Published: LSD inventor's letter to Apple CEO Steve Jobs

[AppleInsider]

In an offbeat but somewhat fascinating article published by the Huffington Post this week, it's revealed that LSD inventor Albert Hofmann penned a letter to Steve Jobs shortly before his passing, in which he asked the Apple co-founder for help in transforming his problematic psychedelic into a "wonderchild."

Jobs' experimentation with psychedelics as a young man is well documented in books, movies, and media reports covering Apple's early years. As part of his search for spiritual enlightenment during the mid-70s, he was known to have dropped LSD, and has since recalled it as "one of the two or three most important things I have done in my life."

Aware of the positive effects in which the experience had on Jobs' contributions to the world of technology, Hofmann -- who was an age-defying 101 years old a the time of the letter in 2007 -- reached out to the Apple luminary at the request of his friend Rick Doblin, who runs MAPS, an organization dedicated to studying the medical and psychiatric benefits of psychedelic drugs.

Once thought to be a promising psychiatric research medicine, LSD would ultimately follow a path that would see it transform into recreational drug sparking hysteria and prohibition. This disheartened Hofmann, who from then on was known to refer to the drug as his "problem child."

"I hope you will help in the transformation of my problem child into a wonder child," Hoffman wrote in his letter to Jobs, roughly 14 months before he passed away in April of 2008. Specifically, he request that Jobs contribute to Swiss psychiatrist Dr. Peter Gasser's proposed study of LSD-assisted psychotherapy in subjects with anxiety associated with life-threatening illness -- said to be the first LSD-assisted psychotherapy study in over 35 years.

According to the Post, the letter would lead to a 30-minute conversation between Doblin and Jobs but no contribution to the cause. "He was still thinking, 'Let's put it in the water supply and turn everybody on,'" Doblin told the publication. Still, Doblin hasn't given up hope that Jobs will someday decide to contribute to the study.

A copy of Hoffman's letter and more on the role of psychedelic in the tech industry can be seen in the full report.

[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]

[gmcalpin]

I never much cared for LSD, but the handful of times I've eaten psilocybin mushrooms (sometimes recreationally, to be perfectly honest) certainly helped shape the way I think about the world and my place (and humanity's place) in it; the experiences lead me to a more holistic view of life, which have contributed to me being a much happier, healthier person (and it's been many, many years since I last touched the stuff).

People who refuse to be open-minded about this stuff will just frown dismissively say "he's just a druggie," and that's their loss, but psychedelic experiences really can — if you choose to let it, and you don't just want to "get fucked up" — expand a person's consciousness. It's like most other experiences that way, really.

[MacTripper]

Just a note, my nick represents someone who enjoys traveling physically, not mind altering drugs.

I've tried both and like the physical trip much better. Although both are quite habit forming.


People working hard need a break, I'd highly advise saving and taking the time during one's lifetime to see the world and experience new places, foods, people and things, it's fantastic!

Remember your body will not be able to handle things too much when your get older, so you have to plan on a lot when your young and strong.

I never thought I'd say this, but drugs are really not good for you. It makes you weak mentally, everyone see's your hooked and can manipulate you because of your dependence. It's a shame that when hooked, you place the need for drugs over everything else, even the love of your wife and family.

</end preaching>

[gmcalpin]

Originally Posted by MacTripper

I've tried both and like the physical trip much better. Although both are quite habit forming.

Air fare is way more expensive than mushrooms.

(And not to be pedantic, but LSD and mushrooms are not physically addictive at all.)

[str1f3]

cool, man...cool

[success]

Using the new API I made a bong that when attached to the iPhone measures the amount of smoke needed for an ideal hit. An alarm goes off if you take your lips away from the bong to early.

[Object-X]

I took shrooms last week and got this cool 3D effect looking at my iPhone. Each app icon was like a glowing cube. Technology and drugs are awesome together, though I prefer weed.

Leagalize!

[pmz]

The subject matter of this article brings the lulz

[gmcalpin]

Originally Posted by success

Using the new API I made a bong that when attached to the iPhone measures the amount of smoke needed for an ideal hit. An alarm goes off if you take your lips away from the bong to early.

