Hofman describes his furniture as contorting into "grotesque" and terrifying shapes. He mourns his family and the loss of his research lab as he believes he is

Hofman describes his furniture as contorting into "grotesque" and terrifying shapes. He mourns his family and the loss of his research lab as he believes he is dying. He himself explains at length the curious and terrifying situation. Further, there was nothing to prepare him for this. Heroin, largely demonized by society and a quite potent drug has a "standard" dose of about .1g or 100mg. Obviously, a dose differs based on habit and potency, however this is certainly enough to feel the effects. Hofman consumed 1/4 of a mg. A dose 400x smaller than that which was just described. With little known about hallucinogens (certainly native Americans and Amazonians had discovered psychoactive plants) at least to Hofman, this feelig was wholly original. It would be entirely possible, probably plausible given his disposition, that he was lethally poisoned. Hofman, did say that as he descended down the bell curve after the peak that it was an enjoyable experience. He even remarked that psychologists would line to study it. However, given how intense and terrifying he deacribed the initial onset, I would not fault him, not call him cowardly, for not wanting to resume self-experimentation. This likely would have lead to LSD-25 not being put into widespread circulation, possibly forever. To your point of the self-perpetuating bad trip. I concede that it is entirely possible that the meme of a bad trip and the medias portrayal of the drug could certainly induce one to have a bad trip. However, the knowledge of how the drug interacts with the body and the now well-known pharmacology can be leveraged for confort when one is under the influence. The knowledge that one is safe and it is only a temporary state brought about by a drug. Hofman did not have this. He could not take comfort in knowing approcimately when the effects would subside, or even of they ever would. i don't think comparing a trip where a person jas knowledge of the drug academically, but never practically (a contemporary persons first trip) can be legitimately compared to the first ever trip. It goes to show how amazing and extraordinary the feelings and perception must have been when Hofman became comfortable. After the fear and heavy effects wore off, he must have truly marveled at the changed perspective, and been willing to try amd acheive it again for its benefits accross a host of disciplines and use cases