How LSD WorksbyShanna Freeman Print Cite This! Close Please copy/paste the following text to properly cite this HowStuffWorks article: Freeman, Shanna. "How LSD Works" 10 December 2008. HowStuffWorks.com. <http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/drugs-alcohol/lsd.htm> 17 April 2011. Cite Feedback 52 We've Launched! Discovery Fit & Health Real-life drama from Discovery Health and audience favorite fitness shows from Fit TV have combined on a new channel: Discovery Fit & Health! Inside this Article 1. Introduction to How LSD Works 2. LSD History 3. How to Make LSD 4. 5. 6. 7. LSD Trips: Something Happened to Me Yesterday LSD Effects on the Body: Melts Your Mind, Not in Your Hands LSD Dangers and Abuse See more » 7. LSD as Medicine: Opening the Doors of Perception 8. Cultural History of LSD: Turn On, Tune In, Drop Out 9. LSD Drug Laws Today 10. Lots More Information 11. See all Drugs & Alcohol articles How to Make LSD A chemist making LSD must be extremely careful and knowledgeable about working with ergot because of its toxicity. There a couple of different ways to make LSD. Morning glory seeds and the seeds of some related plants contain LSA. It's considered a precursor to LSD. If working with toxic ergot weren't enough. and several chemicals that are currently either sales restricted or have their sales closely monitored by the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA). for example. this didn't stop anyone from making it themselves. The darkroom setup becomes necessary here. Unlike the chemicals used in the manufacture of methamphetamine. Both of these can be easily absorbed through the skin or inhaled. the solvents and reagents (compounds used to bring about chemical reactions) are also incredibly dangerous. Making LSD requires a strong working knowledge of organic chemistry.Sandoz held the patent on LSD until 1963 and stopped making it shortly afterward. chloroform. a complete laboratory setup (including the ability to sterilize equipment as well as access to a darkroom). can also cause cancer as well as severely damage the kidneys and liver. he has to carefully and precisely culture it to extract the ergot alkaloids (an alkaloid is a compound containing basic nitrogen atoms). which was legal to do until 1965. It's extremely poisonous and a known carcinogen. which can be especially dangerous because they're often sold with a toxic coating to discourage consumption. we'll look at a recipe that starts with ergot. Naturally. The company claimed that it was concerned about a lack of regulation and the inaccurate information being perpetuated about the drug. or lysergic acid amide. Another chemical often used in the process. they can't be found in fairly ordinary household items. Remember the people poisoned by rye bread in the Middle Ages? Once the chemist obtains the fungus. In fact. because the fungus will decompose under bright lights. The LSA can be extracted from the seeds and produce a mild high on its own. Here. can explode when heated. . Some "recipes" may start with lysergic acid. The solvent anhydrous hydrazine. LSD itself can break down quickly when exposed to light. Other online recipes call for morning glory seeds. although the amount of LSA in different seeds varies so much that the quality of the drug made from it would also vary. " The ergot alkaloid is synthesized into a lysergic acid compound called iso-lysergic acid hydrazide. especially in therapeutic uses. however.35 millimeters) wide. These squares are chewed and swallowed. Then the iso-lysergic acid hydrazide is isomerized. it's usually dissolved in ethanol. about a quarter of an inch (6. and a sheet can contain 900 doses. it's not necessary because it's very quickly absorbed by the body when taken orally. The LSD is then purified and crystallized. or made into gelatin squares (windowpanes). through the addition of chemicals and heating processes. It's cooled. simply dissolved in water or other liquids to be dropped. The sheets are perforated into small squares. Each square is one dose. It's rare to see LSD in these forms today. What next? In the past.Photo courtesy Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) A sheet of blotter acid decorated with The Mad Hatter from "Alice in Wonderland. Although LSD has been injected. These sheets of blotter acid are usually printed with cartoon characters or other colorful graphics. So what does it feel like to go on a trip? Find out next. and evaporated. Instead. which is isomerized again to produce active LSD. which means that the atoms in its molecules are rearranged through a chemical process. mixed with an acid and a base. LSD was then made into tablets (microdots). Sheets of blotting paper are then dipped into the LSD solution and dried. Next PagePrevious Page 52 Inside this Article . What remains is iso-lysergic diethylamide. including drugs that lowered blood pressure and improved brain function in the elderly. although physicians sometimes still used ergot to stop a woman's bleeding after childbirth. Hofmann began to feel strange. a pharmaceutical company. he was in a "dreamlike