It saddens me that – apart from a few lucky areas with local producers – the drug LSD has ceased to exist. The one time the war on drugs actually succeeds in wiping a drug out, why must it be a drug I like? (They could have wiped out Meth instead. That would have been just fine with me).
Yes, some folks (me included) have very frightening or unpleasant experiences with LSD. But LSD, at best, creates an absolute conviction in the user that they’ve moved beyond the mind’s ever-present limitations of thought and perception, and that’s a stunning and worthwhile experience. The better LSD trips I had are probably the closest I’ll ever come to life-altering religious ecstasy.
(Admittedly, trying to talk about the experiences to folks who have never had them tends to make LSD users sound like our brains are made of slugs and we’ve had salt poured in our ears, but the near-impossibility of describing the experience is part of what makes it valuable.)
I don’t feel a strong desire to drop acid again. But I find it difficult to comprehend that my generation may have been the last generation (give or take) ever to have our minds blown into fractal patterns and endless connection-generating by LSD. That seems very unfair to the post-LSD generations – as if my generation had used up all the endless summer afternoons with perfect babbling brooks, or something, and no generation will ever get that feeling again.
* * *
Actually, what it reminds me of – and this analogy will probably get me in trouble – is September 11th, listening to the newscasters say that the World Trade Center was gone. Gone? Gone? How can it be gone?
I wasn’t reacting to the death toll – I was reacting to the idea that part of the skyline was gone. I used to spend my lunch breaks at the top of the WTC, looking over Manhattan while munching on a brown-bag sandwich. Surely the newscasters must be wrong. They must mean the buildings have been damaged. The towers are too big to ever be gone.
It wasn’t until later in the broadcasts – when they had footage of the buildings seemingly turning into powder and disintegrating, over and over – that I finally believed something that big and solid, could actually be gone.
Needless to say, the loss of life at the WTC makes that by far the more important loss. Nonetheless, in much the same way I found it hard to comprehend that the WTC could just be gone, I’m finding it hard to beleive that LSD is gone.
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Heh – i got put off taking acid by my dad saying that his one and only trip involved thinking the fridge was attacking him. I had enough weird phobias to contend with at the time without adding more. :-/
I think you are failing to account for the way markets operate. If there’s a demand, it’ll be filled. Have you tried outsourcing to India? Personally, now that I know I have mental health issues, I regret my (carefully controlled) experiments with the stuff, and of course getting busted when I was a teenager wasn’t fun, hard to explain to the bar examiners board.
As far as I know it’s still around – ask your local dancesafe.org contact.
If there’s a shortage, but still demand, price will rise to stimulate supply.
The club kids I know tend to prefer obscure legal designer drugs.
There is a small market for LSD that still exists, but it’s more likely for you to find ecstacy- and meth-laced drugs that promise an LSD high. The oddest thing I’ve ever heard travelling through town is synthetic mescaline which is purported to have ceased to exist sometime before the 1980s. Who knows what it was.
I quit doing drugs a long time ago, but there was one long summer that I spent in a perpetual trip and I loved every waking (because I was always awake) minute. My punk rock friends would travel to Grateful Dead shows to buy up all the acid they could find, milling around uncomfortably with the deadheads, and promptly turn around and head back to town to sell it to us deviants. Is it inappropriate to share stories? Honestly, some of my favorite moments as a teenager involve LSD (don’t tell the children! *clutches pearls*).
Anyhow, working with teenagers, I’ve overheard a few claiming that the availability of LSD is rare, but still floats around now and then. Like AA, says above, other designer drugs are the current trend. And then the timeless choice, pot.
I’ve never had LSD. My mind makes it own fractal patterns on its own without any help from mind-altering drugs. ;)
I heard opium is good. I’ve never had that either. I don’t know much about either drug. I prefer to not take any drugs at all. They’re illegal, for one thing, and I don’t like the idea of not being in control of my mind and body.
Know what’s bizarre? I’m more bothered by this information than I ever thought I would be. Ha!
Trish, if I had to do another drug again (besides drinking my lovely, lovely wine) I would choose LSD hands down. Smoking pot never did anything for me except make me grabby and prone to steal (no idea, don’t ask) where LSD was at least fun and stimulating. The high always lasted too long for me, but in a safe environment with other people it was a very enjoyable experience.
Acid was a lot of fun but it was damn dangerous, too. Back in the day many of us went on a few trips. Not all of us came all the way back.
As a cheer-up exercise for the winter blahs around the new year I decided to make a list of the ten best days in my life. I surprised myself with how many of those days were spent tripping on either acid or shrooms, 6 out of 10.
I agree with Amp that taking LSD is life-altering and share his mourning for its near impossibility to find anymore.
I was a drug squad officer during late 60s and 70s. The dreadful effects of LSD do not seem to have materialised as claimed by the law makers of those times. I always thought that one of it’s drawbacks was the fact that one had no guarantee as to where the trip would lead one. Good and bad seemed to come with no pattern or cause. Better and more reliable stuff came about. The rebel pose that went with use of acid faded as people became more responsible about their drug use.
I don’t like the idea of not being in control of my mind and body.
I can’t resist pointing out that you don’t control your mind and body. To pick one well-proven and harmless example — well, mostly harmless — you can see your brain making decisions about what to show you, without asking your opinion or informing you at all.
You know, I have never done any drugs (in the banned substances sense). Not even pot. I have no high moral claim to make here, they just never interested me.
I do like Bill Cosby’s take on cocaine though:
You ask someone why they take cocaine and they say something like: “well, it intensifies your personality”. And I say “Yes, but what if you’re an asshole!?”
Alas, poor LSD. Those stories your friend told you about your friend’s cousin’s friend who thinks he’s an orange notwithstanding, it was one of the few drugs where its reputation was actually scarier than its reality.
I’m not so sure about the validity of LSD-inspired spiritual or religious experience, though. I think it simply lights up the “profundity” center of your brain, so you sit there, thinking “Oh, look. The cat. How profound! Oh look, the texture of the carpet. How profound!” and so on.
I will say that it helped me obtain one very valid insight into the nature of reality: it exists entirely in your head. The external universe is unknown and unknowable. Your phenomenological experience, including your sensory impressions, is a show your brain is putting on for its own amusement.
You ask someone why they take cocaine and they say something like: “well, it intensifies your personality”. And I say “Yes, but what if you’re an asshole!?”
I caught an episode of That 70s Show where Mr. Counterculture gets a straight job with a tie. He hates the workload, and asks a co-worker how he gets the energy to do all this. I immediately thought, “Oh, so that’s how it got started!”
Ahhh. I spent a few years in my early 20’s where I occasionally would use LSD with my friends. I cant even describe how bonding the experience was. I never had a bad or frightening trip although sometimes I had pretty emotional ones filled with sadness. Mostly though, they were wonderful and they changed the way I look at the world. I hadnt thought about those times in years until I read a story recently about Albert Hoffman’s 100 birthday.
It is funny because even though I havent had access to LSD in over 10 years, I just figured it was because as I aged, I was no longer hip enough to know people who could get it. Sometimes I would get cranky because it was illegal and it would be so nice to be able to go to the corner store and pick some up. It never occurred to me that this was because it was GONE. It is funny too because I think that if it were legal, I would still use it now and then.
This line of yours: “That seems very unfair to the post-LSD generations – as if my generation had used up all the endless summer afternoons with perfect babbling brooks, or something, and no generation will ever get that feeling again” really sums up how I feel about this. wow.
I’ve never been the type to try drugs (of the illegal sort), not even as a teenager rebelling. I did my fair share of drinking, but I got over even that fairly quickly. I’ve just never needed chemical stimulation to have a good time.
And I’ve heard both amazing and horrifying LSD stories. I’ve even seen a few “bad trip” returns when I was an EMT. At this point, I’ve seen too much to ever do any of the drugs that my parents and friends did.
I’ll get my near religious excstacy from a good glass of wine and wonderful music, and then there’s the high I get from really amazing sex. ;)
you are free to take lsd or not take lsd if you wish. as someone with a psychiatric history, i dont feel it would be a good decision for me to take any hallucinogen.
however. spare us the moral highgrounding on this issue. as someone who as at times used other drugs i know that the “fractal patterns” being referred to here are not the type that can be achieved in everyday life, without something to alter consciousness–that’s why they’re drugs, goddamnit. if anyone could get the same effect on their own, *no one* would use them.
it doesn’t make you a better person not to have used drugs. it doesn’t make you a better person *to* have used drugs, either–basically, it makes your priorities and interests different. i wish people would realize and acknowledge this instead of lording it over the other side and thinking their choice to trip or not indicates their superiority.
This kind of makes me feel the way I did when I found out they’d put a strip mall on the farm I grew up on. It’s really true that you can’t, as Wolfe says, go home again, but it sucks to be confronted with the actual evidence. Thirty years ago LSD was some of the best fun I’ve ever had, and even though I had no plans to ever do it again, it’s depressing to see yet another part of my idyllic youth gone forever. The older you get, the more little pieces of your old self crumble and disappear amongst the sands of eternity (insert sweeping orchestral flourish in E minor ).
Yeah, my stepbrother was one of them. Still not back. LSD is one of the few drugs that actually can disqualify you from being in LE permanently b/c of its long-time and unpredictable effects. If it were to disappear, I’d be glad, but I know it’s not really gone. I’d be more happy if Meth were gone.
