USERS STORY Essays - Neurochemistry, Entheogens,

USERS STORY I had a really bad experience....I ate two hits of orange sunshine. I was off in my own world. Among the highlights of my fourteen hours in hell was watching the flesh burn off my hand (it didn't really..it just seemed like it was), being strangled by the seatbelt which was now a snake, being convinced that a white schoolbus from Charlotte Latin was stalking me in an attempt to kill me and watching myself burn in hell for all eternity several times. Needless to say, I eased up on dosing for awhile, actually a year and a half, during which time I awoke regularly from horrific nightmares during the night, but now it's all good.....viva la LSD!!!! KNOWN AS LSD, Acid, trips, T's, tabs, blotters, dots, micro dots, mind expansion kits WHAT IS IT? LSD can also be known by their printed design name - eg strawberries or purple ohms. LSD is very much a mind drug. It is a hallucinogen which means it distorts the users perception of themselves and the world around them. Some people find the LSD experience profoundly enjoyable, whilst others find the effects terrify them. The LSD experience is described as a 'trip' because it is like a journey to another place. Trips work directly on the psychological and chemical functions of your brain. WHERE IS IT FROM AND WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE? LSD usually comes in small squares of blotting paper with a cartoon picture or motif printed on one side. LSD can also come in the form of tablets, capsules or pills. These can be many different colours. HOW MUCH IS IT? The cost of one tab of LSD ranges between $20.00 and $25.00. The cost can reduce to as low as $8.00 per tab if a bulk purchase is made. HOW IT'S TAKEN LSD is usually swallowed, and you will begin to feel the effects within 30 - 60 minutes, with it lasting for up to 12 hours. Some trips have been reported to last as long as 24 hours. EFFECTS The effects can vary widely from person to person and be unpredictable depending on your mood at the time of taking the drug, self-confidence, the environment you are taking LSD in, company and general 'mind space' at the time. The physical effects are minimal on acid, but the mental effects are enormous. As the trip hits you, colours appear more brilliant, sound is sharper, moving objects leave a trail behind them and repeated patterns are sometimes seen with eyes closed. Your body may feel hot and sweaty, sometimes alternating with chills and shivering. Over the second hour the effects become more intense, whimsical visions can appear from nowhere - from shapes in smoke, to the effect of buildings and walls looking like they are breathing. Acid tends to alter what is already there, rather than to create hallucinations out of nothing. True vivid hallucinations seem to only occur with large or pure doses of acid. At the peak of the trip, time is slowed almost to a standstill and trippers may feel that they are in a different world. 6-8 hours after taking LSD the sensations begin to subside. After 12 hours, the trip is usually over, although some trips can last up to 24 hours. You will probably still experience some residual effects until you've had some decent sleep. Flashbacks, a spontaneous recurrence of the original experience, can happen years later without any warning. Tolerance and dependance does not develop with acid. SAFE USE If you use LSD, you should consider the following:- It is safer not to use LSD at all; If you use LSD, make sure you are not alone. If something goes wrong call for help straight away; Don't wander off into potentially dangerous situations such as busy roads or crowded public places; If you are feeling tired or anxious, it's probably best not to take acid, as it will make you feel worse rather than shift your mood; If somebody has a bad trip, calm them down, talk to them and if this doesn't seem to help be sure to call for assistance straight away; Don't be afraid to call an ambulance if something goes wrong. The ambulance officers are not obliged to alert the police unless the situation becomes violent.