So recently Ive been reading a bit into opinions about LSD and its place among natural psychedelics.

LSD has this really special place, I feel like its the most popular and most looked up to psychedelic of our age, kind of like a popstar. (Of course a lot of people stray from the mean, but its like the closest thing to a commercial psychedelic imo.) In another thread someone made a very striking analogy, like LSD is the big, bright neon sign leading the western culture back to psychedelics.
On the other hand, I noticed, that on this board it is, measured in number of posts, very underrepresented. As if theirs not so much to talk about, compared to the endless philosophical discussions about the mystical qualities of certain plants and mushrooms.

The question comes to mind, is it only by sheer coincidence, that LSD was the one chemical to start the 60s revolution and get the west tuned in again?
Could it have been replaced by any other synthetic compound?
Is there a good reason for the status it has in the scene?

Another thing which is interesting about LSD, given the status it has, Ive seen quite a few people state that LSD is more dangerous then for example mushrooms, because it is like getting in a bus without driver.

Subsequently to this statement, I want to share with you, something Ive experienced for my self, and thought about after a few experiences with Lucy.

There are theories that say, when you take for example mushrooms, you tune in with the spirit of all the people that have ever taken the strain, therefore a lot of people from ancient traditions.

With LSD I felt a bit the same, but it seemed much more clear and relate able to me, what kind of consciousness that was. Like if because LSD is such a novel compound its „spirit“ is still being shaped very fast. This „sensation, that I could feel, was so much a mirror of our time, of the uprising of technology, the way our society is developing communication and culture – the spirit of our age.

At some times, I thought, its like LSD is the one spiritual tool, or what ever you want to name it,that is made by humans, and therefore is a reflection of our very own collective consciousness, which we are shaping constantly, and therefore also the LSD-experience. It truly feels like the next step in the evolution of psychedelic compounds (evolution as in adaption, not necessarily superior), adapted to our society.

Sadly Im not a great poet, but this feeling, that I have been experiencing, this big network of humans, who are using and thriving from this compound, is just so amazingly beautiful.
Its like the nature of human consciousness spit out a pill to experience it self.

So the spirit, of LSD, which has been denied its existence by many people, to me is the very spirit of humans themselves.
Therefore the human consciousness is the driver. LSD for me, in its "driverless way", is the copmpound which represents the the very unique ability of humans to create novel things, and therefore their own reality.

On the other hand, maybe this kind of "vision" I had while high, just is influenced and created by everything I read and heard before about collective consciousness, I dont know.

Also maybe notable is, that I am aware, that LSD at very high doses, can get very alien like and might give a very different impression.
It might just be that I captured a small fractal of the complete madness and beauty that the LSD experience is, but Im sure Im only scratching the surface of it.

Now I don't take LSD very often, I think it has to be highly respected and is extremely powerful, but this idea is just stuck in my head.

Just wanted to get it out there, and if someone wants to discuss it, Id be more then happy.

PS: Of course all this is basically purely philosophical and not evident able in science, like all talk about plant spirits and so on.

that is funny...
because most people I know (on here too), myself included, concur that we can drive the LSD experience, even in the high dose regime, whereas we take a back seat to the almighy psilocin. this is especially applicable to the cyanescens variety.

then again, I've done a lot of lsd, as have those who agree with that sentiment.

I would agree with the sentiment that LSD is like getting on a bus without a driver. You are the driver. It, more than any other psychedelic, is a truer and cleaner mirror into your own psychology than any other substance I have tried.

With that being said, I do think that LSD has a spirit, just like any drug, as it has a specific mode of action with our neurochemistry. Yes, it affects everyone differently and no two experiences are even the same for the same person, but in my experience, it definitely has a "presence". It is synthetic feeling, electric, mechanical. It makes me feel like my body is just this organic robot that is constantly functioning on calculations and the flow of energy at the cellular level. It is logical, cold, maybe even 'scientific' feeling. It is also tremendously self-conscious. I am always amazed when I look at myself in the mirror and realize how silly I look. It really has a way of opening you up to the cosmic joke when you look around and realize how exceptionally goofy and awkward human beings are, from form down to function. Even things like pooping or eating a sandwich just seem hilarious.

I feel it very much worth noting that only once did I see any kind of entity on an LSD trip, and it was at a point in my life when I was doing a lot of DMT. They did not communicate to me to any significant kind of degree. They were very reptilian/alien looking, and were just kind of watching me. Maybe this was just pareidolia. Entity contact on DMT or especially aya is extremely consistent and almost always has a very specific, intentional purpose or message in the experience.

