The Significance Of LSD To The Brain

Lysergic Acid Diethylamide or LSD is a hallucinogenic drug that can be taken orally, injected or even absorbed through the skin. Once LSD has entered the body, it starts to take effects on the levels of serotonin in the brain which can cause; hallucinations, mood change, and even sensory distortion. After taking LSD, the effects on the brain usually last from 6 to 9 hours depending on multiple factors; the dosage of LSD taken, the subject taking LSD, and even the user 's mood can affect the duration of LSD use. LSD is a non-lethal, non-addictive, and a non-habit forming drug that has little to no effect on the long-term health of an individual. However, LSD has been illegal since the 1960 's. Not only did availability of LSD become scarce with the criminalization of the substance, but the legislation also put a halt on the research of the chemical as well. Much of the way LSD interacts with the brain has been left unknown. This derivative from the rye fungus Ergot has been the source of controversy that has left many people wondering why LSD has been classified as a drug that is just as dangerous to use as heroin. It becomes difficult for an individual to understand how legislation could criminalize a chemical without completely understanding how it functions and affects people. LSD should be legalized for scientific, medical and recreational usage.

After World War II ended, the age of baby-booming and urban sprawling began. During this time, many American soldiers came home from the war; married, and had five or six children. This created the largest generation ever. Could this new generation change the social world of America? In 1964, most of the baby-boomer's children were in their late teens. This was the beginning of a major social change in the United States. With the birth of rock-n-roll not far in the past, and a growing liberalism of the normally conservative American Society, it is no wonder that a powerful hallucinogenic drug called LSD gained so much popularity.

“Psychoactive substances exert their their effects by modifying biochemical or physiological processes in the brain.” Psychedelics are taken out of context to be for recreational use only, when they can be taken to enhance spiritual journeys.

Within the 1960’s a new form of drug was created and was said to be an essential pharmaceutical that should be in every doctor’s bag. This drug was called lysergic acid diethylamide, but is more commonly know as LSD. Albert Hofmann, as Swiss chemist, created this new drug in hopes that he might have found a profitable analeptic that could cure migraines. However, this was not the case. Hofmann decided to dose himself with the drug to see if it would help subdue headaches. He quickly discovered that this new

LSD acts to decrease the responsiveness of the LGN to signals from the retina. How this effects the production of visual hallucinations is unclear LSD is also concentrated highly in parts of the limbic system. The limbic system is dedicated to regulating emotion, aggression, docility, and memory. Also, LSD concentrates in areas of the reticular formation. The reticular formation mediates the level of arousal and alertness in the brain.

There are many substances in this world that are used and abused in order to achieve pleasing psychoactive effects. Two substances of such nature that are abused in today’s society are alcohol and LSD. Alcohol is a liquid that is derived from the fermentation of grains and/or fruit (7). LSD is an ingestible form of lysergic acid which is derived from a fungus called ergot. Both of these drugs are drastically different with minimal similarities, primarily because alcohol is classified as a depressant and LSD is classified as a hallucinogen. Even though these drugs differ in many ways, they are commonly used in unison.

Throughout history a multitude of human populations have been using and abusing a number of psychoactive drugs. These drugs can include very common substances such as caffeine to the more deadly but arguably just as addictive heroine. Further on the list of psychoactive drugs include those of the psychedelic variety. These would include the chemicals such as d-lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), peyote and psilocybin among others. All of which have hallucinogenic properties that tend to blur the line between fantasy and reality. How dangerous are these chemicals, and what are the consequences of sustained long term use? Due to the controversial nature of the use of psychedelic drugs in a medical setting, the study of short and long term effects

Do the mentally ill commonly take psychiatric drugs because the drugs actually work, or do they take them because they believe that these drugs work? Robert Whitaker, the author of Anatomy of an Epidemic, suggests that psychiatric drugs may catalyze or possibly create mental and physical illnesses rather than improve mental health. However, psychedelic drugs, which are also psychoactive agents like psychiatric drugs, may be better alternatives. Aldous Huxley, the author of The Doors of Perception, proposes that psychedelic drugs can help people understand mental illness from a more personal perspective, and that they can also expand the mind. The recreational use of these drugs can uncover a hidden external reality, and in turn, enrich the spirit. But perhaps aside from recreational use, psychedelic drugs should be more widely used instead of psychiatric drugs to treat both the longtime and the newly mentally ill. Under moderated use, psychedelics not only profoundly enhance one’s creative vision but also provide therapeutic mental health benefits.

It is important to note that from the tens of thousands of doses of LSD and other classical compounds such as mescaline which has been conducted under medical administration, a general fact about these drugs have emerge which posits that the drugs are not addictive but is self-limiting meaning that if taken three days in a row it will no longer produce a psychic effect (Buckley, 1966). Studies on LSD have revealed that it causes no organic changes to the brain or any permanent changes in brain activity.

LSD causes to increase of blood pressure, body temperature, weakness and nausea. Sweating is one of the most common effect

government over 700 billion dollars annually. A survey conducted by the Substance abuse and Mental Health Services Administration regarding drug use and health reported “23.5 million persons aged 12 or older needed treatment for an illicit drug or alcohol abuse problem in 2009 (9.3 percent of persons aged 12 or older). Of these, only 2.6 million—11.2 percent of those who needed treatment—received it at a specialty facility” (1). Desperate to find solutions to treat substance abuse problems other than the often unsuccessful rehabilitation programs, researchers are now considering the use of psychedelic substances to treat these issues. This idea is not the first of its kind. During the late 1960s and early 1970s, American scientists studied the effects of LSD on over 40,000 people including its effects on alcohol use. However, because many of these hallucinogens are classified as Schedule I substances and other restrictions imposed by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), studies involving these drugs cannot be conducted easily within the United States (2). Fortunately, countries with more lax drug policies, such as Canada, allow for these substances to be studied. One such substance is

For thousands of years people have spoke of all types of visions. Whether the visions were from religious groups, Indian tribes, or self proclaimed prophets; all types of people have seen things. This was more than likely occurring with the help of different types of hallucinogens. Hallucinogens have been around since the beginning of time. Some mushrooms, cactus flowers, and even different types of mold are all able to produce hallucinogenic effects. However, it was only within the last century that man actually started to produce his own. LSD, or lysergic acid diethylamide-25, is a relatively new substance in society. All known effects show LSD, or acid, as the harmful drug most people know it as. There are people who believe

The affect LSD has on the body is controlled in the brain. As the substance enters the

This hallucinogen is acquired from the fungus that grows on grains known as ergot. LSD is taken in very small doses, because that is all it takes to get into the psychedelia state, and it most commonly is taken in small squares of blotter paper that was dipped in the LSD. This counts as one dose but can usually be taken as a capsule, tablet or liquid. What happens to the body and mind once it is taken is that the stomach and intestines quickly take the chemicals in and the reactions start thirty to forty minutes later. In the individual’s physical appearance, the LSD will give off the effects of the pupils being dilated, temperature increasing, as well as heightened heart rate and blood pressure. It is more than likely that the individual will become sweaty, thirsty, and lose their appetite. Out of the five senses, vision is the sense most affected by the trip, making the individual’s perception greater as well as color and texture more expressive and lively. Hallucinations, the reason people feel free during the trip, will occur and the image of the user will create imaginary visions that seem real to them and no longer have that state of sobriety that cages humanity to the normal perspective of the world. It is a new way for them to look at the life form and objects of this earth and Synthesia will happen, aiding the different perspectives by a stimulation of a

On April 16, 1943, Dr. Hoffman decided to do further research with the LSD compound (Dye, 1992 p. 5). While handling the drug,