I can live without seeing those particular “fractual patterns”, but you’re right in that it is about individual choice. Different strokes for different folks.
Maybe it’s just me, but I think it’s better to just stay away from drugs, and work on the demand issue rather than the supply alone. Here, they busted a heroin dealer next to a school, but that doesn’t deal with the fact that students who want heroin or any other drug will get it elsewhere, b/c they want it or are curious about it. That might be a natural thing, but for many kids who are not White and/or middleclass, there’s no built in safety net in place if they become addicted to certain drugs like there often is with White kids. It’s not that there are necessarily more kids but in how they are treated. They have less resources to help them or their families than White middle-class or wealthier kids, and they are much, much more likely to be criminalized for the same thing. That’s the case for dealing as well, though I don’t like dealers, especially ones who take shots at my residence for trying to turn them in especially if they try to sell to kids or engage in violence. The ones who really make money and/or dealers in neighborhoods that are predominantly White or better off financially never get sent through the CJS. It’s most often the ones who sell to finance their own habits, or the smaller-level gangs.
I’ve seen what they’ve done to family members who’ve faced or are facing addictions to meth and cocaine and to people in the community where I lived. Especially Meth, which is huge in these parts(more so than anywhere else in the country althugh the MidWest is catching up fast) and just one of the biggest and most painful scourges, though crack cocaine comes second.
I despise the current war on drugs, in part having seen its affects up close which is that it just criminalizes generations of people in communities where most of the people are poor or nonwhite and there is a lot of good literature out there, such as the book, “White Lies”. They have less access to rehab programs even in Prop 36 hearings(Prop 36 emphasizes rehabilitation over incarceration of drug users) which is short of good inhouse rehab programs(which the prosecutors and police don’t mention when they cite 36 as a “failure”) anyway. Black and Hispanic drug users are more likely to be disqualified under prop 36 b/c they are more likely to be charged with resisting arrest(considered a violent crime even when it’s just verbal obstruction) than are Whites. In fact, in my county prop. 36 is the only courtroom where White defendants outnumber Black or Hispanic defendants.
This is probably way off topic, and I’m trying not to be moralistic but it’s hard for me to see any topic on a drug and not think of what it’s been like here and elsewhere, especially having been the Meth capitol for so long. It’s a complex issue even when it seems it’s about a simple thing and it’s not one I’ve ever been able to separate into different issues.
I’m trying not to say LSD–oooh bad, but it bothers me a bit as a person who is probably square when people are nostalgic about drug use. Maybe where you come from, there are positives, but from where I come from, the effects are often devastating and nearly all negative(a lot from the criminalization, but also from the reality of the nature of addictions).
I’d rather read about LSD trips than go on one. I feel the same way about bungee jumping.
I bought a couple of fancy-schmancy kaleidoscopes several years back. I throw back a shot of bourbon and sit back with one when I get the urge for pretty colors in an altered state. Tame, I know… :o
My take is the ones who didn’t come back were probably pretty unstable to begin with. I don’t mean to minimize someone’s loss, but just because they are bad for some does not mean they are bad or should be banned for all. It is definitely not for everyone. Good clean acid contributed to some very special times during my teens and 20s. I have no desire to use regularly, but I thought I might again every few years. Guess that’s not going to happen.
Interesting post. I agree that a lot of it probably has to do with supply-and-demand. LSD doesn’t seem to have the same mythology and mystique surrounding it any more, the kind that grew up around it in the 60s (though I was born too late to get in on that)– the idea that everyone needed to have their mind blown, that this was the drug that was going to show us the true nature of God, ourselves and reality and revolutionize society. I don’t seem to meet many ‘mainstream’ young people nowadays who are really intrigued by the concept of an LSD spirituality or who want to “drop out” of the system. The most sought-after drugs seem to be ecstasy, meth and various designer drugs (among those I’ve talked to, anyway).
Of course, this could also be regional– it still seems to be decently available in the San Francisco area (unsurprisingly), if what I’ve heard from friends is any indication.
As re: what you do or don’t miss by not taking it: Drug evangelism seems to cut both ways (and hard)– on the one hand you’ve got the people saying “I don’t need drugs, life is all the high I’ll ever need, and all you people who turn to drugs for your kicks are pathetic” and on the other, the ones saying “it completely changes your life, it shows you God, you’ll never see the truth without drugs.” My own LSD experiences didn’t make me an evangelizer in either direction– no scare stories, but no big revelations either. I think it’s more that it’s possible to have certain insights under any condition, but the *feeling* of those insights under the influence of various drugs can be totally different. YMMV, since what insights I did get out of acid were somewhat mitigated by the fact that it made me very high-strung and jittery.
Then again, I think allowance has to be made for neurological variation and what factor it might play in individual differences in responses to drugs, so that the extremes of opinion might represent what is honestly the case for some people. I have a somewhat ‘atypical’ neurology, so it might be possible that certain drugs just don’t have the same effect on me that they have on a more ‘normal’ brain wiring (it might explain why I don’t hallucinate, for one). Most of my really positive drug experiences have been with DXM (dextromethorphan, aka the stuff that’s in cough syrup), although I try to use that one sparingly. A lot of the good ones had to do with affirming that things I already suspected or believed were true (true for me, anyway), rather than discovering things that were new to me altogether.
beth,
My intention was not to “lord it over” anyone, but merely share my experiences and feelings. I don’t judge anyone for their particular choice of recreation, so long as they aren’t hurting anyone (eg drinking and driving).
I’ve never been much of a thrill seeker, even in my youth.
If I gave the impression that I was judging anyones behavior, I do apologize, because that certainly was not my intent.
That’s what the ones who came back like to believe. It doesn’t make it true.
Psychological defense mechanism, in other words (It will not happen to me!), and not really limited to drug use.
FTR, I haven’t even smoken pot (sheltered rural youth) and I have no interest in starting any illegal drug now (I do drink occasionally, and am addicted to caffeine). Personally I’ve found out there are plenty of ways to have bonding experiences and great fun without them (or alcohol). Not here to judge, but anyway.
That may be true, but the problem is that many people do not know how “stable” they are, beforehand. That was certainly the case of my stepbrother.
I think of LSD as pretty much categorically different than all of the non-halucinogen drugs.
I have the feeling, although I have no way of confirming it, that people who get badly messed up tripping start out by taking strong doses (the one person I know who was messed up by tripping took 3 hits on her first and only trip). I think that most people who start with a low dose trip under relatively stable conditions with a passable guide will, at worst, have an unpleasant experience, but not a crippling one, and I think that hte quality of that first experience probably provides some guidance of whether they should ever trip again. I have another friend who started with a half hit trip with a decent guide, found it interesting but felt it was potentially dangerous to her psyche, and never tripped again.
I guess heavy and repeated use can also produce its own weirdness, but that seems like a different thing than the “I tripped once, and it messed me up badly,” experience.
I wonder if people here who know people who were damaged by tripping know how much or how frequently that person was tripping. I’d be very interested to hear of a “I took half a hit (or a hit) once, and it messed me up badly” story, even second hand (or even a reliable third hand).
The one person I know who was messed up badly by a single 3 hit trip had no warning signs that I could identify, even in retrospect (okay, maybe “finds the idea that the universe is all an illusion a horrifying and fearful idea” is a warning sign).
however. spare us the moral highgrounding on this issue. as someone who as at times used other drugs i know that the “fractal patterns” being referred to here are not the type that can be achieved in everyday life, without something to alter consciousness”“that’s why they’re drugs, goddamnit. if anyone could get the same effect on their own, *no one* would use them.
Actually, that’s not true. You can achieve those “fractal patterns” through deep meditation or any variety of ecstatic religious experiences/practices, be they Christian, vodoun, pagan, Sufi, etc. Illness or physical exhaustion can get you there too. It’s just that drugs like LSD get you there faster, which is one of the reasons Timothy Leary advocated the use of LSD—modern folks (for the most part) don’t have the time or patience to reach that state of mind through the slower, old fashioned way.
I wouldn’t worry too much, Amp. I’ll bet the CIA still keeps a stash! ;-)
Yes, but they’re bogarting it!
” just because they are bad for some does not mean they are bad or should be banned for all”
Would you say the same about drinkg driving / DUI?
Sigh. When I was growing up in hippie California, I couldn’t wait to try acid. It was on my list of things to do when I was an adult.
It never happened, because I tried pot first and discovered that I am extremely sensitive to hallucinogens. I trip on pot. And they weren’t good trips, either. I decided I’d better not risk LSD. But it remains one of my regrets in life that I never experienced it.
Opium, too — I would LOVE to smoke opium. But within 2 days of being on a morphine prescription for pain, I was planning to convert my entire backyard into a poppy farm so I could “always have this.” When I came to my senses I realized that my personality is probably just a tad too addictive for me to be messing with opiates.
Sheena,
You weren’t asking me, but my answer would be “No.”
Anyone who drives drunk is playing Russian roulette. Almost every drunk driver makes it home safely, but pretty much every drunk driver who finds themselves in a complicated interaction will mess it up badly, possibly killing someone in the process.
Some small number of people who trip will mess up their minds badly. Some vanishingly small number will harm themselves or others. But most people who trip will not do either of those things, and people who won’t do either of those things on LSD will never do either of those things on LSD. The lottery is at the person specific level, not at the incident specific level.
