Samuel Widmer

Samuel Widmer (24 December 1948 – 18 January 2017) was a controversial Swiss physician, psychiatrist, psychotherapist and author, who used psycholytic substances in therapy and harbored liberal opinions about polygamy and other forms of free love. Widmer was a medical specialist for psychiatry and psychotherapy FMH (Foederatio Medicorum Helveticorum), employed in own medical practice. He lived and worked in Lüsslingen near Solothurn (Schweiz). He was a specialist for Psychedelic psychotherapy and owned a special permission by the BAG (Eidgenössisches Bundesamt für Gesundheitswesen), to use MDMA and LSD in psycholytic psychotherapy from 1988 to 1994. Along with Peter Baumann, he was one of the founders of the ECBS (Europäisches Collegium für Bewußtseinsstudien) and the SÄPT – „Schweizerische Ärztegesellschaft für Psycholytische Psychotherapie“. Widmer spoke during the Basel Psychotherapy Days (Basler Psychotherapietage). He led spiritual workshops, seminars in meditation and Tantra and meditation-voyages. Among the spiritual teachers he was inspired by were Jiddu Krishnamurti and Carlos Castaneda. Widmer lived with two women and had children with both. A huge group of followers grew around Widmer and his wife Danièle Nicolet, including 80 adults and 55 children. Because of that, Widmer was suspected to be the leader of a cult or sect by the media.