To All Concerned,
I am writing this letter in an attempt to inspire right action. As many of you may already know, Ann and Sasha Shulgin are currently suffering from financial distress largely due to Sasha’s increased medical expenses. This lamentable state of affairs is well within our collective powers to redress, and I feel that it is high time for the the psychedelic community to shower our heroic pioneers with a tangible demonstration of our everlasting gratitude.
Everybody knows who the Shulgins are. It’s pretty much impossible to overstate their collective contribution to psychedelic culture, and indeed to the very fabric of human society at large. They not only brought us most of our favorite alphabetamines, they tested them on themselves and published their extensive notes so that the rest of us could benefit from their groundbreaking discoveries. Sasha is the greatest psychopharmacological chemist who ever lived. Ann is a pioneer in the field of empthogen-assisted therapy. Their love story has inspired millions of people. And that’s just for starters. Plus they’re also about the kindliest little old couple you’d ever be ridiculously honored to meet! On the few occasions when I’ve had the pleasure of visiting with the Shulgins, I have been deeply moved by the warm affection that flows so palpably between them, as well as by their consistently graceful interactions with awkwardly starstruck admirers like myself.
So naturally I was quite shocked when I recently learned that they were genuinely struggling to make ends meet. I was so upset, in fact, that I asked a few close friends of the Shulgins why they didn’t have some kind of a donation link set up or something. Surely, I thought, if they were to appeal to the larger community…
It turns out that they’ve been actively soliciting assistance for a while. But so far, the collective largesse of the millions of people who have personally benefited from the Shulgins’ invaluable research hasn’t actually added up to enough to keep pace with one old man’s medical bills and ongoing caretaking costs.
I’m going to give the psychedelic community the benefit of the doubt here, and assume that the vast majority of the Shulgins’ innumerable beneficiaries are simply as ignorant about the true nature of the situation as I was. This is obviously at least part of the problem, and this letter is a quick first effort to shine a brighter spotlight upon the matter.
However, my letter also endeavors to serve as a frank counterpoint to the immaculately tasteful cries for help that are currently to be found on the Shulgins’ websites. It seems that Ann and the rest of Team Shulgin are simply too reserved, humble, and self-effacing to say some of the things that really need to be said.
The Teafaerie, however, suffers from no such conspicuous excess of good manners…
Electrical engineer Nicola Tesla was one of the fathers of our time, yet he died in abject poverty. There’s no retirement plan for wizards, it seems; at least not for the kind who are focused on creating change rather than making money. I feel like I’m watching history repeat itself as I write this; except for this time it’s even worse, because there’s no easy scapegoat like Edison in the picture. Everybody knows about the staggering debt we owe to the Shulgins.
I feel that failing to take action would reflect pretty poorly on us, actually. Worse yet, I fear that it would reflect poorly on the validity of the Work itself. I mean, if MDMA (for instance) genuinely helps to make us into better, more compassionate people, then how come we’re collectively failing to take care of even the most revered of our elders? Where is all the overwhelming love and the bottomless gratitude that psychedelic aficionados are always waxing so eloquent about?
I personally have the Shulgins to thank for many of my most profound and life-changing experiences. Their discoveries and techniques have helped me to heal some of my deepest wounds. They’ve also opened me up to suppressed aspects of my true nature, allowed me to explore and integrate past traumas, catalysed positive transformations in my intimate relationships, showed me how to love myself, humbled me, and taught me how to dance. Nobody can put a price tag on those kinds of things, but I can assure you that no amount of money would persuade me to delete any of those experiences from my memory banks. To be perfectly honest, if it hadn’t been for the Shulgins I sincerely might have killed myself shortly after my best friend passed away a couple of years ago. So I guess that you could say that I owe them just about everything, when it comes right down to it.
And I’m just one little person, right? I mean if the Shulgins literally had a dollar for every priceless epiphany that their work has ever helped to bring about, they would obviously be set for life many many many times over. Likewise, if they had a dime for every heart that has ever been opened. Or a nickel for every minor miracle of physical, mental, emotional and spiritual integration. And, of course, if they had even so much as a single penny for every ecstatically transcendent moment on the dancefloor… Well!
