Who We Are

The Albert Hofmann Foundation ("the Foundation" or "AHF") was founded in 1988, named after the famous Swiss chemist, author, and philosopher. In addition to discovering D-lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), Dr. Albert Hofmann isolated the psychoactive ingredients of Psilocybin mushrooms and Ololiuqui seeds, and crafted many other mind-manifesting chemical substances and medicinal compounds several of which, including Hydergine, are still widely in use. Dr. Hofmann has authored more than 100 articles in the field, several books including LSD-My Problem Child and, with others, Plants of the Gods and The Road to Eleusis.

Statement of our mission: "Throughout history people have used mind-expanding substances to explore consciousness and enhance their lives. Our purpose at the Albert Hofmann Foundation is to gather the records of these endeavors and to further the understanding and responsible application of psychedelic substances in the investigation of both individual and collective consciousness."

The remarkable psychic properties of LSD, which induces dramatic changes in consciousness at microscopic doses, have inspired millions of people through life-changing transcendent experiences. The intense interest in psychedelic drug research following the discovery of LSD revolutionized the scientific study of the human mind and produced a wealth of new data. During the 17 years of research before it was severely restricted in the late Sixties, over 3,000 scientific and popular articles were published worldwide. Few other chemicals have sparked a comparable level of research activity. The resulting exploration of possibilities within the human mind/body helped fuel the human potential movement in the Sixties, a movement reflected worldwide in new perspectives in business, medicine, ecology, the arts, and politics.

Included in the extensive research conducted in the early days are nearly 700 published reports of studies covering therapeutic applications. Many of these showed great promise for the use of psychedelics in various forms of therapy. Since the U.S. government action to make all psychedelic substances illegal, many thousands of persons have experimented with psychedelics through illicit use. By and large, those who have explored responsibly have confirmed the many beneficial possibilities exposed in the earlier, scientific studies. These include uncovering repressed material described by Carl Jung as the Shadow, the discovery of which frees the individual from unconscious drives which distort life processes, thereby permitting deeper self-understanding, resolving neuroses, greater energy, freer and more accurate communication, enhanced awareness, greater aliveness, and increased well-being. It also permits discovering one’s authentic self, a self of enormous potential and wisdom which is rooted in the Divine. At the highest levels of experience, explorers find their intimate relationship with all aspects of the Universe, the Spiritual nature of Reality, and the possibility of direct union with the Divine, the most fulfilling, ecstatic, love-saturated experience available to mankind.

The Foundation is a nonprofit, educational and research organization, originally chartered to preserve the earliest records of psychedelic activity. Since these records suggest that these consciousness-revealing substances, both natural and synthetic, can be judiciously used for the betterment of humankind, our mission includes encouraging research and increasing public awareness and understanding of the potential such substances may offer.

The Foundation does not support irresponsible use of psychedelics for casual purposes, and we do not encourage the public’s use of illicit substances. We aim to provide accurate and unbiased information not only about the psychedelic substances and the experiences that attend their use, but also about the hazards inherent in the irresponsible use of these drugs.

The Foundation is administered by a board of directors and supported by an Advisory Board drawn from scientific, scholarly and cultural communities around the world, including almost all of the pioneering psychedelic researchers and explorers. Various members of our board of advisors have donated their relevant personal collections of historical interest to the Foundation. These items, along with the declassified documents of CIA experimentation with LSD, and the accumulation of 93 volumes of published research papers collected by Dr. Albert Hofmann, provide the core of a collection which will be expanded to establish an archive and museum to preserve the outstanding historical psychedelic records. Articles in support of the Foundation have appeared in several national magazines and numerous dailies including The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The L. A. Weekly, Omni, and New Age. CBS News and 48 Hours have also produced documentary segments about the Albert Hofmann Foundation.

The Foundation maintains informal associations with the Institute of Noetic Sciences (Sausalito, Ca.), M.A.P.S.—The Multidisciplinary Association of Psychedelic Studies (Sarasota, FL), The Heffter Research Institute (Lafeyette, IN) and The Lindesmith Center (New York, NY).

AHF is funded entirely by donations from private sources, including grants, wills and trust funds, as well as through non-cash contributions, such as volunteer work and office equipment donations.

"I am completely convinced that there is a wealth of information built into us, with miles of intuitive knowledge tucked away in the genetic material of every one of our cells. Something akin to a library containing uncountable reference volumes, but without some means of access, there is no way to even begin to guess at the extent of quality of what is there. The psychedelic drugs allow exploration of this interior world, and insights into its nature."
Alexander Shulgin

Together We Can Make A Difference

"As the LSD began to take effect, I suddenly said in a very loud voice... ‘Every psychiatrist, every psychoanalyst should be forced to take LSD in order to know what is over here.’ What I meant was that anybody who has anything to do with the human mind and its care should be trained in these spaces."
John Lilly

As we watch the news and contemplate the condition of society, we are confronted with innumerable serious problems and few signs of real progress. Despite remarkable technological advances in many fields, we see an astronomical national debt with scant prospects of diminishing, deterioration of family values in many segments of society, rising crime and a world population explosion that puts increasing strain on our dwindling natural resources, not to mention unchecked nuclear weapons proliferation to unstable third world countries.

Relating to our cause, we perceive a failed "war on drugs" irresponsibly turning large numbers of citizens into criminals, burdening society with huge costs for prosecution and incarceration despite proven evidence that treatment of drug users is less costly then jailing them.

Almost all of these problems arise from a steady growth in self-centeredness on the part of huge numbers of individuals, particularly leaders and the media. Our preoccupation with the external world and amassing material possessions has atrophied our most important internal resources essential to intuition, creativity, and compassion. The cost is often an inner agony and a profound sense of alienation of which most of us are unaware. Anyone who has had a beneficial psychedelic experience marked by attaining transcendental levels of understanding immediately recognizes this distortion and, more importantly, the path to their rejuvenation. Yet ironically, the nation founded on the basis of providing human liberty, equality and freedom, has seen fit to make illegal the possession of substances which can effectively illuminate the way out of our dilemmas. A considerable number of experts now believe that when psychedelics are used with integrity, knowledge and courage, they are among the most powerful learning tools available to mankind. Changing one’s attitude and behavior is extremely difficult to achieve, as any therapist can testify. General recognition of the potential of these substances and optimizing their application with skillful integration may hold great promise for correcting many of the existing ills of our world.

The old solutions are not working. We need new, innovative ways to address these problems. With your generous contribution, you can help us do that, and bring hope in the process. We really can make a difference. We’re ready to do the work. Will you help us?

For more information, click on your choice of below:

Dr. Albert Hofmann
The Discovery of LSD
Early History, by Oscar Janiger
Board of Directors and Advisors
Recent Developments