lsd trip anstrengend

How to take LSD (Acid)

Learn how to take lsd. did you know that it's possible to avoid most 'bad' trips, how to take lsd (acid): a tripsafe guide 👽.

Thank you to Matthew Johnson, Bill Richards, and Roland Griffiths, for all of their scientific research on these subjects.

Look before you leap trip.

Emphasizing safety is important.

These guidelines are designed to maximize the chance of lasting positive benefits, and to minimize the chance of any challenging or “bad” trips.

Remember, no drug use is perfectly safe. But you can take LSD in a safer manner if you’re going to use it anyway.

This content has been created strictly for harm reduction purposes, and you should note that the only way to be perfectly safe using LSD is to not take it at all. The same is true with alcohol, skydiving, and sex - the only way to be perfectly safe in these activities is to not do them.

LSD is not risk-free and is illegal. If you’re going to take LSD, trip safe. 👽

“It is highly advised to approach this very potent, unpredictable, long-lasting hallucinogenic substance with the proper amount of precaution and harm reduction practices if choosing to use it.” - PsychonautWiki

What had been clear to Hofmann almost immediately had by this time been observed independently by Osmond and a host of others: for LSD to have the greatest positive effect, subjects needed to take it in a safe, supportive, and aesthetically pleasing environment with a clear idea of what to expect. When difficult issues arose-as they often did-the safe setting and supportive presence of a therapist would allow the subject to process this emotional dynamite, defuse it, and transcend it. 1 “taking very high doses of LSD under very uncontrolled conditions … really is a crapshoot” 2

Tim Ferriss: “I would not recommend that anyone touch psychedelics without professional supervision. There are legal ramifications to consider. I would take it as seriously as you would choosing a neurosurgeon to remove a tumor.”

🙋 Safe use is important to avoid adverse reactions

These safe use guidelines are based off research into the clinical and research use of psychedelics.

“Persisting adverse reactions are rare when research is conducted along these guidelines. Incautious research may jeopardize participant safety and future research.” 3

Psychedelic retreats

While not LSD, magic mushrooms are decently similar in effects and therapeutic potential to LSD.

It is our understanding that magic truffles are legal in the Netherlands, and in Jamaica magic mushrooms are either outright legal or the laws don’t seem to be enforced .

You can find a list of legal psychedelic retreats and legal psychedelic therapy providers on TripSafe here.

☑️ Safer and more enjoyable usage checklist

👨‍⚕️ 1. I have no LSD-dangerous health conditions
💉 2. I'm not taking medicines that may interact with LSD
⚖ 3. I will start with 30-70 micrograms if I want to maximize positive long-term benefits
💯 4. I have purchased an Ehrlich's reagent test kit, or I at least have reviews of my LSD's purity
😇 5. I have a trusted, experienced, sober guide who is willing to prepare fully and be with me for 16 hours
🏠 6. I'll take it in a safe, pleasant, and familiar environment
😄 7. I'm going to wait until I'm in a good mindset and have been for a few weeks
📝 8. I've read the "prepare yourself" section
🕶 9. I have an eyeshade and headphones
🙏 10. I deeply understand why psychedelics should be treated with respect
🗓 11. I won't trip again until I feel I'm fully re-adjusted to regular life after my previous trip

Many LSD users are instead seeking to optimize fun instead of lasting positive benefits and safety, in which case some of these guidelines may not apply. For example, if optimizing more for fun and less for safety, a user may prefer not to use a blindfold and headphones, and may choose to drop acid at a festival or in nature instead of in a safe home environment.

We believe the most important tips that should be followed by everyone regardless of their purpose for taking LSD are:

Avoid with certain health conditions
Avoid drugs that interact with LSD
Have a trusted, sober guide who is experienced in supporting psychedelic sessions
Respect psychedelics
Test your LSD

🚫 Risks to avoid

Serious risks:

Death or injurity due to ingesting fake LSD (i.e. not pure LSD). 4
Doing something unsafe while on the drug. Users may not have their regular common sense about them, and may cause minor or serious harm to themselves or others. 5
Psychotic episodes if you have a pre-disposition to mental illness 3

These risks can be reduced to near zero with proper precautions.

It’s also preferrable and possible to reduce the risk of having a bad trip.

What correlates with having a bad trip?

Higher doses
Being in a bad emotional state before taking psychedelics
Being in an uncomfortable setting
Not having social support during the session
Not having a sitter during the session 6

👨‍⚕️ 1. Avoid with certain health conditions

⛑ Helps avoid serious risks.

Avoid if you have any of these contraindicated conditions:

“Thorough psychiatric interviews (e.g. SCID; First, et al., 2001) should be conducted to identify contraindicated psychological functioning or history.”
And don’t have a schizoid personality
High scores on the personality traits of rigidity and emotional lability (Emotional lability is a disorder characterized by involuntary emotional displays of mood that are overly frequent and excessive, often the result of various neuropathologies) 3

You should have:

Good general health, not pregnant 3
“in our studies of psilocybin to date, volunteers have been excluded if resting blood pressure exceeded 140 systolic and 90 diastolic (mmHg), averaged across four assessments on at least two separate days.”

💉 2. Avoid drugs that interact with psychedelics

You should:

Not be using tricyclic antidepressants or lithium, SSRIs, haloperidol, or MAOIs (some of these increase psychedelic effects, some of them reduce effects). 3
Not be using 5-HTP, St John’s Wort or any other supplements that “may affect serotonergic function” 3
Do not consume cannabis or dronabinol for at least 24 h before a session. 3
Not be using Ritonavir/Indinavir 7

Tricyclic antidepressants include: Amitriptyline, Anafranil, Asendin, Aventyl, Elavil, Endep, Norfranil, Norpramin, Pamelor, Sinequan, Surmontil, Tipramine, Tofranil, Vivactil.

SSRIs are not reported to cause a dangerous interaction, though they are reported to substantially decrease the effects of LSD.

Some users choose to consume cannabis while on LSD. Research recommends against this for anyone seeking to minimize risks and anxiety while tripping. 3

⚖️ 3. Use a safe dosage and start with 30-40 micrograms

⛑ Helps avoid serious risks and 😁 helps maximize positivity.

Start small

Griffiths et al. found that starting with small doses and increasing over time with the subsequent sessions (at “1-month intervals”) generally produced greater persisting positive effects. 8

You’re more likely to benefit from psychedelics in clinical settings when starting first with low doses. “The researchers also found that participants who received lower psilocybin doses before the higher doses were more likely to have long-lasting positive changes in attitudes, behavior, and remembered mystical-type experiences than those who received the highest dose first.” Following the researcher’s protocol would approximately involve doing a 30-40 microgram trip first, then a 60-80 microgram before anything larger, then a 120-140 microgram before anything larger, then either stopping there (this was the dosage that resulted in the highest increase in well-being) or doing a 170-240 microgram trip. 9 8

With acid, start first with 30-40 micrograms. 10 8

You may then increase to a maximum of 60-80 (67) micrograms, then a maximum of 120-140 (133) micrograms, and then a maximum of 170-240 (200) micrograms. 10 8

If you’re particularly eager, you can skip the smallest dose and jump to ~67 micrograms first.

Why bother starting slowly? Clinical research indicates you’re more likely to experience lasting benefits if you start low, instead of starting high.

At a dosage of 200 micrograms of LSD 10 in a therapeutic clinical environment, we might expect 86% of people to experience some extreme fear, 8 for an LSD-adjusted (increase time to account for longer trip with LSD vs psilocybin) average of around ~22 minutes of strong anxiety 11 , and we might expect around ~65% to report a persisting positive increase in mood from this dosage assuming they had first tried 35 micrograms, then 67, then 133, then 200 8
At a dosage of 133 micrograms 10 in a therapeutic clinical environment, we might expect 14% of people to experience some extreme fear, 8 for an LSD-adjusted average of around ~4 minutes of strong anxiety 11 , and we might expect around ~60% to report a persisting positive increase in mood from this dosage assuming they had first tried 35 micrograms, then 67, then 133 8
At a dosage of 67 micrograms 10 in a therapeutic clinical environment, we might expect 0% of people to experience some extreme fear, 8 for an LSD-adjusted average of around ~2 minutes of strong anxiety 11 , and we might expect around ~45% to report a persisting positive increase in mood from this dosage assuming they had first tried 35 micrograms, then 67 8

Ensure high confidence in your dosage

Anecdotal reports suggest that dosage per tab is much easier to assess for LSD acquired online, and that acquired acquired offline varies wildly in how accurate what you’re told the dosage is vs what the dosage really is.

LSD purchased online is often substantially stronger per tab than if purchased offline / on the street, as suggested by anecdotal reports of users who had previously taken two tabs of “street LSD,” and then tried one tab of LSD purchased online and found the effects of one tab to be substantially stronger than their previous two tabs of street LSD.

You should re-assess your dosage and start at a low dosage again every time you get LSD from a new source.

Does dosage vary by weight?

It doesn’t seem like dose should vary by weight, at least not much. This is possibly because people who weigh more have more serotonin receptors and therefore don’t need a larger dose to account for increased weight. Though more research is needed. 12

How can I convert between LSD (acid) and shrooms dosages?

See TripSafe’s LSD to Shrooms dosage converter.

To approximately convert from LSD to shrooms: LSD dosage in micrograms * 0.024 = shrooms dosage in grams. 6 10

e.g. 100 micrograms of LSD * 0.024 = 2.4 (grams of dried shrooms)

This uses 6.25mg of psilocybin per gram of dried mushrooms 6 and 1.5 micrograms of LSD being roughly equivalent to 225 micrograms of psilocybin. 10

This is a rough approximation for many reasons, including that mushroom potency can be quite varied.

💯 4. Buy a test kit to ensure your LSD is not fake

If you’re not certain that it’s real LSD, it’s absolutely not worth taking it given the physical and mental risks that other common “fake acid” substances may possess.

Unfortunately, other substances are sometimes sold as LSD (acid). Of particular concern is NBOMe which unlike LSD, does not have low physiological toxicity, and sadly NBOMe has been involved in a few deaths in the last few years. 4

All of TripSafe’s information and recommendations assume pure acid containing 100% LSD.

Recommended LSD test kits

The most important test kit for LSD is the Ehrlich reagent.

Read about the best LSD test kits.

Shrooms may be safer than LSD

The risk of getting a dangerous counterfeit substance is dramatically lower with shrooms.

Shrooms also last for ~6 hours all up as opposed to ~12-18 hours, which is can be easier on the user and increases the chance you will be able to find a willing trip sitter. Trip sitters strongly increase safety and can also increase enjoyment by helping significantly shorten the duration of any anxiety.

For inexperienced users, the effects of LSD and shrooms are roughly the same, with the exception of a higher “body load” (feeling of heaviness) on shrooms. It is easy to find 100 reports online saying that shrooms are better or easier, just as it is easy to find 100 reports online saying that LSD or easier.

Dosage has a much greater impact on effects than substance does - 100 micrograms of LSD is roughly equivalent to 2.4g of shrooms, and 100 micrograms of LSD will feel more similar to 2.4g of shrooms than it would feel to 300 micrograms of LSD.

Backup testing methods (not recommended)

“if it’s bitter, it’s a spitter”.

If your LSD has an extremely bitter taste and/or numbs your mouth after a few minutes, spit it out. Anecdotal reports suggest extreme bitterness indicates the presence of some NBOMe. This is not a great method, as it is both unreliable and can be an anxiety inducing way to begin an acid trip.

Blotter and/or ink may taste slightly bitter, so this method is not flawless (anecdotal reports).

Additionally, some DOx chemicals are orally active and will still have effects when swallowed. 13

“NBOMes were initially thought to be orally inactive, meaning they wouldn’t work if swallowed. However, this is not the case for all NBOMes per se; certain NBOMe salts do have an observed oral bioavailability, with little known about the oral bioavailability of NBOMes in their freebase form. Therefore, when a substance might be an NBOMe, discard the blotter entirely rather than swallowing it, if you do not wish to risk being under the influence of an NBOMe.” 14

If you aren’t willing to use a test kit but do have access to a UV/black light, following this guide is better than nothing. A test kit is certainly better, as this method is not foolproof: some paper glows under UV light regardless, and long exposure to UV will destroy LSD.

😇 5. Have a trusted, sober guide who is experienced in supporting psychedelic sessions

In research on bad/challenging trips with psilocybin, “only 2.7% [of the people reporting a bad trip] had a trusted and sober guide present who was experienced in supporting psychedelic sessions.” 6

“It is difficult to overemphasize the importance of the interpersonal atmosphere created by study staff in influencing a volunteer’s response to a hallucinogen.” 3

Anecdotal evidence suggests that having a sitter that is not familiar with descriptions of altered states of consciousness can lead to unpleasant experiences.

Your guide/sitter: 3

My sitter is "knowledgeable about the medical and psychological markers of potential adverse reactions to the drug"
My sitter has significant people skills
My sitter is "familiar with descriptions of altered states of consciousness induced by hallucinogens," even better if they have personal experience with meditation, holotropic breathing, yoga or psychedelics
My sitter has strong "clinical sensitivity (e.g., empathy, respect)"
I feel comfortable expressing all thoughts and aspects of myself (sorrow, my embarassments, etc) to my sitter
My sitter is comfortably available to sit silently if needed for ~16-18 hours
My sitter has read and understands this page on safety guidelines for psychedelics

🏠 6. Trip in a 100% safe, pleasing and familiar environment

A pleasant environment may reduce the chance of bad feelings while tripping. 3

Your environment psychedelic-prep checklist:

🤕 “Any potentially dangerous objects (e.g., furniture with sharp corners; glass lamps) should be avoided.” 3
🖼 No windows that could be exited “if in a delusional state” 3
🏡 You’re 100% familiar with the environment (you’ve spent at least a few hours there on a different day) 3
Clean your space the night before, anecdotal reports suggest clutter and dirt can be uncomfortable while tripping
Have zero responsibilities on the day of the experience
Avoid any potentially dangerous environments
Avoid unpleasant things or people
Seek a private environment

A non-house environment increases the chance of something unexpected happening. Unexpected things can be hard to deal with on psychedelics. Please wait until you at least have a few experiences at the given dosage level before doing things like tripping in very public environments.

😄 7. Wait until you’re in a good mindset

Your trip will likely be easier and more enjoyable if you’re in a good mindstate both on the day, and have been in a good mindset in general in the previous few weeks.

While you’re on psychedelics, you’ll need to give up control and the desire to understand everything that is happening to you.

“Whenever in doubt, turn off your mind, relax, float downstream.”

People are more likely to have challenging experiences (“bad” trips) if they have:

“Excessive initial apprehension” 15
“Rigid but brittle defensive structures” 15
“Considerable subsurface guilt and conflict” 15
“People who find that the implications posed by the LSD experience are contrary to their basic philosophies become dysphoric,” with examples provided including: people who take LSD to prove that it has no value as a psychiatric tool, or a Zen Buddhist who takes LSD to prove that it does not match the transcendent state achieved through meditation
“Those whose major defense is paranoid projection”

📝 8. Prepare yourself

😁 Helps maximize positivity.