Paying to see a psychologist for therapy these days usually costs over $100 per 45-minute “hour”. If you are one of the countless thousands of people who have benefited from embracing the DIY alternative to mainstream treatment that Ann and Sasha’s research has helped to facilitate, I encourage you to consider how much money you might have saved over the years. Couldn’t you afford to send the Shulgins a mere 1% of that savings?
Plus I know that there are thousands of people out there who have made quite a tidy fortune for themselves in the underground market. Sasha totally could have made big money by creating patentable products for some gigantic pharmaceutical company, you know. But the Shulgins were committed to the open source ethic before it got trendy. Instead of cashing in on their enormously lucrative discoveries, they decided to make their data freely available for the sake of science and society, and at a not-inconsiderable risk to themselves. Wasn’t that ever so progressive of them? And wouldn’t it be aesthetically satisfying if everybody who later made heaps of money off of that data considered just tossing the original content creators a little tip?
Ironically, dementia can present exactly like a challenging drug experience at times. And now that Sasha’s legendary mind has been unsettled by this all too common affliction, it feels to me like we’ve collectively been offered a rather poetic opportunity to return a gratuitous grace. MDMA has provided therapeutic benefits to millions of people, allowing them to pull themselves out of very difficult headspaces. And wouldn’t you feel just awesome if you could help to provide the person whose discoveries once brought you some much-needed comfort with quality palliative care and an around-the-clock tripsitter?
There’s nothing wrong with enlightened self interest, and charity is the gift that gives back sevenfold. Big donations can get you invited to all the best parties, too! Imagine being introduced as the philanthropist who set the Shulgins up! Or maybe you’re a celebrity yourself, and you’re looking to donate to a cause that you know your fans will be especially proud to support. Social media would certainly be all atwitter about such a simultaneously edgy and genuinely heartwarming display of respect.
I know that not everyone can afford to donate as much as they would like. (I can only spare $50 myself at the moment.) There are lots of other ways that you can help, though! How about setting up a “Support the Shulgins” table at your next event, party, conference, or festival? At the very least you can help to raise awareness by reposting this letter. Or, better yet, you could write to your friends and tell them how you feel about this important matter in your own words.
We must not let History say that the psychedelic community stood idly by shaking its many heads and clucking its many tongues while Ann and Sasha Shulgin were reduced to poverty. And make no mistake! The eyes of the future are upon us. What we do (or do not do) now shall long be remembered, just as what happened to Nicola Tesla is remembered by us today. Because if there is going to be any kind of a human future at all, I strongly believe that the exploration of consciousness is going to end up being pretty central to its success.
Let us act quickly, before we miss our chance to right our collective karma. Let us stand up and show our heroes that they are not forgotten. Think of it as giving them the standing ovation they so richly deserve. Think of it as giving them both a big hug and thanking them for the priceless gifts that they have bestowed upon you, and upon our entire species.
This is something that we can accomplish, people. We can even do it fast, if we harness the power of our networks. It’s obviously the right thing to do. And now is the right time to do it. It is our great honor and privilege to be the ones who are in a position to help to give this truly epic love story a happy ending.
Donations can be made via credit card or PayPal at: www.shulginresearch.org/home/donate/
Cash, check, or money order can be sent to:
Sasha Shulgin
c/o Transform Press
PO Box 13675
Berkeley, CA 94712
In Community,
The Teafaerie *
Edit: Please consider the new “subscription” button that allows you to make small donations on a monthly basis! If as few as 1000 people pledge even $20 per month, we will have successfully crowdsourced a healthcare and retirement plan here. (Which I think is kind of historical in itself!)
by 
Thank you sooo much for writing this! Let the word spread like wildfire.
Thanks for your messaging and the reminder. I’ll repost and do what I can.
I will help spread the word.
Yes thank you. You made such a compelling and compassionate case…and you correct. Glad to binate and share.
You are so right! I will try to spread the word and will donate a little myself. Anyone not familiar with the Shulgins should definitely check out “Dirty Pictures”.
what about an already popular website like fundable.org and kickstarter.com…? just a thought… wish i could help.
Great idea! Working on an Indieagogo or suchlike this weekend! Also adding a monthly payment plan to the pay pal. <3
Do it please and it will help and make the process a lot more easy to spread. I will try to set up a organized donation partnering with a local psychedelic community. We have a closed facebook group to quality-control of psychedelic substances and a plenty of people who certainly will be interested in donating!
