7 ms·
Anyone with first hand experience of LSD ?
by iamgopal 6y ago
Anyone with first hand experience of LSD ?
- nomoreusernames 6y agoyes. wow my very own ama
- alexilliamson 6y agoWould you rather take 1000 duck-doses sized of LSD, or
- awakeasleep 6y agoIt felt like my mind was a watch, and a kid opened it and all the springs shot out!
- throwaway5938 6y agoPlease, you're on a discussion site where the main demographic is actively microdosing to improve their productivity at startups inbetween two editions of Burning Man. You'd be hardpressed to find someone without a first-hand experience of acid. But yeah, you pretty much tend to remember everything that happens to you during a trip, even years afterwards, which naively makes me believe your brain and memories become more malleable during that timeframe. This would explain why bad trips could be traumatizing. Then there's gwern who did a RCT self-experiment and reported no benefits but the way he measured said 'benefits' (stupid little tests, self-rating) isn't convincing.
- MacsHeadroom 6y agoHey now, some of us microdose LSD to work at public companies too.
- robinduckett 6y agoI don't microdose and I can't see how it improves productivity over say ritalin or other methylphenidates.
- deleted 6y ago[deleted]
- nix23 6y agoProbably because you don't? I don't drink beer, I can't see why it tastes better then Grog.
- almostdeadguy 6y agoUtterly pretentious, dweeby reason to take acid
- nefitty 6y agoDifferent folks have different goals. There’s nothing inherent about any chemical or tool.
- almostdeadguy 6y agoTaking acid to "improve your productivity at startups" is a tool for people with no appreciation for leisure or mind expansion. There's also a difference between taking something to cope or function and taking something because you think it makes you the Rembrandt of startups or whatever. I mean do what you want, and I'll reserve my right to clown on goofballs like this.
- c-c-c-c-c 6y ago/thread
- gwern 6y agoThe prior probability was always low. And it is not as if any of the followup experiments or surveys have reported much better results, you know. A charitable assessment of past LSD microdosing experiments in humans, https://www.biorxiv.org/content/early/2018/08/11/384412 https://www.biorxiv.org/content/early/2018/08/11/384412 https://harmreductionjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12954-019-0308-4 https://harmreductionjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1... https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0211023 https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal... https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs00213-018-5119-x https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs00213-018-5119-... https://www.gwern.net/docs/nootropics/2019-bershad.pdf https://www.gwern.net/docs/nootropics/2019-bershad.pdf , might be that "the evidence is consistent with scattered small benefits which do not line up with the large effects claimed in self-report data or the microdosing community's claims". This doesn't much change the summary. Even at face-value (though you have to wonder about losing 80% of their data), what functional changes does some transient blood serum increases in BDNF cause, and why would some chemical results noticeably change one's assessment of the experimental evidence reported so far? It will be much more interesting to read the other data, which, however, remains unknown: "assessment of mood, cognition, empathy, and creativity that will be reported elsewhere." (That's from the pain paper reporting this study. Apparently they intend to salami-slice this study into at least 3 papers.)
- throwaway_pdp09 6y agoSee https://www.erowid.org/chemicals/lsd/lsd.shtml https://www.erowid.org/chemicals/lsd/lsd.shtml, look for the 'experiences' links halfway down. Lots more on everything else, excellent impartial site, donate a little if you can.
- mplanchard 6y agoI’m not sure why people are downvoting this. Erowid is a treasure trove of first hand experiences for a huge variety of illicit substances. It’s been around forever, and you can, if I recall, generally find good, pragmatic advice on how to approach a given drug.
- throwaway_pdp09 6y agoI've met this before. The vast majority of people on HN are pretty even-handed about things but there's just a few for whom anything that isn't anti-drug, if even just plain facts that don't show drugs in a bad light, will annoy them. Just how it is, don't worry about it.
- justanargentine 6y agoIf you want to try it, I'd suggest reading The Psychedelic Explorer's Guide by James Fadiman first.
- malux85 6y agoYes, I have tried it. Only micro-doses. It takes about an hour to kick in, and for me, lasts about 6-8 hours. It feels like it silences any inner critic in me, so I am a lot more free thinking. I have used it several times to overcome getting stuck on a programming problem, but I have to write the solution down because I usually get too distracted while using it to be able to focus enough to implement. The problems it's good at are ones that require abstract thought - for example I was trying to come up with a data structure to accurately represent atomic 3D structures, and then also algorithms to query them and model how they interact, this is where it was most useful for me. I came out with 10ish pages of notes and drawings that were enough to allow "sober" me to code it out and test it. Physically it makes me sweat a lot, but it's a very strange sweat - not like an exercise sweat - but the sweat feels very clean and pure and is odourless. I often shallow breathe and it suppresses my appetite, so I have to set reminders on my phone to eat, exercise and drink while I'm taking it. Everything feels like it's clean and my visual resolution goes up a lot more, it's interesting for me to see how much of what we see is perceptual and not limited by the physics of our eye - I can see a lot more clearly and everything feels "cleaner" I sometimes get visual effects, which I can only describe as absolutely beautiful and mind blowing. It's very hard to describe because I can control them to a certain extent and as a neurotic person I thought that the "loss of control" would freak me out, but it's not like that at all. Last time I used I saw the most beautiful honey-like flowing pattern in the wood grain of the door, which was continuously moving and just utterly beautiful. I also witnessed the curtains rotating (imagine a sine wave going up and down, the curtains looked like they were doing that) and also the pillows on the couch looked like they were breathing. The bad side is that it stops me from sleeping, so the next day I'm usually a zombie until I can get a good night sleep the following night. It's an amazing tool, and I love how creative it makes me as a senior programmer, but there's no way I'd do it every day or anything. The first time you do it, you should definitly do it with someone experienced and in a safe place, where you have no other obligations for that day. If the feeling is getting too intense I find that a citrus drink seems to decrease the intensity (I have no idea if thats a placebo or not) If anyone has any questions ask away
- Phemist 6y agoSounds like you had a bit more than a micro-dose, but interesting way of applying these doses!