Man, you should sell it in the App Store for $4.20, man.

heh

[MacinTek]

... and the Huffington Post is such a reputable rag too. I have trouble believing anything I read in that political hack of newspaper.

[MacTel]

Did the Woz take LSD with Jobs? Just wondering if that helped the Woz with the Apple I.

[success]

Originally Posted by gmcalpin

Man, you should sell it in the App Store for $4.20, man.

heh

to the first 420 people.

[MacTripper]

Originally Posted by gmcalpin

Air fare is way more expensive than mushrooms.

(And not to be pedantic, but LSD and mushrooms are not physically addictive at all.)

Who said "air fare?", certainly not me.

I've seen the world on the governments dime.

I only flew once, from Hawaii to LA on my own $$, the rest by bus, train, boat and car.

Travel doesn't have to be expensive or far even, but it sure is better than a addiction and a prison sentence, that's one life altering experience you really don't want.

A note, different states have different degree's of tolerance for possession of anything drug related. I've seen kids from California yanked off Greyhounds in the middle of some bumfuck desert town just because the dog hit on their luggage with a empty pipe.

Locking up criminals is a state industry in many states of the US, so watch out! They love to trip up youngsters, try to make them mad and go off, or try to get the youngsters to touch a cop (even a friendly gesture) so they can claim assault.

Another trick is they know youngsters are scared, so the cops place a handcuff key on the cop car floor so they can nail them for attempted escape on top of the drug possession. And cops will lie in court, the jury naturally believes them because they represent "authority", so if a cop wants you to go down for something, good chance your going down.

While sitting in some sh*thole jail, the state paid lawyer (usually a washed out former DA lawyer) comes around with a DA plea bargain, 1 year in jail or if you take it to trial and lose, you get the mandatory 10 years by state law. So your fscked taking the deal even though you know the cop is a lying sack of sh*t and you only had a ounce instead of 10 ounces they claim, also because you can't prove it otherwise. Taking the stand is a joke unless your a experienced con artist and studied law, being your own lawyer is having a fool as a client. Your just a piece of meat to them, a way to get Federal and State dollars to pay for state paid workers in the business of prison industries.

There are towns in the US that are nothing but prisons, built by prisoners, run by prisoners and housed by prisoners, the only free people are corrections officers living in town and their families. Florence Arizona is one for starters, Google Earth it.

If you travel and need your sh*t, I suggest a car and a foolproof way to dispose the evidence, fool the dogs and the mind/body language reading cops. If your fscked up, that's going to be a hard job to do in a pinch, the random stop, the accident, flat tire or engine trouble that always seems to bring a cop around a few seconds after your vehicle has come to a stop, and it always seems one of your friends will rat you off to get a lighter sentence anyway.

Screw all that. Stay far away from drug using people.

Carry nothing illegal or points to illegal behavior, in your person, in your car in your house or hotel room. Your blood will give you up when you get arrested too and the judge see's that when you get sentenced.

Get a physical high from travel, sports and life, it's a lot less risk and downside.

[auxio]

As with anything, the experience you get from LSD will largely depend on your outlook on life, and the context in which you do it.

I've genuinely felt that, in some situations, it's helped me come to understand parts of the human experience which I wasn't aware of before (awareness of the subtleties of human interaction and emotion, etc). Everyone has a particular way they interact with the world based on which parts of it they focus on, and in my experience, LSD helps to shift or expand that focus (which can be beneficial). However, I don't think it's completely necessary to use LSD to get that -- as someone else mentioned, traveling and major life changes can also give you the same experience.

But I've also had a strong distaste when seeing LSD used by people who are just looking for another way to get high (amongst a cocktail of other things) and not have to deal with the world around them. Often isolating those people from others. In that case, it's not of benefit whatsoever IMO.

Like others, I haven't done it in years (the idea just hasn't appealed to me). But I do still carry the experiences with me in my daily life.

Also, because it's an illegal substance, who knows what you're actually getting (unless you know where it comes from). That's another thing which keeps me from wanting to do it.

Anyways, I can see how it could be useful in psychiatric research.

[crees!]

