Comments on: A Chemical Love Story

A Chemical Love Story

ChasFile — Fri, 09 Apr 2004 14:38:47 -0800

PiHKAL - Phenethylamines I Have Known And Loved: A Chemical Love Story, by Alexander and Ann Shulgin, is the online version of the book of the same name. It contains personal accounts by the Shulgins detailing the chemical procedures used in the synthesis, and lengthy qualitative reports regarding the subsequent ingestion, of 179 different types of Phenethylamines, the family of chemicals that includes 2C-B, Mescaline - the active ingredient in Peyote, and MDMA - better known as ecstasy. See also the sequel TiHKAL - Tryptamines I Have Known And Loved: The Chemistry Continues, again by the Shulgins, whose highlights include DMT and LSD.

By: ChasFile

ChasFile — Fri, 09 Apr 2004 14:40:03 -0800

Be sure to check out this 1995 L.A. Times article for more on the fascinating life of the Shulgins, who have invented, and probably consumed, more Schedule 1 drugs than anybody else. ...and let me be the first to say it, given the other psycadelics-related posts lately... HippieFilter!

By: y2karl

y2karl — Fri, 09 Apr 2004 14:59:09 -0800

Shulgin Filter

By: Gyan

Gyan — Fri, 09 Apr 2004 15:10:04 -0800

Hallucinofilter! /consumes some phenylethylamine. Just some chocolate bar.

By: Asparagirl

Asparagirl — Fri, 09 Apr 2004 15:18:55 -0800

Did you know that Sasha Shulgin is pushing eighty years old? It sort of undercuts the old adage "there are old psychonauts, and there are bold psychonauts, but there are no old bold psychonauts". Especially since has tested most or all of his chemical creations on himself first (and his wife second), as a human guinea pig.

By: Mo Nickels

Mo Nickels — Fri, 09 Apr 2004 15:21:20 -0800

For some reason which should be come apparent, this post reminds me of these two blogs: Sixth Seal and Castitas.

By: Fupped Duck

Fupped Duck — Fri, 09 Apr 2004 15:27:09 -0800

the proverbial kid in the candy store is 80 years old. McKenna's moved onto other planes. Are there any up and coming psychonauts worthy of mention?

By: milovoo

milovoo — Fri, 09 Apr 2004 15:35:07 -0800

It's surprisingly good reading for what is essentially a chemistry experiment notebook.

By: muckster

muckster — Fri, 09 Apr 2004 17:03:39 -0800

Daniel Pinchbeck is trying.

By: abcde

abcde — Fri, 09 Apr 2004 18:27:14 -0800

This text seems kinda touch-and-go. Drugs which obviously would warrant a lot of discussion like LSD don't really get any. (Why'd you list LSD as a highlight, anyway?) The experiences are in quotes, even though it's often him that's having them. Really, it's with the rambling voice of someone who's taken one too many hundred different kinds of hallucinogen.

By: Gyan

Gyan — Fri, 09 Apr 2004 18:43:14 -0800

abcde: Drugs which obviously would warrant a lot of discussion like LSD don't really get any. That's because the online versions are only the second halves of each book (PIHKAL, TIHKAL). The first haves are the "The first half of 'X'iHKAL is an excellent commentary on the Shulgin's personal experiences with 'X'amines.". Take a 'Look Inside' at Amazon. The interesting parts for the non-chemist are not included online. I assume the quotes in each chemical's entry indicates verbatim transcription.

By: Fupped Duck

Fupped Duck — Fri, 09 Apr 2004 19:02:37 -0800

35 years of drug use doesn't seem to have clouded his reasoning or verbal ability.

By: abcde

abcde — Fri, 09 Apr 2004 19:03:55 -0800

Aha. So the relatively brief descriptions listed in the experiences part are more of a scientific summary. And it would be natural that LSD gets less attention, because its effects are well-known. Got it.

By: snarfodox

snarfodox — Fri, 09 Apr 2004 21:55:43 -0800

Fascinating. I've seen it before and I'll surely read it again, but fascinating nonetheless.

By: calwatch

calwatch — Fri, 09 Apr 2004 22:04:22 -0800

Be sure to check out this documentary on the author, which is infinitely better than the one from the LA Times.

By: Jairus

Jairus — Sat, 10 Apr 2004 08:27:52 -0800

I'd like to thank this thread for the "5-MEO-AMT NOW ON SALE" Google ads on the frontpage. That is all.

By: shoepal

shoepal — Sun, 11 Apr 2004 16:36:23 -0800

Gracie and Zarkov