Every drunk driver is pretty much equal, but every tripper is not equal.
Also, while there are presumably people who have accidentally killed others, and perhaps even murdered others, I suspect that bot hof those happen at rates not much higher than the general population. Drunk drivers do so at a much higher rate.
LSD isn’t safe stuff, and it shouldn’t be available at the 7-11, but it is nowhere near as dangerous as driving drunk (or doing Meth at all).
[in a post awaiting moderation] I wrote the following mangled paragraph:
That should have been “killed others while tripping …murdered others while tripping…” and “both of”.
I have the feeling, although I have no way of confirming it, that people who get badly messed up tripping start out by taking strong doses (the one person I know who was messed up by tripping took 3 hits on her first and only trip).
The first time I tripped I did it alone with a small stash a friend gave me — a strip of ten hits — thinking I would share it with others. Unfortunately I was young and dumb and thought a hit of acid was like a hit off a bong… and took all ten. It did mess me up for a few days, but I eventually came down still loving it.
I might be crazy, but it probably isn’t due to the acid.
LSD is alright, but I always really loved shrooms. The way your face aches the next day cuz you just can’t stop laughing is a real hoot. But, sadly, due to various health-related issues, I’m scared of the big drugs now and just stick to weed, which at least I’m familiar with.
I know of nobody who got messed up due to a single trip from a single hit or even multiple trips infrequently. Of the folks I know who sustained psychic damage, one decided to eradicate his personality by tripping continuously for months (he succeeded, unfortunately he didn’t think about replacing it), one took 17 hits at once & one, it became apparent to me during her horrid experience, had some serious issues beforehand that were unknown to her companions (plus it seemed to be some seriously strong stuff – and I didn’t remember that she took 3 hits – she was not well guided on that one). The first two I mentioned did what they did purposely. The third is an example of the dangers of LSD & why it should be approached more cautiously than most tripping novices (and veterans, for that matter) realize.
I’m sitting here reading all this nostalgia, and feeling a little…left out? Strange. I’ve never done drugs (even as an adult I rarely drink at all), mostly because I was viewed as too straight-laced in school for anyone to ever offer me any. At this point in my life I’m fairly grateful that I didn’t, since my subconscious at that age should have had a large “DANGER!” sign posted over it. Nonetheless, it might have been interesting to let go of the tight veneer of control for once.
I feel a bit left out honestly. hardest I’ve ever gone is alcohol (which due to a combination of genetics and weight, takes far, far too much effort to get to an altered state. it’s like having to eat a whole wet chihuahua to feel anything.)
back in my school boy days, I was far too nerdy to bother (I had my D20s, god dammit). by the time I was cool enough to do anything like that, I was aware of certain personality limitations that tipped me off that anything hallucinogenic would not be my friend: that is to say, sober hallucinations that scare the crap outta me. If I were superstitious, I might think they were ghosts: roughly humanoid figures, but like an inky-black-to-slightly-hazy shadow. they’re rare, but always in the same region of my vision (roughly 20 degrees to the left or right off of straight ahead) which leads me to believe it might well be some visual phenomena based on some aspect of my eyes, but looking up from your computer screen to see a shadowman standing there for just that flicker will scare the fuck out of you.
regardless of the actual origin of it, it has been more than enough to encourage me to avoid pretty much everything. Which is depressing, because I’m pretty sure I’d welcome happy hallucinations.
so I have to halfass it by playing Katamari Damacy.
anyway, I’m rambling now because I should be asleep, so I’m going to bed.
(okay, maybe “finds the idea that the universe is all an illusion a horrifying and fearful idea” is a warning sign).
I should think so! As La Lubu says, LSD can presumably work a lot more quickly than the sort of disciplines that Aleister Crowley taught. He recommended learning breathing exercises to calm fear before trying these slower techniques, as well as some knowledge of philosophy and a general scientific attitude.
(plus it seemed to be some seriously strong stuff – and I didn’t remember that she took 3 hits – she was not well guided on that one).
This leads to an interesting point. Dr. Leary said the effect of a drug depends on three factors: dosage, set (conditions in the mind of the user), and setting (objective). Prohibition, as Leary warned beforehand, has screwed our dosage calculations all to hell. It can’t have helped the “set” factor either. But I still tend to see the warnings as exaggerated.
What I want to know is why the hell are there numbers INSIDE a racquetball? I mean come on…why the hell would you need a number where no one can see it? That’s fucking hilarious! I can’t stop laughing about it…and on the inside of a traffic sign reflector too! Weird! LSD provides the bridge for relating the oddest smallest meaningless things to major philosophical concepts. It has changed the way I look at virtually everything.
roughly humanoid figures, but like an inky-black-to-slightly-hazy shadow.
Have you tried banishing them?* For that matter, have you tried talking to them? You need not assume their “objective reality or philosophic validity” in order to do this. Perhaps these figures (and/or your fear) represent part of your unconscious. Perhaps you can discover a goal in these appearances, and thus get them to change or stop.
*I can think of other ways of banishing; when it comes to voices, someone I know does it by saying, “You don’t have to go home, but you can’t stay here.” (Your mind belongs to you, and you have the upper hand there — at least, if you hear the first part of this sentence and believe it.) I linked to that “Liber” because of what it says in section “I.”
“If there’s something that you want to show me or to tell me, please do so now. If not, then I’d like for you to leave.”
If there are other people around, of course, you can’t actually say that out loud without getting funny looks. But that’s okay. Saying it silently can work too.
Of course, maybe they *will* show you or tell you something, which could be a scary concept. Then, it’s still better than having them just kind of hovering around and creeping the hell out of you, right?
Another thing to consider: do you get enough good sleep, karpad? I only ask because the things you are seeing sound identical to something that troubled me a few years back, when I was having a very serious problem with insomnia (and its attendant sleep deprivation). When the sleep deprivation went away, the scary, shadowy ‘just-out-of-the-corner-of-my-eye’ figure thingumabobs went away with it.
“it doesn’t make you a better person not to have used drugs. it doesn’t make you a better person *to* have used drugs, either”“”
Yes.
Elkins, I’d like to know how you dealt with your insomnia problems. I have horrible intermittent insomnia, going on for about a year now, and it’s driving me nuts.
Apparently most of you have had much more interesting lives, pharmaceutically speaking, than I. I do think my dentist is suspicious on account of my having had to ask him for replacement Valium due to having lost the prescription he’d given me after the last bout of dental work. It’s my opinion that, if you want someone to hang on to their Valium prescription, don’t give it to them while they’re still sedated on Valium.
Now there’s a drug I’m glad isn’t legal: the first time I took it before dental work I didn’t notice anything for a bit – and then I stood up and tried to walk – and tripped on the carpet – and didn’t care. Just lay there face down on the carpet, giggling. They could have pulled all the teeth out of my jaw and played snooker with them and I wouldn’t have cared.
Hehe Ledasmom. When I last had major extractions they gave me laughing gas and I sat through the extraction and sobbed like a baby. No laughing for me, no sir. The dentist said that laughing gas is a misnomer–it’s as apt to make you cry as to laugh. And I get the valium thing too. What a lovely drug it is.
I knew that LSD was a powerful drug & I respected it from the beginning. But then I only do a small dose of any drug for the first time, even prescriptions. My friends & I only used when we had a safe time & location and someone stayed sober, aka “the trippersitter, sandwich maker”. I guess some damage can be done by people who are uninformed and incautious. But addiction to LSD is relatively rare. I’m far, far, more worried about folks who experiment with coke, meth, or x. Those are far more damaging drugs IMO.
“it doesn’t make you a better person not to have used drugs. it doesn’t make you a better person *to* have used drugs, either”“”
Agreed.
It’s interesting that you say this drug is no longer available, as I know of no fewer than half a dozen separate sources where it is. Perhaps it’s an American thing, LSD being off the market, as it certainly is still around in Toronto.
Its still reasonably available in the Chicago burbs, or at least was when I was in high school a few years ago. I have a hard time keeping my head together un-altered, and I’m really convinced that LSD has had a lasting effect on my sometimes inexplicably not-all-there mom…so I’ve never done it. But lots of my friends have, and they spend lots of effort convincing me its a life-altering experience…so don’t worry just yet that yours is the last generation to drop acid.
hf, such a course of action really isn’t nessicary. they’re entirely fleeting, so talking to them (or banishing with the power of denial) isn’t really feasible. This is a fraction-of-a-second kind of deal. it’s alot like those startling “holy shit what was that?” subliminal stuff in the Exorcist. you see it enough to know what it looks like, but not enough to know what it looks like, you know?
but even if they were to become sustained, I think I’d rather ignore them. for all I know, they’d be dreamstalkers of Nyarlathotep, hoping to bring me into the fold as some kind of sorcerer summoner, and if I take your advice and I ask them a question, they get their fishhooks into my mind, and I end up summoning Hastur from Beyond the Gate. The only demon I’m interested in summoning is Palcor, Lord of Chocolates.
and maybe Aliaria, Queen of Lust. but that’s a discussion for another day entirely.
Elkins, your comment is rather apt. I get plenty of restful sleep (usually, although the last few days have been an exception), but it can take me several hours to fall asleep in the first place. It is possible I’ve had mild sleep deprivation for years now. not enough to feel lousy during waking hours, but just enough to do weird physiological things like that. assuming it’s the same thing, of course. it might be something completely different. though I’d still not want to drop acid, as I can’t imagine you’d get a very nice trip while sleep deprived.