state" and "perceived an uninterrupted steam of fantastic . known as Clavicepspurpurea. it poisoned thousands of people who ate rye bread infected with it.LSD History Keystone/Getty Images Dr. researchers at the Rockefeller Institute in New York isolated lysergic acid from an ergot compound. In 1938. During the process. Hofmann derived the 25th in a series of these derivatives. While deriving different compounds from lysergic acid. He thought that LSD-25 might stimulate breathing and circulation. In the 1930s. or LSD-25. combined with a slight dizziness. most physicians deemed the practice too dangerous because high dosages lead to strong contractions and endanger the baby. In the 19th century. and Sandoz abandoned further study. Ergot had also been used by midwives. Hofmann developed several medicines." While at home. so he took the unusual step of synthesizing another batch for further testing. This research was the basis for Hofmann's work at Sandoz. Hofmann's thoughts returned to LSD-25's potential. It was lysergic acid diethylamide. when he first synthesized LSD. however. who sometimes gave it to pregnant women to bring about and speed up labor. Sandoz was working on a research project involving a parasitic fungus called ergot that grows on rye. He stopped his work and went home early. He felt that it hadn't been fully explored. Five years later. "being affected by a remarkable restlessness. Albert Hofmann in 1967 A Swiss chemist named Albert Hofmann was employed in a laboratory at Sandoz. But tests didn't show anything special. In the Middle Ages. By 1960. kaleidoscopic play of colors" [source: Hofmann]. LSD History 3. Sandoz also suggested that psychiatrists take the drug themselves. The next day. 5. there had been hundreds of papers published in scientific and medical journals on the various uses of LSD -.) The next day. Not in Your Hands LSD Dangers and Abuse See more » 7. The research was compelling enough to convince Sandoz to patent LSD and market it as Delysid in 1947. Two years later. The doctor could find nothing wrong with Hofmann other than the fact that his pupils were dilated -.it was the talk of the psychiatric community. How to Make LSD 4. so that they could better understand their patients. Introduction to How LSD Works 2. Tune In. Cultural History of LSD: Turn On. doctors at the Boston Psychotropic Hospital were using it on their own patients. LSD as Medicine: Opening the Doors of Perception 8. Hofmann purposely dosed himself with LSD. (Later it was determined that he must have touched his finger to his mouth. Drop Out .pictures. How LSD Works byShanna Freeman Print Inside this Article 1. No other drug had been known to have such strong effects in such small doses. Let's see how LSD is made illegally. Sandoz gave LSD to research institutes and doctors to use in psychiatric experiments on both healthy and mentally ill subjects. and they experimented with similar results. 7. Initially he panicked and asked his laboratory assistant to call a doctor. But by 1966. Hofmann became delirious and could barely speak. Hofmann decided that he must've gotten some of the solution on his finger. Sandoz had stopped making it altogether. He took 250 micrograms. as LSD can't be absorbed through the skin. Soon his panic gave way to euphoria. 6. At the time. It was sold in 25-microgram tablets for use in analytical psychotherapy. LSD Trips: Something Happened to Me Yesterday LSD Effects on the Body: Melts Your Mind. heart rate and respiration. and Hofmann once again saw beautiful shapes and colors. 10 times more than today's typical minimum dose. After trials on animals. he told others at Sandoz about what had happened.he had normal blood pressure. extraordinary shapes with intense. many of the things we've been told about what LSD does. See more controlled substance pictures.it's colorless. a museum built on the site of the 1969 Woodstock music festival. you may have been told that LSD can "fry" or put holes in your brain. Not all of these things are true. and often it can be gotten for free. LSD is cheap compared to other drugs. less than the weight of two salt grains) is enough to feel the effects. blotter. . or make you go insane and do dangerous things. A single dose usually costs no more than $5. LSD Drug Laws Today 10. odorless and tasteless -. Lots More Information 11. or 0. and what people do under its influence. dots. The same things about LSD that would make it popular also make it scary. California sunshine. Electric KoolAid and countless other colorful nicknames since it was first sold on the street in the early 1960s. because of the small amount ingested and the fact that it's quickly metabolized by the body. and we've been warned about its many dangers at one time or another. Finally. Supposedly people have leapt from buildings or overpasses while tripping or have drowned because they thought that they could walk on water. are myths or exaggerations created to frighten impressionable teenagers.and ingesting just a tiny amount (25 micrograms. There are tales that people seeking to hook children on LSD have put the drugs on