Huffington Post and fascinating in the same sentence. Interesting. I for one pass on reading that crap.

[itistoday]

Originally Posted by MacTripper

I never thought I'd say this, but drugs are really not good for you. It makes you weak mentally, everyone see's your hooked and can manipulate you because of your dependence. It's a shame that when hooked, you place the need for drugs over everything else, even the love of your wife and family.

Dude, I hate to say this as I know the tone with which I'll say it will immediately discredit me, but this preaching of yours is short-sighted.

Saying that "drugs are really not good for you" is like saying anything else isn't good for you. Here, let's try some:

Cars are not good for you.
Planes are not good for you.
Trains are not good for you.
Food isn't good for you.
Children aren't good for you.
School isn't good for you.
Work isn't good for you.

You, and I, everyone here, can hopefully see how each of the items listed above can in some cases be bad for you.

In case you can't, I'll spell it out for the slow ones:

Cars can kill you.
Planes can kill you.
Trains can kill you.
Food can kill you.
Children can kill you, whether it be during birth, or with a bullet to the head.
School can destroy your ability to think outside the box and be creative.
Work can ruin your marriage and your ability to enjoy life, and yes, it can also kill you.

And just as you and I can pick counter examples to the above, we can also pick counter examples to the exceedingly nebulous and poorly defined notion of "drugs".

If you honestly think that drugs, for example drugs such as LSD, Marijuana, Psilocybin, MDMA, Cocaine, Heroin, and others, only have negative effects, then you're fooling yourself.

Each of them can have beneficial effects.

There is no objective interpretation of how good or bad a drug is for you. It is completely dependent on your own subjective opinion of the drug and the experience.

It is a shame, however, that for the majority of people, their opinion of such substances is largely based on a body of work known as "brainwashing". They don't actually even possess their own opinion on the substance, because they've never tried it, because they simply regurgitate and subscribe to what they've been told by other brainwashed people, and people with ulterior motives who prefer to believe in fairy tales and Hollywood scenarios.

[e1618978]

Originally Posted by success

Using the new API I made a bong that when attached to the iPhone measures the amount of smoke needed for an ideal hit. An alarm goes off if you take your lips away from the bong to early.

How would you measure the amount of THC in the smoke? Also, is THC fat soluble or water soluble? I imagine that the ideal hit might depend on body composition if it is fat soluble.

[MacTripper]

Originally Posted by auxio

Also, because it's an illegal substance, who knows what you're actually getting (unless you know where it comes from). That's another thing which keeps me from wanting to do it.

In "rehab" I've seen complete burnouts, they are walking drooling vegetables, because they took some bad sh*t some idiot cooked up in their garage.

That was enough for me, I was "cured".


And for others:

People who glamorize drugs, they never tell you the downsides and risks, they just want you hooked so you either can be controlled, bring them money or recruit others.

They might have had a good run with decent drugs and luck not getting caught, but that's not always the case for everyone and it does wear one down eventually, all the poison accumulating in their bodies does strange things to them. Very few people can use drugs all their life without some sort of problem, they think their way can be good for all, but they never see the inside of a drug caused loonie bin of burnouts.

If your happy in life, then you don't need to get high. If your trying to "self medicate by experimentation" because you don't know what is wrong with your head, learn what is the problem then you can find the solution. A key is knowing that someone, somewhere has gone through the same things as your going through and has found something that works. So you need to talk to good people and ask them "what has worked for you", search online or seek professional help.

Don't go trying different drugs to see if it cures your mental state, some illegal drugs are so highly addictive there is virtually no chance to come back to normal once you start. (crack for one)

Everyone has mental troubles or problems with their feelings or something, it's all part of the body "growing up" and adjusting to life. Eventually it will stop and life will become clear and defined, experience will also come into play and you'll know your depressed and what to do about it. (get out with real good friends!)

It's during this "growing stage" of a lot of young people's lives that they experiment with drugs. If you remain clean and live in the real reality instead of a drug infused one, you'll mature faster and get a grip on your life faster.

Lots of severe alcoholics are immature babies, because they "escape" so much that they never mature. Maturing takes time and interactivity with people and the world, the more you do the more mature you get.