Optional but encouraged, buy and read The Psychedelic Explorer’s Guide by Fadiman. If you aren’t convinced, listen to this podcast episode with Fadiman and author Tim Ferriss first.
“A detailed discussion concerning the range of possible hallucinogen effects will enhance safety by psychologically preparing the participant for the unique and often intense effects of a hallucinogen” 3
“The major categories of potential psychological experiences during hallucinogen action should be discussed with the participant. The range of subjective experience under hallucinogens can be remarkably broad (Blewett and Chwelos, 1959; Richards, 1980; Masters and Houston, 1966; Strassman, 2001; Nichols, 2004; Stolaroff, 2004). This range of experiences includes perceptual changes, such as visual illusions, intensification of colours, proprioceptive changes (e.g. one’s body may feel gigantic or tiny), and synesthesia (e.g. seeing sounds or hearing colours). Another type of possible experience is the alteration of emotions, such that emotions of either a positive or negative nature may be greatly intensified, yielding experiences that may range from euphoria to despair. Another category of possible effects involves changes in the sense of time and space. At the extremes, time and/or space may be experienced as infinite or nonexistent. Other experiences may include thoughts, feelings or insights concerning one’s personal history (e.g. revisiting childhood memories) or current life circumstances (e.g. relations with loved ones), highly symbolic experiences (e.g. involving religious symbols, animals, etc.), and experiences described by some to be of a mystical or spiritual nature. Importantly, it should be emphasized that these experiences may consist of much more than the participant subjectively observing internal and external events. Rather, the effects may involve a profound change in one’s sense of self, such that one feels as if he or she is merging into the surrounding environment or the entire universe (Schultes, et al., 2001). The individual may temporarily experience a complete loss of subjective self-identity, a phenomenon sometimes referred to as ‘ego loss’ or ‘ego death’ (e.g. Leary, et al., 1964; Grof and Halifax, 1977; Grof, 1980).” 3
You do not need to read trip reports. “In the Johns Hopkins studies, we have not encouraged participants to read the diverse and widely varying published accounts of hallucinogen effects as part of their preparation, because this may introduce compelling idiosyncratic expectations.” 3
“Whether the disturbance consists of frightening illusions or internal imagery, difficult thoughts and feelings about some past or present personal issue, or anxiety related to a radical change in sense of self (e.g. temporary loss of self-identity), the volunteer is encouraged to mentally surrender to the experience, trusting that her or his usual state of consciousness will return when the drug effects resolve (Blewett and Chwelos, 1959; Masters and Houston, 1966; McCabe, 1977). For example, if the participant experiences disturbing internal imagery of a demon or monster, he or she is encouraged to mentally approach the figure and interact with it (e.g. imagine asking the figure why it has appeared), rather than attempt to flee from the disturbing imagery. The participant should be alerted that sometimes people experience extremely convincing sensations of dissolving, melting, exploding and so forth, and that the best way to deal with all such situations is to surrender to the experience, subjectively allowing oneself to dissolve, melt or explode. Similar advice applies to physical symptoms such as nausea; for example, participants may be encouraged to ‘dive in’ to their stomachs, which may alleviate the nausea, as it has been suggested anecdotally that nausea and other somatic discomforts may in part be of a psychosomatic nature (Blewett and Chwelos, 1959; Masters and Houston, 1966).” 3
Know that it can take around two hours to reach peak effects on acid after ingestion, and that it’s not entirely uncommon for the effects to last for ~16-18 hours, and for you to feel somewhat different for the next two days 3 16
Know that “there is a relatively small risk of adverse effects that last for hours to days after the hallucinogen session. These include mood disorders (such as depression), psychotic disorders and anxiety disorders. It should also state that there are rare reports in which hallucinogen exposure appears to cause, accelerate or precipitate the onset of significant or lasting psychiatric illnesses such as psychoses and intermittent or persisting visual perceptual abnormalities (‘flashbacks’, HPPD).” 3
Know the “various potential physical sensations, such as nausea or heightened awareness of physiological processes, such as breathing and heartbeat,” and you “are encouraged to trust that their bodies will continue to function properly regardless of such sensations, and that these bodily processes will continue without the volunteers’ volitional control.” 3
Build “rapport and trust” with your future sitter, “which we believe helps minimize the risk of fear or anxiety reactions during the hallucinogen session.” 3
Make a 16 hour music playlist. Some psychedelic music ideas here , here and here .
An LSD user: “Spend an hour or two in nature the day before. I prefer to be alone and contemplate my intentions: why am I taking LSD? Do I want to reconnect to my artistic side? Do I want to explore the meaning of life? Do I want to slow down and just be in the moment? Do I want to watch Electric Sheep visualizers and play with glow sticks? These are very different than expectations, of which I’d suggest having none. Detailed plans tend to cause me stress. I once packed a backpack for three days before a trip, going as far as to draw a cross-section diagram to locate everything while peaking. I was fucking ready. Then I ate the acid and ended up watching ladybugs and grasshoppers and the clouds for a good four hours. I never even opened the bag. Intentions are good. Expectations are bad.”

🎧 9. Optional: Wear eyeshades and headphones

Eyeshades and headphones can make it safer. “The employment of eyeshades and headphones (through which supportive music is played) may contribute to safety by reducing the distractions of environmental stimuli and social pressures to verbally interact with research personnel. This may be especially important for volunteers who are experiencing the effects of a hallucinogen for the first time.” 3

“Typically, we have kept eyeshades and headphones in place for most of the session. In the latter hours of the session some time is spent with the volunteer sitting on the couch, interacting without eyeshades and headphones, although music may still be played through speakers to provide nonverbal structure and continuity.” 3

🙏 10. Respect psychedelics

Have an appreciation for how powerful the psychological effects of psychedelics can be. 3

Don’t trip again until you’ve completely integrated your previous trip into your life.

“People can have these experiences and get puffed up about them, rather than approaching them with humility,” Bogenschutz said. “They can become more grandiose and think they have special knowledge and wisdom.” 2

🗓 11. Don’t trip again until you feel your previous trip has been fully integrated into your normal life

Integration involves taking your experience and trying to get positive benefits from it in your daily life.

Make no major decisions until at least a day or two, perhaps a little longer. 15

More followup care should be given to those who consumed 150 micrograms or more. 15

If needed, check out this list of psychedelic integration service offerings .

There are some supplements that may help you further reduce the risk of a bad trip. See supplements for psychedelics like LSD and shrooms.

📅 Follow these tips for the day of your trip

You should give your phone to the sitter 3
No driving for the remainder of the day once you ingest the substance 3
Treat psychedelics as a two day experience. So if you’re dropping acid, try and do it when there is a holiday the day after, or do it on a Saturday so you can rest on Sunday.
Get 8+ hours of sleep the night before and the night after.
Make sure you have zero responsibilities for the day (and ideally the day after, too, and even better if also true for the day before or at least a few hours the day before to prepare and set intentions)
Get some light food, perhaps some fruit and a kombucha
Eat a good and healthy meal 1-2 hrs before you trip (perhaps some eggs or oatmeal), as you will not have much of an appetite while tripping
Consider buying/finding a candle, “family photographs, a mirror, artistic objects, flowers, and other beautiful natural or manmade objects” to have available to look at while tripping
If you normally drink coffee in the morning, consider having a cup of caffeinated tea instead (will have slightly less caffeine, and also adds L-theanine should moderate some of the caffeine induced stimulation 17 )
Lean into the discomfort. (Alternatively: “Whenever in doubt, turn off your mind, relax, float downstream.”)
Cool things to play with: eutow , and this fluid simulator

What are the best activities for an LSD trip?

Enjoying nature
Hanging out with friends
Introspection
Looking at lit candles, “family photographs, a mirror, artistic objects, flowers, and other beautiful natural or manmade objects”

What if I’m concerned about my own use or a loved one’s use of LSD?

Please read this free guide: the 20 minute guide . It’s for parents, but it applies to friends, etc. There’s also a separate version for romantic partners.

Alternatively, there’s a full book version of the same guide called “Beyond Addiction” which is excellent, or you can buy the PDF of the 20 minute guide.

If you prefer video content and have access to HBO, please watch the HBO Documentary ‘Addiction.’

Please start with the above resources, even if you’re ready for treatment.

What about taking higher doses?

This advice seems pretty helpful for taking high doses on this reddit thread .

The Trip Sitter Guide

Read the psychedelic trip sitter guide.

And see how to help someone having a bad trip on LSD/shrooms.

Psychedelic Therapy

Want to learn about the therapeutic use of psychedelics including shrooms and LSD? See our page on psychedelic therapy.

Read these next

“In a study of nearly a hundred people who took a psychedelic, guided as outlined in this manual, seventy-eight percent reported, “It was the greatest experience of my life.” This response was true even for those people who had taken a psychedelic many times before.” Read the EntheoGuide

How to take Shrooms

LSD to Shrooms Dosage Converter

Book: Acid Test [return]
Book: Changing Our Minds [return]
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3056407/ [return]
https://erowid.org/chemicals/2ci_nbome/2ci_nbome_death.shtml [return]
https://erowid.org/chemicals/lsd/lsd_death.shtml [return]
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27578767 [return]
https://erowid.org/chemicals/lsd/lsd_interactions.shtml [return]
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3308357/ [return]
https://web.archive.org/web/20180321202640/http://www.csp.org/psilocybin/PressRelease201106.pdf [return]
https://books.google.com/books?id=IzGYBAAAQBAJ&pg=PT2219&lpg=PT2219&source=bl&ots=ReA7Jh7m0V&sig=S7Z_j70OS7__5BmvYArlyLlYhi4&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjaiLaVwt7TAhUmi1QKHWuhAoYQ6AEIQjAD#v=onepage&q&f=false [return]
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3308357/table/T1/ [return]
https://youtu.be/RBCZZpIT-3o?t=14m12s [return]
https://psychonautwiki.org/wiki/DOM [return]
https://wiki.tripsit.me/wiki/NBOMes [return]
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/13811003 , PDF [return]
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The LSD Comedown: Navigating the After Effects of Acid

The afterglow of a powerful lsd journey can set the stage for significant personal change—but how long does it last.

Article by console.log(""); console.log("author name"); console.log(""); Calvin Hughes .author-bio * {display: unset !important;} Published on November 16, 2021 Updated November 23, 2021

No psychedelic holds the kind of cultural capital that LSD does. Most everyone has some conception of what LSD, or lysergic acid diethylamide, is. The visual hallucinations and day-long psychedelic trips it produces, alongside its prominent position in the 60’s counterculture movement, are lodged deep into the shared imagination.

But much less talked about is what it feels like after an LSD trip. If all you know about LSD is what will happen while you’re actively tripping, you’re missing the last half of the story: the LSD comedown, otherwise known as the way you’ll feel following your trip. While the comedown is likely to only last a couple of hours, the after-effects of LSD can be felt for weeks following your trip. And perhaps the most important part of any LSD trip happens well after the psychedelic effects have worn off: integration. Integration is the process of figuring out how to best use what you learned during your experience in your day-to-day life.

So, before you set out on your journey, be sure to check out our guide on what to do once you get back home. Learn from Sara Gael, a harms reduction officer with Zendo Project, about what can come up during a comedown. We’ll also share some best practices for integrating those experiences.

What’s the LSD Comedown Like?

Just like your Acid trip, the comedown is going to be different for everyone. However, there are a few common ways your LSD comedown will go over. During the comedown, you will continue to feel the effects of LSD (visual distortions, etc.) however they may be much less vivid as the experience winds to a close. You will begin to feel more present and your ability to focus on tasks will return.

Fatigue is common as the active effects of the trip begin to fade. LSD trips can last all day, and it can be hard to rest while on a psychedelic journey. That’s not to mention that sleeping is nearly impossible while you’re still high.

A dip in your mood is common during the LSD comedown as well, explains Gael. In addition to Zendo Project, Gael is a therapist with the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) clinical trials in MDMA -assisted psychotherapy. An LSD trip can be deeply profound and emotional, coming out of that state may lead to lowered moods.

How to Grow Shrooms Bundle

Take both of our courses and save $90.

“[LSD] comedowns can sometimes be challenging as we may feel less connected to some of the clarity and awareness that LSD and other psychedelics may bring about,” Gael tells DoubleBlind . This isn’t always the case, though, says Gael. Your comedown will be “greatly informed and influenced by the actual psychedelic experience itself.” So, generally speaking, less challenging trips mean easier comedowns and vice versa.

“Sometimes, the experience of coming down can include more positive emotions such as feelings of lightness or peace, or a sense of a weight being lifted.” And, as with the LSD trip itself, set and setting can play a big role in how you feel while coming down.

The After Effects of LSD

While your LSD trip is liable to be a bold experience filled with shifting emotions and visual hallucinations the after-effects are much gentler. Many psychonauts will go through an ‘afterglow’ period following their trip. The LSD comedown typically lasts a week or two following your trip. During this time, you may experience elevated mood and energy levels. You may feel more compassionate, and less affected by things that would normally cause you stress.

These soothing afterglow effects are part of the reason why microdosing LSD has become popular. As microdosing evangelists tell it, taking small amounts of LSD every few days may give you all the afterglow benefits without the full day acid trip. Further, the afterglow isn’t exclusive to LSD. Most psychedelic trips are followed up by an afterglow. Mushrooms and ayahuasca also offer a similar afterglow experience.

HPPD from Acid

The positive effects of the LSD afterglow are what you’re most likely to experience post-trip. But that doesn’t mean negative side effects can’t arise, too. The after-effect people are often most concerned about when taking LSD is Hallucinogen Persisting Perception Disorder or HPPD. Sometimes referred to as acid flashbacks, HPPD is a little understood and rare outcome of psychedelic use.

Essentially, sufferers of HPPD may experience visual distortions at random, long after their last dosage of LSD. These visual distortions are similar to the hallucinations you might see while actively tripping. Objects may shift in size or appear smeared or fuzzy, unexpected flashes of color and trails of light may appear. They can appear randomly at any time following a trip, and even after considerable time has passed since your last psychedelic experience. And while HPPD can be uncomfortable for those who suffer from it, it’s not a common outcome of LSD use.

Just how uncommon? Although current research on HPPD is limited, the Drug Policy Alliance , a non-profit organization that advocates for a harm reduction approach to drug policy, offers some guidance. A person’s risk of developing long-term side effects after taking LSD may depend largely on whether or not they have pre-existing mental health concerns. “Long-term physical effects directly attributed to the pharmacology of LSD are rare, and research suggests they may also be due to latent psychological disorders,” they write in their factsheet on LSD .

What to Expect the First Day After Acid

No two people—and no two trips—are the same. How you feel the first day after acid depends on a number of factors, including what you’ve eaten, how much sleep you’ve had, and whether or not you’ve mixed substances. The quality of the LSD you’ve taken can also influence how you feel the next day; the illicit nature of the substance means that it’s difficult to tell what you’ve actually taken. Nevertheless, there are several common side effects that occur the day after LSD.

Fatigue is one of the most common side effects the first day after taking acid. An LSD trip is an intensive experience. Between the amount of energy it demands, and the lack of sleep you’re likely to experience, the day after is going to be a little groggy. Rest and recovery are very important as you come back into your daily life and exit the LSD comedown period.

The exact state of your mood following an LSD trip will vary from person to person. it’s common to experience some low points. This can range from mild anxiety or sadness to depressive episodes. Keep in mind that your mood is associated with your energy levels. Once you get some rest (and enter that afterglow phase) your mood is likely to swing back up. However, if you continue to experience depression or other low mood symptoms for more than a day or two following your LSD trip speak to a mental health professional.

Confusion About Your Experience

LSD trips aren’t always easy to navigate. Following any psychedelic adventure, you may experience what Gael calls the “contrast between the expanded state experience and our regular, day-to-day reality.” This contrast can be confusing, jarring, and difficult to navigate, and is one of the key reasons why integration—taking the time to process the LSD experience after it’s over—is so important.

Changes In Your Outlook

Alongside the confusion (or maybe, part of what is confusing) will be a possible change in outlook. Psychedelic experiences can temporarily or permanently alter the way you think or perceive things in your life. You may have heard this effect referred to as expanded consciousness or something similar.

“LSD and other psychedelics can cause an experience of expansion, where new insights and awareness are gained,” says Gael. She likens psychedelic expansion to the way many other life events might change your outlook. “Just as with the birth of a baby, the passing of the seasons, or the growth of many things in nature, expansion, and contraction are normal parts of the human experience.”

You may have noticed Gael also mentions contraction can happen as well. While we often credit LSD and psychedelics for opening us up to new perceptions and ideas, they can also narrow your focus. Perhaps this means letting go of anxieties you had previously focused on or helping you home in on the aspects of your life that are truly important.

Recovery During An Acid Comedown

All acid trips are different. As the Drug Policy Alliance writes, “Because set and setting vary so widely from person to person, and even from experience to experience, each LSD experience can produce vastly different outcomes–from frightening to deeply meaningful and positive life-changing experiences (though some parts may still be overwhelming or psychologically jarring).”

As such, it is important to yourself time to recover after an LSD experience. Gael recommends planning for “a day of rest” after your trip. Try to keep your schedule clear, and make sure you don’t have anything too taxing to do on your recovery day. Instead of running errands or heading back to work she suggests doing something more relaxing and a little zen. “Spending time in nature, journaling, or reading can be helpful ways to spend your day.”

Integrating During the LSD Comedown

Some may say that the real journey begins after the LSD trip ends—how do you make sense of the experience after its over? Everyone experiments with LSD for different reasons. Yet, taking time to reflect on your psychedelic journey can help you process and integrate any learnings that the experience provides.

“Integration involves a period of time after a journey where someone is working to take the lessons and teaching they may have received from the experience and apply them to their everyday life,” explains Gael.

Oftentimes, solo activities such as journaling, artistic creation, and meditation are recommended as cornerstones of a strong integration practice. However, this doesn’t mean you need to do integration alone (or that your specific integration can’t look different ). Connecting with loved ones and your community are also helpful in integrating an LSD experience. And sometimes you may need to reach out to an expert for help, says Gael.

