PIHKAL

A Chemical Love Story

By: Alexander Shulgin, Ann Shulgin

Narrated by: Fred Sanders, Petrea Burchard

Alexander (better known as “Sasha”) and Ann Shulgin’s PiHKAL: A Chemical Love Story has become a foundational work in the genre and was the first book to fully impart the how-to chemistry, and convey the effects, of many of the entheogenic drugs that are currently being studied and used to heal trauma and deal with death.

An acronym for “Phenethylamines I Have Known and Loved”, the book spans autobiography, organic chemistry, politics, ethnobotany, and psychopharmacology, and the cultural impact is likely to be profound for decades to come, as it has already. PiHKAL is divided into two parts, the first of which is a fictionalized autobiographical "novel" - the main fiction is that it is fiction. This first half of the book is The Love Story, about two people named Shura and Alice who fall in love, though one of them is already in love with someone else. This love triangle is a painful ordeal they must go through, and that process unfolds before the listener with grace and great insight into human nature. Shura is a brilliant chemist who has dedicated his career to making psychoactive drugs. In the story, they go through many experiences with the psychedelic compounds that Shura has discovered and has made in his lab, all of which have been bioassayed himself. The listener will find themselves going on this journey with them, experiencing what they experienced, both in their hearts and in the psychedelic journeys they have.

The second half of PiHKAL is called The Chemical Story, and it contains detailed instructions for, and effects of, the synthesis of 179 psychedelic phenethylamines which were mostly discovered by Shulgin himself. For each substance there is information on its synthesis, suggested effective dosage, duration, and detailed commentary on the subjective effects that were experienced. This book appeals to adults of all ages and cultures, and to the psychedelically experienced and inexperienced alike.

©2021 Alexander and Ann Shulgin (P)2021 Transform Press

very informative

Covers a variety of topics from chemistry to love and loss. A must for any budding chemist.

Beautiful

No words needed other then a true love story life’s not perfect at a quick glance but when we zoom out it is

A timeless account of exactly the salve needed for the humans of the world

The choice of readers for this book was fantastic. Their performances felt intentional, and as someone scientifically inclined, I was pleased by the proper pronunciation of a variety of words often stumbled over in books of this nature. I’ve been wanting to read this book for over a decade, and when made aware of its presence on audible, and that I could fit it into my busy schedule where typically my only reprieve is on frequent hour-long drives, I was elated. It feels serendipitous to have finally read/listened to this at this point of my life, and I’m full of gratitude for audible making this possible for me.

Brilliant

Written 32 years ago yet is critically important to revisit or - as I did - visit it for the first time. Especially the final chapter.

The last chapter sums it all up!

Shura's politically charged rant is deserving of a listen to all those who oppose the progression of psychopharmacology and the beneficial personal use and therapeutic use of psychedelics. Ann's and Shura's journeys were fascinating and so intriguing to hear their history. Well worth your tkme