If you need a escape, take a vacation. If you escape with drugs, you might not come back.


Be very afraid of losing control. If you need to lose control, then something needs to change in your life that is pushing you into wanting to lose control. Solve that chief problem or reduce it in some way and you won't need to take desperate measures.

[itistoday]

Originally Posted by MacTripper

That was enough for me, I was "cured".

[...]
If you need a escape, take a vacation. If you escape with drugs, you might not come back.

[...]
Be very afraid of losing control. If you need to lose control, then something needs to change in your life that is pushing you into wanting to lose control. Solve that chief problem or reduce it in some way and you won't need to take desperate measures.

It sounds to me like you had negative experiences with drugs due to your own personal inability to properly and safely use them. You are now projecting these negative experiences onto others, assuming that somehow your experience is universal.

[Jimzip]

Originally Posted by itistoday

It sounds to me like you had negative experiences with drugs due to your own personal inability to properly and safely use them. You are now projecting these negative experiences onto others, assuming that somehow your experience is universal.

Don't be a dork. He's warning people of what can happen if you're irresponsible. You're twisting his words.

Jimzip

[itistoday]

Whenever one of these stories appears the brainwashed masses come out in protest, reliably reproducing what they were told to say.

It's OK though.

There's a reason Steve Jobs did it, and there's a reason why you don't.

As you sit there, surrounded by the echoes of society's latest fads and taboos, you are, ironically enough, the one who could stand to gain the greatest benefit by trying one these illegal substances.

[MacTripper]

Originally Posted by itistoday

There is no objective interpretation of how good or bad a drug is for you. It is completely dependent on your own subjective opinion of the drug and the experience.

It is a shame, however, that for the majority of people, their opinion of such substances is largely based on a body of work known as "brainwashing". They don't actually even possess their own opinion on the substance, because they've never tried it, because they simply regurgitate and subscribe to what they've been told by other brainwashed people, and people with ulterior motives who prefer to believe in fairy tales and Hollywood scenarios.

I've tried them all and I speak from experience as you can see from the depth of knowledge in my posts.

Illegal drugs are bad for your body, period.

Even Steve Jobs learned that lesson, because now he is a total health freak with a large garden on his front lawn. (I've seen it)

His valuable lesson and mine are the same, take care of your body.


Get a MAO high from skydiving or a roller coaster ride. No drugs needed, your body creates it.

[itistoday]

Originally Posted by Jimzip

Don't be a dork. He's warning people of what can happen if you're irresponsible. You're twisting his words.

I don't believe I am, I was quoting him directly:

Originally Posted by MacTripper

I never thought I'd say this, but drugs are really not good for you.

Edit: Here's another one:

Originally Posted by MacTripper

Drugs are bad for your body, period.

[MacTripper]

Originally Posted by itistoday

It sounds to me like you had negative experiences with drugs due to your own personal inability to properly and safely use them. You are now projecting these negative experiences onto others, assuming that somehow your experience is universal.

Your funny.

[itistoday]

Originally Posted by MacTripper

Your funny.

Conversation's over, I've gotta go.

[ulfoaf]

Originally Posted by gmcalpin

I never much cared for LSD, but the handful of times I've eaten psilocybin mushrooms (sometimes recreationally, to be perfectly honest) certainly helped shape the way I think about the world and my place (and humanity's place) in it; the experiences lead me to a more holistic view of life, which have contributed to me being a much happier, healthier person (and it's been many, many years since I last touched the stuff).

People who refuse to be open-minded about this stuff will just frown dismissively say "he's just a druggie," and that's their loss, but psychedelic experiences really can — if you choose to let it, and you don't just want to "get fucked up" — expand a person's consciousness. It's like most other experiences that way, really.

Sorry, can't say I've ever know even a single person who's life was improved by drugs.

Ruined? Can't count. Never done LSD, but I've seen friends do it. It ain't a pretty sight. If you think staring at cracks in the sidewalk for 15 minutes, then another 15 minutes staring at the bark on the tree is "mind expanding," have a good time. A number have said their concentration was effected for weeks after doing this. Others just plain had bad experiences and found it frightening.

