A Commentary on LSD

by Alice Dee

LSD (D-Lysergic Acid Diethylamide, or Acid for short) can be a wonderful psychotropic ally, and is probably the most versatile psychedelic known to humanity. Its effects vary from simple stimulation, like a cup of coffee, that can facilitate intense focus for 8ish hours at the 25mcg dose range (excellent for programming, writing, driving or listening to lectures) to a social, stimulating psychedelic in the 50-200 mcg range (great for dancing, concerts and walks in nature) to a frankly amazing, mystic entheogen in the 300-700mcg range (much more heroic than social, but great for oceanic experiences and communing with God/dess). Some people find that the intensity of the LSD experience tends to plateau at dosages over 500-700mcg, although its duration may continue to extend.

Today, LSD is commonly found soaked into colorful blotter paper (an artform in itself), although sometimes it is available dissolved in liquid (usually calibrated to 100mcg per drop) or dissolved in colorful, hardened gel when it is known as windowpane. It appears that the LSD-containing tablets of various descriptions that were around in the Sixties seem to be much less common these days.

When readily available, LSD is also one of the best value-for-money psychedelics around, often going for $2.00 per square blotter 'hit' or 'dose' in the SF Bay Area (often considered an epicenter for LSD production), although have heard of people paying up to $5.00 per blotter hit elsewhere. However, the range of dosages per blotter hit can vary considerably (from 30-100mcg) as recent statistics compiled from police seizures in the US indicate, and European sources have indicated that the typical LSD hit there is generally considerably stronger than the American variety. Due to this variance, it is usually best to calibrate the strength of an unfamiliar batch of blotter LSD by bioassay. BTW, its also important to note that today's dosages per hit are signifcantly less that the powerful 300 mcg per hit dosages that were reportedly quite common in the Sixties. The weaker hits have probably significantly reduced the frequency of uncomfortably strong LSD trips.

Regarding storage, it is very helpful to keep blotter LSD in a dark, cool, dry place for long-term storage as it is not one of the more stable psychedelic molecules. Purity is also often considered important, and some people feel that impurities may significantly affect the intensity and/or quality of the experience (especially at high doses). Quad pure LSD (implying that the product is washed four times, as was said to be the practice of legendary LSD maker Owsley, aka Bear) is usually the best around, but three washes are commonly considered adequate, especially since yield is reduced with each wash. LSD synthesis is quite complex and generally requires a pretty professional lab and chemist to synthesize quality product with reasonable yield.

Blotter LSD is usually absorbed by holding the blotter square(s) in the mouth and chewing for several minutes before swallowing. Effects (that include an increase in general energy level) start to become noticeable within around half an hour after ingestion, and they tend to rise to a peak around 2-5 hours into the experience when the walls may appear to be melting and closed-eye visuals are often beautifully colorful and fractal-like. After the peak, the trip gradually declines in intensity until one is pretty much back to baseline in around 8-12 hours. The afterglow tends to last most of the following day and is usually described as quite pleasant.

LSD can be quite safely mixed with many other psychoactives for a wide variety of fascinating experiences. The combos with 2CB or MDMA (aka candyflipping) are especially enjoyable for social situations, and LSD also combines very synergistically with N2O and DXM for more intense, although relatively non-social, experiences. Many people also report potentiation of LSD after pretreatment with Harmala alkaloids or Melatonin. Mixing LSD with MJ can also strengthen the experience and can often help bring on a reluctant trip or revive a flagging one. However, a few people have observed uncomfortable reactions with this combo, so it is probably best to have a relatively straight sitter and a safe place to retreat to in case things get unexpectedly intense.

The long-lasting duration of the LSD experience is also an excellent opportunity to get some deep metaprogramming work done, so it has some very interesting psychotherapeutic applications (see Stan Grof's fascinating research summarized in 'LSD Psychotherapy'). Many people deal with the extended length of the experience by taking LSD just after sunset so that they are in the tail end of the experience as the sun is rising, which nicely completes the trip.

A fairly well-established psychological phenomenon sometimes noticed by LSD users is known as imprinting. This is a psychological process whereby being exposed to an event, thought or other experience makes an impression on one's psyche. When the ego's strength is diminished, as often happens during an LSD trip, one seems to become especially sensitive to imprinting, often on a much deeper level than usual. This can be helpful or not, so it is useful to be aware of it and to make sure the set, setting and company are optimal.

It is also quite common for people to report that music perception is significantly enhanced while on LSD, so concerts and raves can be truly amazing and transformative events for the intrepid, outgoing tripper, but it is advisable to have a relatively straight friend around as a designated driver and sitter. Also, paying careful attention to selecting music with a positive tone and content is helpful to prevent unwanted negative messages from being imprinted.

