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Sasha Shulgin, "Godfather of Ecstasy," Dead at 88

M

mister

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Not sure if this belongs here but he was such an important pioneer.

Alexander "Sasha" Shulgin, pioneer, pharmacologist, author, and medicinal chemist, passed away this evening at the age of 88. He is best known for introducing MDMA, the purest form of ecstasy, to psychologists in the 70s.

Shulgin published the popular TiHkal (Tryptamines I Have Known And Loved) and PiHKAL (Phenethylamines I Have Known And Loved) with his wife, Ann. Shulgin was formerly a chemist for The Dow Chemical Company before he moved on in 1965 to pursue his own research, which he performed at his house in Berkeley, California.

He is credited with having sampled and synthesized over 200 psychedelic drug compounds. Shulgin had suffered a stroke when he turned 85, and an organization had been set up to help to cover health costs.

A great interview with Shulgin entitled "The Last Interview With Alexander Shulgin" by Hamilton Morris was published at VICE in 2010.

According to the Erowid Center, Shulgin "died peacefully surrounded by friends and family."
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http://gawker.com/sasha-shulgin-godfather-of-ecstasy-dead-at-88-1585182058
 
I was reading the main page article of his failing health the other day. I didn't realise he was so close though, I thought he had a month or two left.

Came across this mantra on the erowid twitter announcement of his death:

Heart Sutra said:
GATE GATE PARAGATE PARASAM GATE BODHI SVAHA!
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...

There are many translations but this gist of it is:

"Gone, gone, gone beyond altogether beyond, Awakening, fulfilled!"

This seems fitting.

R.I.P Sasha. <3
 
Just came on here to post this. RIP Dr Shulgin. I'd been following his illness for some time (and have a monthly donation set up towards his health care), I'm glad he was able to remain at home. I can't imagine there will ever be another chemist like him.
 
...for some of the best years of my life, which were spent popping mdma back in the 80's-90's - i raise a glass to sasha.
 
Thank you <3 for all the nights of happiness and hedonism on the "no calorie martinis".

I found a very old picture this morning a close up of myself on ecstasy more than 22 years ago. Strange it should turn up today. Remarkable human being with a legacy that will never be forgotten. A sad day. An experience in celebration of his life should probably be taken soon I think :D
 
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Sad to see the guy go, despite the fact that he didn't really 'rediscover' MDMA in the way that popular legend would have us believe (he was a little bit late on that front), and he spent a lot of his time on the payroll of the DEA, ultimately working against the counterculture which so embraced him.

Still, as a chemist and a pioneer you can't help but be amazed by his accomplishments, even if some of the reverence displayed toward him was a little over-the-top.

A big loss. Thanks for 2C-B.
 
Haha, as always, Sammy has brought a touch of realism into this thread =D.. Unfortunately, it's a fact that you don't get funding for that sort of research in the USA (or anywhere for that matter) without there being a hidden agenda.. But yeah, the guy will always be a hero to those of us that have sampled the products of his research - whatever the motives may have been. R.I.P.
 
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