Today in history On April 16, 1943 – Albert Hofmann accidentally discovers the hallucinogenic effects of the research drug LSD. He intentionally takes the drug three days later on April 19.

 In 1943, a groundbreaking event in the history of science and psychology occurred when Swiss chemist Albert Hofmann accidentally discovered the hallucinogenic effects of lysergic acid diethylamide, commonly known as LSD. Hofmann was working at the Sandoz Laboratories in Basel, Switzerland, where he had been studying derivatives of ergot, a fungus that grows on rye. LSD-25 had first been synthesized in 1938 as part of this research, but it had been set aside due to a lack of promising results. However, on April 16, 1943, Hofmann decided to revisit the compound. While working with it, he unintentionally absorbed a small amount through his skin, leading to the world’s first LSD experience.

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Hofmann reported feeling a strange restlessness, dizziness, and vivid imagination, which led him to suspect that the compound might have psychoactive properties. Intrigued and curious, he decided to conduct a self-experiment to better understand the effects. On April 19, 1943—a day now celebrated by psychedelic enthusiasts as “Bicycle Day”—he ingested 250 micrograms of LSD, believing it to be a low dose. However, LSD is active in extremely small amounts, and 250 micrograms is quite potent, resulting in an intense and overwhelming trip.

During the experience, Hofmann began feeling the effects within an hour. As the sensations intensified, he asked his lab assistant to accompany him home. Due to wartime restrictions on automobile use, they had to travel by bicycle, hence the nickname “Bicycle Day.” The ride became surreal, with Hofmann experiencing dramatic changes in perception, vivid colors, and shifting shapes. He also felt anxiety and a sense of impending doom, at times believing he was going insane or dying. However, once the peak of the trip passed, Hofmann began to feel calmer and could even appreciate the beauty of the altered state.

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The next day, Hofmann felt mentally refreshed and physically unharmed, leading him to recognize the profound psychological potential of LSD. His discovery eventually sparked intense interest among scientists, psychologists, and later, countercultural movements. In the 1950s and 1960s, LSD became the subject of numerous psychiatric experiments aimed at understanding consciousness, treating mental illness, and exploring altered states. Although later criminalized in many countries due to its widespread recreational use and cultural associations, Hofmann himself always maintained that LSD, when used responsibly, could be a valuable tool for mental and spiritual exploration.

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Albert Hofmann’s accidental discovery of LSD’s psychedelic properties remains one of the most intriguing moments in scientific history. It opened the door to a deeper inquiry into the nature of consciousness and the potential therapeutic uses of psychedelics. His courage in experimenting on himself, paired with his careful documentation of the experience, helped bring a previously unknown compound into the spotlight. Decades later, research into psychedelics is resurging, with many scientists returning to LSD and similar substances to investigate their potential in treating conditions like depression, PTSD, and addiction—validating, in many ways, the early insights of Hofmann himself.

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