I'd suggest you don't make it a habit if you want a life and a job.

[ulfoaf]

This hardly counts. Should we talk about the brand of car Steve drove too fast through stop signs, too?

[itistoday]

Originally Posted by ulfoaf

Sorry, can't say I've ever know even a single person who's life was improved by drugs.

Well, isn't that interesting? Now you know 3 people: Steve Jobs, gmcalpin, and myself. If you look you'll find a whole lot more! You could start with famous people (i.e. like John Lennon), or you could perhaps ask some of your drug-using friends for their opinions, just try not to project your opinions ("looking at a sidewalk for 15 minutes" = bad) onto them.

Yes, this time I'm really going (so much work to do...), sorry for ditching the conversation! I suppose you could call this a hit-and-run, but hopefully I'll be back later.

[ulfoaf]

Originally Posted by itistoday

Conversation's over, I've gotta go.

But you'll say nooo, nooo, nooo

[Silencio]

MacTripper makes some excellent points. I've been mostly "straight edge" my entire life, but I don't personally frown on others' use of psychedelics or pot.

I used to be a bit more judgmental: back in my freshman year of college, Dr. Timothy Leary was speaking on our campus and he happened to walk past me on our quad. Full of piss and vinegar, I kind of confronted him and said that only weak minds require psychedelic drugs to achieve alternate levels of consciousness. He was a good sport about it and we actually had an excellent conversation.

I've taken mushrooms a couple of times and had positive enough experiences, but I still believe my mind is capable of going to far more intriguing and enlightening places on its own without chemical aid, either through dreaming or through just "letting go" of my consciousness.

I've also seen the damage done to friends over the years by coke, speed, and heroin (not to mention alcohol to the point of dependence). Bad, bad stuff.

[auxio]

Originally Posted by MacTripper

Drugs are bad for your body, period.

So are a lot of other chemicals which are added to or sprayed on foods. If we knew every effect of every chemical we put in our bodies, we'd likely be able to avoid a lot of illness and prolong our lives

So really, drugs aren't any different than anything else. Other than the fact that, most of the time, we have a trackable supply chain with legally produced goods, and thus can make more informed decisions about them. But there's no guarantee that all legally produced goods are perfectly safe for consumption.

Even Steve Jobs learned that lesson, because now he is a total health freak

It could have been the LSD which helped him come to understand that in the first place. Or, more likely, the life changing experience of cancer. These are the things I was talking about in my post.

I'm not going to make it a black and white issue because it's not as simple as that. Sex can be addictive and potentially harmful, food can be addictive and potentially harmful, work can be used as an escape and be potentially harmful -- all the same as drugs. The only advice I'd give is for people to take the time to analyze their life at certain points to ensure the path they're on is giving them a life which is right for them and not harming people they care about.

[JupiterOne]

[auxio]

Originally Posted by JupiterOne

Drugs are bad mmmkay?

I was on the verge of using that quote in one of my posts.

Here's another good one

I never noticed the great synth sound in that ad before.

[str1f3]

Originally Posted by success

Using the new API I made a bong that when attached to the iPhone measures the amount of smoke needed for an ideal hit. An alarm goes off if you take your lips away from the bong to early.

Post of the year! Smoke 'em if you got 'em!

[Denton]

Originally Posted by MacTripper

Drugs are bad for your body, period.

A little simplistic, don't you think? The article mentions researchers who are testing valid pharmacological uses for LSD. It may very well be that LSD, when administered in the correct circumstance and at the correct dosage, is actually beneficial!

Daily insulin injections help millions of diabetics stay healthy. Insulin is a drug and it would be pretty hard to argue that insulin is bad for your body considering that a healthy body produces its own insulin. As with everything, it's all about dosage! Force-feed yourself 10 gallons of water today without properly replenishing your electrolytes and you will die of because of it.

[gmcalpin]

Originally Posted by itistoday

Well, isn't that interesting? Now you know 3 people: Steve Jobs, gmcalpin, and myself. If you look you'll find a whole lot more! You could start with famous people (i.e. like John Lennon), or you could perhaps ask some of your drug-using friends for their opinions, just try not to project your opinions ("looking at a sidewalk for 15 minutes" = bad) onto them.

