LSD #


Common Nomenclature	D-lysergic Acid Diethylamide
Street & Reference Names	Lucy; Acid;
Reference Dosage	Threshold 20ug+; Light 25ug+; Common 50ug+; Strong 150ug+; Heavy 400ug+ [Erowid] Threshold 25ug+; Light 50ug+; Common 75ug+; Strong 200ug+; Heavy 400ug+ [Psychonautwiki] Light 50ug+; Common 75ug+; Strong 175ug+; Heavy 250ug+ [TripSit]
Anticipated: Onset / Duration	1 Hour / 12 Hours
Maximum Dose Experienced	Not Known [Two Blotters]
Form	Blotter
RoA	Oral
Personal Rating On Shulgin Scale	+++

SUBJECTIVE EXPERIENCE #

Famously discovered by Albert Hoffman in 1938, the recreational use of LSD exploded in the 1960’s. It was central to the counterculture revolution, having a profound influence which spanned far beyond art and music, and eventually touched most facets of society.

Its value in the fields of psychiatry and psychology as an agent to alleviate human misery was quickly established. Countless studies emerged as research flourished, particularly across the United States.

This all came to an abrupt end, courtesy of Richard Milhous Nixon and the war on drugs. Indeed, LSD was made an initial and prime target. Research was unceremoniously halted, thousands were imprisoned and psychedelic study and exploration was driven underground.

My own experience with LSD unfolded during the folly of youth. I managed to acquire two blotters, and consumed one of them on a clear warm Sunday afternoon. I remained indoors waiting for something to happen.

After an indeterminate period of time I deemed that the blotter must have been a dud, and I swallowed the second. Within perhaps ten minutes a trip started to materialise. My immediate reaction was to panic: what if this was the first blotter taking effect?

Fortunately, after being informed that I was an idiot, I was reassured by my less than impressed sitter, and I calmed down considerably.

My recollections are somewhat vague, but a fascination with various shapes, patterns and materials was memorable. I also recall that there was some horn present at one point. More radical was my experience when I was eventually taken on an evening walk.

The perspective was something akin to the dollhouse effect, in which the exterior appeared to be so tranquil that I perceived it as part of a giant interior. I noticed chimneys, telegraph poles, and items not normally on my conscious visible radar. The sky appeared as a ceiling, almost touchable, and was totally non-threatening.

I felt no nausea or negativity at all. It was a pleasant experience, albeit a gentle one.

This was my first foray into the realms of psychedelia and it would leave a long term impression, although not as a result of any form of trauma or extreme stimulation. It was profound: the temporary shift in perception was to have a permanent and positive influence on my worldview.

“I believe it’s true to say that everyone who has experienced LSD or another psychedelic would look on that experience, especially the first one, as a major life-changing event.”

~ Ralph Metzner

Now, many years later, I can align elements of this trip with more recent experimentation with 1p-LSD and other lysergamides. That intimate relationship with the outdoors and nature, the wonderment of the visuals, the delicate excitation of the other senses, the aura of the headspace: all ebb and flow to differing degrees between each experience.

As LSD is almost indistinguishable from 1p-LSD, I have attempted to more fully document the trip experience itself within the entry for the latter. Needless to say, I hope to have many more encounters in the future.

[Shulgin Reference: TiHKAL #26, p490]

BLOTTER ART #

LSD tabs are usually decorated by what has become known as blotter art. This can sometimes be extremely complex in nature, and indeed, entire collections exist, which have even been exhibited in galleries and museums.

The above sheet, which consists of 1200 individual blotters, was produced for promotional purposes in 2019. It presents the front cover of the second edition of this book, but alas, doesn’t contain any LSD.