“If you are struggling to integrate a psychedelic experience, a good resource for finding professional therapists who can assist you in integrating your journey is the integration practitioner resource found at psychedelic.support .”

It’s also important not to force things to move to quickly. Take the time you need to fully integrate your psychedelic experiences, and try not to make any big life changes too soon.

“It can be tempting to make big decisions after a psychedelic journey,” says Gael. “It is advisable to not make big life decisions in the days and weeks directly after an experience. It is best to take some time to integrate before making major life decisions.”

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What to Expect On Your Next LSD Trip

Picture yourself in a boat on a river…

You don’t exactly remember how or when you got there, but you know you went willingly.

The skies, suddenly marmalade, gave no warning about their transformation. Millions of sounds come to you sharp and vivid. And there you float, right in the middle of it.

Are you ready to hop into the boat? Maybe it’s your first time, or maybe you are an experienced tripper who wants to get their mind straight before embarking again. In any case, here’s what to expect on your date with Lucy.

THE TWO SIDES OF THE TAB

Before taking LSD , you should know a couple of things.

The first is to know and understand the nature of a psychedelic. Psychedelics take over your brain, and LSD is a potent psychedelic. There will be some funny business going on inside your skull. You need to be prepared to see, hear, and believe things that you didn’t expect.

Second, despite the psychedelic nature, preventative measures against uncomfortable effects are possible. Taking LSD doesn’t mean you are helpless and completely at the whim of the substance. It shouldn’t frighten you. With a little bit of preparation and awareness , you will significantly improve your chances at a positive, enjoyable trip.

Interested in a legal psychedelic experience in Amsterdam? Click here for more details.

SIDE EFFECTS AND SAFETY OF LSD

Some effects of LSD are benign and even enjoyable. Visual distortions, hallucinations, and altered emotion and cognition are common. Other side effects are less enjoyable, and potentially harmful– an increased heart rate and body temperature, anxiety, nausea, and psychosis are all possible after taking LSD.

Despite how powerful LSD is, much of that power comes from the subjective experience of the trip. In terms of physical toxicity and potential danger, LSD is relatively safe. There have only been a handful of deaths reported from LSD intoxication , and they are usually at doses many, many times higher than normal recreational amounts.

As long as you take measured, responsible doses, have a reliable source, and space out your trips, LSD should have few or no harmful or negative side effects.

You want to trip with good company. Now, there’s an important distinction to make here: good company doesn’t necessarily mean close friends. There are some close friends of mine that I wouldn’t want to trip with, simply due to the nature of their personality and energy. It doesn’t mean they are horrible people. However, some people possess traits that are more acid-compatible.

If you’re tripping in a group, and are unsure about your compatibility with the other members, you should look for these types of people. From my experience, you want to trip with someone stable, calm, and aware. Those who handle confusion and uncertainty well are usually the best at dealing with LSD.

It’s a big plus if you don’t mind speaking nonsense with them, and even better if you can hold periods of silence with each other. While tripping, there’s a good chance you will find yourself engaged in a captivating conversation, only to realize midway through that you have no clue what you are trying to say.

There is also the option of tripping with a guide or shaman. If it is your first time, you feel very nervous, and a guide or shaman is available, I would recommend it. Just make sure they are experienced and trustworthy. I would avoid tripping in a group without any active “babysitter.” A group of people all on LSD are susceptible to the quick and uncontrolled spread of negative emotions.

“You want to trip with good company… and good company doesn’t necessarily mean close friends.”

ENVIRONMENT

Trip somewhere where you will feel comfortable. Different elements contribute to comfort. Beauty is a big one. Every time I’ve been in an ugly place, it has deeply bothered me. A dirty, unkempt, or uninspired place is more likely to influence your trip negatively. LSD often enhances your perception of things, not just through your senses, but through your emotions and feelings. So somewhere that usually doesn’t bother you much may have a surprisingly strong effect on your emotions while on LSD. Take this into account when you are planning your trip.

Nature is the gold standard. A house where you feel comfortable is good, too. But noisy places, with cars zooming by or lots of people walking around, has a good chance of turning things sour. You may suddenly feel paranoid or agitated by the presence of strangers. Even if you are comfortable with large crowds, the distractions often take away from your ability to meditate upon deeper insights during and after the trip.

Feeling secure is vital when setting up an enjoyable trip.

Your emotions will be volatile and unpredictable. If you don’t know where you are, if you feel unsafe, or if some unwelcome situation from home or work comes up, your confusion and uncertainty will blindside you. LSD can make your emotions tough to manage.

So get your affairs straight before embarking on an LSD trip. Have a plan. Put some thought into it. You don’t need to schedule your activities minute by minute. You won’t stick to a schedule anyways. Just keep yourself away from situations that are unnecessarily stressful or dangerous. In a way, you want to carve out an isolated environment for yourself, untainted by the ongoing stresses of daily life. Finally, turn off your phone.

Click here to learn everything you need to know about LSD

FOOD, DRINK, AND OTHER PREPARATIONS; DO’S AND DONT’S

It is common to lose your appetite for the duration of the LSD trip, which can last up to 12 hours. It’s smart to eat beforehand and to drink water before, during, and after. I’ve found that I start to get hungry during the tail end of the trip, and love to grab a big meal to enjoy while still feeling the effects. Junk food is appalling, smoothies have been disappointing, and Indian food is my reigning favorite.

I also love to trip around a fire, so I always try to trip where open fires are allowed. Camping by the beach is the perfect situation for me. You can have a swim in the ocean, enjoy plenty of open space, and at night, get a clear view of the stars. Just make sure to have enough clothes and blankets if you are going to camp or trip outside during the evening.

Finally, some do’s and dont’s to consider when taking LSD:

Stay hydrated. It’s fine and expected to not eat much after taking LSD, but LSD can raise your body temperature and you may not realize how much you are sweating. It’s never a bad idea to carry some water with you and remind yourself to drink.
Have supplies. Stay stocked with any snacks, beverages, smokes, or miscellaneous consumables that you might want while using LSD. The substance can make you fidgety and want some ambiguous thing, so don’t leave your future self hanging.
Drive or operate heavy machinery after taking LSD. Don’t expect to be able to pull this off, and don’t put yourself and others at risk. Even if you drop it immediately and take a quick drive somewhere, you never know how quickly the substance might take effect. A simple trick for how long to wait– since LSD lasts for up to 12 hours, just wait until the next day. You’ll either still be under the effects or will be too tired.
Communicate with people you don’t want to communicate with while on LSD. This should go without saying, and LSD probably won’t release your inhibitions so much that you’ll start calling your boss. But still, it might be a good idea to put your phone away for a while, or not trip down the block from your work.
Disappear. It’s fine if you don’t want to advertise your trip, but make sure you either have a sitter with you or someone knows where you are and what you are doing. This is particularly important if you are going out in nature or somewhere new. LSD is a great motivator to break and change plans, which is great during the experience, but may sometimes be dangerous or very inconvenient. Just keep yourself tethered somehow to your life back on earth, give yourself a north star.
Eat heavy or unhealthy food. You probably won’t want to anyways, but heavy meals can bog you down and the LSD might magnify the physical discomfort from an unhealthy meal.

DROPPING THE TAB

LSD is taken sublingually, via paper or gel tab. Sometimes it’s dropped on a sugar cube or piece of candy, and other times the pure liquid substance is administered. Whatever the method, LSD is quite tasteless. Paper tabs are my least favorite, because of the taste of ink and the texture of the disintegrating paper.

It’s common to hold the tab under your tongue for a while. People have recommended I keep it down there for as long as an hour. I’ve also tried simply swallowing the tabs without holding them under my tongue at all, and in my experience, it makes little difference.

Read our guide on how to Microdose with LSD

ONSET, DURATION, AND PEAKS

An LSD trip usually lasts anywhere from 6-12 hours. I always feel a sort of buzz as it comes on, which flows through my clammy hands and tense jaws. The onset comes with a surge of energy and an increase in sensory perception. The timeline for an LSD trip can vary depending on dosage amount and the individual. With a stronger dose, some of the physical, buzzing effects that precede the trip can come on quicker and stronger. With a normal dose you may feel completely normal for up to 30-45 minutes after ingesting, but with a stronger dose you might feel the onset within 15 minutes. Usually trips that last long, more than 10 hours, can be linked to higher doses.

Higher doses may also bring on “peaks” quicker, and for a longer period of time. Peaks just describe periods during your trip when the effects feel stronger. These may last anywhere from 10-15 minutes to an hour or longer, though in a peak “minutes” or “hours” may not have much meaning. Hallucinations, hysteria, laughing fits, and other uncontrollable experiences can happen during peaks. In between the peaks you get your moments of deep thought, self-observation, and clarity.

An LSD trip is just a long ride up, down, and through these peaks. I wouldn’t worry about trying to distinguish peaks from non-peaks while tripping, though. Peaks and non-peaks are more things you think about after the trip, not during it.

THE EFFECTS OF LSD

The effects of LSD vary. I rarely hallucinate on LSD, but always see warping images and very vibrant, glowing colors. A feeling of synesthesia, or of sensory inputs mixing with each other, is also likely. For instance, while tripping, I once realized I had been masticating and moving my fingers while watching the sunset. I really could taste and feel the texture in the red, orange, and blue colors of the sky.

There is a very cerebral aspect of an LSD trip, as well. You will think differently, almost as if you have another personality. LSD trips get very introspective and insightful. But taking acid won’t guarantee that you will gain wisdom. Sometimes, you might only experience the feeling of realization, without truly realizing anything at all. It’s very common to think you are on to some huge breakthrough, only to completely lose it.

However, it’s also common to gain some real insights. During one trip, I started thinking about a personal problem that was bothering me at the time. I realized that I shouldn’t avoid thinking about it and that I could confront this issue while tripping. Before allowing myself to grow too anxious, I pictured the problem as a knot. I thought of all the compounding factors bothering me, and I imagined all the worst case scenarios. The knot grew and tightened. And then, I simply untied the knot and felt at ease. I still use this method in my daily life when I get caught up in anxiety.

People who have used LSD likely have at least one experience like my insight about anxieties and knots. Perhaps this phenomenon can be explained by examining how LSD affects the brain. Thanks to recent groundbreaking studies and brain scans, scientists have seen that LSD diverts brain activity away from our “default mode network”, which is associated with memories and our sense of self. At the same time, LSD increases brain activity in other areas that usually don’t see as much brain activity. According to a co-author of a study from Imperial College London examining the effects of LSD on the brain, the altered neural activity leads to “a feeling of being part of something larger and more transcendental” than our everyday self.

The science helps explain why so many people attest to the life-changing effects of LSD. It’s common for a group of people to bond over their personal LSD stories– it’s such a unique experience that few things are as interesting to discuss or explore. People may talk about certain small details they noticed during their trip, for example a single piece of grass or a rock that they end up focusing on for hours in wonder. They might discuss, as I did, some sudden insight that relates to their own life or behaviors, where a simple solution to a longstanding problem suddenly comes to light.

It really would require a radical change to our brains in order to feel and learn what many have from LSD. I don’t know of any other single experience that you could voluntarily undertake with such a high likelihood to change your life.

There are also challenging, uncomfortable effects of LSD. You might feel paranoid, anxious, or flat out scared. If you can’t outthink these unpleasant emotions, try changing your environment or talking to someone to distract yourself. Another disarmingly simple tactic is to smile.

Though proper preparation helps you avoid these “bad trips,” they can still happen despite the most careful precautions.

Read our full guide on how to avoid “Bad Trips.”

In fact, your feelings of anxiety and discomfort might only increase after trying to stop them. The effects may go even further, until you lose all self-control. I’ve had a trip where I ended up walking the streets shouting nonsense and even got into a shoving match with a group of people. I had no control over myself, and looking back on it, it’s as if someone else took over my body.

People usually call these “bad trips”. Sharing great trip stories is popular, but it’s probably just as interesting and common to discuss bad trip experiences. These stories can range from small things like trash on the floor or a crowded area becoming increasingly unsettling, to more intense experiences like feeling haunted or oppressed by some sinister energy. Some people experience intense states of paranoia or fear, which can last hours.

To some extent, feeling fear or negative emotions while on LSD is unavoidable. But you can still take steps beforehand to avoid putting yourself or others at harm. If nobody is hurt, these bad trips can sometimes be quite edifying. They give you a healthy respect for the substance, allow you to appreciate your sanity and self-control, and expand your scope of experience. The best thing you can do if you have a bad trip is to reflect upon and learn from it. Take bad trips seriously, but don’t blame yourself.

Bad trips happen. If you only have fun when you take LSD, you don’t fully understand the substance.

After your LSD trip, you may feel strangely bland. A headache or slight hangover feeling is possible, but this is likely due to a lack of sleep, and unrelated to the actual acid. The “hangover” from taking LSD is more like a readjustment to normality. It’s an opportune time to reflect on your experience and appreciate your sobriety.

Whenever I trip on LSD, I always allow myself an ample amount of time before my next trip. Personally, I wait at least three or four months. I don’t base this timeframe on any rule or law, rather on my specific tolerance and interest in psychedelics. Depending on your clock, I’d only recommend you give yourself enough time to learn from your experience, to get bored again with what people call “normal life,” and to grow open to the full possibilities of this substance called LSD.

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A Simple Guide To LSD: How It Feels, Risks, And Therapeutic Potential

Researchers are currently studying the therapeutic benefits of giving people LSD, either combined with talk therapy or under the guidance of a therapist.

Published on 26 Apr 2022 , last updated 02 Nov 2022

LSD—sometimes called acid—is a powerful psychedelic compound with possible therapeutic benefits.

LSD was a popular recreational drug during the 1960s, until the U.S. government made it illegal in 1968. Since then, LSD use has declined . Now, however, LSD is attracting attention in the medical world, where researchers are studying it as a way to make mental health treatments more effective.

Here’s a look at how LSD works, as well as its effects, possible benefits, risks, dosage, and more.

What is LSD?

Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) is a potent hallucinogen and one of the “classical psychedelics”—compounds that shift your perception of reality and cause an altered sense of self.

In its pure state, LSD is a white, odorless, flavorless crystal or powder.

LSD street names

LSD is also called:

The History of LSD

LSD was first discovered by Albert Hofmann, a Swiss chemist.

Hofmann synthesized LSD for the first time in 1938. He was performing experiments on ergot rot, a type of fungus that grows on rye grains, in an attempt to synthesize new pharmaceutical drugs.

Hofmann didn’t immediately test the LSD after synthesizing it. He made note of its chemical structure, then set it aside for five years.

In 1943, Hofmann returned to LSD, resynthesizing it with the intent of exploring its chemical properties in depth. During this second round of synthesis, Hofmann absorbed a few drops of liquid LSD through his fingertips.

In Hofmann’s own words:

“I was affected by a remarkable restlessness, combined with a slight dizziness. At home I lay down and sank into a not unpleasant intoxicated-like condition, characterized by an extremely stimulated imagination. In a dreamlike state, with eyes closed (I found the daylight to be unpleasantly glaring), I perceived an uninterrupted stream of fantastic pictures, extraordinary shapes with intense, kaleidoscopic play of colors.”

Word of Hofmann’s discovery spread across the world, and by the 1950s, LSD was a popular drug. It was also being used in clinical trials, where researchers were trying to discover whether it could benefit people. Popularity and research continued throughout the 1960s.

However, LSD was eventually made illegal by many of the world’s major governments, starting in the early 1970s (the United Nations required all participating nations to prohibit it in 1971). Research into LSD gradually tapered off, although illegal recreational use continued.

In the last couple decades, LSD has seen a shift in use and legal status. It has been either decriminalized or legalized for personal use in several countries, including Mexico, Ecuador, and the Czech Republic, and researchers in Western countries have taken a renewed interest in studying LSD’s benefits.

What to Expect While on LSD

LSD trips vary from person to person. Keep in mind that your personal experience with LSD will depend on your mindset, your surroundings while you’re on LSD, how much you take, and a variety of other factors.

That said, there are some fairly consistent effects of LSD. Here’s a general idea of what you can expect from an LSD trip.

What Does Taking LSD Feel Like?

LSD’s effects are typically called a “trip.” They last about 10 hours and may include: 1, 2

Visual hallucinations
Altered perception of sounds, colors, and objects
Feelings of happiness and connection
Distorted sense of time
Ego death (a feeling of oneness with the world around you, or loss of your sense of self)
Intensified thoughts and emotions
Dilated pupils
Increased heart rate

It’s worth noting that LSD’s effects vary with your mental state. How the experience goes depends on your mindset, surroundings, who you’re with and how they make you feel, and your mood.