postage stamps or lick-and-stick tattoos. It makes sense that LSD would be popular. In fact. LSD can be difficult to detect. It's also easy to conceal. For example.000025 grams. See all Drugs & Alcohol articles Controlled Substance Image Gallery EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP/Getty Images A hippie "Magic Bus" on display at the Museum at Bethel Woods Center for the Arts. The psychedelic drug LSD has been called acid. since today's doses are usually found on tiny squares of absorbent paper. It's easy to take -.9. Lots More Information 11. LSD Drug Laws Today 10. Let's begin with LSD's own beginnings -. Cultural History of LSD: Turn On. How to Make LSD 4. LSD as Medicine: Opening the Doors of Perception 8. Introduction to How LSD Works 2. Drop Out 9. Not in Your Hands LSD Dangers and Abuse See more » 7. 5. Tune In.com: Addiction Center The truth is. 6. 7.Other Drugs y y y Marijuana Crack Cocaine DiscoveryHealth. although LSD has been around for more than 60 years and been taken by thousands upon thousands of people. Although it will forever be associated with hippies and the 1960s counterculture movement. it's still not very well understood by most of us. LSD History 3.in a lab in Switzerland. LSD was first synthesized by researches seeking to create new medicines. LSD Trips: Something Happened to Me Yesterday LSD Effects on the Body: Melts Your Mind. See all Drugs & Alcohol articles LSD History . Next Page Inside this Article How LSD Works byShanna Freeman Print Cite This! Close Please copy/paste the following text to properly cite this HowStuffWorks article: Real-life drama from Discovery Health and audience favorite fitness shows from Fit TV have combined on a new channel: Discovery Fit & Health! Inside this Article 1. when he first synthesized LSD. researchers at the Rockefeller Institute in New York isolated lysergic acid from an ergot compound. Hofmann derived the 25th in a series of these derivatives. Sandoz was working on a research project involving a parasitic fungus called ergot that grows on rye. as LSD can't be absorbed through the skin. he was in a "dreamlike state" and "perceived an uninterrupted steam of fantastic pictures. It was lysergic acid diethylamide. Hofmann began to feel strange. During the process. so he took the unusual step of synthesizing another batch for further testing. and Sandoz abandoned further study. it poisoned thousands of people who ate rye bread infected with it. In the Middle Ages. known as Clavicepspurpurea. most physicians deemed the practice too dangerous because high dosages lead to strong contractions and endanger the baby. He felt that it hadn't been fully explored. Hofmann's thoughts returned to LSD-25's potential. "being affected by a remarkable restlessness. In the 1930s. Ergot had also been used by midwives. He thought that LSD-25 might stimulate breathing and circulation. In 1938. Albert Hofmann in 1967 A Swiss chemist named Albert Hofmann was employed in a laboratory at Sandoz. combined with a slight dizziness. although physicians sometimes still used ergot to stop a woman's bleeding after childbirth. (Later it was determined that he must have touched his finger to his mouth.Keystone/Getty Images Dr. This research was the basis for Hofmann's work at Sandoz. In the 19th century. including drugs that lowered blood pressure and improved brain function in the elderly. extraordinary shapes with intense.) . But tests didn't show anything special. He stopped his work and went home early. While deriving different compounds from lysergic acid. however. Hofmann decided that he must've gotten some of the solution on his finger." While at home. or LSD-25. kaleidoscopic play of colors" [source: Hofmann]. Hofmann developed several medicines. who sometimes gave it to pregnant women to bring about and speed up labor. At the time. a pharmaceutical company. Five years later. Some physical changes in the body during tripping include dilated pupils. They may feel drowsy but not sleepy. there had been hundreds of papers published in scientific and medical journals on the various uses of LSD -. and they experimented with similar results. and Hofmann once again saw beautiful shapes and colors. The next day. Sandoz also suggested that psychiatrists take the drug themselves. have blurred vision and feel tingling in their hands and feet. Hofmann became delirious and could barely speak. He took 250 micrograms. but that's not quite true. Let's see how LSD is made illegally.it was the talk of the psychiatric community. By 1960. but people on LSD don't see things that aren't there. They see what's already there in a different way. Exactly how LSD affects each person varies widely. the effects -. Sandoz had stopped making it altogether. No other drug had been known to have such strong effects in such small doses. It was sold in 25-microgram tablets for use in analytical psychotherapy. he or she believes that everything that he or she sees and feels is real. After taking LSD. 10 times more than today's typical minimum dose. People on LSD may also feel dizzy. . LSD changes the way people perceive the