Yeah, I’ve never done it myself, but it definitely does still exist in Toronto, as a few of my friends can attest.
(Incidentally, Kelly – I just clicked on the link to your site, funny to run into someone else from Keswick here!)
Another reason to move to Canada….
kactus, eventually I went to a doctor and was given a prescription for sleeping pills.
Not a very holistic solution, I’m afraid, and I’m not ordinarily a very big fan of “better living through chemistry,” but sometimes there just don’t seem to be better choices available. It’s amazing how difficult it is to function once you’ve passed a certain threshold of chronic sleep deprivation, and the problem (in my experience, at any rate) has a way of snowballing on itself, which can make it really hard to kick it once it’s set in.
Well, wait until the current election plays out before making any permanent decisions! :P
Elkins writes:
Amen. Plus, with chronic sleep deprivation and insomnia there is a serious risk of doing harm to your brain. I suffer from insomnia, and have for most of my adult life. I tried everything, and then just settled on Ambien (which to me is the chemical equivalent to a snow shovel to the back of the head). I take one and sleep for about twelve hours.
Kactus, laughing gas actually makes me laugh, embarrassingly loudly. The dentist said he had never seen anyone do that before, so I’m either very odd or highly suggestible.
I spent a lotta time in the acid zone, years ago, and I observed that almost everyone who had a really bad trip, and especially those who “didn’t come back,” were doing other drugs as well. I say “almost” only because I didn’t always know. More recently, I noticed that “acid” seems to contain other stuff these days. (In my day — she said in her creaky old voice — it was the pure blue.)
I found that I was able to cure a long-standing infection by getting high and “talking” to the microbes. I’d be using it now, if I knew where to get an unadulterated supply.
And Sheena, taking acid is not like driving drunk. Driving while on acid is the comparison you want. I don’t recommend it.
Two things on my mind: I wish like hell I could easily get a script for sleeping pills from my doc, but I also have chronic low blood pressure and I guess he’s afraid I’ll fall asleep and just not wake up. Which is a valid concern, but what it means is that I end up self-medicating when all my little tricks to fall asleep don’t work. I’ll buy ambien or soma or painkillers off the street, or over the counter stuff, just so that once or twice a week I get more than 2 or 3 hours of sleep. I mean, here it is 12:30 a.m. and I’m wide awake.
Here in Milwaukee LSD is still available (at least according to my teenage daughter), but as I said earlier I don’t go for the heavy stuff anymore. What’s really becoming a problem now is heroin, especially among the young suburban kids. What a great drug *snark*.
Interesting, Ambien can cause hallucinations. But it also causes amnesia so you probably won’t remember the trip if it does.
Radfem, what do you think about legalizing drugs? It wouldn’t stop the addiciton problems, but would the removal of criminal consequences help in your opinion?
It’s not the same thing, but close … In Amsterdam, one can buy mushrooms in “smart shops”. About three years ago while in Amsterdam I took a low dose and visited the Stedelijk modern art museum (near the Van Gogh museum). Two thumbs way up.
And travel should be cheap this time of year.
That raises the question: If you look at modern art while on LSD, do you get Rembrandt?
I dropped acid pretty steadily for a few months (I was grieving, and depressed – all around not a fun girl to talk to at the time). I found that the trips (aside from the last one, which is one of the big reasons I quit) were enormously cleansing, as though I’d purged my emotional trauma.
That last one, though – never take acid and go to the Hallowe’en Street Fair in WeHo.
I imagine that LSD will have a comeback; humans by their very nature hunt down psychoactive agents. If not LSD, something else will rise to take it’s place.
Two quick points:
I have also noticed that LSD is pretty widely available in at least the Greater Toronto Area of Canada. I have also noticed that by and large, drugs in Canada are often cheaper and of better quality than a lot of what you get in the US (at least, this has been the experience of many of the Americans I have talked to).
I think LSD will eventually have a comeback. With the exception of pot, it seems that drug use also follows trends – cocaine has been pretty popular for the past few years, whereas not very many people seemed to be using it throughout 1990s.
I seriously doubt that LSD is gone forever – look at the resurgence in home-distilled absinthe recently. It’s not as if the plant it came from went extinct.
Someday, someone will wonder how those old people made those weird psychedelic band posters, and they’ll look up how to make LSD on whatever the Internet evolves into…
I’ve had a very vanilla experience with substances – gallons of beer in high school and college, and pot whenever it gets brought out at a party.
I volunteered for psychological experiments in college, and they did one test of my reflexes and motor skills while on speed, a depressant, or a placebo. I definitely noticed when I was on speed – it was one of the most unpleasant experiences of my life. I couldn’t sit down to relax myself for the tests.
On the other hand, morphine was *very* pleasant when a doctor put me under before doing tests on me – I can see how people get addicted to opiates.
This is an issue I think about a lot and ask myself a lot as well. I’m very conflicted, and I don’t see it as a blanket statement of legalization of all drugs either, which makes it harder to decide. All illegal drugs are clearly not the same. All impact individuals, families, societies differently. Legal drugs like tobacco and alcohol may not have their industries be affected by illegal trafficking but separately, they kill more people annually than every illegal drug combined. Do they kill people through disease and behavior(esp. alcohol’s role in homicide, rape and suicide) while legal than they did when illegal? How does the two balance out in terms of impact on life and quality of life issues? For users and families and society?
It’s noted with alcohol and tobacco that there’s a period of illegality associated with ages of people using, i.e. teens, young adults, which may attract or deter use depending but a lot of people use both or being addicted to both at older ages as well.
I don’t agree with prohibition of alcohol, which clearly was a mistake but I do understand why it happened. Many women drove this movement and their reasons weren’t crazy but had a lot of validity to them. They thought this would end crimes against women and families like DV and maybe rape too. It was an attempt to deal with serious issues, even if it was the wrong solution.
This leads me to think that whether or not a drug is illegal doesn’t really matter as much, not that it doesn’t at all particularly with criminal issues and criminalization, but the issue is that of a supply being created to fill a demand. People want to do drugs or are addicted to them whether or not they are illegal or legal. That’s what you need to target, especially in youth. They use illegal drugs and they use legally produced substances in ways they weren’t intended for to get high, as well. And often times, the drug use is a substitute or an attempted fix of underlying problems, which remain unaddressed. It’s recreational in a sense, but really not. It fills a hole.
And different drugs inflict different levels of damage. Makng them legal would change some of that, but leave others untouched. Meth, which is the worst illegal drug I can think of, is dangerous in the criminal sense, in that there’s some violence involved with trafficking of it among certain gangs(in my state, White supremacist and Latino gangs) as well as its production and crimes committed when using it. Meth labs do explode, which can costs lives especially if they are located in apartment buildings. Even decontaminating one is serious business, involving the evacuation of everyone within at least 400 feet of the lab. I’ve been through that process several times.
Also, homes and apartments which have served as labs are a significant health risk to present or future inhabitants of those residences, many of whom have no clue of the places’ histories. A friend of mine moved from an apartment to a home rental which she found out later was once a meth lab. Now, she has to either move or pressure the landlord to decontaminate the home, an expensive and laborous process, or risk serious illness in herself and her kids.
B/c of the prevalence of meth labs in my county(the highest in the nation), there’s been laws passed in attempts to stop or restrict the production by making the purchase of large amounts of ingrediants used in meth production illegal(i.e. pseudophedrine is sold behind the counter now in many places) But what that’s done is driven importation of meth and meth ingredients from Mexico. Why? Because even if you restrict a drug legally and impose criminal penalties, you still have high demand, b/c meth is an attractive drug and highly addictive. In its drive to demonize the use of marijuana, the feds have paid little attention to meth, which is spreading across the country like a weed.
I’ve got a relative who’s a meth addict and no one knew for over a year b/c he’d gone to the doctor for treatment of a mental illness but didn’t say he was using meth. I suspected, but didn’t know for sure until he admitted it just recently.
cocaine and crack have both had devastating impact on people and society, though their criminalization of users has added to the problem, not detracted. Crack gets more focus, mostly because of the demographics of its using and dealing population, though a lot of that is perception b/c Whites also use and deal in crack. Crack is also a drug associated with some sects of Crips and Bloods gangs, though at least locally, the CJS has not been successful in proving it’s production and sale is a gang enterprise, judging by the high number of gang enhancements associated with crack dealing cases which are tossed out by our very conservative judges.
Periodically, there are stories of big busts but when you read more carefully, the drugs found per person involved is very small, meaning that they focus on the little guys and not the bigger fish that are out there who are scot free but might have the financial resources to fight their charges if they did get busted.
Marijuana on the other hands, doesn’t bother me. I don’t like it, but I understand why people use it for medical reasons, or recreationally. I don’t see it as the national scourge.
I definitely do not like the drug war and criminalization of drug use or the role of drug trafficking in U.S. foreign policy. Disproportionately, those who use drugs who are living in poor communities or are people of color are adversely affected by the enforcement of laws against drug use. If you are White and middle-class, you will be more likely to be steered towards rehabiliation programs than if you are Black, Latino and/or poor. The same, for drug dealers. Many Whites deal drugs, but they don’t fill the jail and prison cells.
