LSD

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LSD, lysergic acid diethylamide, or LSD-25, is a semi-synthetic psychedelic drug that is derived from ergot alkaloids, which occur naturally in some plant diseases that infect rye, Achnatherum robustum ("sleepy grass") and other grains. The substance can bring about changes in the human nervous system in such small quantities that it was not, at first, believed possible (threshold dose is 50 micrograms).

Contents

[edit] Naming

"LSD" comes from the German name, "Lysergsäure-diethylamid." The "25" in LSD-25 refers to the fact that it was the 25th in a series of ergot derivatives made by Albert Hofmann. LSD is also an acronym for the pre-decimal British money system,[1] for limited slip differential, and for low-sulfur diesel, none of which can make a weekend last eight days. So, if you are wondering why Manfred Mann did a song entitled "LSD," yup, it's about money.

[edit] Mode of action

LSD acts on the human nervous system by rapidly crossing the blood-brain barrier and binding to a host of receptors including most serotonin (5-HT) receptor subtypes and all dopamine receptors subtypes, with the serotonin agonism (especially the activation of the 5-HT2A receptor) being strongly linked to psychedelic activity. Serotonin receptors modulate mood, cognition, learning, consciousness, and sensory input. LSD mimics the effects of serotonin by providing an alternate algorithm of processing sensory stimuli. One theory is that hallucinogens such as LSD and psilocybin reduce the neurological filter in one's brain which is responsible for providing one with information that would be practical for use. When this filter, or reducing valve, is decreased, information is allowed to flow more freely.

[edit] History

Although it was initially experimented with as a drug with potential psychiatric and/or military uses, including the study of psychosis hence LSD was considered a psychotomimetic, its recreational use quickly became more significant. This was partly a result of some of the "test subjects" in university research programs reporting that some of what they experienced was, well, something they wanted to do again. As soon as the government found out that people were using it to have "fun," it was made illegal.

The U.S. government's CIA also experimented extensively (the infamous MKULTRA program) with using it as a truth serum, among other things, but purportedly gave up when the results on the subjects proved to be too unpredictable.

[edit] Uses

While it can be used purely "recreationally," as in, "oh man, I'm so high my face is melting -- and so is yours," it has also been used by many in more positive, although still amateurish, pursuits. These include seeking greater insight into life's mysteries, greater understanding of our oneness with life, intense contemplation of the hidden meanings on Beatles and Pink Floyd album covers, intensive creation of Pink Floyd albums, a more indiscriminate developed sense of humor (i.e. uncontrollable laughter at everything), inspiration for audiovisual special effects via watching the trippy effects from moving your handses around... and the always important speculation as to why Jimi Hendrix needed to be excused in order to "kiss this guy."

LSD was used extensively in psychiatric research in the 1960s, but society was afraid of anything that could blow Huxley's mind after Brave New World; so they enacted legal measures that made researching the beneficial effects of any hallucinogens extremely difficult. Medically, LSD has been shown to treat the pain symptoms of cluster headaches.[2]

John Lilly experimented with giving LSD to dolphins to try and form computer terminal-assisted, linguistically-based inter species communication.

[edit] Effects on performance

In theory LSD should be a performance-reducing drug; however, in 1970 All-Star Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Dock Ellis managed to deliver a no-hitter against the San Diego Padres under the influence of acid.[3] Steve Jobs also claimed that Microsoft would be, all in all, a more interesting software company if Bill Gates had ever done acid.[4] However, in a 1994 interview with Playboy magazine, Gates implied he had.[5]

On the other hand, if you were already in outer space like a lot of rock stars were in the 1960s, doing LSD several times a day by having one's "friends" spike everything one ate and drank was sufficient to create several permanent LSD casualties such as Peter Green of Fleetwood Mac and Syd Barrett of Pink Floyd.

Or if you're a scientist like Francis Crick; using LSD might lead to the discovery of something as revolutionary as DNA.[6] (Side effects may include acquiring a taste for tinfoil haberdashery.)

[edit] Street names

Typical LSD users. Note the mindless grins and a background that in reality is a projection of their collective delusions.
LSDrotate.gif

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

[edit] Footnotes

  1. Or £/s/d - pounds, shillings, and pence. For some reason the abbreviation refers to a Latin translation (Librae, solidi, denarii) rather than their English names.
  2. Arran Frood; Dropping acid may help headaches September 13th 2006, Nature
  3. No Hitter
  4. "I wish him the best, I really do. I just think he and Microsoft are a bit narrow. He'd be a broader guy if he had dropped acid once or gone off to an ashram when he was younger." Steve Lohr. "Creating Jobs." The New York Times Magazine, 1997-01-12.
  5. "My errant youth ended a long time ago. [...] That was on the other side of that boundary. The young mind can deal with certain kinds of gooping around that I don’t think at this age I could. I don’t think you’re as capable of handling lack of sleep or whatever challenges you throw at your body as you get older. However, I never missed a day of work." Playboy, 1994
  6. http://www.cracked.com/article_16532_the-5-greatest-things-ever-accomplished-while-high.html
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