world around them. heart rate and respiration.known as a "trip" -. The research was compelling enough to convince Sandoz to patent LSD and market it as Delysid in 1947. Two years later. But by 1966.The next day.he had normal blood pressure. and most of the time. How LSD Works LSD Trips: Something Happened to Me Yesterday It's often stated that LSD causes hallucinations. Soon his panic gave way to euphoria. with a peak about halfway through the experience. The doctor could find nothing wrong with Hofmann other than the fact that his pupils were dilated -. increased blood pressure and a high body temperature. they're aware that their altered perceptions are caused by the drug. After trials on animals. sweat.usually start within an hour and can last up to 12 hours. as well as what they think and feel. Hofmann purposely dosed himself with LSD. When a person has a hallucination. doctors at the Boston Psychotropic Hospital were using it on their own patients. so that they could better understand their patients. Initially he panicked and asked his laboratory assistant to call a doctor. Sandoz gave LSD to research institutes and doctors to use in psychiatric experiments on both healthy and mentally ill subjects. he told others at Sandoz about what had happened. and they often claim to have had experiences that are spiritual or religious. People on LSD often become very emotional and dreamlike. you could . Objects that are stable might appear to move or have a halo of light around them. There is an overall sense of happiness and euphoria.Datacraft/Getty Images A good trip might look like this. Some people have described this as seeing colors when they hear specific sounds. They feel that their mind has burst through its normal boundaries. LSD's primary effects are visual. shapes. The above are considered to be "good trips. This is part of why it's usually preferable among LSD users to trip in groups." It's not really clear what causes a bad trip. LSD users often see patterns. and in calm places like home or in a park. especially with others who have experience. Sometimes objects have trails of light coming from them or appear smaller or larger than they really are. tripping can cause synesthesia -. On very rare occasions (although it's sometimes portrayed as common). Close friendships have been formed among people who have tripped together. They might spend lots of time pondering something that appears incredibly unimportant. especially since each trip can be very different depending on the person. they speak quickly and jump from subject to subject.a confusion of sensations between different types of stimuli. with a new understanding of how the world works. or you trip in a highly structured environment that requires you to think logically (such as school). Everything is beautiful. LSD users can be scary. but when they do talk. LSD users sometimes say that it's due to the "set and setting. For people not tripping but observing. They aren't always easy to understand. Colors seem stronger and lights seem brighter. interesting and magical. colors and textures. Sometimes it seems that time is running backward. or moving very quickly or slowly." This means that if you are already in a bad mood." Most people who have used LSD know that there's always a possibility of having a "bad trip. Large doses of may make them feel especially contemplative. People tripping on LSD are generally impulsive and have very poor judgment. It's believed that LSD works similarly to serotonin. a neurotransmitter responsible for regulating moods. This is in part because there have never been scientific research studies on how LSD affects the brain. It also affects the way that the retinas process information and conduct that information to the brain. Next. However. or both. Dennis Kunkel/Getty Images Serotonin crystals Researchers aren't 100 percent sure what LSD does in the central nervous system. As the trip ends. They may administer an anti-anxiety medication or a mild tranquilizer to ease the patient's panic. Not in Your Hands Dr. there usually isn't much that doctors do other than give the person a quiet space and reassurance. and it seems like the trip will never end. stimulate it. . It may inhibit neurotransmission. Even if LSD users don't have a bad trip. Sometimes when someone has a bad trip. which results in fear and paranoia. or exactly how it causes those hallucinogenic effects. one bad trip is enough to swear off LSD forever. sleep and sensory perception. appetite. muscle control. the patient may feel dizzy or nauseous. but people usually recover with no lasting side effects. For some. heavy use of LSD can still cause a lot of problems. How LSD Works LSD Effects on the Body: Melts Your Mind. The loss of control is frightening. sexuality. LSD seems to interfere with the way the brain's serotonin's receptors work. This may include losing sight of the illusory aspect of tripping.have a bad trip. he or she is taken to a hospital. we'll look at how LSD works in the body and its effects on mental and physical health. however.As little as 0. However. Most of them passed