About Sasha Shulgin and Ann Shulgin
About Sasha
Alexander T. (“Sasha”) Shulgin was a visionary chemist credited with creating over 150 new psychedelic compounds and with identifying the unique psychological properties of MDMA, well-known as the prototype for a class of drugs named “empathogens” (sometimes called “entactogens”) for their abilities to generate feelings of empathy, compassion, and enhanced communication with other individuals. He is known to some as the “Godfather of Ecstasy” for being the first person to describe MDMA’s therapeutic potential. For years, his DEA license allowed him to work with scheduled psychedelics in his small, independent laboratory and after he surrendered his license in the wake of increasing publicity about his work, he continued to invent new compounds. Each time he created a compound with a seemingly psychedelic nature, he first tested its effects by ingesting it himself.
“That very first taste. That very first amount you take has an extraordinary feeling of excitement and an extraordinary feeling of fear coupled into the same phenomenon. It’s a marvelous combination.” - Alexander T. (“Sasha”) Shulgin
About Ann
Ann Shulgin was a writer, artist, and Jungian lay therapist who was among the first to use MDMA and 2C-B with clients in psychedelic-assisted therapy. As part of this work, she authored an early, crucial set of guidelines for working with MDMA in therapeutic settings, leaving an indelible mark upon the history of psychotherapy. She was passionate about exploring the exiled and repressed parts of oneself through the concept of the Shadow and, along with Sasha, conducted psychedelic experiments by ingesting novel and existing chemicals and cataloging their effects in trip reports. She co-authored the cult classics, PIHKAL and TIHKAL, making public the recipes for hundreds of psychedelic compounds and the love story at the center of their community, evidence of their work as not just a matter of the mind but also of the heart.
"These are not escapist tools, despite the pleasure one can feel and the wonderment. These do open the doors to your own terra incognita." - Ann Shulgin
Ann Shulgin's Memorial Service — A Wholehearted Thank You
Sunday, July 9, 2023
Zellerbach Auditorium
Berkeley, California
The memorial service for Ann Shulgin was held Berkeley, California, on July 9, 2023, on the one-year anniversary of her death. We celebrated and honored her in a big way.
We'd like to give a wholehearted thank you to the UC Berkeley Center for the Science of Psychedelics, California Institute of Integral Studies, and to Meihong Xu for sponsoring and supporting the memorial service for Ann. They made it possible to hold the celebration at the Zellerbach Hall on the UC Berkeley campus.
Also, thank you to Mariavittoria Mangini, Bob Jesse, Dusty Yao, David Presti, Russell Thomas, Sonia Lub, the Teahouse, the Women's Visionary Council, and all of the people who volunteered to help that day.
It takes a village. It was a beautiful event!
Pre-Memorial Slideshow
Memorial Service
The Shulgins and Their Alchemical Angels
Portrait by Alex Grey (2010)
The Shulgin Mission
To honor the Shulgins’ legacy by maintaining their historic farm as a nexus for psychedelic education and culture, and fostering a vibrant community dedicated to inquiry, healing, and expanded consciousness.
