Alexander Shulgin is a chemist, a pharmacologist popular in America, who has developed many modern psychoactive substances.
Chemist Biography
In 1925, Alexander Shulgin was born in Berkeley. A chemist from God, as many colleagues and acquaintances called him.
His father was an emigrant from Russia. He was born in Orenburg, moved overseas soon after the end of the Civil War, in 1923. By profession, he was a teacher, like his wife. Shulgin's mother was born in Illinois, her name was Henrietta Aiten.
Shulgin became famous after the end of the 70s began to actively contribute to the spread of semi-synthetic psychoactive substances, the so-called MDMA. In everyday life, they are better known as ecstasy pills.
He worked with his wife. Alexander Shulgin is a chemist whose book "Phenethylamines I Knew and Loved: A Chemical Love Story" became a bestseller in its time.
The scientist was engaged in the synthesis of synthetic substances. Mostly in the company Dow Chemical, Alexander Shulgin made a career. The chemist also worked on pesticides. His merits include obtaining a patent for the first biodegradable agricultural pesticide on the planet. It was this work that allowed Shulgin to get permission to study psychoactive substances, as a result of which ecstasy appeared.
Ecstasy father
Alexander Shulgin left work in a chemical company in 1965. The chemist began teaching at universities, as well as doing his own research.
Shulgin began his research in psychopharmacology with the long-known hallucinogenic drugs, such as LSD, mescaline and psilocybin. Then he concentrated on the design developments of his own production.
Together with a company of like-minded people, which included several dozen people, Alexander Shulgin was constantly testing new substances. The chemist, whose biography is closely related to psychoactive drugs, even developed his own Shulgin scale. With its help, the scientist, along with associates, gave descriptions of the physical, auditory and visual effects. Only Shulgin himself personally experienced at least a hundred psychoactive substances.
His wife Anna Shulgina took part in his experiments. Together, they developed various chemical variations of ecstasy, which led to various pleasant and negative effects. All these experiments are described in their books.
And today, people who specialize in psychopharmacology, call Shulgin "dad."
Chemist's Wife
A large role in the career of Shulgin was played by his wife. She was 6 years younger than him.
Anne Shulgina was born and raised in the small village of Opichina, with a population of only eight thousand people. The village was located in Italy, near the town of Trieste. Here, for several years preceding the outbreak of World War II, her father worked as an American consul.
She began her professional career as a psychedelic psychotherapist. At that time, psychoactive substances occupied a legal position in the market. Anne Shulgina was an ardent supporter of the Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung, especially his theory of psychoanalysis. From this perspective, she constantly emphasized the potential of psychoactive substances, which can be used in the treatment of various diseases.
Shulgin and today, after the death of her spouse, continues to advocate for the legalization of psychedelics for patients for therapeutic purposes. She regularly proves and substantiates her point of view in her reports at various pharmacological congresses.
In Russia, the Shulgin's work is wary. So, in 2004, the Drug Control Service saw signs of propaganda for the use of illegal substances in their books.
Pihkal
It is under this abbreviated name that the Shulgin's book, which was published in 1991, is known to most. Its full name is “Phenylethylamines I Knew and Loved: A Chemical Love Story.”
Alexander Shulgin, a chemist whose photo in the second half of the 20th century often appeared on the covers of popular science magazines, wrote a real bestseller for those times.
The first part of this controversial work is called The Love Story. It sets out in detail the acquaintance, biography and development of relations between Alexander and Anne Shulgin. Heroes bred under recognizable pseudonyms Alice and Shura.
The second part of this autobiographical and scientific work is entirely devoted to a detailed description of the synthesis of about two hundred psychedelics. Basically, Shulgin himself was engaged in their synthesis. In addition, dosages are indicated, the effect that a substance can produce.
In Russia, the book was published in 2003 under the title "Phenethylamines, which I knew and loved." However, it soon disappeared from the shelves of bookstores after a ban issued by the Gosnarkokontrol.
Tihkal
In 1997, Shulgin released his second pharmacological autobiography. An eight hundred-page work is devoted to the study of psychedelic tryptamines.
In fact, this is a continuation of his first book, which was published 6 years before. The new edition in the original translation was called "Tryptamines, which I recognized and loved: Continued."
Like the first edition, this book has two parts. The first sets out the autobiography of the authors. The second is entirely devoted to a detailed description of the synthesis of fifty psychedelic drugs. Dosages and expected effects are also given.
Shulgin Scale
The Shulgin scale describes in detail the effect that psychoactive substances produce on the human body. Particular attention is paid to what time and at what dosage the drug is taken.
Shulgin first published his system in 1986, later he described it in detail in his first book, PiHKAL.
The scale is conditionally divided into four parts. The substance used, dosage, description of the effect and rating on this scale. When identifying the drug, Shulgin uses the nomenclature names of chemical compounds, so without at least an initial education of a chemist, it will be difficult to figure it out.
The amount of substance is scrupulously prescribed, since the effect produced directly depends on it. The scale spells out the manifestations of visual, auditory, mental and emotional effects.
The film about Shulgin
You can get a more complete picture of this scientist by watching the movie "Dirty Pictures." It was filmed in 2010 by director Etienne Sourt. This is a short documentary biographical picture, which details the work of the hero of our article.
Alexander Shulgin is a chemist whose film immediately became very popular. So, on the Kinopoisk website, it has a very high rating for a documentary of 7.9.
The director in the picture described in detail the works of researchers and scientists who for decades have been studying how psychedelics affect the mind and behavior of people.
The film details the motives and beliefs of those often accused of drug propaganda. The life of the chemist Shulgin is most fully represented. His scientific achievements, steps towards the knowledge of the depths of the human mind.
Etienne Sourt is well known in America as the author of biographical documentaries. In particular, he shot the picture "Whitey: USA vs. James J. Bulger". It is dedicated to the life and death of the gangster James Bulger.
In 2011, he released a film about American President Ronald Reagan.
