Hofmann's Elixir

Albert Hofmann, the discoverer of LSD, died in 2008 at the age of 102. This significant book consists of an interview given in 2005, recent talks and essays by Hofmann himself, essays about him including contributions from Huston Smith, Ralph Metzner and Stanislav Grof. A leitmotif running through the book and reflected in its title is the alchemical search for a fundamental alteration of consciousness and personality 'creating the conditions for a better world by a change in consciousness of individual people.' Hence the link with the Eleusinian Mysteries, which had a transformative effect on ancient initiates, quite possibly as a result of a mind-altering substance administered on the occasion. Not surprisingly, Hofmann was an admirer of Aldous Huxley, and there is a chapter on their exchange as well as some reflections on the implications of Huxley's last book, Island. Another important theme is the human relationship to nature - Hofmann himself had a mystical experience and a special relationship with nature. He saw the potential of LSD as a corrective to the one-sided materialistic worldview leading to ecological, social and spiritual breakdown. However, the substance was demonised in the 60s, partly because its sacred context was forgotten. Towards the end of his life, Hofmann felt about the climate was beginning to change in his favour: If it is true that a change of consciousness is essential to our survival, then Hofmann's work and its implications should be considered very seriously. Readers will also be interested in his sender-receiver model of reality.