- neverminder 6y agoMicrodosing. I didn't feel much difference at all, but then I should probably mention that I go above and beyond in terms of leading healthy lifestyle, so it's likely my system is already as optimized as it can be.
- bigyikes 6y agoThe drug never fails to boost my outlook on humanity and restore my natural curiosity and thirst for life. I don’t take it frequently or consistently, but I do take it religiously.
- 50 6y agoMe too. I always get this sense that I've been asleep my whole life during and after the experience. For instance, the seemingly mundane things (wall, ground, chair, window, tree, bird, etc) are perceived in a sacred light.
- stupidcar 6y agoI used it at a birthday party a few years ago. My main takeaways were twofold: First, it made me understand the concept of good and bad "vibes" w.r.t. to drug use. It was clear that the experience of taking LSD recreationally in a group of people was a much a social experience as a chemical one. Keeping the "vibe" positive, by playing the right kind of music, staying chill, and saying and doing the right things, was important not to break the spell. Unfortunately, as somebody who suffers from social anxiety, this awareness made things quite stressful for me at times, as I felt I had to constantly maintain some level of self-regulation, which was not made easier by how intoxicated I was. I have the same problem when smoking weed in company. Second, while I hoped for the kind of psychological breakthroughs and revelations that some people describe having using LSD, I didn't experience them. I never felt connected to the universe or some greater purpose. I certainly had periods of intense introspection, but they didn't reveal anything to my about my character I wasn't already aware of. I think part of that was that I was already in my mid-thirties at the time, and had done plenty of introspection over the years. I already had a good understanding of my own character — my strengths, weaknesses, hopes, fears and regrets — and I suspect anybody with a similar disposition won't have any breakthroughs using LSD. Ultimately, I didn't regret trying LSD, but it didn't leave me with any desire to try it again. Despite its reputation, it just seemed like another drug to me. Stronger in its effect than most, but I never felt like a child of the universe, I just felt high.
- celticninja 6y agoPsychological breakthroughs or revelations tend to come while tripping alone or in a small group.
- c-c-c-c-c 6y agoYeah it's crazy how much set and setting can affect your psyche and the outcome of your trip
- saiya-jin 6y agoI had those experiences repeatedly (shrooms, which should be +-same), but always alone. I can't imagine doing that journey with anybody else, even close girlfriend, it would be just negative interference and distractions. In fact, I lost all my regular senses, laying on the bed, listening to very nice shamanic music (that must have helped a bit). I understood where religion comes from, or so it seemed to me at that time. At the end of the trip I had spiritual experience without any classical presence of god, at the end just chemicals going haywire in my brain. By huge margin consistently the most intense experience in my life, and I've been through some stuff (birth of my son, 6 months backpacking in Himalaya, adrenaline/mountain sports, not in that order). That was some 10 years ago, I don't even feel the need to try again. Kind of lesson took, not much more to gain, only risking some bad drama.
- coldtea 6y agoYes. A few times (6-7) across several years. Perception of time is altered (slowd down mostly), you can see intricate pulsating, kaleidoscopic, patterns in ordinary things (flowers, the floor, carpet, etc), you get deep thoughts and feelings (can be a rollercoaster), it greatly enhances music (it's like seeing in color for the first time). Sex on it is not bad either... Never had a bad trip, ymmv.
- primroot 6y agoI only tried it once. The worst I can remember is finding out the next day that there were this very unhealthy substitutes (such as the N-Bomb) being sold instead of the real thing, so I can't tell if I took actual LSD. The experience was fine. It went through several stages. First it was visual, then more introspective. I felt something I can only describe as being dead, meaning that I felt very aware of being matter, and I thought of that beauty around us that is not alive and is simply indifferent and potentially destructive to life and any sense of purpose. Then at some point I was cleaning some fresh basil to prepare something to eat and I found a caterpillar among the leaves and carried it to the garden. The caterpillar jumped and I felt like an electric shock had gone through my body. Later, while sitting with my friend (also on LSD), I narrated this experience to my friend and I started crying. My voice sometimes sounded robotic to my ears.
- surfsvammel 6y agoYes. Twenty+ years ago. Crazy stuff. I wouldn’t want to take it recreationally, too risky I think. You get truly confused and risk having very bad experiences (I’ve had those and they can be like living a nightmare that you cannot wake up from). But, it also gave me some interesting experiences, like the confusion of senses. Truly smelling colors was a weird one, one that I remember very vividly. Other than that, it’s lots of fireworks for the mind.
- deleted 6y ago[deleted]
- alchemism 6y agoYes, from micro- to macro- There’s something interesting to be found around ~1200mics but it’s -definitely- not something for the inexperienced to try.
- w33n1s 6y agoThe most interesting thing that happened to me was that I looked at my hands — they were my hands but I was seeing them as they appeared when I was a kid. Hard to explain. But I was looking right at them with my own eyes and seeing my hands as I remember them from around 4 years old. I realized how much of my perception is filtered through memories and preconception, rather than just raw visuals from my eyes.