Psyco-Reactive Drugs
LSD was originally synthesized at the Sandoz Pharmaceutical Company, in Switzerland, as part of a long-term project begun in the 1930's. The aim was to develop useful medicines that were derived from ergot, a fungus (Claviceps purpurea) that infect grasses such as Rye. The chemist in charge of this drug development project was Albert Hoffman. In 1943, he synthesized a compound he called LSD-25. One night while at work he accidentally ingested some of it and within forty minutes he had the first LSD "trip." He told his colleagues he was not feeling well and got on his bike to go home. Later, he carefully described the vividly clear flood of perceptions that are characteristic of the "mind manifesting" or psychedelic drug. After World War II, LSD caused a flurry of excitement among some professionals, and its medical value was tested in psychiatric patients, yet there was still no widely popular movement until the 1960's. Because of its potency and the extensive reports of laboratory studies in animals and in the clinic, LSD has become the prototypical hallucinogen, or psychedelic drug. It also became the emblem of a social movement, which in fact, was a confluence of various movements that had begun in the
Timothy Leary, a young psychology instructor as Harvard, explored the Mexican or "magic" mushroom, Psilocybe mexicana, and LSD, claiming that criminals became loving and peaceful and others more creative. Between 1960 and 1966, the media repeatedly discovered LSD. As publicity increased, subcultures experimented with mushrooms and LSD grew up in the East and West Coast. Well publicized festivals celebrated LSD, marijuana, and mushrooms, such as Summer of Love in San Francisco. Leary's challenge for youth was the "turn on, tune in, and drop out" with acid. As more and more youth were curious to try experiences their parents had never dreamed of, rebellion led not only to acid experiments but to extensive POLYDRUG ABUSE. In addition, in activity, or stimulant), literally hundreds of DESIGNER DRUGS were synthesized (DOM, DMT, MDMA or "ecstasy" and others.). early 1960's. By 1973, the "acid culture" had subsided into a small but still active subculture of various psychedelic drug devotees seeking meaning and profound insight. One of the only lasting effects is "flashbacks". Flashbacks are short periods of time (usually only a second or two) when you suddenly feel as though you are under the drug again. Scientists are unsure why or how this happens, because of the unpredictable nature of flashbacks. Since there is no way of knowing who will have them or when they will occur it is nearly impossible to study flashbacks. Some scientists believe that a small amount of the chemical gets locked away in fat cells. When your body burns this fat cell for energy the chemical is released into your brain thus causing you to momentarily experience the effects of the drug. Few people experience these and even less are disturbed by them. Another lasting effect that has shown up in a large number of users is the breakdown in constancy tends to linger for some months after ingesting psychedelic drugs. Many people find it difficult to suppress the irrelevant details of daily life. Objects that are normally in your periphery of your attention are now part of you focused attention. One scientist noted that riding on the train to work, he was distracted from focusing on his newspaper for several months by the telephone poles whizzing by. LSD, mescaline, and p
Some common words found in the essay are:
BRAIN LSD, II LSD, Timothy Leary, Albert Hoffman, Company Switzerland, Francisco Leary's, West Coast, POLYDRUG ABUSE, psychedelic drug, HISTORY LSD, psychedelic drugs, DESIGNER DRUGS, mescaline psilocybin, biochemical effects psychedelic, trip effects, serotonin levels, lsd mescaline, days lsd, lsd trip, effects drugs, effects psychedelic drugs, lsd mescaline psilocybin, effects psychedelic,
Approximate Word count = 1533
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)
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