California is a state geared toward rehabiliation over punishment of drug addicts. Voters passed propositition 36 in response on this issue. The state and its agencies did not implement it aggressively in terms of ensuring adequate access by drug addicts to residential rehabilitation programs(which I noticed, sitting in during Prop 36 hearings), so now “studies” deem Prop 36 a failure, which isn’t really fair.
I’ve got more on this, but this is a start. I’m still thinking…
Its still around, you guys are to square to find it. If LSD was legal people wouldnt have to dip their sheets in AMT{I saw that on the DEA website}.
If the government or lab scientist made LSD-25, acid would be safe. It is a worderful psyciatric tool that can cure depression, alcoholism, and many other metal diseases. It is also a spiritual tool that can bring you closer to god than a fiery babtist preachers sermon from a pull pit. Ancient cultures and cultures(some christian) that still exist today use it as a tool communicate with the holy Trinity(god as many people know him.) Leaglize it, Highten your spiritual experience, and say thanks and Happy Birthday to Mr. Albert Hoffman……..peace
lmao. WHERE in toronto??
I never Came Back from my one and only trip. Im Bi-Polar and my friend thought it would be a great idea to give me 2 hits of LSD when i had never done anything else besides smoke weed. LSD is really easy to find for me. i could have 100 hits in my hand in just a few minutes. its based in sandiego. san francisco is going to get blown all over again.
I Promise.
I’m here to tell you the perils of LSD. When I was eighteen, I took LSD and jumped out a window. It was on the ground floor, but after I jumped out the window, I went with my friends to the drive in to see “Prince of Darkness,” with Alice Cooper. It was the worst piece of crap I’d ever seen. I blame the acid.
I was one of the fortunates who experienced the cosmic, universal loving properties of LSD. For those of you who haven’t, I feel bad for you. I could have written what he wrote word for word. Stop believing all the negativities. Sure, some people have bad experiences on alcohol too. For us who have experienced the positive effects, I feel blessed and also I feel sorry for those who missed out. I, and the world, could use a few hits of Orange Sunshine right about now….trust me
LDS is great. Its easily available here, and the times on it (like now) are worth more than any of the amphetamine based experiences I have had. Amphetamines cause most of the problems in my area, and addiction is bad, mmmk. I hope the CHOICE stays for people to take whatever they feel nescassary, at the end of the day, we are alive and free do do what ever we want. I think as long as I dont affect anybody else, its fine.
LSD is the best drug experience I have ever had. I thought it was better than pot and better than shrooms (at least the kind of shrooms i had). I only wish that we had the freedom to take it as long as we don’t harm others. I wish the government did not have to be so paternal about the issue and let each person determine whether a drug like LSD is right for you or not… after reading so many of the postings here, I realize that more people than I expected are as responsible about their drug use as I try to be.
Oh yeah, and about LSD being dead, it’s not! I tried it for the first time some weeks ago. I wish it was more readily available though! My friends had to drive two hours last time to score some.
Anyone know where in America or Canada LSD is available?
I also love LSD and wish it was more readily availible. I actually wrote a little article on another blog about all the acid being gone in Seattle. please go and check it out http://forums.thestranger.com/showthread.php?t=1509&referrerid=960. it might start you at the end of the thread but just scroll back a page to the beggining.
I have decided to write a book about acid and if you have any “input” I would really appreciate it. You can email me my email address is theseventhsign@gmail.com
to all the merry pranksters and other non-brainwashed brethren of mine. Please email me for my PO box #. I would really really love you and it would be a great begginning to my book. Thanks.
Hey everyone!
I just wanted to post a comment to this subject after spending the las days (and the las 7 hrs) researching about the history, efects, and hole meaning behind LSD (movies, documentaries, articles, forums, etc).
I have never done LSD, but lately and mostely after all this research, I have become really interested and facinated about this. About the experience that seems to have moved a hole generation (50s, 60s), all the ideas that have enriched the spiritual, artistic, phylosofical, intelectual, political aspects in the mind of so many poeple and even known people, and the way it was washed away due to the severe policy and (maybe exagerated) punishment for those who have any kind of contact or deal with these substance (see the William Leonard Pickard case).
Its hard to beleve (as a 20 year old) that all this big part of human history had been so covered and hidden behind the perspective of drug use provided by our goverments and media, over the las decades.
I would also like to add another fact that made me interested in this subject. While smoking weed, about one year ago when a was starting to get the taste of it, I had 2 occasions (the first one really really bad), when i felt something i never felt after again with marijuana (yeah maybe its weird but true), and that i still dont know what made the diference this times. The thing is that the second time, after knowing this feeling and just admitit in my mind, i had one of the most interesting hrs of my life, where i fell somehow, deep inside my thoughts and seeing a hole new percetion of reality, that made go and write and write about all these thoughts and ideas. So it became a little familiar with what i had heard about LSD, but of course with a tiny part of the intensity that you might get with this last. Thats why i seem to get a little of an idea of what LSD could mean. (I also talk about this to know if somebody ever experienced something like that only with weed or something).
So anyway, Im not trying to say that everybody shoud try drugs or anywhing, on the contrary, i thing that the safest way (and if youre not curious) its to just stay away from drugs at all. But I also think that being a big issue and controversy in our society, people shoud get informed by diferent sources with diferent inclinations on the subject to be able to make their own judgement instead of just absorbing the fist thing you hear, and even more if you are planning to try some or if you think that you are closet to having access to them.
Well maybe i could get some answers, and tell me what you think or if you agree or desagree with some of my ideas. Thanx, and bye!.
LSD is fantastic. I’m a college student, not from your generation. I just did LSD last night. I love LSD, it’s my favorite drug. It’s not impossble to find anymore, just harder. Yes, it is sad that the acid revolution is over, but for those who still seek the experience, it is available.
Hopefully, when we overthrow capitalism, we will be free to do whatever drugs we choose.
====================
= MAKING LSD =
====================
LSD, being of the strangest drugs, is available to people on the black
market, is not too hard to make in your average run-of-the-mill kitchen.
LSD (LySergic acid Diethylamide) is a complex organic mixture that gives
some people (most)
================================
Making LSD: ITEMS NEEDED:
1-About 200-250 grams of MORNIGLOR SEEDS or BAY HAWAIIAN OOD ROSE SEEDS.
The Morning Glory Seeds can be obtained at most plant nurseries.
2-200 cc. of petroleum ether
3-Small piece of window screen or a strainer.
4-A couple of large glasses.
5-One cookie try (old on to never be used again).
6-260 cc. of wood alcohol (call your local drug store).
7-Capsule containers (jel)
================================
Lets get started:
1. Grind up about 170 grams of Morning Glory Seeds.
2. In 145 cc of petroleum ether, soak the seeds for two or three days.
3. With screen, filter the liquid thru it and save the seed mush and allow
it to dry completely.
4. Let the mush soak in 130 cc. of wood alcohol.
5. Filter solution again only. Save the liquid in a large glass jar.
6. Soak the seed mush again in 130 cc. of wood alcohol for two more days.
7. Filter out the mush and keep the liquid. Now, get the liquid that was
saved in step 5.
8. Now, pour both liquids in a cookie tray and let it dry.
9. When all the liquid has dried, a yellowish gummy looking substance will
appear on the cookie sheet.
10. Take the yellow gum and put these in to capsules.
================================
You can get the capsules just by buying something like DEXITREM or some other
pill. Even CONTACT comes in jel capsules. Just empty them out and
put the yellow gum in the capsules. Allow the capsules to sit over night
for best results.
1 Trip:
34 Grams of morning glory
18 Grams of hawaiian wood
================================
2nd way:
Making LSD In The Laboratory
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To make synthetic acid, you need a basic understanding of chemistry and access to a lab. Since I don’t quite understand all the chemical hocus- pocus, I’m going to cop out and quote you the patent for it. If you don’t understand chemistry, just skip this recipe and go on to the next one for acid, it’s much simpler.
Preparation for Lysergic Acid Amides:
United States Patent Office #2,736,728
Patented February 28, 1956
Richard P. Pioch, Indianapolis, Indiana, assignor, to Eli Lilly and Co., Indianapolis, Indiana, a corporation of Indiana.
No drawing. Application December 6, 1954, Serial No. 473,443. 10 Claims.
(Cl. 260-285.5)
This invention relates to the preparation of lysergic acid amides and to a novel intermediate compound useful in the preparation of said amides. Although only a few natural and synthetic amides of lysergic acid are known, they possess a number of different and useful pharmacologic properties. Especially useful is ergonovine, the N-(1( )-1-hydroxyisopropyl) amide of d-lysergic acid, which is employed commercially as an oxytocic agent.
Attempts to prepare lysergic acid amides amides by the usual methods of preparing amides, such as reacting an amine with lysergic acid chloride or with ester of lysergic acid, have been unsuccessful. United States Patents No. 2,090,429 and No. 2,090,430, describe processes of preparing lysergic acid amides and, although these processes are effective to accomplish the desired conversion of lysergic acid to one of its amides, they are not without certain disadvantages.
By my invention I have provided a simple and convenient method of preparing lysergic acid amides, which comprises reacting lysergic acid with trifluoroacetic anhydride to produce a mixed anhydride of lysergic and trifluoroacetic acids, and when reacting the mixed anhydride with a nitrogenous base having at least one hydrogen linked to nitrogen. The resulting amide of lysergic acid is isolated from the reaction mixture by conventional means.