Cheers from Brazil!
Thank you for passing the word on!
Yes! Indiegogo or kickstarter sounds great! I also love the monthly Paypal gift. If enough people sign up for that, they could be easily getting several thousand dollars a month without having to ask for it! Thanks for doing this work! Is there a Facebook page setup specifically regarding helping them?
I sent em $20. I hope they use it well.
I am curious, when Sasha’s career ended at DOW did they just cut him loose without any post employment package? Sadly, I wouldn’t be surprised if that was the case, I am just interested if they realize how much he did for the company, for the fact that he made them MILLIONS in pesticides. DOW owes Sasha as far as I am concerned. The very least they could do is to acknowledge his contribution to their success in some format. All in all it wouldn’t cost them to pay for his medical expenses now, really, perhaps an attempt to contact DOW on this matter is in order? Only if it would help.
Jonathan Guske
03/03/2013
This makes me so sad. :`(
I hope my small donation helps…
thanks for the heads up, a worthy cause
Holding back any vibes of disrespect, because I totally support your cause, and WILL encourage others to donate as a result, but:
You were totally right on, until you basically bashed an entire segment of our community, namely Psychotherapists. Your blanketed “DIY” method of healing is a bit of a slap in the face for people who have spent years understanding these healing processes, and who also seek to use such substances legally sometime in the future. I’m sure you’re aware of the work that MAPS is doing, right? It’s using MDMA as a TOOL, part of a holistic treatment, utilizing… psychotherapy in conjunction. These substances alone are not the “drug” which brings about change… they are tools, powerful ones, which require more to it that dancing with your friends to truly unlock deep healing. I think you need to re-evaluate your apparent bias against therapy, and take a better look at how such psychoactive chemicals are being (now on the verge of legitimately) used. Thank you.
I’m SO sorry that my piece came across that way. I certainly intended no disrespect towards traditional therapy, which has helped me personally very much.
I’ve met a lot of people who say that they felt MDMA sped up their process and saved them money. I hoped I could maybe inspire them to pass a tiny bit of the savings on to the Shulgins. Sorry if I seemed to suggest anything other that.
Your point is fair. However, I’d like to point out that traditional therapy alone is very slow, and for some, seemingly ineffective, or minimally effective. On the other hand, I have personally known people (myself included) who have received what seemed like lasting psychological and/or emotional benefit solely from exploring their own minds under the effects of certain chemicals.
I agree that ideally, it would be good to see these approaches combined into a more effective whole. However, to say that these chemicals alone can not sometimes have overwhelming positive effect is completely untrue.
Shulgin’s need to set up a bitcoin donation address.
Those close to them, please do/suggest that idea to/for them.
I passed this great suggestion on!
Well thank you miss Faerie. I had no idea the situation had gotten so bad. I wanted to send you a private message or email but couldn’t find your contact info. You should try and get in contact with the MAPS folks and connect that with the kickstarter if the kickstarter gets made.
I was considering buying the two most recent books. Do you know how much of that money goes directly to them?
Lastly is what you said in your article about the dementia true? That’s awful!
Great piece of writing. I will share. Maybe the Burning Man org could let a %of ticket revenue go to this amazing couple.
I have a Mad Hatter print signed by both Ann and Sasha. I will send to someone who can make sure it’s auctioned off with proceeds going to them.
Kevindgenter@gmail.com
Thank you!!! You’re a hero!
Thank you! That is really very kind and generous of you. Do you want me to help put it in the auction at the MAPS conference or something?
I bought PHIKAL&THIKAL, I was going to just donate $20 dollars but I saw that I could buy both books from a link on this page. I hope that the Shulgins receive the major portion of the $45 (pre S/H) I spent to buy Sasha’s books and not a huge publishing company.
This is an excellent letter. I’ll be showing it around to some friends with deep pockets.
Amazing things here. I’m very happy to peer your post. Thanks a lot and I’m having a look forward to contact you. Will you please drop me a e-mail?
We need this to go viral, for that it is critical that you add LIKE, TWEET etc buttons on this page!!
