LSD (Lysergic acid diethylamide, or acid) permeates '60s and '70s pop culture -- it was the catalyst for psychedelic music, art, literature and fashion. Even if you never tuned in, turned on, and dropped out, you know a little about this mind-altering drug created by Albert Hofmann and popularized by artists like The Beatles, Timothy Leary, and Steve Jobs. There's more to this drug than just hippies in the park with flowers in their hair. It's been used in government testing, and through its disciples Lysergic acid diethylamide has changed society in ways that we can't comprehend. People who've never experienced psychedelics might know that LSD is dispersed in tabs printed on blotter paper, but they don't know the research and development behind this mind-expanding, trippy substance.
The main thing that everyone knows about LSD is that it gives the user intense hallucinations. This property comes from ergot, a fungus found in tainted rye that has claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands of people over the centuries, while also causing the hallucinations and mania that led to accusations of witchcraft in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692 and 1693.
When consumed on its own, ergot can cause gangrene and convulsions. In the year 857 in a region of modern-day Germany, consumption of wheat poisoned with ergot caused a plague full of blisters and body parts that just sloughed off before someone died. The Swiss chemical company Sandoz wanted to see if there was anything they could do with something so poisonous, and tests showed that small doses of the poison had positive side effects in childbirth by restricting blood flow.
Professor Arthur Still isolated the compounds in ergot that caused the constrictions, ergotamine and ergobasine, and concluded if used in small enough dosages they could stimulate the respiratory and circulatory systems. He called the chemical manufactured from the active compound in ergot lysergic acid.
The main thing that everyone knows about LSD is that it gives the user intense hallucinations. This property comes from ergot, a fungus found in tainted rye that has claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands of people over the centuries, while also causing the hallucinations and mania that led to accusations of witchcraft in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692 and 1693.
When consumed on its own, ergot can cause gangrene and convulsions. In the year 857 in a region of modern-day Germany, consumption of wheat poisoned with ergot caused a plague full of blisters and body parts that just sloughed off before someone died. The Swiss chemical company Sandoz wanted to see if there was anything they could do with something so poisonous, and tests showed that small doses of the poison had positive side effects in childbirth by restricting blood flow.
Professor Arthur Still isolated the compounds in ergot that caused the constrictions, ergotamine and ergobasine, and concluded if used in small enough dosages they could stimulate the respiratory and circulatory systems. He called the chemical manufactured from the active compound in ergot lysergic acid.
LSD was discovered accidentally.
As with many of history's greatest discoveries, chemist Albert Hofmann stumbled upon LSD accidentially. On November 16, 1938, Hoffman was researching medically useful ergot alkaloid derivatives in Basel, Switzerland, basically just combining lysergic acid with different organic molecules, when he synthesized LSD-25.
At the time, Hofmann didn't realize the psychedelic effects of the 25th chemical combination, but after accidentally ingesting some chemical in 1943 he realized that he had his hands on a powerful substance. Later that year, he ingested 250 micrograms of LSD and had an extremely heavy trip. Hofmann described his first trip to his boss in a memo written to explain why he had to leave work early:
"I was forced to interrupt my work in the laboratory in the middle of the afternoon and proceed home, being affected by a remarkable restlessness, combined with a slight dizziness. At home, I lay down and sank into a not unpleasant intoxicated-like condition, characterized by an extremely stimulated imagination. In a dream-like state, with eyes closed (I found the daylight to be unpleasantly glaring), I perceived an uninterrupted steam of fantastic pictures, extraordinary shapes with intense, kaleidoscopic play of colors."
Albert Hofman's second self-test led to a similar outcome, only this time he had a lab assistant take him home. The only problem was that the two men were riding bicycles. Undeterred by its psychedelic effects, Sandoz Laboratories put LSD on the market in 1947 as a cure all for mental issues, be it alcoholism or the all encompassing "criminal behavior.
The first trips were incredibly disorienting.