out. we'll look at worst-case scenarios. but many of these users also had other recreational drugs in their systems. and this is what causes flashbacks.2 pounds (about 1 kilogram) of body weight can produce the effects. There's a medically recognized disorder called Hallucinogen Persisting Perceptive Disorder (HPPD).25 micrograms of LSD per 2. The majority of LSD users report never having flashbacks. so the role of LSD was inconclusive. they suffered from fevers." while others find them incredibly upsetting. in which some people who have taken LSD constantly experience visual hallucinations (as opposed to the brief flashbacks). and some people claim that they don't really exist. On the next page. but there's no evidence to support this claim. A flashback occurs when a person who has used LSD in the past has an experience. Some doctors suggest that what the user perceives as a flashback is really a form of psychosis or mental illness that may have emerged due to LSD use. a case was recorded in The Western Journal of Medicine in which eight people took massive overdoses of LSD at a party. There have been reports of heart attacks. LSD Dangers and Abuse There have been very few reports of LSD overdoses that resulted in death or permanent health problems. many are also mentally ill. In 1973. in the 1960s. it's quickly metabolized in the liver and eventually excreted in the urine. They thought that the white powder being passed around was cocaine and snorted milligrams of it. They're a very controversial topic among LSD users and researchers. A small amount is left in the body by the end of the trip and is probably gone entirely a few weeks afterward. Five of them were examined regularly for a year afterwards for long-term problems. It's not yet known exactly what makes some people more susceptible to this than others. People who believe in it. Of those who have reported experiencing flashbacks. . Some LSD users enjoy them and consider them "free trips. A typical dose today is around this amount. vomiting and internal bleeding. In the hospital. it was up to four times as much. lasting anywhere from seconds to hours. It has been stated before that LSD remains in the body forever in minuscule amounts in the brain or spinal fluid. all of the patients recovered within 12 hours with no lasting effects. similar to that of an actual trip. When a person takes LSD. strokes and other deaths associated with LSD use. say that the brain holds and may release molecules of LSD over time. repeated trips tend to lose their novelty." LSD isn't likely to make someone go insane or become psychotic. . It can interact with other drugs and cause psychotic symptoms (especially other drugs that work on neurotransmitters).you never know how you'll feel or what you'll see. getting into a car accident while tripping. Addicts crave dependability. because it's not an addictive drug. let's take a look at LSD that's used for purposes other than recreation. You won't hear about someone being in rehab for LSD abuse. It may also speed the onset of these illnesses if one was already going to develop. and what once seemed magical becomes everyday and commonplace. may have their symptoms exacerbated on LSD.Michael Dunning/Getty Images Driving while tripping: not a good idea. or falling from windows or buildings. Using LSD for just a few days in a row can cause a person to build up a tolerance quickly. Some people with histories of certain mental illnesses. they think the LSD is creating the illusion that their life is a mess instead of recognizing that it really is a mess. such as schizophrenia or psychosis. The effects caused by LSD aren't dependable in the way that other drugs' effects are -. The real physical damage associated with LSD comes from what can happen when someone loses inhibitions and has poor judgment. A person who uses LSD twice a week is considered a heavy user. The real problem is that because they're taking LSD so often. however. Next. These people didn't "go crazy. LSD users have accidentally killed themselves by walking in front of a car. Heavy LSD users can also develop profound social problems. In addition. completely ruin their sleep cycles and lose interest in eating and personal hygiene. They become uninterested in participating in the world going on around them and feel completely disconnected from everybody else. skewed perceptions or a sense of immortality while tripping. so it's rarely used more than once a week. There were two main types of therapy that incorporated LSD usage. psycholitic therapy was common. They gave their patients high doses of about 200 micrograms over just a few sessions. LSD was also given to criminals in the hopes that they could be reformed. Between 1950 and 1965. These included schizophrenics.LSD as Medicine: Opening the Doors of Perception John Loengard/Time Life Pictures/Getty Images A group of volunteers under the effect of LSD-25 during an experiment conducted by the International Federation for Internal Freedom (IFIF) Before it was a recreational drug. It was also administered to people considered mentally ill with