Samuel Widmer


Samuel Widmer 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, employed in own medical practice. He lived and worked in Lüsslingen near Solothurn.
He was a specialist for Psychedelic psychotherapy and owned a special permission by the BAG, 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 and the SÄPT – „Schweizerische Ärztegesellschaft für Psycholytische Psychotherapie“.
Widmer spoke during the Basel Psychotherapy Days. 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.

The Core–shell model (Kern-Schalen-Modell)

The basic assumptions of this theory is, that during a man’s development, “emotional layers” grow around the “essential core” of his mind. This model shall be imagined as an onion, whose core is the source of our zest for life. Around this core, a layer of pain and dolor grows
throughout development, because of experienced and not worked up injuries. Because these feelings often are felt insufferable, another layer is built, the layer of defending emotions like anger, aggression, rage and defiance. For that, the child is often penalized with deprivation of love – another layer gets built, again: The layer of adaption, whose characteristics are boredom, weariness, senselessness and depression.
If a person wants to regain his ability to be happy or be happier, he had to work his way through these layers. Widmer used legal psycholytic substances to support this way to the inner core.

Works (A selection)

  1. Von der unerlösten Liebe zwischen Vater und Tochter. Vom Inzesttabu und seinen Folgen
  2. Stell Dir vor, Du wärst ein Stück Natur