If you’re in a bad mood or are feeling anxious, scared, depressed, or otherwise negative, you may have an unpleasant time taking LSD.

Mechanism of action

LSD works by stimulating your brain’s serotonin 2A (5-HT2A) receptors, which influence your perception, consciousness, and sense of self-identity. 1 It also binds to dopamine receptors, causing euphoria and making you feel stimulated and alert. 3

Coming down from LSD

LSD doesn’t have any notable biological comedown or hangover effect.

However, taking LSD can be emotionally and mentally intense, and because LSD is also physically stimulating, you may feel exhausted after the experience. It’s a good idea to take LSD on a day when you can get a good night’s sleep afterward.

LSD-assisted therapy

LSD trips are intense and potentially life-changing experiences, and researchers are currently studying the therapeutic benefits of giving people LSD, either combined with talk therapy or under the guidance of a therapist.

Possible benefits of LSD therapy include:

A sense of meaning . In a 2018 study, people took a single dose of LSD in a safe, comfortable environment. A year later, 70% of participants described taking LSD as one of the 10 most meaningful experiences in their lives. 4
Personal insight. In a survey of more than 1250 people who took LSD, 73% said that they derived a sense of purpose or insight from the experience that improved their life long-term, and 77% said that the LSD trip was among the five most meaningful experiences in their lives. 5
Addiction . A growing body of research suggests that combining LSD with talk therapy is an effective way to help alcoholics stop drinking. 6
End-of-life anxiety . Several studies have also found that LSD-assisted therapy can relieve anxiety in people with terminal illnesses by helping them accept death. 7, 8

While LSD therapy is a promising and fast-growing area of research, it’s still fairly new. Psychologists are still figuring out LSD’s benefits and how to best use it in a therapeutic setting.

How to prepare for an LSD trip

The two most important ways to prepare for LSD are set and setting .

Set refers to your mindset—your thoughts, mood, and expectations heading into an LSD trip. Stress and fear, resistance, or a controlling mentality may lead to an unpleasant experience (colloquially called a “bad trip”).

Conversely, a relaxed, curious mindset and a willingness to go along with any thoughts and feelings that come up will likely lead to a positive LSD experience.

Setting refers to the environment in which you take LSD. Most people recommend taking LSD in a comfortable, welcoming place with some kind of social support, whether it’s a therapist, close friend, partner, or someone else you trust. It’s best to avoid settings that are inhospitable or demand something of you.

You may also want to avoid obligations, as there’s a good chance you won’t be able to fulfill them while under the influence of LSD, which could be stressful. Close out your work email, arrange for childcare, and put aside everything that might demand your attention until your session is over.

It’s best to take LSD with an open mind and an open schedule.

How do people take LSD?

Pure LSD is a white, odorless, flavorless crystal that can be ground into a powder. However, its raw state is incredibly potent and difficult to distribute in accurate doses. It’s more common to find LSD in one of the following forms:

Small squares of paper, each of which has absorbed a single dose of liquid LSD. You put the paper under your tongue until it starts to dissolve, then swallow it. This is the most common form of LSD.

You can find LSD suspended in liquid. In liquid form, you typically put liquid LSD on the tongue with a dropper. Because a dose of LSD is so small (usually one or two drops from a dropper), liquid LSD can be difficult to dispense accurately. Most knowledgeable users will wear gloves when working with liquid LSD. If you spill liquid LSD on yourself, it will absorb through your skin, and you will have given yourself a much higher dose, and a much more intense effect, than you intended.

A microdot is a tiny dot, about half the size of a grain of rice, that contains a full dose of LSD. You put it under your tongue and let it dissolve.

LSD also comes as a liquid suspended in gelatin.It’s usually cut into pre-portioned cubes, with a single cube being one dose. You let the cube dissolve under your tongue.

While the delivery system for LSD varies, the molecule itself does not. That means you’ll get the same effects, regardless of whether you take LSD via paper, liquid, dot, or any other form.

A standard LSD dose is about 100 micrograms (100 ?g) . 1

It’s worth noting that LSD is incredibly potent. Most drugs work in the milligram range, while LSD works in micrograms (?g), which are 1000 times smaller than milligrams. A miniscule amount of LSD—a tiny square of paper or a dot half the size of a grain of rice—can contain a full 100 ?g dose, capable of making you feel LSD’s full psychedelic effects.

LSD’s potency means it’s important to be careful when dosing. A single drop of liquid LSD, for example, may be one full dose, and you’ll have a much more intense experience if you accidentally take two or three drops.

Fortunately, most LSD on the market is sold in paper form, with the doses already pre-portioned. Typically, one square of paper is a single 100 ?g dose, although you’ll want to confirm this with your provider.

There is no known lethal dose of LSD, making overdose unlikely. However, very high doses can intensify LSD’s effects and make them last longer, which can cause psychological distress or trauma.

Microdosing LSD

Some people microdose LSD—taking 10-20 ?g at a time instead of a full 100 ?g dose, then going about their days normally.

A 2020 survey found that people microdose for three main reasons: mental health (40% of people), personal development (31%), and mental focus (18%). 9

Microdosing may improve your mental state, although it could also cause anxiety. One 2021 study found that microdoses of LSD (either 13 ?g or 26 ?g) increased positive mood, elation, anxiety, and blood pressure in healthy adults, compared to a placebo pill. 10 The microdoses also caused measurable changes in electrical activity in participants’ brains.

However, in another study, people saw the same mental improvements with both a microdose of LSD and placebo, suggesting that the benefits of microdosing LSD may just be placebo effect. 11

In other words, it’s not yet clear how microdosing LSD works. Research is still in its early stages.

The Timeline of LSD

How long does lsd take to kick in.

You start to feel LSD about 45 minutes after you take it, and its effects peak at between 1-3 hours after ingestion. 1

How long does LSD last?

An LSD trip lasts for around 9-12 hours, making it one of the longer-lasting psychedelics.

Food affects how LSD’s potency and how long it lasts. Eating a large meal before taking LSD could reduce the amount you absorb by up to 50%, compared to taking LSD on an empty stomach. 12

How long does it stay in your system?

Although its effects only last for about 12 hours, LSD takes about 72 hours to leave your system completely. As a result, LSD is detectable in a urine sample for 1-3 days after you take it.

Potential Risks of LSD

Physical risks.

There are no known physical risks to taking LSD and no evidence that it can cause long-term physical damage. From a physical standpoint, it’s a very safe drug with low potential for abuse. 13

Psychological Risks

A bad LSD trip can cause you to feel overwhelmed, scared, depressed, or anxious, and you may feel trapped in that headspace and unable to get out. A bad trip can range from unpleasant to traumatic.

With that in mind, you may want to avoid LSD if you are currently anxious, scared, or in an otherwise negative mental space.

LSD Flashbacks

In some cases, people also experience “flashbacks”—a spontaneous feeling of being on LSD, weeks or months after taking it.

A 2022 study found that about 8% of people who took LSD experienced flashbacks. 14 They usually lasted under a minute and happened within a week of taking the drug. The flashbacks caused no lasting problems, and the researchers concluded that they weren’t a serious issue when considering LSD therapy.

Is LSD Addictive?

LSD is not known to be addictive and its risk of abuse is low. 15

Drug Interactions

LSD can interact with certain medications. You should avoid it if you’re taking:

Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) . MAOIs are a class of antidepressants that work on the same serotonin system that LSD affects. MAOIs may make LSD more effective, causing a more intense experience.
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) . Another class of antidepressants that influence your serotonin system. In some people, but not everyone, SSRIs may reduce LSD’s effects. 16

You may also want to avoid tobacco and alcohol during an LSD trip. They act as mild MAOIs and can intensify LSD’s effects.

LSD may also interact with other medications in a way that doctors don’t yet understand.

How to Source LSD

Is lsd legal.

LSD is currently illegal in all 50 states in the U.S., which makes safe sourcing difficult.

Clinical Trials for LSD

One legal way to source LSD is to sign up for a clinical trial. LSD research is a growing field and scientists are looking for people to participate in LSD-related studies. You can search for active clinical trials on the U.S. government’s clinical trial website . This is the safest way to take LSD and will happen under the guidance of a licensed medical professional.

LSD Therapy and Healing Sessions

You may want to avoid self-described “guides” or “healers” who offer to administer LSD therapy. In many cases, they’re unqualified and could end up doing more harm than good. We do not encourage you to break the law, but for comparison purposes, you’d likely be better off taking LSD with a trusted friend or loved one in a familiar, comfortable environment, than with a questionable guide.

Sourcing LSD on Your Own

We do not encourage you to break the law or put yourself in harm’s way. If you’re going to buy LSD outside of a clinical setting, do your due diligence to reduce harm. Avoid purchasing from strangers, and keep in mind that purchasing and possessing any illegal drug could get you into legal trouble. Additionally, there’s always a chance that you’re not getting what you think you’re getting.

You can use an LSD test kit to ensure that what you’re getting contains LSD. Test kits are inexpensive, come with instructions, work on all forms of LSD (paper, liquid, gelatin, etc.), and take a few seconds to administer.

LSD Personal Stories

Here are a few people describing their personal experiences with LSD:

Albert Hofmann, the chemist who discovered LSD in 1943, after synthesizing it in a lab and accidentally spilling some on his skin. Here, Hofmann describes how he felt that day.

“LSD was an incredible experience. Not that I’m recommending it for anybody else; but for me it kind of – it hammered home to me that reality was not a fixed thing. That the reality that we saw about us every day was one reality, and a valid one – but that there were others, different perspectives where different things have meaning that were just as valid. That had a profound effect on me.”

Alan Moore, writer

“I remember being nineteen years old, twelve hours into an LSD trip. I was sitting under a tree and I just started to weep, and I saw what my upbringing had done to me. I saw the resentment of my parents and my callowness and my immaturity and my… And I sat there for about an hour and cried this stuff out. And got up a better person. And to this day I’ve never had to go back and revisit those things…it was just like ten years of psychotherapy in an hour. And it was real.”

Terence McKenna, notable ethnobotanist

LSD Frequently Asked Questions

Is lsd addictive.

LSD is not known to be addictive. It isn’t rewarding the way most drugs of addiction are and studies have found that its risk of abuse is low. In fact, emerging research suggests that taking LSD in combination with psychotherapy may actually help people overcome alcohol addiction.

Can I overdose on LSD?

There have been no known cases of people overdosing or dying from LSD. 13 Physiologically, research suggests that LSD is quite safe. However, high doses of LSD may cause intense disconnection from reality and strong hallucinations, which can be psychologically distressing.

Can I mix LSD with alcohol?

It’s generally not a good idea to mix LSD or other psychedelics with alcohol. While the risk of a drug interaction is low, LSD is an intensely mind-altering drug, and pairing it with alcohol makes its effects more unpredictable than they already are.

Can I mix LSD with other drugs?

Some people mix LSD with MDMA (called “candy flipping”), a practice that’s common at music festivals and raves. However, combining the two can cause excessive serotonin to build up in your brain, which can lead to seizures, irregular heartbeat, and other serious medical complications. It’s safer to take LSD alone.

Can I drive while on LSD?

Do not drive or operate other heavy machinery while on LSD. It’s a strong mind-altering drug that alters your visual and auditory perception. It can also distort your sense of physical space and the passing of time, which can be particularly dangerous if you’re behind the wheel of a car.

Final Thoughts

LSD is a powerful psychedelic with potential benefits, as well as potential risks.

If you choose to take LSD, do so with appropriate preparation, and understand that the potential psychological and legal repercussions could be life-altering. Know your dosage, find a good source, and make sure you’re in a positive headspace and a comfortable, welcoming environment, ideally with people you like and trust.

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1. Passie T, Halpern JH, Stichtenoth DO, Emrich HM, Hintzen A. The pharmacology of lysergic acid diethylamide: a review. CNS Neurosci Ther . 2008;14(4):295-314. doi:10.1111/j.1755-5949.2008.00059.x

2. Schmid Y, Enzler F, Gasser P, et al. Acute effects of lysergic acid diethylamide in healthy subjects. Biol Psychiatry . 2015;78(8):544-553. doi:10.1016/j.biopsych.2014.11.015

3. Borroto-Escuela DO, Romero-Fernandez W, Narvaez M, Oflijan J, Agnati LF, Fuxe K. Hallucinogenic 5-HT2AR agonists LSD and DOI enhance dopamine D2R protomer recognition and signaling of D2-5-HT2A heteroreceptor complexes. Biochem Biophys Res Commun . 2014;443(1):278-284. doi:10.1016/j.bbrc.2013.11.104

4. Schmid Y, Liechti ME. Long-lasting subjective effects of LSD in normal subjects. Psychopharmacology (Berl) . 2018;235(2):535-545. doi:10.1007/s00213-017-4733-3

5. Griffiths RR, Hurwitz ES, Davis AK, Johnson MW, Jesse R. Survey of subjective “God encounter experiences”: Comparisons among naturally occurring experiences and those occasioned by the classic psychedelics psilocybin, LSD, ayahuasca, or DMT. PLoS ONE . 2019;14(4):e0214377. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0214377

6. Fuentes JJ, Fonseca F, Elices M, Farré M, Torrens M. Therapeutic Use of LSD in Psychiatry: A Systematic Review of Randomized-Controlled Clinical Trials. Front Psychiatry . 2019;10:943. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00943

7. Gasser P, Holstein D, Michel Y, et al. Safety and efficacy of lysergic acid diethylamide-assisted psychotherapy for anxiety associated with life-threatening diseases. J Nerv Ment Dis . 2014;202(7):513-520. doi:10.1097/NMD.0000000000000113

8. Grof S, Goodman LE, Richards WA, Kurland AA. LSD-Assisted Psychotherapy in Patients with Terminal Cancer. Int Pharmacopsychiatry . 1973;8(3):129-144. doi:10.1159/000467984

9. Lea T, Amada N, Jungaberle H, Schecke H, Klein M. Microdosing psychedelics: Motivations, subjective effects and harm reduction. Int J Drug Policy . 2020;75:102600. doi:10.1016/j.drugpo.2019.11.008

10. Murray CH, Tare I, Perry CM, Malina M, Lee R, de Wit H. Low doses of LSD reduce broadband oscillatory power and modulate event-related potentials in healthy adults. Psychopharmacology (Berl) . Published online October 6, 2021. doi:10.1007/s00213-021-05991-9

11. Szigeti B, Kartner L, Blemings A, et al. Self-blinding citizen science to explore psychedelic microdosing. eLife . 2021;10. doi:10.7554/eLife.62878

12. Upshall DG, Wailling DG. The determination of LSD in human plasma following oral administration. Clin Chim Acta . 1972;36(1):67-73. doi:10.1016/0009-8981(72)90159-3

13. Nichols DE, Grob CS. Is LSD toxic? Forensic Sci Int . 2018;284:141-145. doi:10.1016/j.forsciint.2018.01.006

14. Müller F, Kraus E, Holze F, et al. Flashback phenomena after administration of LSD and psilocybin in controlled studies with healthy participants. Psychopharmacology (Berl) . Published online January 25, 2022. doi:10.1007/s00213-022-06066-z

15. Das S, Barnwal P, Ramasamy A, Sen S, Mondal S. Lysergic acid diethylamide: a drug of “use”? Ther Adv Psychopharmacol . 2016;6(3):214-228. doi:10.1177/2045125316640440

16. Bonson KR, Buckholtz JW, Murphy DL. Chronic administration of serotonergic antidepressants attenuates the subjective effects of LSD in humans. Neuropsychopharmacology . 1996;14(6):425-436. doi:10.1016/0893-133X(95)00145-4

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Beyond the Hourglass: Duration, Expectations, and Integration of an Acid Trip

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In this article, we will delve into the factors that influence the length of an LSD trip, the stages of an LSD experience, and how to navigate through them.

Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), commonly referred to as “acid,” is a potent psychedelic drug known for its mind-altering effects. Aside from psilocybin , acid is one of the most popular psychedelics out there. When consumed, acid induces a range of sensory, perceptual, and psychological experiences. One crucial aspect to understand is how long does an acid trip last and the duration of each stage of its effects, as it drastically differs from those of other psychedelics like psilocybin.

How Long Does an Acid Trip Last?

How long does acid last? It depends on how it binds to its receptor.

Acid binds to the 5-HT2A receptor. The conformational change that occurs after binding is what causes acid trips to last so long. Source: Medical News Today

Upon ingestion, LSD is rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream and binds to serotonin receptors in the brain. The effects typically begin within 30 to 90 minutes after ingestion, although the onset time can vary based on factors such as dose, individual metabolism, and whether it was consumed on an empty or full stomach.

