Has anyone checked out Pikhal? It's a book written by Alexander Shulgin who was, largely, responsible for thrusting MDMA into the mainstream into the late 70s.

It's absolutely fascinating to read an exploration of drugs written from a very logical, scientific standpoint, and there are some really interesting stories of drugs trips in there and how Shulgin came to develop and synthesize some strains of psychadelic drugs.

Hmmm. Not sure if this is the same person, but I know a couple of people who heard someone do a lecture who was also responsible for bringing MDMA out into the open.

It sounds like an interesting read, overall.

Probably the same guy. He didn't invent the drug, or find it, rather, but he's pretty much the reason why it moved from the science/academic/theraputic sphere into the clubs.

Yeah, Shulgin's a bit of a hero to me, I guess. He operated a private laboratory in California with a legitimate DEA license to deal with Schedule I substances. He set about characterising and developing the class of drugs known as phenethylamines (including MDMA, MDA, MDEA, amphetamine, methamphetamine, 2-CI, 2-CB, etc, etc.). He is responsible for "rediscovering" MDMA and bringing it into the public conscience in, I believe, the late 70s. (The German pharmaceutical company Merck discovered it around the time of the start of WW1 while searching for a precursor substance to something else that escapes my memory. They saw no use for MDMA and subsequently shelved it.) He also has invented literally dozens of phenethylamines, many of which have psychoactive properties. He and his wife Ann published Phenethylamines I Have Known And Loved (PIKHAL) basically as an open source book available to all (knowledge for knowledge sake sort of thing). Eventually the DEA raided him and retracted his license.

Didn't stop him from publishing the sequal, Tryptamines I Have Known and Loved (TIKHAL), a similar work on the tryptamines (psilocybin, DMT, etc.).

Both contain subjective notes on the physical and mental experience of consuming god knows how many numbers of experimental (and some now common) substances, chemical facts about the substances, and detailed synthesis instructions.

Both books are available in their (I believe) entirety at Erowid for free.

PS. It wasn't him that moved it to the clubs, BTW, he was interested in exploring their mental and therapeutic potential. It was largely in Texas that MDMA made the jump to the clubs (after being distributed for religious purposes by a progressive minister in vast quantities).

Tim, you should have your own blog/info site. A one-man Erowid. You're about a quarter of the way there just with the Buzzed Posting thread alone, and as far as pharmaceutical knowledge and know-how (cold water extraction!), that places you well ahead of the average bear. Really. You need your own site man! I'd read it.

stash worked with this older guy - he was a more butch version of Big Gay Al from South Park. A hefty yet well dressed Texan dude who was fah-la-ming! He lived in Texas back when MDMA was legal and some of the stories he'd tell about being able to go to bars and there'd be pills available right on the counter, the bartender would dole them out.

ironically i heard and read of this book the first time today without knowing this topic

There was an interesting series on the Discovery channel that was about drugs - one of the shows focused on ecstasy and it talked about the ecstasy scene in Texas and how the drug infiltrated bars, gay clubs and such. An interesting and rather moving part of the program showed a clip from a talk show - I think it was Donahue or something - from the mid 80's. There was a woman who was losing a battle with cancer who was prescribed MDMA... I don't know where my post is going, or that I have much more to add really... but what this woman said in her experiences with the drug and how it was helping her cope and come to terms, and tie up lose ends during her final months. It was actually quite a moving testimonial and offered a different perspective of what positive therapeutic effects the drug can have...

whirly, what you just said reminds me of requim for a dream with the mother who tries to lose weight and is given the pills from the doctor..

just thought i'd say XD

Whirly, I've seen that documentary before, on A&E. In fact, that's what I was referring to. Ecstasy Rising, I believe, is a title of a 20-20 documentary on MDMA that is available on YouTube and is also a very good, very balanced watch.

@Biff--I'm a nazi on irony. The word you're looking for is coincidence.

@Whirly--After my first MDMA experience, I remember calling my sister and saying, "Wow, I definitely understand the theraputic benefits of this drug..."

haha, pooter, your new name is iron nazi...

Basically what happened was last weekend one of my friends got some mdma and we were all going to take it. I passed because in one part I was too physically tired, had taken a sleeping pill because I had to work at 4:30 the next morning (later my boss tells me to come in at 2 pm) so mentally tired too, and also because my one and only experience on it was in part scaring Tom and Ed... So I figured I wouldn't do it again until I could have a story like that.

Anyway, one of my friends had never done it so he was reading Phikal to study up on it. When I went over to his place yesterday, I saw it there and started reading a little of it. My friend was pretty funny, he was alone while doing it cause it took them 3 hours to kick in and everyone had left and he ended up text messaging me at 5:30 in the morning and I didn't know that he took them (since he was unsure earlier when I went home). Long story short, sounds like he got his money's worth out of his iPhone molesting it on drugs and sending me crack-pot messages.

Biff's famous Wind Tunnel look - a sight I will never forget, immortalized in one of MadPooter's pics from that evening. I do wonder if you really did scare Tom and Ed. OK - maybe a slight startle. They've got to be pros at dealing with fuckwits by now. Think of how many messed up people they've encountered over the years!

yeah i was taking ridiculous pictures that night... to say the least. Next time I see them we can talk about Foucault over brandy or something sane like that.

... Now I'm totally wondering what happened with Biff. Not to jump too much off topic.

a certain someone gave me a some a pill on this forum and i essentially drove my tricycle into a tree.

Ah, Biff... such a memorable evening. We all crashed our tricycles that night. I tried to impart a thanks to Tom and Ed for all the music they've made over the years, and I just hope it didn't come out differently than I'd hoped...

By the way... "a certain someone gave me a some a pill on this forum"?

Did you take a similar pill before making that post?

And I'm fancying a Santa Cruz trip near the end of this month, methinks...

yeah i suck at proof reading and you know it, plus i edit stuff after i write it and then fail to read it again.

do it! come to santa cruz! it'll be good times had by all..

Don't worry Biff. Tom chemical said to me, about the state i was in on NYE 06/07 " Yeah you were pretty jedi'd "

:lol:

Its funny that some people on this forum had first time drug experiences with.... people on this forum!

I had my first E Experience with Mips, Whirly, Stash, Darkstar and McMarsh :lol:

A few other tidbits on the book:

@DarkStar--Yes, correction, Shulgin introduced MDMA to a therapist-friend of his who then introduced it to thousands of other therapists, touting its value to the psychopharmacology world. The connection to the clubs is very, very indirect.

I just found out that the used copy I bought at Green Apple came all the way from Washington, D.C. Coming across p. 88, I found a receipt in the book from a bookstore in Dupont Circle from June of 1995!

@Biff--I'll definitely let you know about the trip. Good times, good times.