Even if you've never experienced a trip, you definitely know what it is. When Hoffman first started his home research into LSD, he attempted to codify the experience of taking the chemical, but that proved to be more or less impossible. Instead, he made a ton of journal entries that show the disorientation that he felt while dosing himself that he didn't really understand. Hofmann's early takeaway from his research is that LSD made him dizzy, thirsty for milk, and he had trouble placing people that he knew in his everyday life.
He wrote:
«Everything in the room spun around, and the familiar objects and pieces of furniture assumed grotesque, threatening forms. They were in continuous motion, animated, as if driven by an inner relentlessness. The lady next door, whom I scarcely recognized, brought me milk—during the evening I drank more than two liters. She was no longer Mrs. R, but rather a malevolent, insidious witch with a colored mask.
It wasn't the ideal trip, but as Hofmann came to understand the chemical, he found that his negative experiences came from his unfamiliarity with the chemical and not the chemical itself. Hoffmann later realized that if he ingested LSD with a positive attitude things went smoother, and he continued taking the drug for the rest of his life.»
LSD testing has always been morally iffy.
With all the research being done with LSD, there's still a lot to learn about this chemical. Even if you're never going to try the drug, it's important to know where it came from and the reasoning behind its creation. You may have visions of hippies rolling through fields out of their minds on acid, but just like Aspirin and every medicine you can find on the shelves, LSD was created in a lab by people who were trying to help humanity. Writing of his later experiences with mircrodosing LSD, Hofmann wrote:
«I see the true importance of LSD in the possibility of providing material aid to meditation aimed at the mystical experience of a deeper, comprehensive reality. Such a use accords entirely with the essence and working character of LSD as a sacred drug.»
LD50 exists only in theoretical mind, so 0.2-1 mg / kg is much higher than the average dosage by thousands of times. No LSD overdose deaths have been reported in. It is used sublingually, orally, intravenously, intramuscularly. It can be found in dark markets in the form of powder, microdotes, brands, sugar, candies and in the rare cases like ampules with a solution.
Dosing:
Microdosing - 25 - 50 mcg;
Weak - 50 - 75 mcg;
Medium - 75 - 200 mcg;
Strong - 200 - 400 mcg;
Very strong - 450+ mcg;
Common physical effects:
• Numbness;
• Weakness;
• Nausea;
• Hypothermia or hyperthermia;
• Goosebumps;
• Increased heart rate;
• Jaw clenching;
• Sweating;
• Increased salivation;
• Hyperreflexia;
• Tremor;
• Muscle spasms;
• Insomnia.
Psycho and emotional effects.
The physiological effects of LSD vary from person to person and depend wholly on the psychological state. For many years of clinical research, scientists have not been able to identify a single physiological reaction characteristic of all cases of taking the substance, except for the expansion of the pupils, wakefulness and decreased appetite. LSD is well tolerated by the body, and there is no evidence of its long-term effects on the brain or other organ systems. Psychological effects can be divided into three main categories: positive, neutral and negative. Positive and neutral effects prevail in low and medium dosages, and negative psychological effects begin to increase with increasing dosage.
Positive:
• Changing of associative and creative mind;
• Strong visual effects with closed and open eyes;
• Ego disappearance;
• «sixth sense» like connectedness with other forms of life;
• Euphoria.
Neutral:
• Change of consciousness;
• Loss in time;
• Loss of mind concentration;
• Unusual thoughts and speech;
• Mood swings.
Negative:
• Depression;
• Anxiety;
• Paranoia;
• Fear of death;
• Tension.
Sensory changes.
One of the main features of LSD is the enhancement of sensory perception. For example, due to a change in tactile sensations, a person may experience a strong desire to touch soft objects or other people. There are reports of a more sensitive sense of smell, a change in hearing, and a more developed sense of taste. LSD and some other psychedelics have an exceptional feature as "synesthesia" - a phenomenon in which feelings begin to merge and everything familiar is endowed with additional qualities. For example, music can become visible, and even the color scheme may have its taste.
