Spring Break
Hofmann's death forces the world to take another look at LSD
Mihir Oza
Issue date: 5/16/08 Section: Ed-Op
Every human being lives inside the creations and interpretations of his mind, for we are only our thoughts. The way we conceive the world is our reality; it is unique to each individual because his perception of his environment and personal experiences are vastly different from everyone else's - as the old saying goes: "No two minds are alike."
I am no metaphysicist or psychologist, but I have pondered about what is actually reality and the power of our conscience, especially compared to the estimated five to 30 million species that exist on our planet. We seem to be the only species that seeks an altered state of mind, using and experimenting with all sorts of drugs, alcohol being the most common of them. Psychedelics are the type I'm most concerned about, for they warp your perception of reality the most, and yet are claimed to be less toxic than an aspirin.
Just last month the meritorious "Father of LSD," Albert Hofmann, passed away at the age of 102, but he did not leave mankind empty-handed. Albert Hofmann was "the mystical Swiss chemist who gave the world LSD, the most powerful psychotropic substance known," which he first synthesized in 1938, according to The New York Times.
LSD, or lysergic acid diethylamide, is more commonly known as acid, one, tabs, blotter, does or trips. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, hallucinogens like LSD are so widely revered because of their surreal and fantasy-like properties which distort one's perception of reality by "disrupting the interaction of nerve cells and the neurotransmitter serotonin." More simply, an acid trip can have a variety of effects on different people, anywhere from feeling, hearing and seeing things that are particular to the user, and a trip typically lasts from eight to 12 hours or even longer depending on the dose taken.
Unlike alcohol and other drugs, each acid trip is different. In my opinion, the most amazing attribute of acid is that the drug's effects occur at extremely low doses which are "most commonly [taken] on blotter or in liquid form" according to Erowid, an organization that strives to provide, "non-judgmental information about psychoactive plants and chemicals and related issues."
I am no metaphysicist or psychologist, but I have pondered about what is actually reality and the power of our conscience, especially compared to the estimated five to 30 million species that exist on our planet. We seem to be the only species that seeks an altered state of mind, using and experimenting with all sorts of drugs, alcohol being the most common of them. Psychedelics are the type I'm most concerned about, for they warp your perception of reality the most, and yet are claimed to be less toxic than an aspirin.
Just last month the meritorious "Father of LSD," Albert Hofmann, passed away at the age of 102, but he did not leave mankind empty-handed. Albert Hofmann was "the mystical Swiss chemist who gave the world LSD, the most powerful psychotropic substance known," which he first synthesized in 1938, according to The New York Times.
LSD, or lysergic acid diethylamide, is more commonly known as acid, one, tabs, blotter, does or trips. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, hallucinogens like LSD are so widely revered because of their surreal and fantasy-like properties which distort one's perception of reality by "disrupting the interaction of nerve cells and the neurotransmitter serotonin." More simply, an acid trip can have a variety of effects on different people, anywhere from feeling, hearing and seeing things that are particular to the user, and a trip typically lasts from eight to 12 hours or even longer depending on the dose taken.
Unlike alcohol and other drugs, each acid trip is different. In my opinion, the most amazing attribute of acid is that the drug's effects occur at extremely low doses which are "most commonly [taken] on blotter or in liquid form" according to Erowid, an organization that strives to provide, "non-judgmental information about psychoactive plants and chemicals and related issues."
Viewing Comments 1 - 5 of 6
David
posted 5/17/08 @ 1:44 PM EST
I stopped reading once I it said we seam to be the only species that seeks altered states of mind. That is totally false. Search for animals on drugs in youtube or something. (Continued…)
Darren Long
posted 5/17/08 @ 11:17 PM EST
Peace on earth
tom
posted 5/19/08 @ 6:09 AM EST
acid is mindblowing,glad i was open minded enough to try it, no matter what the law has to say about it
Conservative Texan Christian
posted 5/28/08 @ 5:14 PM EST
Drugs are bad! They destroy brain cells and cause you to kill people to get more!!! Don't do drugs kids! LSD IS THE WORST OF THEM ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11111eleventy3
dug out
posted 6/12/08 @ 1:59 PM EST
I would not be here now without Hoffman's great invention. Praise Albert!
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