How long does an acid trip last? Well, the duration of an acid trip is a highly individualized experience. On average, the effects of LSD can last anywhere from 8 to 12 hours or even slightly longer. However, this timeframe is not fixed and can deviate depending on several factors, including the dose taken, the purity of the substance, the individual's metabolism, and their unique psychological and physiological makeup. On average, expect to dedicate a full day to acid: a couple of hours preparing your space before hand, 12 hours tripping, and the residual effects post-comedown. But primarily, the length of a trip is influenced by molecular biology. Let's discuss these mechanisms briefly.

Acid is a serotonergic psychedelic compound that primarily interacts with serotonin receptors in the brain. Among these receptors, the 5-HT 2A receptor subtype plays a vital role in mediating the psychedelic effects of LSD. When LSD enters the bloodstream and reaches the brain, it binds to and activates the 5-HT 2A receptors , triggering a cascade of neural events that lead to the characteristic psychedelic experience.

The duration of an acid trip is influenced by the occupancy and binding affinity of LSD to the 5-HT 2A receptors. The term “occupancy” refers to the percentage of receptors that are engaged by the LSD molecule, while “binding affinity” describes the strength of the interaction between LSD and the receptor.

LSD has a high affinity for the 5-HT 2A receptor. Once bound, LSD induces a conformational change in the receptor, leading to the activation of downstream signaling pathways. It is this conformational change that causes acid to last so long. Once acid binds to the receptor, think of like a “lid” getting put on the receptor that prevents acid from leaving, thus once it binds, it remains there. This leads to the downregulation of these receptors, which means there is a decrease in the number of available receptors that can bind to endogenous (native) ligands, such as serotonin. The effects of LSD are related to the time course of concentration in the plasma, according to a comprehensive review of the drug . Sometimes, this “lid” may be loose and allow some acid molecules to unbind as the high wears off, but for all receptors to be “uncapped”, then it can take 12 to 24 hours. While the perceivable effects of the drug stop around the 12 hour mark, the aftereffects, or “afterglow” can be felt well into the next day.

To summarize, as long as LSD is bound to 5-HT 2A receptors and they continue to be downregulated, the effects of the drug will continue to persist. The trip ends once LSD unbinds from these receptors and brain cells eventually pull both these receptors and LSD into the cell, where they get degraded or recycled.

Metabolism and Clearance:

How long an acid trip lasts is also influenced by the metabolism and clearance rate of LSD from the body . After ingestion, LSD is rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream and distributed throughout various tissues, including the brain. The liver metabolizes LSD into inactive compounds, which are then eliminated from the body through urine.

Cytochrome P450 enzymes contribute to the metabolism of LSD to nor-LSD and 2-oxo-3-hydroxy-LSD: Implications for clinical LSD use - ScienceDirect

The liver metabolizes LSD into other metabolites. The metabolism of LSD will affect the duration of the trip. Source: ScienceDirect

The rate at which acid is metabolized and cleared can vary between individuals due to genetic and physiological factors. Some individuals may have more efficient metabolic pathways, leading to a shorter trip duration, while others may experience a prolonged duration due to slower metabolism. If a person metabolizes a drug quickly, they may only experience a 6-8 hour trip, while an average metabolism will put duration in the 8-12 hour range. More uncommonly, there may be people who metabolize LSD very slowly, which can cause their trips to extend way past the 12-hour mark.

Factors Affecting the Duration of an LSD Trip:

Each person's body chemistry and sensitivity to LSD can influence how long the effects last.

The duration of an LSD trip is highly variable, with the effects lasting anywhere from 8 to 12 hours on average. However, it's essential to note that LSD's effects can persist for longer periods in some cases, especially with higher doses or in individuals who are particularly sensitive to the drug. Some factors that can affect the duration of an acid trip are:

Dosage : The strength of the LSD dose plays a significant role in determining the trip's length. Higher doses are likely to produce more intense and prolonged effects, sometimes extending beyond the 12-hour mark. It is important to know the dose your LSD is and how it will affect you.
Individual Sensitivity : Each person's body chemistry and sensitivity to LSD can influence how long the effects last. Some individuals may experience a shorter or longer trip duration compared to others, even when taking the same dose.
Tolerance : Repeated use of LSD within a short period leads to tachyphylaxis, which is the rapidly diminishing response to successive doses of a drug, thus reducing the drug's overall effects. This can result in shorter trip durations as the body becomes accustomed to the substance. Make sure you wait around 7-14 days in between trips for tolerance levels to return to normal.
Drug Purity and Potency : The quality and potency of LSD can vary, as it is often synthesized illicitly. The purity and strength of the LSD can impact the duration and intensity of the trip. Ensure that your LSD is legitimate, as there is the high probability that it is adulterated with substances like 25I-NBOMe. Always test your supply before consuming acid – testing kits are cheap and readily available online .

What are the Stages of an LSD Trip and What to Expect During Each One?

Repairing a '60s Synthesizer Leads to Unexpected LSD Trip for Bay Area Engineer | KQED

What to expect during an acid trip? What are the different stages of the trip? Source: KQED

Similar to other psychedelics like shrooms, acid has a come up, a peak, a plateau, and a comedown. It is important to know what to expect in each stage in order to have a good, safe trip. Be aware that higher doses will change these stages, which we will discuss in detail where appropriate.

The Come-Up (30-90 minutes) : The come-up stage occurs shortly after taking LSD and involves the initial effects starting to manifest. Users may experience heightened sensory perception, mood alterations, and a sense of anticipation. A person will start feeling the come up around 30 minutes to an hour after dosing, even possibly up to 90 minutes after ingestion. The come-up can vary amongst individuals, but here are some things that a person might feel. Users may feel a slight sense of anxiety during this time, their body may feel either heavier or slightly looser, they may start yawning more, they may feel slightly disoriented, and/or they may experience heightened sensory perceptions. Higher doses and people who are more sensitive to acid or psychedelics can cause the come-up to be shorter, or the effects be felt under 30 minutes, so be aware of the amount of drug you are taking.
The Peak (3-5 hours) : The peak is the most intense phase of an LSD trip, characterized by profound visual distortions, intense emotions, and a loss of ego boundaries at higher doses. This stage typically lasts several hours and is marked by heightened introspection and altered states of consciousness. It is hard to explain what one is to expect during this part, as it can be very subjective. Talk to anyone about what they see on acid, and stories will vastly differ. Additionally, the intention of the trip can also greatly affect what will happen in this phase.At manageable doses, the peak will be where a person gets the most visuals or visual distortions. Walls may feel like they are breathing, colors will be brighter and more vibrant, faces will look distorted and their proportions will look altered, different textures such as hair, fur, blankets, etc. will feel different, and/or visual reality will feel “clearer” as if everything is hyper 3D. A typical effect on an acid peak will be the appearance of tracers, which is the experience of trails left behind by moving objects. For example, passing one’s hand in front of your face will leave a trail of varying hues, opacities, and colors.There is a certain point during an acid trip, based on my own personal experiences with the drug, that depending on the dose, the experience will shift from a visual experience to an introspective one where you are taken to a very specific psychedelic headspace. It is hard to describe this state, but in this headspace, you are on another state of existence. It is like being in between a state of reality and fiction, where you are able to understand you are on a drug, but there may be synchronicities or unexplainable phenomena that make you question whether reality is, well, real. Again, acid experiences can be highly subjective, so this may just be a thing I experience, but it is worth noting.Additionally, some people may experience a loss of reality where they are unable to discern what is fact or fiction. This can be common on higher doses. To prevent becoming paranoid or scared during a psychedelic-induced psychosis, it is important to know that this may happen. At higher doses, a person could experience the complete unraveling of reality and feel like they are dying. As scary as that may sound, if properly prepared, this can be a manageable, even enjoyable experience.It is worth repeating that the experience during the peak will be subjective based on a number of factors including the individual’s intention for the trip, the dose, their sensitivity to the drug, and their set and setting. Lastly, smoking weed during the peak of an acid trip can be used to extend the duration of it, thus it is not recommended for beginners to combine weed, if they are not prepared for that.
The Comedown (3-5 hours) : After the peak, the effects of LSD gradually begin to subside, leading to a more manageable and reflective state. The effects of the drug will still be felt, but they will not be as intense. Visuals will begin subsiding and you will leave any mental headspace you were in and return to a more manageable, sober state. This period can last a couple of hours. For certain people, smoking weed during this part can cause the trip to regress to the peak or can cause the peak and comedown to come in waves. If you feel like a slight sense of agitation and anticipation building during the comedown and things start feeling “different,” then just take a deep breath and let the trip take you wherever it wants to take you.
The “Afterglow” : The afterglow, or after effects, is the last stage of an acid trip and can last several hours after the 12-hour mark or even extend into the following day. The “afterglow” stage of an acid trip refers to the period following the peak experience when the effects of LSD begin to fully subside and are entering the last leg of the trip. It is characterized by residual sensations and altered perceptions, albeit with reduced intensity compared to the peak. During this stage, individuals may experience a sense of calm, introspection, and enhanced appreciation for their surroundings. The afterglow can be a time of reflection and integration, allowing users to process the insights and emotions that arose during the trip. A day after a trip, it is common to feel a lingering sense of positivity and heightened creativity, although some individuals may also experience mental and physical fatigue, depending how the trip went. Overall, the afterglow stage provides an opportunity for gentle reentry into everyday life and can leave lasting positive effects on one's well-being and perspective.

Tips for Navigating an LSD Trip

Navigating an LSD trip can be a transformative and introspective experience when approached with care and preparation. Here are some essential tips to help ensure a positive journey:

Set and Setting : Create a comfortable and safe environment before consuming LSD. Opt for a peaceful location with trusted companions to minimize the risk of anxiety or discomfort during the trip. Ensure that, if you’re tripping at home, your space is tidy and organized, as clutter can spur up anxiety and discomfort during a trip. If you are outside or in nature, ensure that you are with someone you trust who can help you return someplace safe in the event that the trip takes a turn for the worse.
Dose Responsibly : Start with a low to moderate dose if you're new to LSD, allowing yourself to acclimate to the effects. Avoid excessive doses, especially if you have prior obligations or time constraints. It is better to build up to a larger dose, that way you can know what to expect with each rise in dose and be able to manage the situation better.
Supportive Company : Tripping with close friends or experienced individuals who can provide reassurance and guidance can contribute to a more positive experience. If tripping alone, it is best to do it after having experience with the drug. Do not trip alone in public or in nature, as this can be dangerous if the trip gets overwhelming or hits harder than expected.
Allow for Integration : After the trip, give yourself time to reflect and integrate the experience. Journaling, talking with trusted friends, or seeking professional help, if necessary, can aid in processing the insights gained from the trip. Personally, I keep a journal specific to acid trips where I write what I saw and what I remember. From there, I can revisit it throughout the coming days or weeks to begin extrapolating what lessons would apply to my life and why certain things surfaced during the trip, then I talk about these findings with my therapist to get a deeper insight into my psyche and process emotions and memories. Integration is an integral part of any psychedelic experience, and skipping it is going to prevent you from gaining the full effects of the drug.
Stay Hydrated : An acid trip is quite the time commitment, and it can be easy to forget to stay properly hydrated during it. Keep a water bottle near you at all times so you can stay hydrated. Dehydration can exacerbate discomfort and anxiety, so ensure proper hydration.
Embrace Openness and Surrender : LSD can lead to profound introspection and a shift in perspective. Embrace the experience with an open mind, allowing the drug to guide you through its effects. Surrender to the journey and let go of control, allowing yourself to fully explore the realms of consciousness. Do not try to control the direction of your trip. Refusing to relinquish control can make a trip turn bad or riddle it with anxiety.
Ground Yourself When Needed : If a trip is starting to feel too overwhelming, taking deep breaths, hydrating, touching certain textures, or talking it out with a friend can help ground you. Sometimes, the experience can feel overwhelming and you may forget what you were saying, what just happened, etc., which can become disorientating. Simply having someone to remind you and keep you on track can help you feel calm. If you are alone, writing a note to yourself prior to the trip that states you are on a drug, on what day, what time you took it, etc. can help ground you and prevent you from spiraling. Even certain textures such as a blanket, a toy, or even petting a pet can bring you back to reality.

Final Thoughts

In all, the duration of an LSD trip varies depending on several factors, including dosage, individual sensitivity, tolerance, and drug purity. While most LSD experiences last between 8 to 12 hours, it's essential to be prepared for the possibility of longer trips, especially with higher doses. Understanding the stages of an LSD trip and implementing responsible practices can contribute to a safe and meaningful psychedelic experience. Remember to prioritize set and setting, dose responsibly, and seek support when needed to ensure a positive journey into the depths of your consciousness.

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January 26, 2017

LSD's Long, Strange Trip Explained

When LSD binds to serotonin receptors, it pulls a "lid" closed behind it, locking it in place for hours, and explaining its long-lasting effects. Christopher Intagliata reports.

By Christopher Intagliata

LSD is one of the most potent hallucinogenic drugs—active at just around 100 micrograms…a miniscule amount. That fact has fascinated pharmacologists for decades. Namely, how can it have such long-lasting effects…12 hours or more…at such tiny doses?

To find out, researchers legally obtained LSD. And built copies of the receptors it binds to in the brain—serotonin receptors. They mixed the LSD and the receptors together, and crystallized the result. They then imaged the structure, using x-ray crystallography.

And they found that when LSD linked up with the serotonin receptor, a sort of "lid" formed over it. Almost like the drug went in, then pulled the door shut behind it. "You could think of the top part of LSD as a hand, holding onto the latch and pulling it down." Bryan Roth, a pharmacologist at University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill involved in the research.

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If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing . By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.

"This explains why LSD is so potent, why such a small amount of it is active, and secondly why it lasts for such a long period of time. Because basically once it gets in there it takes hours to come off the receptor." The study is in the journal Cell . [Daniel Wacker et al., Crystal Structure of an LSD-Bound Human Serotonin Receptor ]

The result may also explain why microdosing—taking even smaller amounts of LSD, at sub-psychedelic levels—might work as a mood enhancer, as some users have reported . "It's clear from the data we have that these small doses can engage these receptors, and of course we know that the receptors that LSD interacts with, they're the same receptors that are thought to be involved in antidepressant drug action."

Roth does not advocate trying it out. But he says the discovery of the "lid" might someday lead to the development of novel antidepressants—ones with long-lasting effects, at just the tiniest of doses.

—Christopher Intagliata

[ The above text is a transcript of this podcast. ]

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Minutes, hours or days: How long does an LSD trip last?

Written by: Marvin Benthien

October 11, 2023

Time to read 6 min

Taking LSD can have hallucinogenic effects, the intensity of which depends on the dosage. Some people experience an LSD trip as stimulating and feel an increased perception of color. Others tend to feel nauseous, especially if too much has been taken.

In addition to the type of effect, the question often arises as to how long an LSD trip actually lasts . You should also ask yourself when the substance can no longer be detected in urine or blood. We will get to the bottom of these questions below.

LSD effect: duration depends on the dosage of the substance

Hallucinogens such as LSD have a direct effect on the brain, leading to changes in perception and a state that we refer to as a "trip". There is no general answer to the question of how long an LSD trip lasts , as the duration always depends on the dose.

The trip is what consumers feel after taking it. The recently increasingly popular microdosing which has become increasingly popular recently, works without typical trip symptoms; the duration, for example, cannot be measured at all. From this it can be concluded that a higher dose always results in a stronger effect. A lot of LSD = a long trip. Less LSD = a mild or barely perceptible trip.

It is interesting to note that even small doses can lead to a very intense effect . The human body is sensitive to LSD very sensitive. Unlike cannabis, for example, just a few micrograms are enough to produce a significant high. It is therefore not only interesting how long the LSD trip lasts, but also how small the quantities are that are sufficient for a trip.

The active ingredient content in the body is reduced over hours or even days. It is assumed that around 1% of the total substance is excreted in the urine after ingestion. This process takes around 24 hours. The remaining amounts are metabolized in the liver and converted into inactivated metabolites.

Exciting insights into the brain - why the duration of the LSD high is often longer than expected

The trip is what consumers feel after taking it. The recently increasingly popular microdosing works without typical trip symptoms; the duration, for example, cannot be measured at all. From this it can be concluded that a higher dose always results in a stronger effect. A lot of LSD = a long trip. Less LSD = a mild or barely perceptible trip.

Die Wirkung von LSD geschieht hauptsächlich über die Serotoninrezeptoren des Gehirns

How does an LSD trip work and what role does the LSD peak duration play?