sexual perversions. Psychiatrists gave patients low doses of LSD (50 micrograms or less) over several sessions and encouraged them to focus on their childhood and subconscious. who were difficult to treat through other types of therapy. which might scare alcoholics into reforming themselves. approximately 40. psychiatrists hoped that LSD would prove to be a cure for some forms of mental illness. obsessive-compulsives. Instead of bringing out childhood memories.000 patients were given Sandoz's Delysid tablets [source: Henderson]. The spiritual awakening approach was also used on alcoholics. Although many psychiatrists reported good . In the beginning. LSD was used in psychiatric therapy. these doctors hoped the high doses of LSD would elicit a positive spiritual awakening and encourage patients to find meaning in their lives and want to better themselves. such as homosexuality. It was thought that giving a patient LSD would remove the need for years of psychotherapy and bring about permanent changes in behavior and personality. depressives and autistic people. Some psychiatrists attempted to induce a form of delirium tremens. In Europe. American psychiatrists were more likely to use psychedelic therapy. before the idea could be completely explored. Cultural History of LSD: Turn On. very few researchers in the United States were still allowed to possess LSD. Tune In. There are currently studies using LSD in humans in other countries. relieved their pain and made them feel more connected to their families. there was a black market for the drug by 1962. Sandoz recommended very specific doses of LSD and stated it should only be administered by a psychiatrist in a controlled medical setting. On the next page. the National Institutes for Mental Health (NIMH) declared that LSD had no real therapeutic value. and by 1974. This may signal a renewed interest in other therapeutic uses for the drug. Drop Out . we'll look at the group of people most often associated with LSD: hippies. By 1965. The last therapeutic LSD study in the United States took place in the 1980s. the Food and Food Administration (FDA) opened the door once again for end-of-life clinical research using LSD. there were few large studies. the federal government became increasingly concerned about LSD's effects and took steps to restrict its official use. however. Of course. Many researchers felt that their studies were terminated before they could reach a definite conclusion about LSD's therapeutic effects. There were only six projects conducted in 1969. The study ended. In September 2008.results. such as Switzerland and the United Kingdom. As recreational use grew. The small-scale studies are often considered flawed today because they didn't employ controls. The researchers believed that LSD could be beneficial to terminally ill patients because it helped them to stay aware of their surroundings. 000 hippies. Complaints from parents and others.] 'Tune in' meant interact harmoniously with the world around you [.. Leary later stated in his biography that "'turn on' meant to go within to activate your neural and genetic equipment [.. He was disappointed that people thought he meant "Get stoned and abandon all constructive activity. Timothy Leary was a psychology professor at Harvard when he first tried psilocybin mushrooms in 1960.. Leary believed that they could treat a host of mental illnesses and profoundly change those who took them. We'll take a closer look at just a few of the people instrumental in spreading the drug's popularity. however." . He was so changed by the experience that he and his Harvard colleague Richard Alpert founded a study to test the effects of psychedelic drugs. This was a religion that claimed LSD as a holy sacrament that must be kept legal for religious freedom." Ken Kesey was an author whose first experience with LSD came when he volunteered in 1959 to take part in a CIA study of the effects of psychedelic drugs. Their adventures were documented by author Tom Wolfe in "The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test. In 1964. he co-authored a book about psychedelic drugs and founded the League for Spiritual Discovery the following year. known as The Merry Pranksters. tune in./Getty Images A male hippie at a be-in at Central Park in New York City in 1968. led Harvard to fire Leary in 1963. Dr. Leary toured the country with a presentation that attempted to demonstrate the experience of tripping. traveled across the country in a school bus called "Furthur" as a social experiment. As use spread from research projects at universities to the street. drop out.] 