history of lysergic acid diethylamide history of lysergic acid diethylamide the psychedelic drug (or entheogen) lysergic acid diethylamide (lsd) was first synthesized on november 16, 1938, by the swiss chemist albert hofmann in the sandoz (now novartis) laboratories in basel, switzerland. it was not until five years later on april 19, 1943, that the psychedelic properties were found. lsd blotter paper part of a series onpsychedelia arts psychedelic art algorithmic art cyberdelic diffraction fractal art liquid light show lsd art paisley phosphene psychedelic music acid house acid jazz acid rock acid techno acid trance chillwave hypnagogic pop madchester neo-psychedelia palm desert scene peyote song p-funk psychedelic folk psychedelic funk psychedelic pop psychedelic rock psychedelic soul psychedelic trance space rock stoner rock trip hop psychedelic film acid western stoner film psychedelic literature culture counterculture entheogen smart shop trip sitter psychedelic microdosing drugs 25i-nbome 2c-b ayahuasca cannabis dmt ibogaine ketamine lsd mescaline peyote psilocybin mushrooms salvinorin a/salvia san pedro cactus list of psychedelic drugs list of psilocybin mushrooms psychoactive cactus experience bad trip ecology ego death psychedelic press serotonergic psychedelic therapy history acid tests albert hofmann alexander shulgin counterculture of the 1960s history of lysergic acid diethylamide owsley stanley psychedelic era summer of love timothy leary william leonard pickard law drug liberalization drug policy of the netherlands drug policy of oregon drug policy of portugal drug policy reform legality of cannabis legal status of psilocybin mushrooms legal status of salvia divinorum neurolaw related topics addiction cannabis cognitive liberty drug checking harm reduction hippie mdma neuroenhancement neuroethics philosophy of psychedelics psychonautics prohibition of drugs rave recreational drug use regulation of therapeutic goods self-experimentation surrealism discovery albert hofmann, born in switzerland, joined the pharmaceutical-chemical department of sandoz laboratories, located in basel, as a co-worker with professor arthur stoll, founder and director of the pharmaceutical department. he began studying the medicinal plant squill and the fungus ergot as part of a program to purify and synthesize active constituents for use as pharmaceuticals. his main contribution was to elucidate the chemical structure of the common nucleus of scilla glycosides (an active principle of mediterranean squill). while researching lysergic acid derivatives, hofmann first synthesized lsd on november 16, 1938. the main intention of the synthesis was to obtain a respiratory and circulatory stimulant (an analeptic). it was set aside for five years, until april 16, 1943, when hofmann decided to take a second look at it. while re-synthesizing lsd, he accidentally absorbed a small amount of the drug and discovered its powerful effects. he described what he felt as being: ... affected by a remarkable restlessness, combined with a slight dizziness. at home i lay down and sank into a not unpleasant intoxicated-like condition, characterized by an extremely stimulated imagination. in a dreamlike state, with eyes closed (i found the daylight to be unpleasantly glaring), i perceived an uninterrupted stream of fantastic pictures, extraordinary shapes with intense, kaleidoscopic play of colors. after about two hours this condition faded away. "bicycle day" bicycle daylsd blotter commemorating bicycle daytypesecularcelebrationsconsumption of lysergic acid diethylamide (lsd)observanceshonors the anniversary of the first ever intentional acid trip, undergone by swiss chemist dr. albert hofmann on april 19, 1943 in basel, switzerland.dateapril 19next time19 april 2024 (2024-04-19)frequencyannual on april 19, 1943, hofmann ingested 0.25 milligrams (250 micrograms) of the substance. less than one hour later, hofmann experienced sudden and intense changes in perception. he asked his laboratory assistant to escort him home. as was customary in basel, they made the journey by bicycle. on the way, hofmann's condition rapidly deteriorated as he struggled with feelings of anxiety, alternating in his beliefs that the next-door neighbor was a malevolent witch, that he was going insane, and that the lsd had poisoned him. when the house doctor arrived, however, he could detect no physical abnormalities, save for a pair of widely dilated pupils. hofmann was reassured, and soon his terror began to give way to a sense of good fortune and enjoyment, as he later wrote: ... little by little i could begin to enjoy the unprecedented colors and plays of shapes that persisted behind my closed eyes. kaleidoscopic, fantastic images surged in on me, alternating, variegated, opening and then closing themselves in circles and spirals, exploding in colored fountains, rearranging and hybridizing themselves in constant flux ... the events of this first lsd trip, now known as "bicycle day", after the bicycle ride home, proved to hofmann that he had indeed made a significant discovery: a psychoactive substance with extraordinary potency, capable of causing significant shifts of consciousness in incredibly low doses. (the term trip was first coined by us army scientists during the 1950s when they were experimenting with lsd.) hofmann foresaw the drug as a powerful psychiatric tool; because of its intense and introspective nature, he could not imagine anyone using it recreationally. bicycle day is increasingly observed in psychedelic communities as a day to celebrate the discovery of lsd. the celebration of bicycle day originated in dekalb, illinois, in 1985, when thomas b. roberts, then a professor at northern illinois university, invented the name "bicycle day" when he founded the first celebration at his home. several years later, he sent an announcement made by one of his students to friends and internet lists, thus propagating the idea and the celebration. his original intent was to commemorate hofmann's original, accidental exposure on april 16, but that date fell midweek and was not a good time for the party, so he chose the 19th to honor hofmann's first intentional exposure. psychiatric use