'Godfather of Ecstasy,' Chemist Sasha Shulgin Dies Aged 88

Posted by timothy on Tuesday June 3, 2014 @05:05AM from the rest-in-more-peace-than-most dept.

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.

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And for those that weren't aware by mugetsu37 · 2014-06-03 05:28 · Score: 5, Informative

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.
MDMA: Empathy by digsbo · 2014-06-03 06:26 · Score: 5, Informative

Too bad fear rules all. MDMA was highly effective in couples therapy, leading to years of progress in hours.