Hallucinogens: The Wonderful World Of LSD

LSD (Lysergic acid diethylamidecame ) about at a very important time in American culture. It was a time when widespread tensions were taking over American society. Generations were split on topics such as the U.S. presence in Vietnam, race relations, sexual behavior, women's rights, and, yes, even experimentation with psychoactive drugs. People wanted peace, they wanted to live in harmony, and they wanted: Sex, drugs, and rock n' roll. Whether people agree with drug use or not, LSD played an integral part in the transformation of a generation, had a massive effect on how people interpreted the American Dream, and shaped the nation's youth -- for better or worse. Here is a look back at LSD, 50 years after its introduction into popular culture.

1) A Brief Histpry
2) Ingredients And Names
3) Early Tests
4) How Do You Obtain It?
5) Popularity / Who Does It?
6) Has Anyone Ever Died From Taking LSD?
7) Effects = A Good Trip 
8) Side-Effects / Bad Trips 

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A Brief History

  

 

Swiss chemist, Albert Hofmann, was the first to synthesize LSD. His success occurred on November 16, 1938 at the Sandoz Laboratories in Basel Switzerland. The development of LSD was part of a research program that was searching for medically useful purposes of ergot alkaloid derivatives, from which LSD comes.

Hofmann himself was the first to "learn" of LSD's psychedelic properties. He ingested 250�?µg of LSD (average dose: 50 - 150 ug) in a self experiment in his laboratory, and then rode his bicycle home. He soon learned that this dose was much stronger than originally anticipated, making him the first person to successfully "trip" on LSD.

Ingredients And Names 

 

Lysergic acid diethylamide, abbreviated as LSD, is a semisynthetic psychedelic drug of the ergoline family. LSD is manufactured from lysergic acid, which is found in ergot, a fungus that grows on rye and other grains. LSD ends up being odorless, colorless and tasteless. The street names of LSD include: acid, blotter, window pane, microdots, Loony Toons, Sunshine, cid, doses, and names that reflect the designs on sheets of blotter paper. The best part of LSD is that it is completely affordable! With prices ranging from $2 to $5 per hit. 

 

 LSD was initially used in psychiatry for its perceived therapeutic value in the treatment of alcoholism, cluster headache relief, spiritual purposes, and to enhance creativity. In the 1950s, the CIA thought LSD might be used in mind control and chemical warfare. This started the agency's MKULTRA research program, which circulated the drug among CIA employees, military personnel, doctors, and members of the general public to study their reactions (the British performed similar types of experiments on their soldiers, which can be seen in the clip above).

The program was closed down after the drug was deemed to not hold any relevant value for medicinal purposes.

 How Do You Obtain It? 

 

 The modern distribution of LSD comes from two groups: A few large-scale producers, and an equally small amount of independent chemists that operate on a limited scale, reaching only a local market. LSD is an illegal drug, so the only way to obtain it is by illegal means.

LSD was first sold on sugar cubes, which wasn't very practical for large scale distribution. This gave way to the most popular way the drug is found, by dipping a pre-printed sheet of blotting paper into an LSD/water/alcohol solution, then cut up for distribution.

Popularity / Who Does It? 

 LSD was an integral part of the counterculture of the 1960s. Prominent figures such as Aldous Huxley, Timothy Leary, and Allan Ginsberg began to advocate the consumption of LSD among intellectuals and artists. Artists such as Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, and The Beatles began to experiment with the drug. Professional baseball player Dock Ellis even threw a no-hitter on LSD in the 1970s. Today, LSD is abused by teenagers and young adults who want to get tripped out at raves, and old hippies who just can't stop taking it.

Has Anyone Ever Died From Taking LSD? 

 

 

   

 Effects = A Good Trip

 

 The reason why taking LSD is considered a trip is because it lasts between 8-12 hours. The trip is a very powerful experience that takes the user beyond normal perception and back again. LSD alters and expands the consciousness of the mind. This expansion loosens, or completely erases normal filters between the conscious mind and the outside world.

With the filters temporarily down, the user begins to become aware of the richness of sound, the brightness of colors, and the complexity of one's own mental processes. If a high enough dose is taken, the user will be lucky enough to see sounds and smell colors!

Side-Effects / Bad Trips 

 

 

The side effects of LSD depends on the dosage taken. The typical physical side effects include: dilated pupils, raised body temperature, increased heart rate and blood pressure, loss of appetite, sleeplessness, dry mouth, and tremors.

The most common "bad trip" side effects are panic attacks, and occur when the drug hits a peak level and the user is adjusting to a new mental state. The panic centers around a fear of going crazy or a fear of dying, which subsides once the user acclimates to the drug. But sometimes the "bad trip" doesn't go away, the panic attacks are more severe, and hallucinations are darker in nature.