Happy Bicycle Day! Today is the 76th anniversary of Dr. Albert Hofmann’s first intentional experience with LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide) on April 19, 1943, three days after his accidental exposure to the psychedelic substance on April 16. Hofmann ingested 250μg of LSD, then wrote a single entry in his journal before riding his bicycle from the laboratory to his home in Basel, Switzerland. “Beginning dizziness, feeling of anxiety, visual distortions, symptoms of paralysis, desire to laugh.”
“Everything in my field of vision wavered and was distorted as if seen in a curved mirror. I also had the sensation of being unable to move from the spot. Nevertheless, my assistant later told me that we had traveled very rapidly. Finally, we arrived at home safe and sound, and I was just barely capable of asking my companion to summon our family doctor and request milk from the neighbors.” —Albert Hofmann, Ph.D.