I have mixed feelings when it comes to this sort of thing, and I think that may be a result of not being fully convinced of anything (yet )

I personally don't agree with substances having a spirit as such. I've tasted many things on many occasions including LSD, and I've always thought of these substances as tools to tap into the human collective (or maybe even the everything collective).

That said, a hammer is better at knocking a nail into wood than pliers. They both have their advantages depending on the intent of use.

I've found LSD in particular fairly forgiving to a certain point, then that notion is out the window. Perhaps that is why it took off so well in the 60s. And please don't get me wrong, I think LSD is very unique and special, and I have pondered these questions you have as well.

Like what are the chances Albert Hoffman would accidentally expose himself to a shelved chemical, and out of everything he worked with it be LSD? And everything about it - its safety profile, its unique experience?

To summarize - I think there is a lot more to life and consciousness than we know. And I do believe in the 'all interconnected conscious', which we can 'peek at' through altered states, wether by taking drugs, or meditating, etc. When it comes to drugs, I see them as tools, all which do things and some better than others depending on the end goal.


- Astraloger

well, actually I feel the same, but I think the metaphor is leaving the possibiity open for you to take the empty drivers seat but still, the argument why people say its more dangerous stands, as we get control, but we dont have a map to read which roads are safe to take.

Also thats the reason why I feel its so fitting for our age, it is just so adaptive to all kinds of tasks, it is perfect for the use as a problem solver in technological or scientific work and also for artistic inspiration. Also as I have noticed, it seems the perfect drug for the age of globalisation, as it can be produced in huge amount of doses, is very small, and nearly undetectable. Many people now choose the path of the modern nomad, not having a home in a certain place, on the road all the time. LSD can be like an elixir for inspiration for them, which they can easily carry with them all the time.
Same as you can see when taking mushrooms, how it influenced the mayas symbolic world, it to me just is so obvious, how LSD influenced all of our modern artistic output espescially on the level of electronics(interface and general design..)


I know, sometimes it can have this vibe to me too, it seems to happen to me, when I took it rushed, or I didnt really have a reason to take it. Then there seems to be something missing, like some quintessence, that has to come from my own being, which I am not able to contribute at that moment. Those trips are usually very taxing and not too comfortable.
But then sometimes, it doesnt have this cold feeling at all, and its all just cosmic love, so mellow, and bright shining beauty transcending through every pore of life. Thats why I come back.

I can see why some may say that psilocybin could be safer than LSD... as a species we've been using psilocybin for a greater timespan so one could theorize that it has a higher affinity for our biology. Although LSD also has a great safety profile established by the research since the 50s, and in my experience feels very natural. Years ago i thought that LSD is an artificial substance when compared to mushrooms that grow out of the earth, and psilocybin is more spiritual etc, but now i see them as of the same spirit. In my experience LSD just feels more efficient overall.

Whether you're connecting with the spirit of all the humans that have taken mushrooms before you when you take psilocybin, i'm not so sure, anytime i've taken psilocybin i've learned about my own mind and consciousness rather feeling connected to an akashic or collective history of the species. Although i don't deny that it's possible, intention would probably play a part in it.
Thankyou for making this interesting thread

I think LSD has a kind of spirit but a different kind of spirit then you find in plants....

I find that it is a powerful healer, but energetically a kinda sloppy healer.... Like a surgeon talented at healing your brain but who sews you up a little crooked. I used to work with it all the time for a number of years and it is one of the main chemicals that healed my depression years ago (LSD, mushrooms and MDMA mostly did that for me), but once I started working with plant medicines they took me light years deeper then LSD could. They also didnt get me dirty...

I'll explain the dirty. In my experience LSD is good for deep healing, just like any other plant, but at the same time it kinda gets you superficially dirty. Some plants can do this too, but I notice it more from chemicals. A while back after I had been into plants for a while I decided to test LSD and MDMA to see how they compared after my break from them... And while I was able to get good insights and healing I then had to work with plants to clean myself superficially - like the chemicals had given me this dirty "energetic" dust. Overall the deeper healing was way more important then the superficial dust so I would still consider it a good medicine, but just a little sloppy comapred to plants and not quite as deep for me personally.

I kinda think of MDMA and LSD as very talented young prodigies who dont have as much experience or finesse yet, but have extreme talent that almost but not quite makes up for it (if that makes sense). I would use them if I didnt have access to plants but since plants are easier to get I prefer plants. I get the deepest results with plants.

I also find that the chemicals are good for emotional and mental healing, but in very experienced hands plants can also help with some types of physical healing in my experience, so there is that to consider.

Thank you for that comparison, I can relate to it very well.
It does feel a little bit like a young one, who is eager to get out there, and cant wait to prove its worth! Maybe it is not so secure about its fate yet, but it seems to know, that its destined for great things