Katie MarsalJobs' 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.
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Just a note, my nick represents someone who enjoys traveling physically, not mind altering drugs.
I've tried both and like the physical trip much better. Although both are quite habit forming. People working hard need a break, I'd highly advise saving and taking the time during one's lifetime to see the world and experience new places, foods, people and things, it's fantastic!
Remember your body will not be able to handle things too much when your get older, so you have to plan on a lot when your young and strong.
I never thought I'd say this, but drugs are really not good for you. It makes you weak mentally, everyone see's your hooked and can manipulate you because of your dependence. It's a shame that when hooked, you place the need for drugs over everything else, even the love of your wife and family.
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I've tried both and like the physical trip much better. Although both are quite habit forming.
Air fare is way more expensive than mushrooms.
(And not to be pedantic, but LSD and mushrooms are not physically addictive at all.)
cool, man...cool
Using the new API I made a bong that when attached to the iPhone measures the amount of smoke needed for an ideal hit. An alarm goes off if you take your lips away from the bong to early.