PIHKAL and TIHKAL

This book has two parts. The first is biographical and the second chemical. The biographical part tells the story of its authors, a Californian couple whose life has been centered on the research of psychedelic substances. He is a chemist by profession, and has dedicated 40 years to the synthesis of new soul-unveiling compounds; she is a writer, researcher, and a person devoted to the use of these substances in therapy. After their first encounter with soul-unveiling substances -he with mescaline and she with peyote-, they tell the story of the discovery of the main compounds that, both for their social impact and their scientific importance, deserve a special study; it also follows their personal relationship, the knowledge of several characters of the American scene in the world of psychedelic substances, their therapeutic use, the legislative obstacles and their transcendent aspect, among many other aspects. Alexander's great sense of humor and Ann's sensibility are outstanding in the narrative.

The chemical part of this book, which covers its second half, is the formulation of the chemical synthesis of 179 psychedelic compounds, many of them devised by the visionary expertise of Alexander Shulgin. The common basis of all these compounds is their belonging to the phenethylamines group, and those studied in this section are all psychedelics, such as mescaline, MDMA, MDA, 2-CB, 2-CT-2, and a long list to complete the 179. As Alexander's main interest is to lay a foundation for a future study of psychedelics and their interaction with the human mind, each substance has the following sections: synthesis, only suitable for diligent chemists; dosage; duration of the experience; description of its effects (accounts of experiences); and finally one of the most interesting sections: possible lines of development of this molecule based on its particular properties: potentiation of synesthesia, sensuality, introspection, visions...

• A wonderful and very personal prologue by psychotherapist, pharmacologist and researcher José Carlos Bouso, a connoisseur of Shulgin's legacy
• A foreword by ethnobotanist, chemist and writer Jonathan Ott, disciple of the big four (Richard Evans Schultes, Gordon Wasson, Albert Hofmann and Sasha Shulgin) and the person who knows the most about drugs in the world.
• And on top of all this, the special dedication of Ann Shulgin herself to all Spanish-speaking readers, to whom she sends her memories, her hugs and her blessings.

TIHKAL. The continuation

Having said this, let us focus on the present book. The first part, the biographical part, starts where the story of the first book ended, in the early 1990s. The opening chapter narrates the raid by the DEA (American Drug Enforcement Agency) police on Alexander Shulgin's laboratory, a spectacular visit that resulted in the withdrawal of the chemist's permit to research new psychoactive and psychedelic compounds. This chapter is followed by sections less related than those of the first book, jumping from a trip to Brazil, to participate in a meeting with a group that uses MDMA for spiritual purposes and a trip to Spain in which Escohotado and the bakalao route appear, to then go to Lourdes, to review in another chapter his experience with psilocybin mushrooms, or an enigmatic epistolary relationship with a 'correspondent' in St. Petersburg.

Grouped in sections by thematic units, the use of psychedelics in therapy, the study of tryptamines in vegetables, as well as the universe of ayahuasca, puzzling topics such as the existence of the big-bang, in which Alexander's genial and sarcastic pen will dismantle the most established ideas of any contributor, or a final section, of a philosophical type, on drugs and legislation, are also extensively treated.

The chemical part retains the same structure as in the first book, except that in the present one, substances of the tryptamine type are studied. Structured in a section on synthesis, dosages, duration of effects, accounts of experiences and new lines of research for each molecule, this part deals with the main known tryptamines (LSD, 5-Meo-DMT, baeocystine) as well as new compounds, many new and devised by Shulgin's creative mind, up to a total of 55 psychedelics.

Of particular note in this volume are the very interesting appendices, very technical and aimed at the studious reader, which deal with legislation on psychedelics, a glossary of psycho-nautical terms, new alkaloids found in cacti, histamines, carbolines and the known tryptamines.

The book has a complete index of the substances studied.
Special additions to the Spanish edition, which do not exist in the English edition :

• An interesting foreword by Jonathan Ott for this book (different from the one written for PIHKAL)
• Article by Antonio Escohotado: "Rememorando a Sasha Shulgin
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• Article by singer Alaska: "La relación música-drogas y mi experiencia personal con las sustancias de Shulgin
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• Article by Dr. Fernando Caudevilla: "Shulgin, drogas, ciencia y moral
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• Article by chemistry professor Manuel Guzmán:
• "Shulgin's works, travel guides for individual experimentation and scientific research
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• Article by philosopher and connoisseur of the world of ayahuasca José Carlos Aguirre: "Alexander Shulgin: If we knew what a body can By way of preamble
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• Finally, an extensive biography of Sasha Shulgin written by the director of the Shulgin Project, J. C. Ruiz Franco.