Albert Hofmann

As the name of our institute suggests, we draw much of our approach to human, nature and society from our namesake: Dr. Albert Hofmann. Born in Baden, Switzerland, in 1906, he devoted himself to science and the pursuit of knowledge after studying chemistry, including chemical compounds that help people. At his new employer Sandoz, Hofmann was primarily interested in the synthesis and modification of plant substances for medicinal use. In the process, he deepened his relationship with a holistic approach to research and was able to experiment scientifically. His most famous discovery, that of lysergic acid diethylamide, also known as LSD, thus arose from research into the relief of postnatal depression.

Hofmann’s use of such substances, as well as his critical reception with the effects of LSD on the social landscape, show that Hofmann’s interest was in the general improvement of the human condition. He kept in close contact with important social figures such as Aldous Huxley and Walter Vogt during this period, but also criticized fellow researchers such as Timothy Leary for their unbridled consumption. When Hofmann found that his substance was being misused and thus discredited for the ‘intoxicating’ culture of the 1960s, he decided to stop producing it. Although he always regarded LSD as his problem child because of the stormy developments, for him this substance was exemplary in its usefulness for meditation. Finally, in 2008, Hofmann died at the age of 102, leaving behind an opus of scientific writings and results. LSD, like other of his inventions, had already been banned for over 50 years by then.

Today, the research landscape has evolved not only in chemistry, but also socially in its approaches. In the meantime, psychoactive substances have not only found their way into civil discourse, even renowned institutions such as King’s College London in the UK, US-American Johns Hopkins University or Maastricht University in the Netherlands have set up entire institutions to intensively research the benefits of such substances for the psyche and body. Albert Hofmann’s research in the context of natural medicinal plants, mediation, and also social influence set early standards in this field. They show his holistic approach to the improvement of living conditions within society as well as in the context of the individual. Hofmann’s scientific expertise and holistic approach embodied a way of merging academic research and social participation. He combined high ethical and qualitative research claims that also perceive and explore the human being in the context of his environment. In order to remain true to these approaches, we are in regular consultation with the heirs of Albert Hofmann.