Bicycle Day, April 19, 1943. The world’s first acid trip.

You know the gist: Swiss chemist Albert Hofmann, tinkering in the labs of Sandoz Chemicals, accidentally absorbs LSD-25 through his fingers. Later sold as “Delysid” by Sandoz, it was one of many synthetic molecules created in Hofmann’s quest to prevent post-partum haemorrhaging. (The man who created the world’s best-loved hallucinogen was only trying to prevent the death of women in childbirth. And he succeeded in both respects.) Hours later, cycling home, the world shimmered.

Entirely inexperienced with recreational drugs, the Hofmann was befuddled, and decided on a “self-experiment” to delve further. On April 19, he slugged 250 microg​rams at 4:20pm—surely one of history’s most trippy coincidences.

The world’s first trip was far from fun. “A demon had invaded me, taken possession of my body, mind and soul,” Hofmann wrote in​ his book. Though the after-glow was pleasant, Hofmann hated the initial jolt. “The last thing I could have expected was that this substance could ever find application as anything approaching a pleasure drug.” Instead, he hoped LSD “could be for psychiatry what the microscope is for biology and the telescope for astronomy.” A tool to probe the mind. A task, not a treat.


http://motherboard.vice.com/read/bicycle-day