized.
Rest in Peace, Sasha.
Right, because all those kids partying with it are so psychologically stable.
Your brilliant mind and revolutionary work will be missed. And no doubt the world will be a little dimmer without your bright spirit glowing among us.
documenting the results, along with his wife, in his books and papers.
And what did he document about his wife?
Because it's inventor died 14 years older at 102. :-)
And seriously, the one time I tried ecstasy, I didn't like that it seemed to interfere with my emotions.
LSD modifies percepetions and paths of thought, which can be a fantastic experience (or just great fun) if you are in the right mood for it, but I don't remember it ever modifying my emotions.
Ecstasy gave me the impression of creating out of proportion artificial emotions in me. After the fact, I really didn't like that aspect. No wonder it was all the rage during the years of techno music. I guess people dancing to that cold techno music really needed something to still feel human.
But anyway, peace to "Godfather of Ecstasy" and all chemists experimenting with psychoactive drugs. When used right, these all give valuable experiences.
Too bad fear rules all. MDMA was highly effective in couples therapy, leading to years of progress in hours.
I hope you die in a fire you ignorant fuck.
Get back under your bridge.
Baaaaah...
Look back up at my post, now look back down, you're on the Internet. Now look back up. I'm a signature.
It's always good to hear about another drug evangelist dropping dead. It's a shame Shulgin didn't kick the bucket earlier.
Your desire to see another man dead because you disagree with his research is not very compassionate. May you one day learn to show compassion towards everyone, especially those that wish to better understand our world. The more knowledgeable we are about the world, the better we can address problems such as drug abuse.
Oh yeah, using L33t sp33k really makes your comments that much better! How bout you burn in hell?
No, it isn't a Fine American Corporate One-Button Solution to your problems. It just helps you find your own solutions.
If one is taking it therapeutically, neurotoxicity and tolerance shouldn't pose any real threat. If someone's taking it often enough that tolerance is a concern (daily for 7 days to no effect, IIRC) someone should be using that time to look at their life.
Excuse me, it's bong o'clock...
"Shulgin was known for discovering, creating and personally testing hundreds of psychoactive chemicals and documenting the results, along with his wife, in his books and papers." He documented the results AND he documented his wife? -- C.