LSD

General Information

Classification: Psychedelic

History

First synthesized by Albert Hofmann on November 16, 1938, LSD went on to become a staple of the psychedelic world and the centerpiece of the 1960s counterculture. On April 19, 1943, Hofmann returned to investigate LSD further and ingested 250 micrograms of LSD. Hofmann believed this dose to have a minuscule, threshold effect. He rode his bicycle home and later wrote that, "... little by little I could begin to enjoy the unprecedented colors and plays of shapes that persisted behind my closed eyes. Kaleidoscopic, fantastic images surged in on me, alternating, variegated, opening and then closing themselves in circles and spirals, exploding in colored fountains, rearranging and hybridizing themselves in constant flux ..." This day in history later became known as Bicycle Day and is celebrated by LSD enthusiasts as the world's first LSD trip.

Dosage

Oral

Duration: 8-12 hours [Can be significantly longer with heroic doses]

Low dose: 50-100mcg

Medium (typical) dose: 100-250mcg

High dose: 250+mcg

Effects

Positive

• Mood lift, euphoria, sense of wellbeing
• Closed and open eye visuals, including the saturation of colors, tracers, etc.
• Enhanced audio/tactile senses
• Increase in associative & creative thinking; introspection
• At high doses, feeling of 'oneness' with everything; ego death

Neutral

• Racing thoughts, thought loops
• Extreme pupil dilation; increased sensitivity to light
• Inability to focus
• Slight increase in body temperature and heart rate
• Time dilation; seconds feel like minutes, minutes like hours

Negative

• Tension
• Anxiety, restlessness, confusion
• Insomnia
• Nausea
• Dizziness

After effects

"Hangover"?

• User may feel "out of it" and generally off the day after, esp. with larger doses

Afterglow

• Residual euphoria and a "ready to take on the world" feeling may persist

Long term effects

• No bodily harm from recreational doses of LSD, though mental effects from long term chronic use can be negative in some people.

Harm Reduction

• Avoid driving and operating heavy machinery

• Recommended time (pauses) between using the substance

At least one week for full effect due to rapid tolerance build, though it's generally advised to wait longer between trips. No more than once a month is advised, but this can vary from person to person.

• Addiction potential?

Low

• Risk of death?

Virtually none, save for choices you make under the influence.

• Mental illness?

LSD is known to bring out latent mental illness and should be avoided by those predisposed to said illnesses.

• Heart issues?

Images

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