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LSD Definition & Effects

Lysergic acid diethylamide, otherwise known as acid, is a well-known semisynthetic psychedelic drug of the ergoline family. First developed in 1938 from ergotamine, a chemical contained in the grain fungus ergot, LSD was used for a time by the psychiatric community as an enhancement to psychotherapy. However, LSD is currently classified as a Schedule I drug in the United States, making the drug illegal to manufacture, buy, possess, process or distribute without a DEA license.

  1. Mental Effects

    • The psychological impact of LSD can vary widely from person to person and from circumstance to circumstance; psychologist Timothy Leary demonstrated that the quality of the psychedelic experience is dependent upon the "set and setting" (i.e., the mental state of the user going into the experience and their surrounding environment). Within those limitations, most users experience a breakdown of the barriers between their sense of self and the rest of the world, an experience referred to as "ego death."

    Physical Effects

    • Although LSD is not considered addictive, regular users tend to rapidly build up a tolerance and the drug shows cross-tolerance with mescaline and psilocybin. Other bodily effects of acid include pupil dilation, fluctuating body temperature, insomnia, twitching and spasms, sweating, dry mouth, nausea, and elevated heart rate and blood pressure. The LSD experience lasts for several hours at a time and usually leaves the user feeling physically exhausted. Physical effects of LSD are temporary.

    Sensory Effects

    • The most commonly reported sensory effect of LSD is synesthesia, in which stimulation of one sensory pathway leads to triggering of a different sensory pathway. For example, users report "seeing" music, "hearing" colors, and other similar experiences. Other effects include the perception of movement in otherwise static objects and visual "tracers," or after-image trails on moving objects. Many users report that colors and lights appear more intense, textures appear deeper and sounds echo in strange ways. Full hallucinations may occur but are less common.

    Adverse Effects

    • The sensory confusion that results from LSD usage can lead to impaired judgment, leading to increased risk of accidents. Some users may experience symptoms similar to a panic attack; even in less extreme situations, the LSD experience causes mood swings. Certain antidepressants negatively interact with LSD. "Flashbacks," experiences of LSD's subjective effects that occur long after the drug has worn off and under unpredictable conditions, are often reported, although there is as yet no scientific verification or explanation for this phenomenon.

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