I’ll get that going as soon as I can get back to my computer.
Done and done!
I wanted to share this on my Facebook but there is no easy 1 click way to do so
Ill get in it as soon as I get back to a real computer!
Thank you so much for doing this. Much love and respect from Scandinavia.
I will try to convince my known psy-djs to make a donation party. let’s hope they know just a little bit of the shulgins. Otherwise i will send some money from my empty moneybag.
wish you all the best sasha and ann.
thank you for writing this beautiful letter. we made a donation and will post your truthful and touching letter elsewhere. much love to you sister, n & d melbourne australia xxx
ja ja ja OK, OK. Just scored the ol’ ballie 50smackers.
hope to hell there’s a crowd of hippies to sort me out when I go down….
Thank you for alerting me to this. I wouldn’t have had any idea otherwise, as I’m somewhat out of my “research and experimentation” phase and therefor not keeping up with the community like I used to.
Gave what I could, hopefully we can make a difference.
You framed this in such a moving way, highlighting all the various reasons why we as a community have to take action. Truly wonderful post.
You have a tetrameric nitrogen on there and it makes me cry.
Say no more, donating now!
Also… You should install the Akismet problem, it’ll help take care of all the spam comments on here for you. Let me know if you’d like some help with this.
I would like to set up some kind of ‘artist collective’ etsy shop (http://etsy.com), where artists could list pieces for sale in a unified shop and all proceeds go to the Shulgins. I think that their work has helped many artists in creating their vision, and many would be interested in giving back with their work. As just as many people would love to own pieces made by a loving, inspired community while donating to to Shulgins.
Would anyone be interested in submitting work or helping organize something along these lines? I don’t know how much money we could raise, but I’d be willing to invest time in this project to help in whatever way that I can.
That sounds amazing! Let me know how I can help.
Very nice post. I just stumbled upon your blog and wished to mention that I have truly loved surfing around your blog posts. After all I will be subscribing on your feed and I am hoping you write again very soon!
This is going to be very useful for me thank you very much for posting
Wow, I had absolutely no idea that they were in this kind of situation…it is absolutely shameful. Sharing on FB to get the word out and also donating. They have done an immeasurable amount for a variety of subcultures and deserve some tangible appreciation.
Thank you for your post. I had no idea. Their work means a lot to me. Just donated $1000. I hope they will be allright.
^5! Thank you for being such a hero!
Submitted your URL to boingboing.net, hoping they will spread the message. They have written about the Shulgins in the past and are likely to be sympathetic to the cause.
You should include an option to only make on donation, on the website you posted it says sth. about a monthly donation…
Here is an alternative, option 2: “Donate Directly to the Shulgins”
http://www.erowid.org/donations/project_shulgin.php
Both options are there but some people can’t see the normal donation button for some reason. Still trying to figure out why. Are you using google chrome by any chance?
I sent a donation, though I couldn’t do as much as a wish I could. I’m also going to share this on Facebook, hoping the friends of mine who can help, will help.
The latest update I see on their site is from March 2011. Can you tell us any more? Can you encourage Anne or someone to put up an update? That would likely help get more money in too.
Or is there a better place to look?
Shared on Facebook, and will definitely donate as the flow comes through.
Something to suggest to them – if Sasha is having issues with Dementia, perhaps he and Ann may want to look into Coconut Oil / MCT’s. There has been very positive benefits associated to Coconut Oil helping with Alzheimer’s patients, and dementia. I’d really love to see how a solution like that could help them both
He’s such a beautiful man, and I’m so grateful that the community is coming together to help him out <3
Thanks for this. Subscribed for the $20 a month option. Not a lot but hope it helps.
[...] – No Retirement Plan for Wizards: Chemists Sasha and Ann Shulgin, who compiled the books PiHKAL and TiKHAL and synthesized over 230 psychoactive compounds, including 2-CB, and who are credited with introducing MDMA to the therapeutic community in the 1970s, have fallen on hard times and are unable to meet their medical bills after Sasha Shulgin’s stroke. The Teafaerie writes: [...]
“Everybody knows who the Shulgins are.”
With all due respect: I am a 64 year old who lived and loved through the ’60′s and 70′s and beyond….and i have never heard of these people.
Peace and love