Alexander Shulgin

Born: 1925-06-17

Alexander Theodore "Sasha" Shulgin (June 17, 1925 – June 2, 2014) was a prolific American medicinal chemist, biochemist, organic chemist, pharmacologist, psychopharmacologist, and author. He is credited with introducing MDMA (ecstasy) to psychologists in the late 1970s for psychopharmaceutical use and for the discovery, synthesis and personal bioassay of over 230 psychoactive compounds for their psychedelic and entactogenic potential. In 1991 and 1997, he and his wife Ann Shulgin authored the books PIHKAL and TIHKAL (standing for Phenethylamines and Tryptamines I Have Known And Loved), which extensively described their work and personal experiences with these two classes of psychoactive drugs. Shulgin performed seminal work into the descriptive synthesis of many of these compounds. Some of Shulgin's noteworthy discoveries include compounds of the 2C* family (such as 2C-B) and compounds of the DOx family (such as DOM). Due in part to Shulgin's extensive work in the field of psychedelic research and the rational drug design of psychedelic drugs, he has since been dubbed the "godfather of psychedelics".


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Dirty Pictures

as Alexander Shulgin
Released: 2010-03-13

Alexander 'Sasha' Shulgin is the scientist behind more than 200 psychedelic compounds including...

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Better Living Through Chemistry

as Self
Released: 2021-09-21

In the 1970s, Dr. Alexander “Sasha” Shulgin significantly contributed to the development and...

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Ecstasy

as Self
Released: 2010-01-01

Alexander 'Sasha' Shulgin is the scientist behind more than 200 psychedelic compounds including...

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How to Change Your Mind

as Self - Chemist, Author & Professor (archive footage)
First aired: 2022-07-12

Author Michael Pollan leads the way in this docuseries exploring the history and uses of...

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The Business of Drugs

as Self - Chemist (archive footage)
First aired: 2020-07-14

To detail how drugs push people into risky — even deadly — behaviors, a former CIA analyst...

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Hamilton's Pharmacopeia

as Self (archive footage)
First aired: 2016-10-26

Join an incredible journey through the history, chemistry and societal impacts of the world’s...

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