'Drop out' meant self-reliance" [source: Leary]. He and his friends." during a 1967 speech in San Francisco before 30. LSD was credited with expanding the minds of young people who were disillusioned with the status quo. "turn on. He spoke the phrase that came to exemplify the LSD movement. LSD played an important part in the 1960s counterculture movement.SantiVisalli Inc.. but he claimed that he didn't notice that the title spelled out "LSD" until someone pointed it out. He set up his own lab to make pure. Stanley also became friends with the band the Grateful Dead (who performed at Kesey's acid tests) and worked as their sound engineer. but also designed their Lightning Bolt Skull logo and was the inspiration for the Dancing Bears logo because of his nickname. Kesey was an "acid populist" who believed that if enough people used it. enough for 10 million 50-microgram trips. and it has been estimated that Stanley made half a kilo of LSD. society as a whole could be transformed." It became the standard by which other LSD was measured after Sandoz stopped making the drug and it became illegal. Girl with Kaleidoscope Eyes Is the Beatles' "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" an LSD song? John Lennon didn't deny that the lyrics were inspired by drug experiences. He not only heavily influenced the band's sound. in his lifetime. He said the title was from his son Julian. high-quality LSD." So what happened between the 1960s and today? How LSD Works byShanna Freeman Print Cite This! Close Please copy/paste the following text to properly cite this HowStuffWorks article: . "Lucy in the sky with diamonds. Stanley tried LSD but was frustrated with the wide differences in quality and purity. When Lennon asked Julian what the painting was called. which became known as "Owsley LSD" or simply "Owsley. who painted a picture of his classmate Lucy surrounded by sparkling stars. Owsley Stanley was a self-taught chemist who helped to make LSD popular and accessible in the influential Haight-Ashbury section of San Francisco. In 1965." Lennon showed off the painting and maintained that it was the origin of the title until his death. He often distributed it freely. While a student at the University of California at Berkley. controlled use of LSD. he replied.While Timothy Leary originally advocated a more serious. STP. he began holding psychedelic parties advertised with signs that read "Can you pass the acid test?" Kesey believed that the acid tests expanded consciousness and started a revolution. He also created an LSD synthesis that was 99 percent pure called White Lightning. as well as another psychedelic drug. "The Bear. See all Drugs & Alcohol articles Lots More Information Related HowStuffWorks Articles y y y y y y Did the CIA test LSD on unsuspecting Americans? Were the American colonists drugged during the Salem witchcraft trials? How Urban Legends Work How Flavor Tripping Works Did the Beatles introduce yoga to the Western world? How Lucid Dreaming Works . Cultural History of LSD: Turn On.htm> 17 April 2011. Lots More Information 11. Drop Out 9.Freeman. Cite Feedback 52 We've Launched! Discovery Fit & Health Real-life drama from Discovery Health and audience favorite fitness shows from Fit TV have combined on a new channel: Discovery Fit & Health! Inside this Article 1. LSD History 3. Introduction to How LSD Works 2.com/wellness/drugs-alcohol/lsd. 6. Shanna. 7. <http://health.com. LSD Drug Laws Today 10. Not in Your Hands LSD Dangers and Abuse See more » 7. HowStuffWorks.howstuffworks. LSD Trips: Something Happened to Me Yesterday LSD Effects on the Body: Melts Your Mind. Tune In. 5. LSD as Medicine: Opening the Doors of Perception 8. How to Make LSD 4. "How LSD Works" 10 December 2008. fcgi?artid=1129381&blobtype=pdf Leary. July 2008. "Acid Dreams: The CIA. "Flashbacks. "The Complete Beatles Chronicle." St. issue 3. and the Sixties Rebellion.hofmann. 1967. et al. Albert. 1998.org Cavallo. Henderson. Dominick." McGraw-Hill.ox. Martin. July 7. "LSD: The Consciousness Expanding Drug.org "NIDA Info Facts: Hallucinogens. Lewisohn. David. http://msds.drugabuse. 1980. Drug Enforcement Administration: LSD y y y y y y y y Previous Page . Timothy. "Coma. http://www. Leigh A. http://www. "LSD: My Problem Child. John C. Mark. November 12. http://www.maps. August 2006." Physical and Theoretical Chemistry Laboratory.uk/HY/hydrazine. "The Hippies: Philosophy of a Subculture. The Albert Hofmann Foundation Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies National Institute on Drug Abuse: Hallucinogens U." Jossey-Bass.9171." Western Journal of Medicine. 2008.gov/dea/concern/lsd. 1999.ac.html Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies http://www. "LSD: Still With Us After All These Years.html Hofmann. Oxford University.html "Safety Data for Hydrazine (Anhydrous).usdoj.com/time/magazine/article/0." Time Magazine.gov/picrender.S. Glass.html Solomon. LSD. Lee. Klock.899555-1." Tarcher. Drug Enforcement Administration." National Institutes on Drug Abuse.chem." Hamlyn.pubmedcentral.S. "LSD. March 1974." Berkley." U.nih.gov/infofacts/hallucinogens. 1997. "A Fiction of the Past: The Sixties in American History. 120.time. 1985. 1965.y y y y y Are there really hallucinogenic frogs? Is alcohol more dangerous than ecstasy? How Marijuana Works How Medical Marijuana Works How Crack Cocaine Works More Great Links y y y y Sources y y y y y y The Albert Hofmann Foundation http://www." Grove Press. Vol.. Hyperthermia and Bleeding Associated with Massive LSD Overdose: A Report of Eight Cases.00. http://www. Martin's Press. and William J. 2006.