Sasha Shulgin (1925 – 2014) was a chemist who invented nearly 200 psychedelic substances, including MDMA and many other well-known molecules. His wife and co-author, Ann Shulgin (b. 1931), is a lay therapist and a pioneer in the field of psychedelic psychotherapy. They live(d) near Berkeley, California, on a few acres known as “The Shulgin Farm.”
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
When the work on this film began, I took the sub-title from the Shulgins’ books as a mission statement: “A Chemical Love Story.” While this idea has grown and changed since then, it has also stayed the same. This is the story of how Ann met Sasha, and how their “chemistry” impacted society on a global level, and has given evolution a chance to leap forward.
Ann and Sasha achieved a kind of intimacy that most people only dream of, and they are happy to share the secret! Theirs is a love story with a message that can apply to all. Sasha’s revolutionary approach and scientific expertise established a gold standard in psychedelic research, but it was Ann’s skills with people and words that spread these ideas to the wider culture. Without Ann, we never would have heard of Sasha, and vice versa. This film will explore how they used this synergy to be their best possible selves.
Psychedelics are not merely fun, and they’re certainly not a form of escape. They are powerful tools, and we need all the tools we can get. These experiences can, when incorporated mindfully, improve our daily lives. How? Let’s find out!
We are seeking visual and audio archives from all sources for this project… If you have and photos or video that you think might be useful, please do get in touch!
Become part of the team that will bring this important story to the screen!
This film will put the story of psychedelic research in context, both in popular culture and in the historical record. This is a story that needs to be told, and the time is now.
MAPS, the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies is the fiscal sponsor for this project. If you click on the donation link, it takes you to a MAPS-sponsored web page, where you can make a donation that will help us make this film. The receipts are for American tax returns, but we are grateful for gifts from everywhere.
Donate at this link