Don't forget Cary Grant. http://www.carygrant.net/autobiograp...phy14.html#lsd

[MacTripper]

Originally Posted by auxio

So really, drugs aren't any different than anything else....I'm not going to make it a black and white issue because it's not as simple as that. Sex can be addictive and potentially harmful, food can be addictive and potentially harmful, work can be used as an escape and be potentially harmful -- all the same as drugs. The only advice I'd give is for people to take the time to analyze their life at certain points to ensure the path they're on is giving them a life which is right for them and not harming people they care about.

Anything can be harmful in the wrong amounts, unfortunately any amount of illegal drugs is harmful.

Because once one gets started, it takes more and more to achieve the same results.


And pot makes you dumb, Cheech and Chong are prime examples of the results, I've seen some Hawaiians who use a lot of packalolo get the same way. Dumb as bricks.

Drugs can be poorly made or cut with harmful additives and do some serious damage. In the case of crack cocaine, addiction can be immediate after the first use, the down is so strong, one just wants to be normal or high again.

Drugs just swing your body out it's normal balanced emotional state and into a high then low, then high then low cycle. Like kids playing see-saw.

If you run out of drugs and can't get anymore, you eventually normalize back to the emotional state you were at before you started drugs.

So if one finds out what is wrong that is keeping them from being happy all the time, then they can stay happy most of the time, all of their lives, without drugs!

Sometimes it is a imbalance, and a small amount of legal drugs given by a doctor can raise the normal balanced emotional state up a notch. Sometimes it's the lack of physical, emotional or group need, we are herd animals and like to be with others. It could be a lack of proper nutrition or something else, but finding out what the human needs helps a lot to isolate the problem one is having.

Some people have bi-polar disorder, and need to take their Lithium to keep their emotional balance stable.

I'm not a doctor, but if someone is serious considering using drugs, that they should seek a doctors care and find out the cause of their low emotional state instead of experimenting with illicit substances and risking their life.


Because if they use illegal drugs and become addicted, they first have to kick that habit problem first, then find out the root cause of their initial problem that drove them to use drugs in the first place and then solve that. So using illegal drugs is a waste of time in physical, emotional or mental problem solving.

Recreational drug use is rather temporary, but can lead to a dependency problem all the same.

[MacTripper]

Originally Posted by Denton

A little simplistic, don't you think? The article mentions researchers who are testing valid pharmacological uses for LSD. It may very well be that LSD, when administered in the correct circumstance and at the correct dosage, is actually beneficial!

Daily insulin injections help millions of diabetics stay healthy. Insulin is a drug and it would be pretty hard to argue that insulin is bad for your body considering that a healthy body produces its own insulin. As with everything, it's all about dosage! Force-feed yourself 10 gallons of water today without properly replenishing your electrolytes and you will die of because of it.

You took my sentence out of context. You know I meant illegal drugs.

I've clarified my earlier post and added "illegal" to help out our less fortunate readers.

[mdriftmeyer]

Originally Posted by gmcalpin

Air fare is way more expensive than mushrooms.

(And not to be pedantic, but LSD and mushrooms are not physically addictive at all.)

Correct. And if the prior poster actually got actual LSD [outside of a lab ceased to happen by 1970] he would have to confess that Shrooms are far more tame in the mind expansion than LSD.

[oomu]

all drugs are bad (for your health) because they affect your body.

It's not use to argue with specious about foods or works. Yeah, stuff can be dangerous, what is your point ? to not care about it ?

For medicinal reason, professionals assist you to cure a sickness. It's not without reason. ALL drugs, legal or not are dangerous. Even insulin.

You should only take one because you are perfectly sure of the effect and it will allow you to have a good life.

--
MacTripper explains the danger of illegal drugs. Because they are illegal, you can never trust who give it to you, what is really inside, and how you will react. and beside, authority will try to put you in jail. (I disagree but it's a fact).

It's too much dangerous. It does not worth the cost.

It's not about moral, authority or whatever your church tell you. It's simply that : it's too much dangerous.