LSD

There are moments in a persons life that seem to produce intense clarity; times when the reality of the world seems to be experienced in a new light that is different or changed and a feeling of mystical knowledge takes over and replaces all rational thinking. These moments usually only last a second or two and because they cannot be explained or contradict everyday worldly views they are put to the back of the mind and forgotten about. Everyday vision is something that outlines a persons perception and view of life, but when something blurs or changes this vision it can transform everything familiar, and usually normal aspects of life can become more fascinating or more terrifying than anything that could ever be imagined.

For thousands of years hallucinogens have played a role in human life; not only in the historical religious search for spiritual enlightenment, but also in literature, art, science and recreation. This belief that there is more to life than we see and that somewhere in the most inner parts of our consciousness lies a mystical enlightenment that has not yet been tapped, is what provokes many people to try and explore or perhaps widen their perception of the materialistic world.

D-lysergic acid diethylamide, more commonly known as LSD is one of the most potent psychedelic drugs known to science and one of the most commonly used. LSD is an unpredictable drug that alters a persons perception of environment, time and reality; causing an overlap of senses, modifying the way the body interprets incoming sounds and visions. It also affects the users feeling, movement and emotion, famous artists such as John Lennon and Jimmy Hendrix used it as a tool to discover a potential in music that could not be heard without the acquired sensation of the drug.

LSD is sold in 'tabs' containing 50-100 micrograms, (one microgram is equal to one millionth of a gram) in the 1960s the usual dose was five times this amount, it is more than 4,000 times more potent than mesculin. Depending where you buy it from it can cost anywhere from $1 to $25 and is classified as schedule 1 in most countries which means it cannot be produced, bought, sold or taken.
LSD requires laboratory equipment to manufacture and can only be done so by an organic chemist, it is odorless, colourless and tasteless and is derived from lysergic acid which is formed on ergot, a fungus that can be found on rye or other grains. The chemical found in LSD contains similarities between seratonin and once taken, disrupts the normal functioning of nerve cells. Once the hallucinogen has been ingested it distributes itself through the spinal chord and to parts of the brain causing the user to become engulfed in what is perceived as 'another world'.
Dr Albert Hoffman first synthesized LSD in 1938, but did not discover it to be a psychedelic drug until 1943. In the Sandoz Laboratories, located in Switzerland, Dr. Hofmann was testing the therapeutic uses for the drug when some was absorbed into a small amount of his skin. It was not long before Dr. Hofmann realised its powerful mood-changing abilities and returned to the lab to begin a large research program. LSD was first researched as a respiratory stimulant and because of it's likeness to psychosis it was also used to explore mental illness; it was believed that LSD would unlock the key to schizophrenia.
In 1947 Sandoz Laboratories began to sell LSD under the trade name Delsid, it was applauded as a cure for anything from improper sexual behaviour to schizophrenia and alcoholism; psychiatrists were recommended to take the drug in order to gain knowledge of the schizophrenic patient and their experiences. Between the 1950s and the 1960s the British Government, the Secret Intelligence Service and the CIA all experimented with LSD in an attempt to create a 'truth drug', that could control the mind of their subject, after extensive research it was decided that for brainwashing purposes LSD was not the answer.
LSD appeared very promising in the beginning, 15 years of largely tried and tested research produced 1000s of research papers and many books; over 40 000 patients were prescribed the drug and it was not until the 1960s that all scientific research stopped and people began to realize that it did not hold any cure-all properties.
In the 1960s LSD became widely spread among the community and people became convinced of its spiritually enlightening qualities. In 1961 Harvard University gave Dr. Timothy Leary (famous for his saying 'turn on, tune in, drop out') clearance to test the effects of LSD on study patients. Of the 400 people that received 3,500 doses 62% said that LSD had altered their life, 83% thought that they had gained insight and 90% said that they would repeat the episode. Dr. Leary was banned from the university not long after this, and once the drug of choice received bad publicity for things such as psychosis it became illegal in most countries.
LSD gives the user a feeling of being in another world, the affects are unpredictable and can last anywhere from 2-12 hours. Depending on the amount taken the users surroundings, moods and sensations change unexpectedly, creating a swing of rapid emotions and an undefinable experience that is different for every person. When tripping normal objects such as a couches or curtains can transform into something unknown to the user and appear to change in texture, lights seem to have a trailing effect and people begin to see 'visions'. Describing LSD can be hard for a user but a cross-over can occur, so a person sees a sound whilst hearing a colour, self-awareness changes, hallucinations appear and someone familiar to you can become unrecognizable.



There is no known death from LSD however when the drug is taken seemingly easy activities, such as crossing a road, become extensively dangerous and the users judgment becomes impaired making the user easily affected by personal injury. A 'bad trip' can cause a person to become scared and have a fear of insanity, death or paranoid delusions may occur along with frightening hallucinations. LSD does not cause dependence or cravings however it can cause temporary psychosis and should not be taken in uncomfortable circumstances, it can also cause ongoing anxiety or depression. LSD is highly illegal but can be found almost anywhere on the black market, it is being abused more and more each year and leaves the user with a life changing experience that for either good or bad reasons will stay with them forever