The reaction of the lysergic and the trifluoroacetic anhydride is a low temperature reaction, that is, it must be carried out at a temperature below about 0 degrees C. The presently preferred temperature range is about -15 C. to about -20 C. This range is sufficiently high to permit the reaction to proceed at a desirably fast rate, but yet provides an adequate safeguard against a too rapid temperature and consequent excessive decomposition of the mixed anhydride.
The reaction is carried out in a suitable dispersing agent, that is, one which is inert with respect to the reactants. The lysergic acid is relatively insoluble in dispersants suitable for carrying out the reaction, so it is suspended in the dispersant.
Two gallons of trifluoroacetic anhydride are required per mol. of lysergic acid for the rapid and complete conversion of the lysergic acid into the mixed anhydride. It appears that one molecule of the anhydride associates with or favors an ionic adduct with one molecule of the lysergic which contains a basic nitrogen atom and that it is the adduct which reacts with a second molecule of trifluoroacetic anhydride to form the mixed anhydride along with one molecule of trifluoroacetic acid. The conversion of the lysergic acid to the mixed anhydride occurs within a relatively short time, but to insure a complete conversion the reaction is allowed to proceed for about one to three hours.
The mixed anhydride of lysergic and trifluoroacetic acids is relatively unstable, especially at room temperature and above, and must be stored at a low temperature. This temperature instability of the mixed anhydride makes it desirable that it be converted into a lysergic acid amide without unnecessary delay. The mixed anhydride itself, since it contains a lysergic acid group, also can exist in the reaction mixture in large part as an ionic adduct with trifluoroacetic anhydride or trifluoroacetic acid. It is important for maximum yield of product that the lysergic acid employed in the reaction be dry. It is most convenient to dry the acid by heating it at about 105-110 degrees C. in a vacuum of about 1 mm. of mercury or less for a few hours, although any other customary means of drying can be used.
The conversion of the mixed anhydride into an amide by reacting the anhydride with the nitrogenous base, such as an amino compound, can be carried out at room temperature or below. Most conveniently the reaction is carried out by adding the cold solution of the mixed anhydride to the amino compound or a solution thereof which is at about room temperature. Because of the acidic components present in the reaction mixture of the mixed anhydride, about five mols or equivalents of the amino compound are required per mole or equivalent of mixed anhydride for maximal conversion of the mixed anhydride to the amide. Preferably a slight excess over the five mols is employed to insure complete utilization of the mixed anhydride. If desired, a basic substance capable of neutralizing the acid components present in the reaction mixture, but incapable of interfering with the reaction, can be utilized. A strongly basic tertiary amine is an example of such a substance. In such case, about one equivalent of amino compound to be converted to a lysergic acid amide, as well as any unconverted lysergic acid, can be removed from the reaction mixture and can be re-employed in other conversions.
A preferred method for carrying out the process of this invention is as follows:
Dry lysergic acid is suspended in a suitable vehicle as acetonitrile, and the suspension is cooled to about -15 C. or -20 C. To the suspension is then added slowly a solution of about two equivalents of trifluoroacetic anhydride dissolved in acetonitrile and previously cooled to about -20 degrees C. The mixture is maintained in a low temperature for about one to three hours to insure the completion of the formation of the mixed anhydride of lysergic and trifluoroacetic acids.
The solution of the mixed anhydride is then added to about five equivalents of the amino compound which is to be reacted with the mixed anhydride. The amino compound need not be previously dissolved in a solvent, although it is usually convenient to use a solvent. The reaction is carried out with the amino compound or solution of amino compound at about room temperature or below. The reaction mixture is allowed to stand at room temperature for one or two hours, preferably in the dark, and the solvent is then removed by evaporation in vacuo at a temperature which desirably is not greatly in excess of room temperature. The viscous residue, consisting of the amide together with excess amine and amine salts, is taken up in a mixture of chloroform and water. The water is separated and the chloroform solution which contains the amide is washed several times with water to remove excesss amine and the various amine salts formed in the reaction, including that of any unconverted lysergic acid. The chloroform solution is then dried and evaporated, leaving a residue of lysergic acid amide. The amide so obtained can be purified by any conventional procedure.
Dispersants suitable for the purpose of this invention are those which are liquids at the low temperatures employed for the reaction and are of such an inert nature that they will not react preferentially to the lysergic acid with trifluoroacetic anhydride. Among suitable dispersants are acetonitrile, dimethylformamide, propionitrile, and the like. Additional suitable agents will readily be apparent from the foregoing enumeration. Of those listed above, acetonitrile is preferred since it is non-reactive and mobile at the temperature used, and is relatively volatile and hence readily separable from the reaction mixture by evaporation in vacuo.
A wide variety of nitrogenous bases such as amino compounds can be reacted with the mixed anhydride to form a lysergic acid amide. As previously stated, the amino compound must contain a hydrogen atom attached to nitrogen to permit amide formation. Illustrative amino compounds which can be reacted are ammonia, hydrazine, primary amines such as glycine, ethanolamine, diglycylglycine, norephedrine, aminopropanol, butanolamine, diethylamine, ephedrine, and the like.
When an alkanolamine such as ethanolamine or aminopropanol is reacted with the mixed anhydride of lysergic and trifluoroacetic acids, the reaction product contains not only the desired hydroxy amide but also, to a minor extent, some amino ester. These two isometric substances arise because of the bi-functional nature of the reacting alkanolamine. Ordinarily the amino ester amounts to no more than 25-30 percent of the total amount of reaction product, but in cases where the amino group is esterically hindered, the proportion of amino ester will be increased. The amino ester can readily be converted to the desired hydroxy amide, and the over-all yield of the latter increased by treating the amino ester, or the mixture of amide and ester with alcoholic alkali to cause the rearrangement of the amino ester to the desired hydroxy amide. Most conveniently the conversion is carried out by dissolving the amino ester or mixture containing the amino ester in a minimum amount of alcohol and adding to the mixture a twofold amound of 4 N alcoholic potassium hydroxide solution. The mixture is allowed to stand at room temperature for several hours, the alkali is neutralized with acid, and the lysergic acid amide is then isolated and purified.
It should be understood that, as used herein, the term “lysergic acid” is used generically as inclusive of any or all of the four possible stereoisomers having the basic lysergic acid structure. Isomers of the lysergic acid series can be separated or interconverted by means known to the art.
This invention is further illustrated in the following specific examples.
[Example One]
Preparation of the mixed anhydride of lysergic and trifluoroacetic acids:
5.36 g. of d-lysergic acid are suspended in 125 ml. of acetonitrile and the suspension is cooled to about -20 degrees C. To this suspension is added a cold (-20 degrees C.) solution of 8.82 g. of trifluoroacetic anhydride in 75 ml. of acetonitrile. The mixture is allowed to stand at -20 degrees C. for about 1 1/2 hours during which time the suspended material dissolves, and the d-lysergic acid is converted to the mixed anhydride of lysergic and trifluoroacetic acids. The mixed anhydride can be separated in the form of an oil by evaporating the solvent in vacuo at a temperature below about 0 degrees centigrade.
[Example Two]
Preparation of d-lysergic and N,N-diethyl amide:
A solution of the mixed anhydride of lysergic acid and trifluoroacetic acid in 200 ml. of acetonitrile is obtained by reacting 5.36 g. d-lysergic acid and 8.82 g. trifluoroacetic anhydride in accordance with the procedure of example one. The acetonitrile solution containing mixed anhydride is added to 150 ml. of acetonitrile containing 7.6 g. of diethylamine. The mixture is held in the dark at room temperature for about two hours. The acetonitrile is evaporated in vacuo leaving a residue which comprises the “normal” and “iso” forms of d-lysergic acid N,N-diethyl amide together with some lysergic acid, the diethylamine salt of trifluoroacetic acid and like by-products. The residue is dissolved in a mixture of 150 ml. of chloroform and 20 ml. of ice water. The chloroform layer is separated, and the aqueous layer is extracted with four 50 ml. portions of chloroform. The chloroform extracts are combined and are washed four times with about 50 ml. portions of cold water in order to remove residual amounts of amine salts. The chloroform layer is then dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate, and the chloroform is evaporated in vacuo. A solid residue of 3.45 gm. comprising the “normal” and “iso” forms of d-lysergic acid N,N-diethylamide is obtained. This material is dissolved in 160 ml. of a 3-to-1 mixture of benzene and chloroform, and is chromatographed over 240 g. of basic alumia. As the chromatogram is developed with the same solvent, two blue fluroescing zones appear on the alumina column. The more rapidly moving zone is d-lysergic acid N,N-diethylamide which is eluted with about 3000 ml. of the same solvent as above, the course of the elution being followed by watching the downward movement of the more rapidly moving blue fluorescing zone. The eluate is treated with tartaric acid to form the acid tartrate of d-lysergic acid N,N-diethyl amide which is isolated. The acid tartrate of d-lysergic acid N,N-diethyl amide melts with decomposition at about 190-196 degrees centigrade.
The di-iso-lysergic acid N,N-diethyl amide which remains absorbed on the alumia column as the second fluroescent zone is removed from the column by elution with chloroform. The “iso” form of the amide is recovered by evaporating the chloroform eluate to dryness in vacuo.
