LSD’s Secret History: From Swiss Labs to Government Control
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Episode 297
Norman Ohler
In this episode of The Psychedelic Podcast, Paul F. Austin welcomes New York Times bestselling author Norman Ohler. Norman shares his deep research into the hidden history of LSD, revealing the untold connections between Arthur Stoll (CEO of Sandoz), Nazi Germany, and the CIA's MKUltra program. He explains how LSD's development as a mental health medicine was derailed by intelligence agencies seeking a "truth drug" for interrogations, and how the substance traveled from Swiss laboratories to Nazi concentration camps and eventually to American universities. Norman also discusses his personal connection to psychedelics through his mother's Alzheimer's treatment with microdosing, and offers thoughtful reflections on the current psychedelic renaissance.
Norman Ohler is one of Germany's best living writers: a New York Times Bestselling author, translated into over 30 languages. His books include "Blitzed", "The Bohemians", and "Tripped". He has 2 children and lives in Berlin.
Podcast Highlights
- The untold role of Arthur Stoll in LSD's development
- How Nazi experiments led to CIA's MKUltra program
- Albert Hoffman's strained relationship with Sandoz
- LSD's journey from Swiss labs to US intelligence
- Personal stories of microdosing for Alzheimer's
- The suppression of LSD as a medical treatment
- Ethical considerations for the psychedelic renaissance
- Balancing government involvement with grassroots movements
- The need for education and safe contexts
- Hidden connections between JFK and LSD
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