Hallucinogens such as LSD always work in phases. After ingestion, the active ingredient level builds up slowly, reaches its peak and is then broken down again. So when we ask ourselves how long an LSD trip lasts, we have to distinguish between different phases. After ingestion, changes in perception will occur very quickly, which manifest themselves as the LSD effect increases.

Within the first 30 to 60 minutes, perception becomes increasingly blurred, voices, sounds, smells and colors are perceived more strongly. Normal conversations are still possible, only the environment seems altered. The peak of an LSD trip is reached after two hours on average, with the most intense effect lasting up to four hours. However, how long the LSD trip lasts in this phase also varies from person to person.

The mood changes unpredictably, memories and psychologically relevant experiences can occur. Synesthesia often occurs during this phase, with consumers suddenly not only seeing but also hearing colors.

Physically, there are clear reactions that can be attributed to LSD consumption. And how long does an LSD trip last physically? The times are similar to the mental effects, although a general state of tiredness and physical weakness can occur the next day. The most common physical symptoms include:

Increase in blood pressure
Increased pulse rate
Subfebrile body temperatures
Increase in blood sugar levels
Dizziness and lightheadedness, circulatory problems

LSD flashback duration: when the effect is felt again

Not every LSD user feels flashbacks , but some have to struggle with their trip for a longer period of time. We now know the answer to the question of how long an LSD trip lasts - but when does the flashback disappear again? If the trip situation is "relived", it almost always happens during relaxing moments. Those affected lie in bed, want to sleep and experience a brief flashback. On average, they last a few minutes, sometimes just a few seconds.

The frequency of the flashbacks cannot be determined and, like the question of the duration of an LSD trip, cannot be answered in general terms. For some, it is only a few seconds per day, while others have 30 flashbacks or more within a very short time. In most cases, the phenomena subside after a week at the latest and there are no more perceptual disturbances.

Important: There is a very rare phenomenon (HPPD = Hallucinogen Persisting Perception Disorder) that has already been reported in studies. In this case, LSD users suffer from continuous flashbacks for several months, which are perceived as unpleasant.

LSD tolerance - duration until the usual amount is no longer sufficient

The human brain is capable of developing a kind of tolerance to LS D. How long an LSD trip lasts and how intense it is also depends on the frequency. For research purposes, it is advisable to take a break between trips to avoid habituation of the body. The rule of thumb in the scene is that a break of one to four weeks is necessary after an intensive trip.

The reason for this is that the brain has become accustomed to the substance and a quick second high has less of an effect. However, as this tolerance gradually builds up again, another intensive trip is entirely possible. How long the LSD trip lasts therefore also depends on how used to the substance it is, although it has not been 100% researched whether the length is reduced or simply the perceived intensity decreases.

LSD microdosing & duration - how long does the effect last?

Anyone experimenting with LSD derivatives has many questions beforehand. How long does a possible LSD trip last? What happens during it? Who panics and who doesn't? Every person reacts differently to LSD, so experience reports cannot be transferred to other people.

We know that the duration of the LSD effect also depends on the dose. But what about the duration of effect when microdosing ? Does the brain break down the substance more quickly? The question cannot yet be answered, but it is assumed to take around five hours.

As microdosers do not want to achieve a trip, it is difficult to give a time frame. However, clear feedback from the scene is that microdosing lasts longer than a cup of coffee and the experience is also much more intense. It is also conceivable that the duration of the effect differs between the common microdosing substances.

While LSD has already been extensively researched, the situation is different with its derivatives. However, you will no longer be able to determine the duration of effect of 1V-LSD and the duration of 1P-LSD yourself, as these substances are now banned. Instead, you can research the duration of effect of 1D-LSD yourself, because this derivative is legal in Germany and can be used for experimentation. At MODERNmind you can buy 1D-LSD legally and carry out your research into the length of the LSD trip.

Conclusion: How long an LSD trip lasts cannot be generalized

It turns out that there is no clear answer to the question of how long an LSD trip lasts. However, researchers are convinced that it sometimes lasts longer than expected, even though the substance is barely detectable or no longer detectable at all.

As a rough guide, 8 to 12 hours can be assumed. A few years ago, significantly less was assumed. By correlating the duration of effect with the dosage level, it is possible for consumers to better estimate the length of their trip in advance.

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Ever Had a Really Long Acid Trip? Now Science Knows Why

Few tropes in modern America are as enduring as the LSD Trip Gone Far Too Long. It should all be over after a few hours, right? OK maybe not. Eight? Ten? Probably should have cleared more of my calendar.

Even though science has long had an intimate relationship with LSD---chemist Albert Hofmann first synthesized it way back in the ‘30s---why the drug insists on producing such lengthy hallucinations hasn't been so clear. Until now. A new paper out today in Cell finally reveals the secret of the LSD Trip Gone Far Too Long: The drug binds to receptors in your brain in a fascinating way, essentially locking into position to guarantee a good, long burn. And that could have big implications for harnessing LSD as a therapeutic drug.

Now, your body will clear LSD from your bloodstream in a matter of hours. But not your brain. Specifically, not the serotonin receptors that LSD binds to in the claustrum region of the brain. “Once LSD gets in the receptor, you can think of it as a hole in the ground. LSD jumps into it and then pulls a lid down over the top,” says study co-author Bryan Roth , a pharmacologist at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine. “Basically, from the structure we could tell that once LSD gets in there it can't get out. That's why it lasts so long.” We’re talking 12, 18, maybe 24 hours, by the way. Still, that lid will move around, so some LSD molecules will escape as the high wears off.

It turns out catching an LSD molecule and its receptor in action is a staggeringly difficult thing to do. First, Roth and his colleagues needed receptors---but you can't just pluck them out of someone's brain. So instead, study co-author Daniel Wacker , also of UNC, engineered them (the receptors, not the people). He began by mixing up a harmless virus and insect cells. “The virus infects these cells, hijacks their machinery, and basically produces those receptors for us,” Wacker says. “And then we go in and crack open those cells and take out those receptors.”

You're looking at crystallized seratonin receptors.

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The receptors, though, are very flexible and wily: Some bend this way, others that way. So to image them, the team had to freeze the receptors in time with crystallization. “A crystal by definition is the same exact molecule, the same exact configuration over and over and over again as a three dimensional arrangement,” says Wacker. It’s the same principle as salt crystals forming as a bowl of soup evaporates---only on a much, much smaller scale.

Now, with the X-rays you get at the dentist, only 10 percent of the rays will actually hit an atom to produce an image. The same would go for trying to image crystallized receptors. So the researchers used the Argonne National Laboratory’s Advanced Photon Source to fire a concentrated beam of x-rays at the crystals. “Now if you shoot a lot more at them, you will get a lot more data out of it,” says Wacker, “because it'll always be 10 percent.”

What Roth and his colleagues are finding is that the longer the receptor and LSD are in proximity, the better the LSD gets at activating the receptor. Meaning, a very small dose could still have an effect. That could have implications for so-called microdosing, in which users ingest a tiny amount of LSD, supposedly to treat things like depression and increase productivity. “Our results actually suggest that microdosing probably is having some effect,” says Roth. “It doesn't say that the effect is beneficial or not, but it does give a biological and a chemical and a structural explanation for how these vanishingly small doses of LSD can actually have effects.”

Now’s as good a time as any to remind readers that while LSD shows medical promise, it’s still very much illegal in the United States. And even if people could use it legally, those interested in it as a therapeutic might not want those pesky trips. "We can begin to determine whether the psychedelic experience is part and parcel of all the potential therapeutic effects,” Roth says. “It may or may not be, but the structure basically gives us the potential to design drugs that may have the beneficial actions without the deleterious effects.”

But hold up, says Rick Doblin , founder of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies. If the FDA were to approve LSD, it’d need evidence of safety and efficacy, not mechanism of action. “While this new paper is fascinating from a neurobiological perspective,” he says, “it doesn't contribute any useful information to how to enhance the efficacy or the safety of LSD-assisted psychotherapy.”

“This isn't to say that mechanism of action research isn't important and valuable,” he adds, “it's just to say that I don't see any way that the new information about LSD's mechanism of action will translate to enhancing therapeutic methods or increasing safety.”

But hey, science is progress. This study certainly didn’t take the understanding of LSD backwards . Teasing apart its structure is a step toward controlling the drug. “We can actually present alternative routes---how to make derivatives of LSD, slight modifications to it---so we can create tool compounds that then are actually allowed by the FDA to study things,” says Wacker.

So who knows, maybe one day your doctor will prescribe a derivative of LSD---without the LSD Trip Gone Far Too Long, of course.

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These Are The 12 Effects Of LSD To Expect During A Psychedelic Trip

By Sam Woolfe
November 12, 2021 March 11, 2024
LSD LSD side effects psychedelics psychedelics side effects
With 0 comments

The effects of LSD are many and varied. When taking LSD , the drug can lead to significant bodily, perceptual, emotional, and cognitive changes. One trip with LSD can also lead to many insights, which may lead to transformative, long-term changes in your life.

Before taking an LSD dosage , you should be aware of the most common effects to expect during your psychedelic journey. By being aware of the effects of LSD, you will understand that everything you experience is normal, which should make you feel more at ease during the trip.

RELATED : How Long Does LSD Last, And What Should You Expect During A Trip?

The Bodily Effects Of LSD

1. pupil dilation.

A universal physical effect of LSD you should expect, as with many other psychedelics , is pupil dilation. Your pupils will certainly appear larger than normal. So don’t be alarmed if someone you’re with notices this or you notice this when looking in the mirror. (Looking in the mirror on acid can be an intense experience, but if you do it, expect to notice pupil dilation.)

2. Physical Energy And Stimulation

LSD is known to be a physically stimulating drug. When you take it, you should expect to experience an increase in energy and a desire to move around. The effects of LSD are not sedating like psilocybin mushrooms . You may continue to experience the stimulating effects of LSD when the other effects subside. So, if you struggle to fall asleep at night because of this, don’t worry, it’s common.

3. Loss Of Appetite

It’s perfectly normal to lose your appetite after taking LSD. During the trip, you may not want to eat meals as you normally would, and there will probably be certain foods you have no interest in eating. You can find yourself fully engaged in the experience for the whole day without really thinking about the need to eat.

However, as typical as it is to lose your appetite due to the effects of LSD, it’s still important to eat at some point — before, during, or after the trip — in order to maintain your energy and positive mood. While tripping on LSD, many people like to stick to simple foods and snacks, like fruit and nuts.

RELATED : Candy Flipping: What Is It, And Is It Safe?

The Perceptual Effects Of LSD

4. changes to visual perception.

The perceptual effects of LSD can be strong and highly impressive. One way LSD changes your perception is in terms of how the outside world appears. You may experience the following.

Color enhancement
Objects appearing more vivid
Objects morphing and “breathing”
The appearance of geometric patterns on surfaces
In high enough doses, visual hallucinations

5. Changes To Auditory Perception

LSD can change the way that things sound as well. When hearing music, other people’s voices, or noises in the outside world, you may experience the below.

Reverberation
Echo effects
Changes in pitch

As well as these effects of LSD, in high enough doses, you can experience auditory hallucinations, like hearing music that isn’t being played.

6. Changes To Time Perception

Time distortion is a common effect of LSD. Many people will experience time dilation, where experiences seem to last much longer than usual. An hour can feel like several hours. With more significant changes to time perception, you may have the sense of eternity, with the present moment feeling eternal. You might also lose your sense of time completely, with the whole notion of time becoming meaningless.

For some, time dilation or the experience of timelessness can be unnerving. For others, it is a fascinating and enriching experience. At the very least, it’s a unique and unusual experience. When changes to time perception occur, it’s important to embrace it and “go with the flow”.

RELATED : How LSD Affects The Brain

The Emotional Effects Of LSD

7. intense positive emotions.

You can experience a range of positive emotions on LSD. Often, you will experience these emotions to an intensity that you haven’t felt before. You might also experience some of these emotions rarely in your normal, day-to-day life, which is why many people find the LSD experience to be enlightening and therapeutic. These positive emotions may include the following.

Peacefulness
Contentment
Self-compassion
Compassion for others

8. Intense Negative Emotions

You should be prepared for the possibility of experiencing negative emotions on LSD — and sometimes in an intense way. While many people may be afraid of experiencing these emotions, or would prefer to have a wholly positive trip, there can be great value in the negative side to our emotions.

They can teach you how to deal with challenging moments: through mindfulness, acceptance, and self-compassion. The negative emotions you might experience during your LSD trip include the following.

9. Swings In Emotions

One of the other common emotional effects of LSD is a swing in emotions. You might find yourself transitioning from an intense positive emotional state to a negative one, like feeling extreme joy and elation while listening to music in one moment, then feeling anxious and uncomfortable about something external or internal the next moment.

This is nothing to worry about. It’s a perfectly normal aspect of the experience. Embrace this aspect as part of the ride.

Often, your environment can play a role in these swings in emotions. Influential factors include the below.

Changes to music
Moving from one room to another
Going from inside to outside (and vice versa)
The people you’re tripping with
The conversations you have
Changes in the weather
Going from an urban environment to somewhere in nature
Going from somewhere loud and busy to somewhere quiet and peaceful

RELATED : Is LSD Legal – Everything You Need To Know

LSD Changes The Way You Think

10. introspection.

The LSD experience can be deeply introspective, which many people find to be meaningful and insightful. During your trip, you may find yourself closely examining your thoughts and feelings. You may come to a new understanding of yourself and your patterns of thinking and feeling.

Many people find that LSD has helped them to better understand what their personality is like and what their core values are, as well as how life events have shaped them into the person they are today.

During an LSD journey, you might also re-evaluate your assumptions and attitudes about yourself, others, society, and the world at large.

While the introspective nature of the LSD experience can be positive, it does have the potential to be challenging as well. It’s common for people to say that the acid mindset is prone to overthinking and overanalyzing.

If you find yourself thinking in this way and it’s making you uncomfortable, it’s important to let your thoughts arise and pass, without resisting them. The experience will pass, and you may even find it valuable, helping to shed light on how you get stuck in certain patterns of thought.

11. Enhanced Creativity

Many people find that microdosing LSD enhances their creativity. This can manifest in various ways, including the below.

An increased desire to create art
Drawing or painting in new and unusual ways
Coming up with different solutions to a problem
Thinking about ideas and concepts in a new way (e.g. comparing, contrasting, or combining separate ideas)
Coming up with funny ideas, images, or scenarios

12. Changes To Your Philosophical Views

Finally, LSD has the potential to radically alter metaphysical beliefs in a person. This is especially the case in higher doses when you can experience things such as the following.

A feeling of eternity
Existing outside of space and time
A sense of the sacred, holy, or divine, which may be interpreted as “God”
Ego Death : the loss of your sense of personal identity
The dissolution of boundaries between you and the outside world (which often accompanies ego loss)
A feeling of oneness or interconnectedness (again, this is associated with ego loss)
A feeling of confronting ultimate reality or gaining insights into the nature of reality

These sorts of experiences may change how you think about the below.

The nature of space and time
The existence of God or a supernatural reality
The fundamental nature of reality (i.e. whether it is ultimately physical or mental)
The nature of consciousness
The nature of the self
Existential questions relating to death, meaning, connection, and freedom
Your place in the universe

It should also be stressed that LSD won’t necessarily help you arrive at any clear answers to these sorts of questions — or about anything, in fact. While it is true that many people find LSD provides clear insights about themselves, life, and reality, the experience can also create more questions than answers.

Two effects of LSD might be a mysterious feeling, or that there is so much more that you don’t know. This can be quite a humbling experience.

RELATED : What Causes Visuals In Psychedelic Trips?

Sam Woolfe is a freelance writer based in London. His main areas of interest include mental health, mystical experiences, the history of psychedelics, and the philosophy of psychedelics. He first became fascinated by psychedelics after reading Aldous Huxley's description of the mescaline experience in The Doors of Perception. Since then, he has researched and written about psychedelics for various publications, covering the legality of psychedelics, drug policy reform, and psychedelic science.

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A Trip That Doesn’t End

By Dorian Rolston

Early one night in the fall of 1987, a college freshman ate half of a microdot of lysergic acid diethylamide on his way to a party. He was young, but more than a little familiar with mind-altering chemicals: LSD, mescaline, psilocybin, and other, less common psychedelics. This trip, by comparison, turned out to be only a “mild experience.” The tingling euphoria, splendid visuals, and sudden bursts of insight mostly wore off by the time he retired to his dorm. But the following morning, some effects still remained.

