$bbtitle
Apple Stock: 194.34 ( +0.3099 )
RSS RSS Twitter Twitter
Search:
AppleInsider.com Archives News Bytes Reviews Anonymous Mailer Submit Story AppleInsider Forums Mac Prices Polls Advertise on AppleInsider Contact AppleInsider
Save up to $280 on new MacBook Pros and up to $150 on brand new iMacs with special coupons: Mac Pricing Guide updated Nov 6th (Find the best prices on Macs).
Thursday, July 9, 2009

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

By Katie Marsal

Published: 11:05 AM EST

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.

Filed under : General 90 Comments ] 
Story topics: Steve Jobs   Print ] [ Story Link ] 


Pre-Order VMware Fusion 3
RSS
RSS
RSS
Mac Poker players can play Full Tilt Poker for Mac and get 100% to $600 free with bonus code MP600, courtesy of Online Poker Mac
AppleInsider Features
Hot Forum Topics

Recent Articles
Doom game creator suggests Apple embarrassed about iPhone gaming
Report: Apple to launch Verizon iPhone in Q3 2010
Apple unveils holiday shopping in-store pickup option
Apple's Broadway store to open Saturday, Nov. 14
Bizarre lawsuits connect Apple with Sarah Jessica Parker, Lil' Wayne
Apple predicted to countersue in legal battle with Nokia
Windows 7 tops Vista software sales, lags behind in hardware
Report: Apple testing RFID swipe support in iPhone prototypes
Inside Google's Android and Apple's iPhone OS as core platforms
Apple looks to hire new iPhone OS security manager
Apple investigating 'Grab & Go' simplified cross-platform sync
Apple co-founder Steve Jobs named Fortune 'CEO of the Decade'
Review roundup: Motorola Droid, Verizon's first Android handset
Apple's latest 10.6.2 beta packs fixes for VMWare, iMacs, Apple TV
Latest Snow Leopard build resurrects Atom compatibility
Bell, Telus provide new iPhone competition in Canada
'Art project' video game attacks Apple Mac machines
Hacker cracks Apple's latest iPhone 3GS security measures
The Beatles go digital with apples, but still not Apple's iTunes
Apple announces App Store offerings top 100,000
Apple launches iTunes Music Movies with exclusive content
Parallels Desktop 5 for Mac claims speed superiority
AT&T brings lawsuit against Verizon over 'Map' ad campaign
Canalys Q3 2009: iPhone, RIM taking over smartphone market
Hit-or-miss site claims 4G iPhone part; French exclusivity ends
Despite disappointing China debut, iPhone's 2010 predicted to be strong
Philadelphia's first Apple store moves closer to reality
Exclusive look at Apple's new iPod touch-based EasyPay checkout
China Unicom gains 5,000 iPhone subscribers from launch
iPhone makes enterprise market inroads for Apple
Apple pitches $30-a-month iTunes TV subscriptions - report
Apple's iPhone sees tepid sales debut in China
Apple's 2010 capital expenditures could signal major investments
Apple rumored to disable Atom support with Mac OS X 10.6.2
Apple advertising guru says he's 'not going anywhere'
First Look: Apple's 27" big screen iMac
Last chance this year to save an extra 3% on iMacs, white MacBooks
Visionary behind Apple's '1984' advertisement steps down
Flash playback issues reported on Apple's new 27-inch iMacs
Apple expands school initiative with Atlanta MacBook program

AppleInsider Market Place

Sell your Laptop - working or not. Free shipping.: Get an instant online quote and sell your laptop today !

Believe in Office: Save Up To 25% on Office 2004 For Mac. Visit Our Site for Details!

IBackup - SMB Online Backup: IBackup is the preferred online storage and backup service of choice for SMBs for its ease of use, security and value. Offers automated backup and restore, file selection and securiy.

Download free software - everyday updated freeware files

 
Advertisements








AppleInsider RSS Feed
AppleInsider © 1997-2008
Please review our Privacy Policy.
Written/Edited/Compiled by the AppleInsider Staff.