Photo illustration by Michael Wong
Not many drugs have had quite the historical impact of LSD.
Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) is more commonly known as “acid” and played a major role in our nation’s history during the 1960s counterculture movement. Known for its psychedelic effects, users have reported having spiritual, even life-changing, experiences because of the drug.
“Everything is the opposite of what it is, isn’t it?” John Lennon once quipped. “They brought out LSD to control people, and what they did was give us freedom. Sometimes it works in mysterious ways its wonders to perform.”
First synthesized by Alfred Hofmann in 1938, LSD has long intrigued many, including medical professionals, interested in the drug’s effects and potential therapeutic benefits it is said to contain.
While the C.I.A. was interested in the drug for mind-control or chemical warfare purposes, LSD eventually fell into the hands of the youth culture and can still be found there today.
LSD is certainly not as prevalent as other drugs, like marijuana, on the CMU campus, but use among students does exist.
“It’s not something that we see come through here too often,” Amanda Fisk, nursing supervisor for Community Hospital, said.
“It’s a different drug because it’s not necessarily a ‘social drug’,” said one couple, who have had a number of experiences with the drug. The two CMU students will subsequently be referred to as John and Lucy (paying tribute to John Lennon and Lucy, another name for the drug) to protect their identities.
“It’s like the highest high you have ever had, times the color blue… that’s the best way to describe it,” John said.
“It’s almost like it allows you to think deeper on everything, but at a rapid pace,” Lucy said. “Your brain is thinking at a completely different level.”
The two described how the drug is more unique than other drugs, such as marijuana or ecstasy, because it is mentally exhausting.
“It feels like it alters all of your senses,” John said. “A lot of people will claim to hallucinate, which could happen, but I have never had that experience. It mainly just changes the way you see things. Objects will seem to ‘breathe’ or pulsate so to say. If you listen to music, you can feel the sounds in a way.”
The feeling of the trip is relatively similar to other drugs, but “on a whole different level,” Lucy said.
“Because it lasts for hours, it is one of those experiences that you have to be mentally prepared for to an extent, but you can’t go into it thinking too much,” John said. “It hits you in waves… the highest highs one moment, to the weirdest lows the next, so once you commit to it, you have to just ride it out.”
The couple said that the interesting part about the drug is the fact that it promises a different experience every time. The two have tried the drug in a number of different settings, from a friend’s living room to enormous music festivals such as the Electric Daisy Carnival, and it resulted in a completely different trip.
“A lot can change depending on your setting and who is around you,” Lucy said. “You should really pick the setting carefully and be aware of who you are doing it with. If there’s something uncomfortable about where you are at or who you are with, it can definitely lead to a bad trip.”
While LSD is not necessarily an addictive drug, it is one that requires caution.
“Some people love it from the first time they try it,” Lucy said. “It can be scary, because there are people who will continue to try it, and, in a way, lose control of their own conscience and reality. It may not be addictive, but it is very powerful. Your mind can only take so much.”
Numerous studies have been conducted over the decades, seeking to identify risks involved with LSD use. One effect is a psychological phenomenon known as a “flashback.” One of the larger studies on LSD and flashbacks was conducted by Naditch and Fenwick in 1977. According to the study entitled, “LSD Flashbacks and Ego Functioning,” a flashback is an event in which an individual will re-live the subjective effects or an episode of a previous experience with the drug. While they tend to be uncommon, flashbacks can bring about both the positive and negative aspects of LSD trips, and despite multiple studies, there has yet to be a definitive explanation for the phenomenon.
“It has only happened to me once,” John said about experiencing a flashback. “I was smoking weed and got pretty high, and it happened. It definitely caught me off-guard, but fortunately it didn’t last very long.”
Despite its 76-year history, there are still many unknowns about the drug.
“The unknown aspect is what makes LSD unique,” John said. “I tend to recommend it to friends who are curious. It’s one of those things you just have to try to fully understand. I always say to do some research on it if you are interested. It’s always better to know about what you’re doing beforehand.”
While more studies will likely be conducted, the mystery and mystique of LSD will continue to entice individuals to consume and experience what the human mind is capable of.
ksparkhu@mavs.coloradomesa.edu
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