“I opened my eyes to see what time it was,” he said, on the condition of anonymity. “As I looked away, I immediately realized that the light from the digital clock was streaking.” Throughout the day, other signatures of the hallucinogen high struck him. When he shifted his gaze from a page he was reading, a ghostly afterimage of the text materialized in the air, hanging legibly for a few moments. When he turned a page, a long cascading series of replicas trailed behind, like a stroboscopic photograph.

The streaking and trailing and after-imaging persisted for days. He began to panic. “I really lost it,” he said. “I was sitting in one of my first college classes and, like, hallucinating.” He met with psychologists, who could discern little. He called his parents, who could discern less. He became unhinged, wandering campus in a daze, squinting at the world as if through a kaleidoscope. “I broke down,” he said. “I could no longer go to class. I couldn’t do anything.” He quit school, moved back home, and entered rehab. His search for a diagnosis came up empty: no underlying medical condition, nor had the drug been laced with something sinister. Weeks, months, then years went by. The trip just wouldn’t end.

Psychedelic lore is littered with cautionary tales . But it remains to be seen whether reports of hallucinogen persisting perception disorder—quite literally, the persistence of hallucinogen-induced perceptions—should count among them. Hallucinogens are enjoying something of a revival: the drugs are being tried recreationally by nearly one in five American adults (approaching that of the nineteen-sixties), while being tested empirically for their powers to heal alcoholism and other addictions , anxieties from impending death , P.T.S.D. , major depression , and even cluster headaches . Reading too much into H.P.P.D., some say, could squelch the renewed intrigue—even though, to some extent, the risk factors, causes, and effective treatments remain a mystery. Others, though, suspect that unraveling this mysterious disorder could reveal clues for the more familiar ones. According to Dr. Henry Abraham, a lecturer in psychiatry at Tufts University School of Medicine who privately sees patients with substance-related disorders, neurophysiological shifts observed in H.P.P.D. patients “may yield useful models for anxiety, depression, psychosis, and even addiction.”

A chronic and debilitating condition, H.P.P.D. warps the perceptual faculties: the external senses are marred by a constellation of mostly visual distortions , while the internal ones are paralyzed by a concoction of dissociative symptoms, panic attacks, and depression. The doors of perception are not so much cleansed, as Aldous Huxley famously found after his first experience on mescaline, as they are cracked open and left askew.

H.P.P.D. does not generate hallucinations, technically speaking. Sufferers can appreciate that their perceptual aberrations are unreal—that their surroundings only appear blurred by afterimages (palinopsia) and trails (akinetopsia); shimmered by sparkles and flashed by bright bolts of light; interrupted by transparent blobs of color floating around; electrified by visual snow; magnified or shrunk by “Alice-in-Wonderland” symptoms; adorned by halos around objects, around people’s heads. The pseudo-hallucinations are ultimately unconvincing, if deeply unsettling.

Eventually, a sense of permanent unreality casts a pall over the acid-fuelled dreamscape, and sufferers disassociate—from the world, due to derealization, and from themselves, due to depersonalization. At a recent Society of Biological Psychiatry conference, Dr. Abraham presented findings, later published in the S.B.P. 2012 supplement, that suggest up to sixty-five per cent of H.P.P.D patients chronically endure panic attacks, and fifty per cent, major depression. Some patients feel their only relief is suicide.

The cluster of symptoms first appeared in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders in 1986. Ever since, the official diagnosis has been lumped together with “flashbacks.” Brief fragments of a trip that occasionally bubble up to one’s consciousness, flashbacks may arise from sudden spikes in the cerebral cortex—stirring perceptions, sensations, or emotions mimicking those of the hallucinogen high, in the absence of any chemical. But as the term has been popularized, flashback has been rendered “virtually useless” diagnostically, writes Dr. John Halpern, an assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and lead author of the most recent literature review of H.P.P.D. In the review, published in Drug and Alcohol Dependence , Dr. Halpern reasons that by conflating two distinct diagnoses, a strict definition of H.P.P.D. has remained elusive, leaving its prevalence obscured. Yet, “it seems inescapable,” he concludes, based on twenty related studies dating back to 1966, “that at least some individuals who have used LSD, in particular, experience persistent perceptual abnormalities reminiscent of acute intoxication, not better attributable to another medical or psychiatric condition.”

Peer-reviewed accounts of drug users whose world had been transfigured permanently can be found as early as 1983 , prefiguring the initial D.S.M. entry. In a case-control study of a hundred and twenty-three LSD users, Abraham was among the first to catalogue reports from those who flashed psychedelic and never turned off: a struggling shoe salesman whose dark-brown pairs bled into the navy-blues; a confused student whose text jumbled into “alphabet soup”; a distracted office worker whose flower pot slid back and forth along the windowsill. “This isn’t flashbacks,” said Abraham. “We have to call it what it is: a persisting perception disorder.”

Preliminary estimates of the prevalence of H.P.P.D. dismissed the disorder as an outlier, implicating as few as one in fifty thousand hallucinogen users. The most recent large-scale survey, questioning nearly twenty-five hundred users, found that over one in twenty-five were considering treatment for H.P.P.D.-like symptoms . But because participants, recruited from the popular drug information Web site Erowid, did not represent the average dabbler, and because only a small portion of them had actively sought medical care, the tally remains somewhat inconclusive. “Unfortunately,” writes Halpern, assessing the scant literature, “the data do not permit us to estimate, even crudely, the prevalence of ‘strict’ H.P.P.D.”

If “strict” cases of H.P.P.D. turn up only rarely in scientific journals, though, at HPPDonline.com, a Web forum tracking research developments and connecting sufferers, nearly nine thousand monthly visitors give some indication of what lies beyond the academic purview. They report burning and throbbing and numbing and tingling. They claim that surfaces undulate (“breathing walls”), objects vanish (“they mix with the floor”), and beams of light splinter into shards of extended rays (“star-bursting”). They share encounters that seem inexplicable—”fluids flowing down from my left temple,” “a chemical aftertaste”—and plead for the group’s insight. They raise suspicions: “Every time I walk past a certain type of tree the leaves begin to shake.” They despair: “I hear my brain.”

And they may be making their symptoms worse. While H.P.P.D. sufferers do misperceive their environment, some researchers suspect that severe anxiety—perhaps an underlying condition—aggravates those misperceptions. As noted by Matthew Baggott, a postdoctoral fellow in psychiatric genetics at University of Chicago, fMRI studies generally show close links between the attention and visual systems .

Such observations have raised doubt over whether hallucinogens are the root cause of the disorder, and even whether H.P.P.D. is a bona-fide diagnosis. “The more you focus on the condition, the more it spirals out of control,” said Halpern. “So sufferers must practice letting go, which most Americans tend to struggle with.” In one study of five hundred Native American Church members , each of whom had taken peyote hundreds, even thousands of times, no H.P.P.D.-like symptoms were reported. “Our culture is still evolving to deal with what it means to be intoxicated by these substances,” Halpern reasons. “H.P.P.D. may be an incomplete description of the syndrome.”

But if H.P.P.D. is to some extent self-perpetuated—perhaps by a naïve culture, perhaps by anxiety-prone individuals—it is not self-induced. Running a battery of standard neurological tests on dozens of H.P.P.D. patients throughout the nineteen-eighties and early nineties, Abraham and co-authors Dr. Frank Hopkins Duffy, a neurologist, and Ernst Wolf, a neuroscientist, found evidence suggesting the flow of impulses through the central nervous system has been chronically altered. When a light is flipped on, the brain still registers darkness for a while; when a light flickers, it registers a steady beam; when an array of colors is presented, it confuses those in proximity. Jennifer Groh, a professor of psychology and neuroscience and the director of the Neural Basis of Perception Lab at Duke University, has extensively investigated the visual-processing system. While she has not studied H.P.P.D. specifically, Groh has found that the brain is generally unable to distinguish stimuli according to their source; even a single stimulus, artificially induced over and over, is treated as genuine and novel. The so-called staircase-of-eye-movements effect, Groh reasons, would predict some of the symptoms—at least the trailing, after-imaging, and poor darkness adaptation—observed in H.P.P.D. patients. “Their brain may not recognize the stimuli as simply the same repeated request,” she says.

Consistent with Groh’s findings, Abraham offers his own account of why H.P.P.D. causes sensory input to linger within neural circuitry, firing even after the stimulus is gone. “What we have proven through psychophysics, electrophysiology, and quantitative analysis,” said Abraham, “is that when the brain of an H.P.P.D. person is stimulated by some perceptual force in the environment, mostly visual, the stimulus is disinhibited.” Objects of perception, in other words, are not readily disengaged, breaking up an ordinarily seamless flow of conscious experience. If the brain is like a paintbrush, then H.P.P.D. appears to make the bristles sticky, and the old stimuli—colors, shapes, and motions—muddy the new.

Frank Durgin, a professor of psychology and the director of the Perception and Cognition Lab at Swarthmore College, affirmed that Abraham’s theory holds promise. “The disinhibition hypothesis is pretty safe as a generic account,” said Durgin. “There is a lot of inhibition involved in normal perception. Failure to distinguish and inhibit noise signals is a reasonable first guess about a variety of hallucinogenic effects.” The theory seems to be consistent with the current science of perception, according to Irving Biederman, a professor of neuroscience and the director of the Image Understanding Laboratory at the University of Southern California. A healthy brain, Biederman explained, is bathed in inhibitory neurotransmitters—gamma-aminobutyric acid, primarily—in order to mute mild perceptual noise (like visual distortions), and ultimately to safeguard against full-blown cacophony (like seizures). H.P.P.D. patients, he offered, might have “done something structurally to those interneurons, causing perceptual noise to exceed the threshold.” (According to some scientists, most psychoactive drugs, including psychiatric medications, can alter the brain’s neural structure.) While neither Durgin nor Biederman study such rare perceptual disorders as H.P.P.D., their expertise is illustrative: the symptoms of H.P.P.D. are just the kind of perceptions ordinarily present in the brain, only occluded—or inhibited—from consciousness.

What is least known about H.P.P.D. is treatment. “Unfortunately,” Halpern writes, “the literature on this point remains largely anecdotal.” Options are limited: palliative care from more drugs (benzodiazepines and anti-epileptics), adjustment through psychotherapy (of the cognitive-behavioral or straight-talking variety), a pair of sunglasses. While the college freshman, now middle-aged, is celebrated by his psychiatrist as “the poster child for healthy adaptation to the disorder,” healthy adaptation is no cure.

One day several years ago, he was taking a draw from a cigarette after work when he noticed, for the second time, a sudden shift in his vision. He had finally gotten his life on track—securing a degree, starting a family, building a career—and had managed to bury his past. He occasionally struggled to read fine print, especially late at night, and became disoriented by lane markings, especially on an overcast day. (“And when I smelled pot, I ran for the hills,” he said.) But if his inner life was disfigured, few—not even his wife—could tell. Until, he recalls, “something clicked.”

What happened next was a blur. “The visuals got ramped up, like somebody raised the volume,” he says. “I was sent back immediately into panic mode, going through the emotional roller-coaster ride that I did back in college.” Tremors of panic that had been stamped out were swiftly rekindled. “I fell off the grid for a week,” he says. He began fearing, perhaps as many others with mental illness do, that the spectre of madness can be raised without warning, that “you may never make it out.”

Dorian Rolston is a freelance writer covering cognitive science.

Illustration by Ron Kurniawan.

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By Dhruv Khullar

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By Bruce Headlam

By Christopher Weyant

What Does LSD Feel Like? Exploring the Effects of LSD

Where Does LSD Come From?

The effects of lsd, 1. taking the dose, 2. onset of effects, 3. peak effects, 4. diminishing effects & aftershocks, 5. the comedown, 6. the afterglow, why do the effects of lsd last so long, are the effects of lsd stronger than other psychedelics, is lsd safe to use, wrapping up: what does acid feel like.

Everybody’s experience with LSD is unique, so it’s impossible to say exactly how it’s going to feel for you when you take it.

With that said, there are some common experiences present in what can be considered a classic acid experience — such as visual and auditory distortions, feelings of euphoria and connection, tingling sensation in the skin, or the sudden emergence of new insights and inspiration.

Here’s what acid feels like.

LSD 101: What is Acid & What Does it Do?

Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) is a hallucinogenic drug discovered by Albert Hofmann in 1938. It gained popularity in the 1960s as part of the counterculture movement, becoming the drug of choice for people looking to expand their minds amid strong social tensions between generations and a highly controversial war in Vietnam.

LSD works by mimicking serotonin in the brain. It binds to the serotonin receptors to increase brain activity in some regions and decrease it in others.

The cumulative effects of LSD cause an increase in entropy (chaoticness or randomness) in the brain. This allows thoughts to bubble up from inaccessible parts of the psyche and causes an exaggeration of sensory stimuli.

The effects of LSD begin 30-60 minutes after ingestion and last for around 10 hours .

LSD does not occur in nature and must be synthesized in a lab. It’s created through the hydrolysis of an alkaloid called ergotamine found in a species of fungi called Claviceps purpurea (ergot fungus), which infects grains.

LSD is just one of a large family of compounds collectively known as lysergamides .

Other members of this family include AL-LAD , PRO-LAD , ETH-LAD , LSZ , ALD-52 , 1P-LSD , and LSA . All are synthetic, with the exception of LSA, which is found in the seeds of morning glory and Hawaiian Baby Woodrose.

The effects of LSD is highly dependent on the dose. The small microdoses being used by workplace professionals on a daily basis is entirely different from a Saturday afternoon full-blown LSD trip.

Microdoses are used to enhance mental clarity — people report feeling more “awake” and clear-headed.

Larger, psychoactive doses produce powerful distortions in sensory perception, alterations in the perception of time, and dramatic changes in our ontological understanding of the universe and what it means to exist.

Keep in mind that doses of LSD are incredibly small and measured in micrograms. One microgram is a millionth of a gram, 1000 times smaller than one milligram.

The LSD experience can be broken up into three main categories:

Microdose (10–25 micrograms) — No noticeable changes in perception. Mild shift in mood (euphoria, calmness, sense of connection), increased focus, ability to enter flow states more easily.
Standard psychoactive dose (80–200 micrograms) — The most common dose used for the full LSD experience. Strong sensory perception changes (hallucinations), a profound sense of connection (or disconnection), powerful new personal insights.
Heroic dose (200–400 micrograms) — Profound ontological shift (dramatic change in worldview, ego-death experiences, eureka moments), visual and auditory hallucinations, and rollercoaster of emotions (both up and down). Mystical experiences are common at this dose.

Common Timeline of Effects (Standard Psychoactive Dose of LSD)

The following effect timeline assumes a standard psychoactive dose of around 80–100 micrograms.

This is where the trip begins. Beginners often expect to feel the effects immediately, but LSD takes at least 30 minutes before the effects become noticeable (sometimes as long as 90 minutes). Try to relax and settle in by keeping your mind calm and relaxed. It helps to do some form of meditation, go for a relaxing walk or anything that helps your mind relax so you can go into the trip with as positive a mindset as possible.

After 30 minutes to an hour, the first effects start to become apparent. Many people notice a tingling, fluttery feeling in their stomach as the first sign that their trip is underway. Don’t worry if you don’t feel anything after 30 minutes; everyone will have a slightly different experience, and some people might not notice any effects for an hour or more.

At the 60 minute mark, most people start experiencing noticeable visual hallucinations. Objects might appear to wiggle or shake, and you’ll feel light and giggly.

Many people feel as though their perspective changes. You may feel as though you’re taller than normal or somehow floating as you walk or move around.

Lights, colors, and patterns will start to vibrate or move. You may notice the text on your phone or computer screen become hard to read as they jitter around on the page.

Three or four hours after taking LSD is where the effects normally reach their peak. Most people feel euphoric at this point and experience vivid auditory and visual hallucinations. Depending on how much you took, you can expect peak effects to last for 2–3 hours. Larger doses have a longer peak; smaller doses start to phase out more quickly.

This phase is where your trip sitter needs to be most attentive. If a trip is going to go bad, it will most likely happen around the 2–4 hour mark. Some people experience severe anxiety and paranoia during peak effects and may lose their sense of self. A trip sitter can help root the experiencer in reality and prevent panic.

If the trip is going well, you may experience detachment and dissociative thoughts — this is normal. If your set and setting are in order, these effects can be mind-blowing, changing how you view the universe and your place in it for the better.

During the peak, the visual and auditory hallucinations will be at their highest intensity. You may notice patterns moving from one surface to another, picture frames may start to rotate, or spin, and solid objects appear to be fluid.

Audio hallucinations are also quite strong. Listening to music sounds entirely different, even with tracks you’ve listened to countless times. Sometimes music you normally don’t like sounds incredible, other times you may find you don’t like music you normally listen to.