[Example Three]
Preparation of d-lysergic acid N-diethylaminoethyl amide:
A solution of the mixed anhydride of lysergic acid and trifluoroacetic acid is prepared from 2.68 g. of d-lysergic acid and 4.4 g. of trifluoroacetic acid anhydride in 100 ml. of acetonitrile by the method of Example One. This solution is added to 6:03 g. of diethylaminoethylamine.
The reaction mixture is kept in the dark at room temperature for 1 1/2 hours. The acetonitrile is evaporated, and the residue treated with chloroform and water as described in Example Two. The residue treated comprising d-iso- lysergic acid N-diethylaminoethyl amide is dissolved in several ml. of ethyl acetate, and the solution is cooled to about 0 degrees centigrade, whereupon di-iso-lysergic acid N-diethylaminoethyl amide separates in crystalline form.
The crystalline material is filtered off, and the filtrate reduced in volume to obtain an additional amount of crystalline amide. Recrystallization from ethyl acetate of the combined fractions of crystalline material yields d-iso-lysergic acid N-diethylaminoethyl amide melting at about 157-158 degrees centigrade. The optical rotation is as follows:
26 [x] d = 372 degrees (c. = 1.3 in pyridine)
There has been in the last few years a great deal of discussion about the correct treatment for victims of bad LSD trips. When an individual does go into a panic on acid, it is an extremely delicate situation. Although it has been said that tranquilizers, such as thorazine, will help to calm the person down, be very careful, as certain drugs react violently with tranquilizers (STP). My advice in a situation of that sort is just to attempt to create an atmosphere of reassurance and sympathy. In no circumstances, except real uncontrollable panic, should a person on acid be taken to a city hospital. If you want a really freaky experience, spend a couple of hours at any city hospital and watch the people die in the halls!
Talk to the person on acid and remind him that he is under the influence of acid. Try to calm him down. Even a change of environment can effectively reverse a bad trip.
does that first method really work? has anyone tried it?
As a current teenager, and occasional acid dropper, I would just like to let everyone know that acid is not dead, at least in San Francisco where I live…I guess that is not that surprising, but I also know that you can get it in NYC, LA, and upstate New York relatively easily. I think that it is pretty prevalent all throughout the coasts of the country, but from what I’ve heard, in the rest of the country LSD is as common as a penguin in Alaska. Here in San Francisco, acid is easier to get than any other “hard drug”. Other than weed (which is amazing here) and shrooms (which I have never done), Acid is the most common drug in San Francisco…in my mind. I totally agree that Acid is fun, and well worth the risk of a bad trip, which I have never had, and recommend it to anyone thinking about it.
knollz;
not a good idea to say crap on the internet that you wouldnt say to your mom/the cops/any random person walking by.
Also, please be careful.
the first time i did acid was for my 18th birthday with my best friend. we did two gel tabs each after waiting 30 minutes and deciding that we’d been ripped off. we definetily underestimated it, and i tripped for about 15 hours or so.
i didn’t have the mind altering experience that i keep hearing about, i was slightly dissapointed about that. instead i felt like i had one very looong orgasm for about six hours, it felt extremely good. has anyone felt that way?..if yes, please let me know.
i want to do it again soon, and this time be on my own just to try to see what happens.
Yeah, right.
In case anyone does decide to try that recipe, please make sure to get seeds that haven’t been sprayed with anti-fungal agents. Most morning glory seeds at stores *have* been sprayed with them, and they’re not something you want to ingest.
Also, I thought morning glory was not a source of LSD but of another hallucinogen – belladona – which I’ve only heard bad things about. It’s supposed to be about as much fun as ketamine.
Morning glory contains LSA which is some sort of simpler LSD. I’m not a chemist, but theres always erowid.org
LSD is still going – you can get it in the north of scotland but it is more elusive than other drugs. and magic mushrooms grow wild everywhere, so its pointless. i did some that came up from leeds.
so i’d say its still about. most trip-heads i know have done acid.
(and they’re all young)
Folks, I’ve got an M.S. in biochemistry and have done my share of lab work. I would strongly recommend against anyone trying the morning glory/hawaiian wood recipe above. God alone knows what you’ll end up putting into your body.
someone please tell me: HAVE YOU EVER FELT ORGASMIC WHILE ON LSD? and i dont mean orgasmic like in the deeper universal truth type of thing, but just like u were having sex.
LSD still available at summer festivals and looks like europe isn’t throwing everyone in jail with barbaric prison sentences. 10 years mandatory for 1 gram of LSD, which includes carrier weight. 1 strawberry with one drop of LSD gets you 20 years in Federal “rape your ass” prison. no parole. fuck the USA
too “lools”.. jacked off a few times on LSD, nothing special, LSD shrinks the penis :)
as far as preparing LSD, ha that’s a laugh. you’ll need at least 2 semesters of college organic chemistry, a lab, and associates that keep there mouths shut.
i kind of like that it’s not availble, keeps dumbasses from doing it and giving it a bad name. Aldous Huxley always said it should be an elitist thing… i agree. i love secret society stuff. if you want in, check out http://www.mindstates.org or maps.org or go to the annual bonnaroo festival in june
I am staggered by this thread, y’all. I’m truly amazed at the quantity of rumor and speculation that is being repeated. LSD is not addictive and it doesn’t stay in your body and it doesn’t cause psychosis and an overdose won’t hurt you.
Amp, what the hell made you think LSD was gone? It’s never been the most popular drug, but it’s never gone entirely out and it probably never well. People like mental-state altering drugs. Of course, since LSD acts on serotonin receptors, it’s likely that many of the people who once enjoyed it recreationally are now maintaining steady levels thanks to SSRIs like Paxil. (There’s a lot on LSD in the medical literature, mostly mouse studies).
Maybe so, Kaethe, but if you put into your body the fraction of morning glory seeds or whatever that wood is that a) won’t dissolve in petroleum ether, but b) will dissolve in methanol, you’re probably ingesting hundreds of different substances all at once. That’s nuts.
Sorry if I’m belaboring a point, folks, but I think it’s irresponsible to post something like that.
“God only knows” isn’t exactly scientific. Nor is it correct. Other chemists have actually researched the substances involved; these psychoactives do have a long history of use, and like most things with a long history of use, have been investigated in laboratories in the last few decades.
“whatever that wood is” = Hawaiian baby woodrose seeds, I assume? That’s not a wood; it’s flower seeds. The Hawaiian baby woodrose is a flower.
Albert Hofmann’s analysis says, “the seeds contained d-lysergic acid amide. This
differs from LSD only in that it has a NH2 where LSD has a N(C2H5)2, but
LSD is some 50 to 100 times as potent. The morning glory Turbina
corymbosa’s seeds also have other psychoactive alkaloids in
them: d-isolysergic acid amide, chanoclavine, elymoclavine, and lysergol.” If you read the link, you go on to discover that Ipomoea varieties contain a lot of ergotamine, which is a vasoconstrictor and uterine stimulator, and should be approached with caution. The extraction is supposed to eliminate a lot of this, naturally.
Some of the compounds in the seeds are soaplike: not poisonous, merely emetic. These should also be largely eliminated by the extraction.
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Why is LSD so hard to get a hold of. everytime i see a video about it, they all have something in common; they say LSD takes little to recieve extraordinary effects (which i believe), and is asy to find. idk if all my friends are just bad source but nobody can get. please help me
LSD is fucking everywhere where I am, its mostly in Nor Cal
I
In 1968 at only age 12, I took a half tablet of ‘green berkley’ flats LSD, supplied by my older brother who I was close to. He introduced me to it, but I didn’t need to be talked into trying it, I was very much interested myself, I thought I might die of curiosity if I did not at least try it. Taking it, I found it to be a worthwhile and very interesting experience (understated), even though it did not end the mystery of the universe, it seemed to tease about that mystery with hints (yet today I am not sure whether it really carried any special spiritual meaning or not).
By age 14 I bought another hit of acid from a girl at school, but this time I took it in an unfortunate setting, with a friend that I was supposed to spend the night with, but whose mom nixed that idea. Thus I had to walk home on a cold black and moody October night, growing increasingly worried about facing my dad while tripping on LSD.
My dad was a good dad who loved me very much and we had always been best friends, but he was pure as the driven snow as to how he took care of his own body, and would have been gravely disappointed in me had he known that I was experimenting with drugs, let alone something like LSD. That guilt-laden encounter with my father while on LSD (I slept in the same room and in a bunk below him at that time) overpowered my mood and psyche, and threw me into a panic, sweating and with a racing heart (that I was sure he heard) while lying in bed at 11 PM. With guilt heavy as a building on my chest as I lay on that bunk below my dad, I was motionless and unable to sleep in a pool of sweat and hearing my heart beat loudly all night. Early on, my pop kept asking what was wrong, but I couldn’t answer for sheer mortification. Not able to sleep all night, I was dead sure I had ruined my physical frame and mind, and thus, my life. By morning I was like a different person; a major depression had solidly settled in that lasted a year, during which I hardly spoke to my friends at school. A year later I confessed my LSD use to my dad, and getting it off my chest seemed to cause that depression (the worst I’d known) to lift in only a few days. But then I immediately I rocketed into a state of high mania – because as I learned later I was now manic depressive (now commonly called bipolar disorder). I have manic depressive condition to this day. I don’t know if the LSD caused it or merely triggered something that would have shown up anyway at a later time (my mom also had this condition later in life).