Although one rarely feels like eating while on LSD, and it is usually best to take it on an empty stomach, candy, fruit and sorbet do taste absolutely wonderful while tripping. Also, sensitivity to temperature is often diminished, and many report that making love on LSD is quite interesting with a trusted partner. ;)

Incidentally, the much-publicized LSD flashbacks seem to be a myth, although stories of them may have arisen from the apparent fact that intense psychological phenomena of any kind (not just those experienced while under the influence of LSD) can cause humans to briefly review the experience. Also firmly in the myth category are: strychnine-containing samples of LSD, chromosomal damage and spinal fluid drainage with LSD usage. However, a few people have reported persistent tracers after excessive LSD indulgence (especially when combined with MJ), but they do not seem to persist at all with moderate usage which some feel may actually improve visual acuity. As with most substances that are pharmaceutically active, LSD is probably best avoided altogether during pregnancy, especially during the sensitive first trimester. However, at least one study seems to indicate that fairly low, 100mcg doses do not appear to have noticeable negative effects on either mother or fetus.

Tolerance to LSD builds fairly quickly, so refraining from dosing more than once a week seems advisable. LSD also seems to be cross-tolerant with mushrooms. Also, due to the quick tolerance buildup and the seeming lack of dopamine involvement in its action, LSD is not considered physically addictive. In fact, it seems from recent DEA literature that pretty much the only excuse the US government could come up with for placing it in the most restrictive Schedule I drug classification was 'unpredictable effects'. Interestingly, most LSD enthusiasts actually consider these a welcome feature. :)

It also seems best to take LSD in a safe, private setting at least until one is used to its effects since it can make other people appear a little 'strange' and can make talking coherently a minor challenge as one's thoughts are often tumbling over one another in a hurry to be expressed. Being in the company of someone tripping on LSD can also be a bit disturbing to straight people, (even if they don't know that one is on LSD). However, there is nothing quite like being in a crowd of people who are also tripping on LSD. The energy is fantastic! Its also interesting that the elevated energy experienced on moderate doses may cause one's voice to take on a characteristic vibrato quality, possibly combined with nervous laughter. Knowing this, it is often possible to tell if someone is on LSD just by listening to them talk. Its a totally different sound from the slow drawl of mushroom eaters, for example.

LSD has no established lethal dose in humans and it is also generally considered to display remarkably low toxicity in normal dosages, perhaps in part due to its activity in such minute amounts. In fact, the literature reports an extreme case where a group of five people each accidentally snorted a line of pure LSD thinking that it was cocaine. If they took in around 150mg of LSD in this way, then that would have been 1500 times a basic 100mcg dose. Although they did receive medical treatment once the error was apparent, they all quickly recovered quickly within a day and experienced no noticeable long-term damage despite this outrageous overdose. Very few, substances can be ingested in 1500 times the normal active dose without death being the resulting consequence. Besides its low toxicity, LSD has the distinct advantages relative to many plant psychedelics of being virtually tasteless and odorless, being quite easy on the body, and being very easy to conceal in its effective dosage.

The pitfalls with LSD primarily occur when people resist facing the dark side of themselves, or letting go of their egos, or when they get into recursive negative thought loops, or when unpleasant things happen to them or when they want to come down before the experience is ready to end. As befits a true psychedelic, what is inside a person often comes out on LSD. However, while some people do keep Valium around to mellow the effects of LSD and to reduce a fear/anxiety reaction in case things get uncomfortable, it usually seems best to just face what LSD helps reveal about oneself, and be prepared to be stimulated and altered for a good 8-12 hours. Also, while wonderful sensations, visions, insights and heavenly experiences are very common while under the influence of LSD, it is also important to realize that you might instead feel like you are dying, or being dismembered, or going crazy. In case this happens, do try to remember not to fight these feelings, but instead just flow with them, since they are perfectly OK, nobody dies from just taking LSD and the effects always wear off. Fighting such uncomfortable feelings can often lead to more problems, but just accepting and going with them can be a useful learning experience. BTW, engaging in dancing or other enjoyable physical activity is often a wonderful way to spend a trip or to bring an uncomfortable one out of the doldrums.

Occasionally people will experience so-called Acid Indigestion on LSD, which usually manifests as minor burping without any real nausea or desire to vomit. This is often easily alleviated by loosening tight clothing and by performing relaxation exercises. Some folks consider this minor stomach upset a symptom of psychological blockage, and many people never experience it at all. However, while being quite physiologically safe, the main risk involved in taking LSD (besides the unfortunate fact that it is currently illegal) seems to be that real psychological trauma can occasionally emerge or occur under its influence. Hence LSD is not recommended (except perhaps in closely-monitored, therapeutic situations) for those with unstable or immature personalities, a strong attachment to their ego, pre-existing deep-seated emotional trauma, or a tendency toward mental illness, especially paranoia or schizophrenia .

Nevertheless, given all of the negative press and propaganda about LSD, it is quite an eye-opener to take it for the first time and to experience its (and one's own) Divine nature, not to mention how inaccurate and biased the media portrayal of it is. As many people discovered in the Sixties, it is a common reaction to one's first LSD experience to wish that the entire world could experience this very special Divine gift to humanity. However, it is helpful to be aware that even the most conservative LSD initiates often have to refrain from the temptation to dose their straight friends, since dosing anyone without their permission is just not considered ethical behavior among psychonauts.

Anyway, for those who are open to the experience, may the magic of LSD come your way!