AL-LAD #
| Common Nomenclature | 6-Allyl-6-nor-lysergic acid diethylamide |
| Street & Reference Names | Aladdin |
| Reference Dosage | Light 40ug+; Common 75ug+; Strong 175ug+; Heavy 250ug+; [TripSit] Threshold 20ug+; Light 50ug+; Common 100ug+; Strong 200ug+; Heavy 350ug+; [Psychonautwiki] |
| Anticipated: Onset / Duration | 1 Hour / 7 Hours |
| Maximum Dose Experienced | 150ug |
| Form | Blotter |
| RoA | Oral |
| Source / Jurisdiction | Internet / UK |
| Personal Rating On Shulgin Scale | +++ |
SUBJECTIVE EXPERIENCE #
First synthesised in Japan in the 1970s, AL-LAD gained traction as a recreational psychedelic after it was included in Alexander Shulgin’s second landmark book, TiHKAL. It became particularly popular from 2013, due to its wide scale availability as an Internet research chemical.
I have sampled AL-LAD on a number of previous occasions. I re-test it again today partly to do justice to it in terms of detail, but also because my memory refuses to distinguish it from LSD.
I elect to sample a small dose of 60ug, which is less than half my previous high dose, but nonetheless is within the range suggested online as common. I limit myself largely due to personal domestic circumstance: real life intervening again.
I note in reading the literature that Shulgin himself had this sort of cross to bear with this exact same chemical. On testing 50ug of AL-LAD he stated that:
“I am aware in twenty minutes, and am into a stoned place, not too LSD like, in another hour. I would very much like to push higher, but that is not in the cards today and I must acknowledge recovery by hour eight.” ~ TiHKAL
Regarding the nature of trip itself, I don’t recall the same degree of LSD-like oneness from my previous forays, but rather, more brightness of colours and a shorter ride. I hope that this experiment will clarify.
T+0:00 I cut a 150ug square into half. I then take one half and also cut it into half. I then repeat this with one of the ¼ pieces, making one half of this a little larger than the other. I therefore have ½, ¼, ⅛- and ⅛+.
I chew and swallow the ¼ and the ⅛+ which should approximate the requisite 60ug. I do realise that this isn’t science at its best. [3pm]
T+0:15 I have perhaps the first inkling that something may be occurring: a strange turn of headspace. When I think about it, perhaps colours become slightly more vibrant. We are, however, very much in the margins here. I listen to Alan Watts (philosopher) on YouTube to pass the time.
T+0:40 Something is certainly happening now. The headspace is developing along with a comfort zone. I notice events through the window, such as a bird flying by, which catches my eye, and I actually watch it; which is something, of course, that I don’t usually do.
I drift slightly into unconscious thought, with a now dreamy sensibility. Physically the familiar tingly sensation is stirring.
T+1:00 I find myself asking a number of questions: When is a trip a trip? Where exactly is the threshold and how do I define it?
Here, now, I am clearly affected by this drug. The headspace has developed, colours are brighter, and my mind wanders where it would not normally wander. Having stated this, I am more or less completely functional and behaviourally normal if I choose to focus on being so.
I feel like I am in a twilight zone between normality and tripping.
I spot the ⅛- of the tab still on the desk, and given that this is so gentle, I decide to chew and swallow, taking the dose up to 75mg. This is still very much in the shallow end.
T+1:15 I feel warm and content, and to a degree I am wallowing in the headspace.
As I contemplate generally I examine the question of horn. Yes, it is there if desired, but the issue I ponder is that sex is frequently considered to be a significant matter with respect to stimulants, which promote an animalistic lust. It is less debated with respect to psychedelics. Granted, this is possibly due to the more intellectual focus of the latter, and that thoughts can sometimes be too strange or weird to progress, but on the other hand, isn’t human sexuality actually played out in the brain, via imagination, anticipation and thought?
I suddenly remember that I am tripping, and thus I am aware that everything I have just typed could be out of court.
T+1:30 I play some music, and it is easy to drift into. I am relaxed, but somehow my mind is hungry for elevation and stimulation. I am drawn to documentaries and information as a source of ideas and knowledge.
There is no adverse body load at all, although at times I feel slightly numb (physically) with ongoing tingles.
I feel the sort of mellow equanimity that I only really fall into via this class of psychedelic. I am usually in a rush, but not so when engaging. It occurs that intellectual stimulation is far easier to achieve if a pro-active decision is taken to stop and explore more slowly.
T+2:15 I am on a plateau and have been for some time, drifting in and out of different areas of interest. I can be functional if I need to be. This is a pleasant level.
T+3:00 A quality I find with most psychedelics is that the come-down is so gracious. You can start to leave the peak, and pass down through the main plateau, yet there is no urge to redose. The contentedness remains, even where the effects begin to dissipate.
This is what I feel now. I am still within the experience, very much so, but the intensity has declined from, for example, an hour ago. I feel fine about that. I am drifting nicely. The headspace is warm, even though signs of fatigue occasionally manifest. I am still in a very nice place.
I should state that this has largely been a cerebral type of expedition. There have been no overwhelming OEVs or CEVS, other than occasional bits and pieces as I stared into the garden. There has been a touch of morphing and some tracers and a little pattern recognition, but not as the central focus of proceedings.
I have an awareness of this aspect, but my mind is largely preoccupied by varying thoughts and inquiries and interests.
T+4:00 I am well on the way back to base, although the warmth and headspace creates the impression that the current state will linger for several hours. I feel a little worn out.
T+5:00 To snap out of the slumber I decide to walk to the local pool and take a swim. I have done this previously under the influence of lysergamides, and have found it to be refreshing and rewarding.
T+6:00 Mission accomplished: I returned from the pool safely, albeit having detoured to savour the outing.
When I do take myself out of the confines of the house, I always have the same feeling: I wish that I had stopped analysing and reflecting and opted for the open-air much earlier. It always takes me by surprise. In a sense it is like seeing the world for the first time; seeing it with new eyes.
I gaze around and I walk in wonder. I feel safe, and can take it all in, as though I am in a personal bubble. The colours, the sounds, the stillness, the entire scene is almost overwhelming in parts. It is beautiful.
The feeling is one of pro-actively observing it as an outsider, but from a vantage point of being within. It is a detachment that isn’t really detached: one of being able to actually look, appreciate, and indeed, experience as a consciously separate entity. It is a unique type of awareness. It never fails to fill me with awe.
I promise myself that next time I use this class of chemical I will explore this much earlier in the trip.
I have enjoyed this ride immensely. Even after six hours I still feel positivity and a general vibe of well being.
I retired to bed at 11:30pm (T+8:30) and had a good night’s sleep, interestingly, with deeper cycles than usual. There was also some vivid dreaming. I woke in the morning feeling refreshed and on form.
This is a chemical that has consistently delivered insight, fulfilment and positivity, with little or no body load. This occasion was no exception.
Unfortunately, it was formally banned by the UK government in January 2015, following earlier recommendations from its Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD). It is noteworthy and indeed, politically revealing, that this body had failed to identify any harm associated with its use.
[Shulgin Reference: TiHKAL #1, p391]