Age 15 to 21 was a very intense period for me, in and out of the psychiatric floor of the local hospital no less than seven times, the first time for severe depression (catatonic with full blown auditory and visual hallucinations); the rest of the hospitalizations were for severe mania (the subsequent depressions were very bad but did not threaten the stability of the family as could a manic episode). Fortunately by my early 20’s lithium (a natural mineral salt mined from the ground) came into wide use and using it, my condition became manageable. Manic depression has impacted me very little since then, yet I know that I still have the condition.
One might think I’d be bitterly against hallucinogenic drug use because of all this. I’ve not taken LSD since that eventful time, but I have used psilocybin mushrooms on several trips to Amsterdam, tried LSA-containing seeds (like morning glory), and a powerful hallucinogenic sage plant, Salvia Divinorum (used by Indians in southern Mexico for Shamanistic purposes). And I still use pot on occasion, but very moderately (maybe less than 1/4 oz a year). Recently traveling in India I was able to sample some very powerful hashish.
My greatest enjoyment comes from adventure travel now (I’ve been to all the continents), not drugs, but I know life has risks and though I’ve had much trouble from drugs, I have escaped at least total ruination from them, for which I thank God. If we want to get near to the fire and have very great adventures, we may have to sometimes pay the price for it. Let everyone know of the dangers, which are definitely there, and let them (adults) make their own informed choice. It’s certainly not for everyone. In spite of my occasional (illegal) drug use I am sincerely a believer in Christ now for three decades, which may account for my earlier skepticism of spiritual value per se in hallucinogenic drugs. I guess I see them as just one more kind of (hopefully fun) adventure, like a roller coaster.
Hey Trippers…….
I am looking for my 1st LSD experience, but for the life of me, cannot find any in the GTA (Iive in Toronto). If someone here is kind enough to help me, I will remain forever greatful………….
Erowid,
Realizing you’ll do what you feel driven to do in the end: however in my view, psilocybin mushrooms are a better choice than LSD (which does not occur in nature). LSD has an instense, speed-like, electrical grinding feel to it, seeming like it has worn down your psyche/mind by the time the trip is over. Not so much the case with psilocybin, still large enough doses of psilocybin are similar, in the power of the trip, to larger doses of LSD. If you are going to experiment, make sure you really have psilocybin mushrooms, not some poisonous variety. If you could have a fun weekend trip in Amsterdam this is no problem, as they legally sell indoor grown mushrooms at smart shops. Be careful I think! One should never be careless or unthinking about using a powerful hallucinogenic substance, undesireable things can and have happened before! If you must do LSD (and I do not encourage that), realize that uncertain purity and dosage can be a potentially serious problem.
I hear of mushrooms sometimes available in many larger N. American cities.
Disclaimer: I do not encourage or advocate use of illegal drugs, but recognize laws cannot always prevent their use.
The vast majority of the responses here represent an endemic lack of information about psychedelics and how they operate. The same applies to many who have had “bad trips” and “flashbacks.”
Let me say, not to brag or condescend, but to assure you that I have a modicum of credibility when it comes to this subject, that I have a degree in psychology that included courses in behavior, drugs & behavior, perception, cognition, abnormal psychology, and social psychology.
I have also sampled a few psychedelics and can tell you both objectively and subjectively how they operate.
Chemically, LSD resembles serotonin, specifically 5-HT2A. When it bonds with 5-HT2A receptors, it causes them to multiply drastically. We end up with way more serotonin receptors than we need. This is important because 5-HT2A is a FILTER (inhibitor) for both mood and sensation/perception. Serotonergic neurons inhibit other neurotransmitters and extend to almost every organ system in the body.
When we have too much serotonin for our receptors, we get depressed (serotonin re-uptake). When we have an excess of receptors, we are more resistant to depression because our senses and mood are more “turned on.” The inhibitive or filtering effect of serotonin is neutralized by an excess of receptors. Remember, most psychedelics (including both LSD and psilocybin) increase 5-HT2A receptors and thereby reduce the inhibiting effect of serotonergic neurons on other transmitters. This effect is temporary but can also be LEARNED (which is where both “flashbacks” and “sober” trips come from). Mind over matter, anyone?
Our brains are normally tossing around images and constructs, assembling them as we go along and comparing them to experience for validity. Inside our brains there is a never-ending flow of data that we normally aren’t aware of. We commonly refer to this as subconscious or unconscious activity, and it includes everything from sensation to body control to memory to fantasy (“what if”).
When serotonin’s inhibitory effect is neutralized even partially, we are made aware on the conscious level of many of those hidden mental processes. Memories become more vivid; we become super-sensitive; we can feel our own bodies working, and yes even our brains; we may be forced to face fears that we have long subdued but never overcame; our emotions become much stronger; and yes, images from our imaginations can be superimposed on reality.
Translation: Psychedelics “open your mind,” i.e. deconstruct defense mechanisms and other barriers that have been acquired and reinforced socially. Most of the things we react to on psychedelics are things we have been conditioned to not react to, or even think about.
The powerful and hidden truth about all of this is that serotonin does not equal “self control.” We DO NOT LOSE CONTROL SIMPLY BY TAKING A PSYCHEDELIC. This is a product of our extremely powerful imaginations. When one or more of our fears (which we never learned to counteract properly) is the only thing we can think about, we FORGET THAT WE STILL HAVE CONTROL.
A huge fear for many people is simply losing control. When your mind can imagine the chance that you might lose control, you may hover on the edge or even push yourself over.
The remedy? SMILE. Genuinely. Chill out. Go with the flow. Change what you’re doing if it’s really bothering you. Surf the internet. Flip through the channels. Listen to the deepest and most positive music you have, or look for some. Talk to a close friend, not about how you are tripping out but about what is going through your mind. Above all, relax and remember that it’s YOUR BRAIN and you just took a little substance to unlock it for a while. You’ll still have the same tissues and organs you had before you started tripping when you’re done. What happens is YOUR CHOICE.
Everything I have explained here is supported by experiments in neuroscience and psychotherapy as well as statistical data and personal experience. I have seen people “start to wig out” and then suddenly become lucid and perfectly in control after I explained to them what was happening.
Over 80% of the LSD users questioned over the years have claimed that LSD gave them some sort of insight. This ranged from understanding how their brains worked to being connected to everything around them to having “communicated with God.” I do not name the last one lightly as I have experienced all three of those examples of “insight” and by “God” I do not mean a magic man in the sky.
My overall point here is that the dangers of LSD are not inherent to LSD. They are human fears and ignorance suppressed by lifetimes of socialization, unlocked by a chemical that removes some of the filters in our minds. Too much murder, madness and mystery has existed without LSD for me to blame a few freak-outs on the drug. LSD “casualties” (hospitalization or death) amount to something like 1 in 10,000 people who try it (these statistics vary). This is a pathetic number, which is also probably highly correlated with its legal status and the stigma associated with psychedelics (a product of propaganda more than anything else). The same cannot be said for other drugs. Alcohol, cocaine, speed, and opiates are reliably addictive. These drugs in large enough or frequent enough doses are also reliably lethal. Not true with LSD, which by dose is one of the safest drugs known to man.
And yes, Lucy is still around. Research in psychedelics is making a comeback. Check out MAPS.org, erowid.org, or even wikipedia for more info.
Yeah acid is around. I got it from people in Richmond, Virginia, and we brought it to people we knew from High School in Virginia Beach. I think LSD is a very constructive drug. One of the best ways to avoid a freak out is to go outside, in nature, where humans and all other living organisms have spent most of their time. I think all human people have some desire to be out in the wild where they first originated.
wow all these comments really makes it sound like the drug is actually gone… i have a friend who grew up in the acid era and he goes on and on about how one time the devil and a angel was battling for his soul. in his own house to where he could even smell the devils breath, and feel the crisp winds of the angels wings.. it sounds a lil scary but it changed his life around. now he has a very successful position at citi bank. so honestly the drug sounds good to me and i definitely wouldnt mind trying it if it were availible. which unfortunately im starting to doubt that it is…
im 17 it took me almost 3 years to find acid u just got to no meet the right person
To Dr. Stan (from above): thank you very much for your explanation of what is happening when a person takes LSD. Very informative!
I was involved with distributing acid for many years I use to get it from the so called nor cal group which is actually several groups. Let the DEA believe they caught all the chemists and cooks good go catch all the meth cooks. They did actually catch the main supplier in 2001 but not the only supplier people are just being careful alot of the people I use to know that sold purely lsd like myself now moved on to pot they have med cards and they are growing it or they are growing shrooms since its a slap on the wrist compared to getting caught with LSD. I can still get a page of sid but instead of 450 for 1000 hits its 2000 for 1000 hits. I just don’t buy that quantity anymore since my last stay at club fed. Its not that hard to make lsd there are lsd cooks not everybody is a chemist but no one who really knows is going to just give up the formula. Its all about money. I talked with owsley pickard scully and some other heads that no one has ever heard of and they will tell you some altruist bullshit but the truth is its either about money or their egos. For them to give out the formula to some heads that are gung ho about making it that will diminsh their legend. To them and every other Acid chemist I say QUIT BEING A SELFISH MONEY HUNGRY EGOTISTICAL PIG and publish either for free anonmously or for profit a easily understood recipe so we can all get high.