Revealing History of LSD and its Effects

What is LSD?

LSD, is the term for Lysergic acid diethylamide, which is one of the powerful hallucinogens. It is a drug that is extremely unpredictable and has been banned from usage. It was once used as a drug for psychiatric treatments and for secret testing by the government. Currently, it is being produced in very small amounts for research. There are hundreds of street names for LSD, which include flash, gel, blaze, tab, stars, tripper, dots, cheer, paper, and several other names. We are here to take a look at the history of LSD and how it came into use by various worlds.

A Brief History of LSD

It was a chemist who was working in the Sandoz Laboratories in Switzerland, Dr. Albert Hoffman, who initially synthesized the LSD, in the year 1938. There are several websites and a foundation named after him in memory of this.

This drug was basically developed as a stimulant for the respiratory and circulatory systems. Nevertheless, since there were no obvious benefits, the study was not continued. During the 1940s, the history of LSD continued again, as the study of the drug was revived, when they saw a possibility of LSD usage to treat schizophrenia. There is a chemical in the brain, which had a similar structure to that of LSD, researches were conducted on the effects of LSD and was discovered that, LSD can produce the same results as the natural chemical in the human brain. Thus, this drug was used for psychosis and as a study tool for psych courses.

During the year 1947, Sandoz laboratories started marketing the drug, which later entered the US market in a year's time. LSD was marketed as a cure for psychiatric issues and as a cure to criminal behavior, schizophrenia, as well as alcoholism.

The history of LSD also shows that for over 30 years ranging between the 1940s and 1970s; large amount of testing and vast researches took place on LSD. The following 15 years, there were several scientific papers, innumerable books, and conferences on International levels took place and LSD was advocated to over 40,000 patients.

History of LSD and its influence on students

LSD has remained popular with college and school students and over thousands of young adults. Since it is not very expensive and easily available, it is easy for the teens and adults to obtain the drug and abuse it. Though various studies and reports have been revealing the dangers and effects of LSD, there is an increase in the use of these hallucinogens ever since the days of the early history of LSD.

Several studies show and have confirmed the dangers and hallucinogenic consequences and the profound reactions like psychotic crisis, panic reactions, and flashbacks, it can produce, there are many who still abuse it. It has also been proved that there is no increase in creativity, no aphrodisiac effect, or any positive change on an alcoholic.

History of LSD and Popular Culture

During early 1960s, Dr. Timothy Leary, who was a psychiatrist of Harvard, experimented with LSD to improve personalities of people. But all his studies were flawed though some were following him. After his dismissal from Harvard he took LSD to the streets of San Francisco and distributed to various young people and encouraged them to tune in, turn on, and drop out and thus began a new era in the history of LSD.

Later Owsley Stanley and other chemists, LSD was made in huge quantities and supplied to the younger generation, which created a counterculture of the 1960s with the drug of choice. The drug influenced several youngsters, as they felt it gave them a religious and positive experience.

History of LSD also shows that several rock performers like Jefferson Airplane, Grateful Dead, Jimi Hendrix, etc., adopted LSD, which led to acid rock, which is a genre of music using LSD for their musical experience. Even the Beatles was said to be proponents of the drug to create popularity among the younger generation in the pop culture.

LSD Effects and Facts

Facts

Currently, LSD is sold fewer than 80 or more names and some of them include; acid blotter, doses, cid, trips, and many more. Since the times of the history of LSD over 200 varieties of tablet LSDs have been encountered since 1969 and over 350 paper designs had been acquired since 1975. The LSD dosage is normally measured in micrograms, as LSD is said to be 100 more powerful than other hallucinogenic drugs. It is 4,000 times more powerful than mescaline.

Hallucinogenic effect can be produced in a healthy human only with as little as 25 micrograms. Ever since the history of LSD, the potency of this drug obtained during the operations of drug law enforcement has remained from 20 micrograms to 80 micrograms for every dosage unit.

The history of LSD also states that this drug came to the streets during the 1960s and was quickly outlawed. The factors that actually cause the side effects like restlessness and jaw biting are the binding chemicals present in the LSD. Many abusers prefer liquid to tablets, as there are no binding agents in the liquid.

Effects

LSD is certainly not a drug to be glamorized since it has ruined the lives of many ever since the history of LSD. Though LSD has rare cases of death and permanent health issues, it has its contributions in the short-term and long-term effects it can produce.

LSD trips create unpleasant and pleasant moments and have unpredictable effects based on the amount of drug ingested. It greats influences the mood, personality, surroundings, and expectations of a person. The possible effects are:

• Dizziness
• Increased heart rate
• Increased blood pressure
• Sweating
• Nausea
• Tremors
• Numbness
• Dry mouth
• Loss of appetite

The major effect of this drug is emotional sensory, as the emotions take a rapid shift ranging from euphoria to fear and may also create mixed emotions at the same time.

LSD also creates dramatic effects on all the senses. People have unusual smells, colors, and intensified sensations. These sensory perceptions and disorders persist for a longer period for people who use LSD for a prolonged time.

Withdrawal symptoms also include depression, mental confusion, suicidal thoughts, anxiety, impaired memory, and many other unpleasant symptoms.

Summary

Though the early history of LSD focused more on the positive side of LSD, later the government discovered the hazardous effects and hence banned the use of LSD, so that it is no longer easy or free to get.