Trip Duration Time.
20 - 60 minutes Entrance;
1 - 3 hours Plateau;
3 - 6 hours Decline;
3 - 5 hours Post-effects.
The total duration of the trip can vary from six to 12 hours.
There is a temporary decrease in the sensitivity of neurotransmitter receptors after LSD use. It should take at least three to five days to return fully intensity of the effects. Agonist of 5-HT1A, 5-HT2A, 5-HT2B, 5-HT2C, partial agonist of 5-HT6 receptors.
Combining with marijuana cause mutual strengthening and expansion of the range of sensations. The above applies to MDMA as well. It is also perfectly combined with other psychedelics and dissociatives. Positively combined with opiates. Poorly combined with alcohol, neuroleptics, tranquilizers. It is possible to combine with various psychostimulants, but the negative effect on the cardiovascular system, kidneys, nervous system increases.
SETTING RULES.
1. Make sure that you can spend the near future in calm and comfortable conditions. LSD trip lasts quite a long time, for 100 mcg - up to 6-7 hours. Within a few more hours, the effect gradually decreases. Deal with your affairs in advance to be sure that you do not need to rush somewhere and that no one will bother you. It is better to take LSD no later than 12 hours before bedtime because there may be problems with falling asleep. Buy yourself some light food in advance to eat after the effect is completely over.
2. Make sure you calculate the dosage correctly for yourself. If you cannot decide - try 100-120 mcg. Increase the dose to 175-200 mcg or more if you already have your experience of use. If you want to try, but are anxious - take 50 mcg, you will feel a slight but noticeable change in mood and perception, but a strong change in consciousness will not occur.
3. Place the stamp under the tongue and leave for 10 minutes, until the paper is almost dissolved, or immediately swallow thoroughly washed down with clean water.
4. After that, you have 30-60 minutes before the LSD will work. This is another opportunity to prepare something that can be useful. Many people like to write down their ideas and feelings, so grab a pen or prepare a laptop, although depending on the strength of the trip, you may not need it. If you are interested in solving specific emotional or psychological problems, then make a list of questions that you want to think about.
5. The first effects will become noticeable as changes in the perception of the world. You can detect changes in vision: rainbow halos around lights, tracks behind moving objects, geometric shapes with your eyes closed, moving, twisting, crawling patterns on the surface of objects. These effects may be interesting, but don't let yourself be carried away from being aware of your essence, your life, and your perception of the world.
6. When LSD starts to work (after 60-90 minutes), you will notice that thoughts and emotions have changed. The effects can vary greatly depending on each person or time. LSD dissolves mental thresholds, allowing you to plunge deeper into yourself. You may feel a strong happiness or sadness, become brooding or absent-minded, or get very carried away by a particular idea. It's important to remember two things:
- stay open to your feelings and let them flow through you easily, with love, and strive to reduce resistance as much as possible.
- If you are stuck on a bad thought or emotion, start thinking about something good and notice how quickly your condition will be changed.
Usually, it is much easier to manage your mood and feelings with LSD, in comparison with other psychedelics and even in comparison with an ordinary state of consciousness.
7. Try to stay as open as possible to your feelings and ideas. The longer you can stay open to even the heaviest feelings, the more meaningful and effective the experience will be. If you're thinking about difficulties in your life or things that cause anxiety and depression, try to find ways to accept those feelings and find new ways to solve your problems.
8. Don't forget to spend some of your time with LSD just on relaxation time. This will allow you not only to relax, but also to discover how solutions to important issues come, but about which you did not even plan to think.
9. When LSD begins to "let you go", you will have a few hours to feel a gradual return to the previous state. This can be a good time to write down your experience or talk to friends or loved ones about the experience. Returning can be a little frustrating because again the usual mental and psychological complexes characteristic of your ordinary life will begin to appear. Take some time to reflect on your experiences and remind yourself to bring some of that openness into your daily life.
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