Alexander Shulgin

This article is about the scientist. For other uses, see Alexander Shulgin (disambiguation).

Alexander Shulgin
Shulgin (right) with his wife Ann in 2011
Born
Alexander Theodore Shulgin

(1925-06-17)June 17, 1925[citation needed]
Berkeley, California, U.S.[citation needed]
DiedJune 2, 2014(2014-06-02) (aged 88)
Lafayette, California, U.S.
Alma mater
Known for
SpousesNina Gordon (deceased)
Ann Gotlieb (deceased)
Children1
Awards
DEA Awards (numerous)
Scientific career
FieldsChemistry, psychology, philosophy, biology
Institutions
ThesisThe synthesis of several isotopically labelled amino acids (1955)
Doctoral advisorDavid M. Greenberg

Alexander Theodore "Sasha" Shulgin (June 17, 1925 – June 2, 2014)[1] was a Berkeley-trained American biochemist, broad researcher of synthetic psychoactive compounds, and author of works regarding these, who independently explored the organic chemistry and pharmacology of such agents—in his mid-life and later, many through preparation in his home laboratory, and testing on himself.[2] He is acknowledged to have introduced to broader use, in the late 1970s, the prior synthesized compound, MDMA ("ecstasy"), recreationally and in research psychopharmacology, the latter through presentations and academic publications, including to psychologists; and for the rediscovery, occasional discovery, and regular synthesis and personal use and distribution, possibly of hundreds of psychoactive compounds (for their psychedelic and MDMA-like empathogenic bioactivities). As such, Shulgin is seen both as a pioneering and a controversial participant in the emergence of the broad use of psychodelics.[2][3][1]

In 1991 and 1997, he and his wife Ann Shulgin compiled the books PiHKAL and TiHKAL (Phenethylamines I Have Known And Loved, likewise for Tryptamines),[4][better source needed][5][better source needed] from notebooks that extensively described their work and personal experiences with these two classes of psychoactive drugs.[citation needed] Shulgin performed work on the chemical synthesis of many of these compounds.[citation needed] Shulgin's noteworthy discoveries include compounds of the 2C family (such as 2C-B), compounds of the DOx family (such as DOM), and tryptamines (such as 4-HO-MET and 4-HO-MiPT).[citation needed]

In describing Shulgin's work in psychedelic research and his preparation and experimentation with psychedelic drugs, he has been dubbed the "godfather of ecstasy"[1][6] (and to a much more limited extent, the "godfather of psychedelics"[7][better source needed]).

Writing in 2005—in the decade before Shulgin's death—a retrospective by Drake Bennett of The New York Times Magazine noted that as a consequence of Shulgin's testing his various synthetic compounds "for activity by taking the chemicals himself... most of the scientific community consider[ed] Shulgin at best a curiosity and at worst a menace", but Bennett goes on to say that "near the end... [Shulgin's] faith in the potential of psychedelics ha[d] at least a chance at vindication", going on to note the various clinical trials underway on compounds of interest to Shulgin.[3] The early 2000s also was a period where Shulgin was witness to a series of incidents in which young men overdosed on a novel psychoactive agent whose preparation was disclosed by Shulgin in one of his books. Before his death (and before the onset of his late life dementia), Shulgin expressed sadness over the deaths, but argued that all drugs, including aspirin, carry risks with incorrect use.[2][8]

  1. ^ a b c Kent, James L. (September 10, 2014). "Godfather of Ecstasy: Alexander Shulgin's Last Trip". High Times. Archived from the original on March 11, 2020. Retrieved April 15, 2023.
  2. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference PowerMedium was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ a b Bennett, Drake (January 30, 2005). "Dr. Ecstasy". The New York Times Magazine. Archived from the original on November 17, 2011. Retrieved July 8, 2006. Shulgin tested for activity by taking the chemicals himself... Most of the scientific community considers Shulgin at best a curiosity and at worst a menace. Now, however, near the end of his career, his faith in the potential of psychedelics has at least a chance at vindication. A little more than a month ago, the Food and Drug Administration approved a Harvard Medical School study looking at whether MDMA can alleviate the fear and anxiety of terminal cancer patients. And next month will mark a year since Michael Mithoefer, a psychiatrist in Charleston, S.C., started his study of Ecstasy-assisted therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder.
  4. ^ Erowid.org Staff (September 9, 2024). "Library: Books Online—"PIHKAL"". www.erowid.org. Retrieved September 9, 2024.
  5. ^ Erowid.org Staff (September 9, 2024). "Library: Books Online—"TIHKAL"". www.erowid.org. Retrieved September 9, 2024.
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference Calamur was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ TotC Pictures Staff (March 6, 2010). Dirty Pictures: Alexander Shulgin Documentary Movie Trailer, SXSW 2010 (movie trailer blurb, streaming video). New York, NY: Dirty Pictures/Turn of the Century (TotC). Retrieved September 8, 2024. Dirty Pictures: a documentary about Dr. Alexander Sasha Shulgin, the rogue chemist who discovered the effects of MDMA (aka Ecstasy) and over 200 other mind-altering drugs. Shulgins alchemy has earned him the title "The Godfather of Psychedelics," and a reputation as one of the great chemists of the 20th century.[dubious – discuss]
  8. ^ Likewise, his collaborator David Nichols, while blaming "the growth of unregulated, untested legal highs" on drug laws, admitted being bothered, saying, "[w]hen I used to talk about psychedelic research, the one thing you could say was these drugs do not kill people... But then when I started seeing people killed by this irresponsible marketing and use, this was not something I intended.” See Power (2014), op. cit.