Ann Shulgin, Forerunner of Today’s Psychedelic Re- Emergence, Dies at 91

Ann Shulgin, Forerunner of Today’s Psychedelic Re Emergence, Dies at 91 

BY: David Presti, Maria Mangini, and Bob Jesse 

[NOTE: Outlets may elect to omit or to include the byline, according to their policies for obituaries] 

Ann Shulgin, one of the foremost thinkers and authors to have guided the current  resurgence of interest in psychedelics, died at home July 9, in the company of people  who loved her, at the age of 91. 

Ann was the widow and co-conspirator of the legendary chemist Alexander "Sasha"  Shulgin and was the matriarch of a decades-old community of therapists, scientists,  scholars, and explorers of the realms opened by psychedelic substances. It was Ann who  best understood people and the complexities of the psyche, whereas Sasha was a genius  in chemistry and psychopharmacology. When they met in 1978, Sasha had already  created 2C-B, as well as many other psychedelic molecules. He had also rediscovered  MDMA and had described its chemistry and psychoactive properties. He and Ann took  note of the unique therapeutic potential of MDMA, thus beginning its launch into  today's prominence. 

Ann pioneered the exploration of the therapeutic uses of MDMA and 2C-B, and of  several related compounds during a time when they were not illegal. As a lay therapist,  she developed methods of working with these materials, incorporating concepts from  Jungian psychoanalysis. She was skilled in doing shadow work with clients and was  generous in mentoring other therapists in this process. Ann gave an influential  presentation on shadow work at the 2019 Women’s Visionary Congress. 

Together, Ann and Sasha conceived and authored two landmark books – PiHKAL: A  Chemical Love Story (1991) and TiHKAL: The Continuation (1997) – telling stories of their  relationship and their community, interwoven with recipes for Sasha’s molecular  creations and descriptions of their properties contributed by collaborators. Established  publishers considered PiHKAL too controversial to take on, so the Shulgins started their  own imprint, Transform Press, to make the work public. It may be difficult to appreciate  that not long ago psychedelics were not only demonized by governments and the  media, but that enforcement of the prohibition of them was often truly draconian.  PiHKAL raised their work to the attention of law enforcement. Sasha’s backyard  laboratory was investigated, leading to a great deal of disruption and distress, ultimately  to heavy fines, and thankfully nothing worse. Their second book, TiHKAL, opens with a  recounting of this experience. 

Ann was born Laura Ann Gotlieb in New Zealand on March 22, 1931. Her mother was a  New Zealander and her father a U.S. Consul. As a result of her father’s profession, Ann  had an international upbringing. She settled in San Francisco in her twenties, where she  studied art, married an art student, and had a son, Christopher McRee. In 1960 Ann married Jungian psychoanalyst John Weir Perry, with whom she had three children:  Alice Garofalo, Wendy Tucker, and Brian Perry. Ann and John separated in 1969. 

Ann is survived by her children, eight grandchildren, five great-grandchildren, and by the  countless community members for whom she has been a maternal figure, master  teacher, and an ethical compass. 

Ann married Sasha in the garden of the Shulgin Farm on July 4, 1981, and their wedding  anniversary became, along with Easter Sunday, an occasion for yearly gatherings of the  community of scientists, scholars, and practitioners working with psychedelics, against  cultural currents, to meet and to talk. Wednesday Night Dinners (later changed to Friday  Night Dinners) began as periodic gatherings for family and extended family, expanding over the years to potluck gatherings for the larger community. The Shulgins served as  upstanding parental figures, especially for people whose own families did not  understand or support their interest in psychedelics. Ann and Sasha were remarkably  inclined to maintain open and friendly relations with a diverse collection of community  groups, even when there was competition or factionalization among them. Only in the  case of one deeply reprehensible behavior, that of spying and reporting on someone for the government, did Ann close the door on the famed Shulgin hospitality. 

Ann modeled how to live as a good citizen in psychedelic community. Kind, generous,  present in connection, an exemplary therapist, and a wise mentor, her big heart shown  through in the sparkle in her eyes. She loved her family above all, her husband, her  children, and her grandchildren. And she loved those around her. In return she was  surrounded by a circle of love and care to the hours of her last breath and beyond. 

The Shulgin family suggests that anyone wishing to honor Ann’s life and contributions  do so with a gift to the Women’s Visionary Congress (WVC). Since 2008, with Ann’s  support, the WVC has successfully highlighted the vital roles of women in psychedelics,  has honored the field's women pioneers, and has encouraged more women to enter the  field. 

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Version July 13, 9:30 AM (PDT)

Ann Shulgin Obit July 13.pdf