Peak effects start to fade after 4 hours. LSD’s effects don’t end abruptly, and you will experience alternating waves of high and low-intensity effects called aftershocks for several hours. Each wave will peak at a lower intensity, slowly becoming less intense until the effects vanish altogether.

There will be moments where you feel almost back to normal again, followed by periods where the effects of the LSD kick in once again.

Eventually, the aftershocks will be unnoticeable as you return to normal.

Many people find that they stop feeling the effects of LSD after six or seven hours. This is a time for introspection, to digest the experience and reflect on how your trip changes your perception of the world and yourself.

Some people might notice lingering subtle effects lasting several hours after the primary experience has worn off. It’s difficult to predict precisely how long your experience will last since everyone’s circumstances are different. Your dose, metabolism, and set and setting all affect how long your trip lasts.

Most people feel relaxed and content at this stage and enjoy basking in their thoughts. It’s common for people to sit or lay down for hours at this point, reflecting on their experience and enjoying their calm mental state.

Even in those who feel calm and relaxed during the comedown will have a hard time falling asleep. Your body will be exhausted from the experience, especially if you spent the day exploring and walking around — yet your mind will remain active.

Some users say their perception remains altered for several days even after the effects end. It’s unclear whether this comes from trace amounts of LSD in their system or if it’s purely psychological.

LSD has a profound impact on how people perceive the world, and some people say they feel permanently changed after a trip.

An important part of LSD is to remain open to your new worldview and use it to expand your mind and grow as a person. You may feel inspired to change some of your unhealthy or unwanted habits or feel refreshed and reinvigorated about life.

Also see: Can Orange Juice Really Improve a Psychedelic Trip?

LSD has a strong affinity for the serotonin receptors in your brain — even more than the body’s natural serotonin. LSD binds to these receptors and holds on for several hours before eventually falling off and getting broken down.

The biological half-life of LSD is around five hours , meaning it takes about five hours for 50% of your dose to be eliminated from your bloodstream.

However, peak concentration in plasma occurs around 3–4 hours after ingestion, which matches when most people feel the strongest effects.

LSD is regarded as one of the strongest psychedelic drugs in terms of dose. It’s one of the few drugs that exert psychoactive effects at sub-milligram doses (about 0.2 mg).

To put it into perspective, the standard psychoactive dose of psilocybin (the active ingredient in magic mushrooms) is around 20 mg, and the psychoactive dose of DMT (dimethyltryptamine) is closer to 40 mg ( smoked or vaped ).

LSD is a formidable psychedelic, capable of producing out-of-body experiences, powerful visual and auditory distortions, and a distinct change in the perception of time.

However, there are other psychedelics considered stronger in terms of the actual depth of the experience.

For example, DMT requires a higher dose, but the effects are arguably stronger than LSD. It’s common for users to completely leave the body and enter what feels like a completely different dimension. The same is true for Salvia divinorum .

Other substances are much stronger hallucinogens — such as datura , Brugmansia (boracherro tree), or mandrake . These substances are considered “true hallucinogens” because they induce visions of entities or experiences that aren’t really there. LSD is hallucinogenic, but these visions are directly derived from objects or entities based in reality.

For healthy individuals without a history of mental illness, LSD is widely considered safe to use. There are no reported cases of LSD overdose , and even people who have unwittingly taken hundreds of times larger doses than the standard dose recovered without lasting effects.

However, taking extreme doses of LSD is risky and likely to cause unpleasant side effects at the very least. Even though LSD doesn’t cause brain damage or result in any direct physical harm — the chances of accidental injury increase when using any psychoactive compound, including LSD.

People with a history of mental illness should not take LSD, as it may induce psychosis or a rare condition called HPPD (hallucinogen-persisting perception disorder).

It’s also important to test your LSD before you take it. Fake LSD tabs sometimes contain a compound called 25I-NBOMe (or related substances), which produce similar psychoactive effects but have been linked to dozens of deaths.

Also see: Is LSD Addictive?

LSD is a potent and common psychedelic. It can be intimidating to new users, but it’s not as scary as it’s made out to be.

Every LSD experience is unique from the last. Every person experiences it differently, and every session is different, even among the same individual.

LSD expands whatever you’re feeling going into the trip, so the best way to ensure a positive experience is to make an effort to get into the right headspace before you start. Meditate, go for a walk, spend time with people you love and trust, etc.

The LSD experience involves visual and auditory distortions, which are different from a true hallucination because it involves an exaggeration or distortion in the sounds and sights you’re experiencing. You won’t see a giant pink elephant or anything like that, but you may see the patterns from grandmas plaid couch creeping up the side of your friend’s leg.

An LSD trip usually lasts for around ten hours from the initial dose to when you stop feeling any effects. Make sure to plan your trip accordingly and leave yourself enough time to contemplate your experience once it’s over.

Does LSD Kill Brain Cells? Debunking This Common Myth

LSD for Depression: An Underrated Hallucinogen?

The Dos & Don’t of Taking Liquid LSD

Does LSD Show Up On a Drug Test?

LSD Statistics: How Many People Use LSD?

The Story of LSD, Its Inventor, & Fun but Now Questionable History

Is LSD Addictive?

What does lsd do to your brain.

Does Microdosing Improve Athletic Performance?

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An iPhone displays a photo of a women at a music festival.

What a Terror Attack in Israel Might Reveal About Psychedelics and Trauma

Thousands of Israelis were using mind-altering substances when Hamas-led fighters attacked a desert festival on Oct. 7. Now, scientists are studying the ravers to determine the effects of such drugs at a moment of extreme trauma.

This photo of Yuval Tapuhi was taken at the Tribe of Nova festival on Oct. 7, before the Hamas-led terrorist attack. Credit... Avishag Shaar-Yashuv for The New York Times

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By Natan Odenheimer , Aaron Boxerman and Gal Koplewitz

April 11, 2024

One Israeli said that being high on LSD during the Hamas-led attack on Oct. 7 prompted a spiritual revelation that helped him escape the carnage at a desert rave. Another is certain the drug MDMA made him more decisive and gave him the strength to carry his girlfriend as they fled the scene. A third said that experiencing the assault during a psychedelic trip has helped him more fully process the trauma.

Listen to this article with reporter commentary

Some 4,000 revelers gathered on the night of Oct. 6 at a field in southern Israel, mere miles from the Gaza border, for the Tribe of Nova music festival. At dawn, thousands of Hamas-led terrorists stormed Israel’s defenses under the cover of a rocket barrage.

About 1,200 people were killed that day, the deadliest in Israeli history according to the Israeli authorities, including 360 at the rave alone. Many of the ravers were under the influence of mind-altering substances like LSD, MDMA and ketamine as they witnessed the carnage or fled for their lives.

For a group of Israeli researchers at the University of Haifa, the attack has created a rare opportunity to study the intersection of trauma and psychedelics, a field that has drawn increased interest from scientists in recent years.

The survivors of the Nova festival present a case study that would be impossible to replicate in a lab: a large group of people who endured trauma while under the influence of substances that render the brain more receptive and malleable.

Illegal in most countries, including Israel, these substances are now on the cusp of entering the psychiatric mainstream. Recent research suggests that careful doses of drugs like MDMA and psilocybin , the active ingredient in “magic mushrooms,” might be useful in treating post-traumatic stress disorder.

The festival participants were under the influence during their trauma, not in a controlled clinical setting, but researchers say studying them could help scientists better understand how psychedelics might be used to treat patients after a traumatic event.

The researchers surveyed more than 650 Nova survivors. Roughly 23 percent said they took hallucinogens like LSD, also known as acid, and about 27 percent used MDMA, a stimulant and psychedelic commonly called molly or ecstasy. Many attendees used more than one substance.

Rubbish litters the ground in a stand of trees, including a sign that reads, “Chill Out Zone.”

Participants in the survey described a variety of experiences while using drugs on Oct. 7, ranging from hallucinations to extreme clarity, from panic to resolve and from paralysis to action.

“Even though people were dropping on the ground screaming next to me, I felt a growing sense of confidence, that I was invincible,” said Yarin Reichenthal, 26, a judo coach who experienced the attack while on LSD. “I felt enlightened. I felt no fear at all.”

In many instances, according to preliminary results of the researchers’ survey, even festivalgoers using the same drugs experienced the attack in different ways — variances that might have meant the difference between life and death.

The scientists cautioned that the study was not a comprehensive review of how every participant at the rave fared because so many were killed.

“We only hear the stories of those who made it out alive,” said Roy Salomon, a cognitive science professor at the University of Haifa and a co-author of the study. “So our understanding is influenced by survivors’ bias.”

Witnesses said that for many attendees, drug use appeared to hamper their ability to flee for safety. Some ravers were too zoned out on psychedelics to realize what was happening and escape. The researchers said that those experiences were also important to their findings.

“There are two main questions,” said Roee Admon, a University of Haifa psychology professor and a co-author of the study. “How is the traumatic event experienced under different psychedelics, and what might the long-term clinical impact be?”

Professor Admon and Professor Salomon, who are leading the survey, are studying the survivors in the hopes of gleaning information about how drug use affected their experience of trauma. They are also studying how the attendees appear to be recovering and coping. A graduate student, Ophir Netzer, also helped write the study.

Of those who made it out alive, some survivors appeared to be recovering well and others reported feeling numb and detached. Some said they had increased their drug use since the attack to cope.

“We were all in such a heightened emotional state, which made us all the more vulnerable when the attack began,” said Tal Avneri, 18, who said he stayed relatively lucid on Oct. 7 after taking MDMA. “And when you’re hurt at your most fragile, you can later become numb.”

For devotees of Israel’s trance scene, a festival like Nova is more than just a way to let loose. Many view the raves — often held in forests and deserts, with pounding electronic beats and mind-altering substances — as spiritual journeys amid a like-minded community.

“The love I felt on the dance floor, the raves, the psychedelics — they helped me cope with my mother’s death,” said Yuval Tapuhi, a 27-year-old Nova survivor from Tel Aviv.

Around 6:30 a.m. on Oct. 7, as the sky turned pink and many revelers were beginning the most intense part of their trips, rockets from Gaza suddenly streaked through the sky. Air-raid sirens and loud explosions cut through the music.

Some people fell to the ground and burst out crying, multiple survivors said. Some attendees scrambled to evade the terrorists by hiding in bushes, behind trees or in riverbeds. Others sprinted through open fields, running for hours before reaching safety.

Still others fled in their cars, creating a huge traffic jam at the rave’s main exit, where they became easy targets for Palestinian gunmen swarming across the border.

Amid the gunfire and rocket barrage, Mr. Reichenthal, the judo coach, had what he describes as a transcendent experience, which he credits with his survival. The LSD trip, he said, made it feel as if his fear had been stripped away, and he murmured Bible verses as he ran to safety.

Many survivors described their initial panic being replaced with a coolheaded resolve — a function, one expert said, of stress counteracting the effects of the drugs.

Sebastian Podzamczer, 28, attributed his survival, at least in part, to a huge rush of energy and clarity he experienced while using MDMA. The drug’s influence, he said, gave him what he believes was the strength to carry his girlfriend, who had been paralyzed by fear.

Mr. Podzamczer, a former combat medic in the Israeli military, had PTSD after his service. Taking psychedelics recreationally, he said, helped him unravel some of that pain, allowing him to speak about his military service without shaking and panicking.

“But I always thought that if I was caught in an extreme situation like that, I’d be paralyzed by panic from my PTSD,” Mr. Podzamczer said. Instead, he found that the MDMA he took at the rave “helped me stay afloat, to act more quickly and decisively.”

High levels of stress can almost “overwhelm” the effects of a drug and jolt people back to reality, said Rick Doblin, the founder of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies, a nonprofit organization in California that finances scientific research but is not involved in the Nova survivor study.

Almog Arad, 28, said that her acid trip kicked in after the attack began but that the circumstances quickly “minimized” the drug’s effects. While she continued to see intense colors and patterns as she fled, her decision-making remained relatively sound, she said.

“Adrenaline was the strongest drug I took that day,” she said.

The University of Haifa researchers plan to follow the survivors for years, tracking their neural activity with functional magnetic resonance imaging, or fMRI.

They have presented their preliminary findings in a preprint paper , a scientific manuscript undergoing peer review.

Compared with survivors who used other substances, attendees who used MDMA are recovering better and showing less severe symptoms of PTSD, according to the study’s preliminary conclusions.

Many MDMA users in particular, the researchers said, believe that using the drug helped them survive. That perception, the scientists added, could have influenced their ability to cope with their trauma.

“The way in which we remember the trauma has a great impact on how we process it,” Professor Admon said. “So even if a victim’s perception is subjective, it will still have a great impact on their recovery.”

The researchers said it was difficult to assess the exact doses that the festivalgoers used, making it hard to analyze how different quantities of drugs affected people.

Mr. Reichental said he witnessed one man at the rave who appeared to be so out of it that as gunfire sounded and another raver tried to help him escape, the man instead began to flirt with her. “How lucky it is that destiny brought us together,” Mr. Reichenthal recalled the man saying. He does not believe the man survived the attack.

Psychologists and survivors said those ravers who took ketamine, a psychedelic with an intense tranquilizing and dissociative effect, appeared to be one of the groups hit hardest.

Immediately after the Nova massacre, a group of therapists and experts established a volunteer relief network for survivors, known as Safe Heart, that provided psychological support for more than 2,200 people. The group has collaborated with the University of Haifa researchers as well as with a separate , qualitative study led by Guy Simon, a psychotherapist and doctoral candidate at Bar-Ilan University.

“Most people who undergo a traumatic experience do not develop PTSD,” Professor Admon said. “Identifying those who do and treating them as early as possible is critical to their healing.”

Read by Natan Odenheimer

Audio produced by Adrienne Hurst .

Aaron Boxerman is a Times reporting fellow with a focus on international news. More about Aaron Boxerman

Our Coverage of the Israel-Hamas War

News and Analysis

Gazans released from Israeli detention described graphic scenes of physical abuse in testimonies gathered by U.N. workers, according to a new report.

Britain, the United States, France and other allies of Israel have voiced their anger over the death toll in Gaza, but when Iran launched a missile barrage at Israel, they set it aside . At least for the moment.

The Israel pavilion at the Venice Biennale is closed this year, since its creative team decided not to exhibit work until there was a cease-fire and hostage deal in Gaza, but it was nonetheless the site of a large demonstration .

Mobilizing the American Left: As the death toll in Gaza climbed, the pro-Palestinian movement grew into a powerful, if disjointed, political force in the United States . Democrats are feeling the pressure.

Riding Rage Over Israel: Jackson Hinkle’s incendiary commentary has generated over two million new followers on X since October — a surge that some researchers say is aided by inauthentic accounts by the online celebrity.

Psychedelics and Trauma: Thousands of festival-goers were using mind-altering substances when Hamas-led fighters attacked on Oct 7. Now, scientists are studying the effects of such drugs at a moment of trauma .

Turmoil at J Street: The war in Gaza has raised serious concerns within the Jewish political advocacy group about its ability to hold a middle position without being pulled apart by forces on the right and the left.

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LSD: Everything You Need to Know
Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) is a common recreational drug. It is also commonly known as acid. LSD is usually consumed on small pieces of paper called blotter. LSD has been taken by about 25 million Americans at least once, and 1.5 million Americans in the past year, based on 2015 numbers. 1. We do not endorse the acquisition and use of ...
Bad Trips and Flashbacks from LSD
In total, 7% of subjects reported having flashbacks more than 24 hours after LSD administration. Each of these people experienced between 1 and 3 flashback events. However, no one had a flashback later than 86 hours (about 3.5 days) after taking LSD, meaning that no subjects developed HPPD.1. As to the first concern, previous research on HPPD ...
What to Do When You're Having a Bad LSD Trip
Sometimes screens are too overwhelming during your trip. Call 62-FIRESIDE (623-473-7433) to connect with trained volunteers who can help you through challenging encounters with psilocybin, LSD ...
The stages of an LSD trip : r/LSD
Stage 1: putting the acid in your tongue, not much is happening at all other than the chance of an increased heart rate due to adrenaline. Stage 2: The come up, thoughts such as "I don't think this is working" and "I swear the grass wasn't that green"'enters your mind. As well as a very subtle intensity in surfaces.
How to take LSD (Acid)
With acid, start first with 30-40 micrograms. 10 8. You may then increase to a maximum of 60-80 (67) micrograms, then a maximum of 120-140 (133) micrograms, and then a maximum of 170-240 (200) micrograms. 10 8. If you're particularly eager, you can skip the smallest dose and jump to ~67 micrograms first.
How to Navigate The LSD Comedown
A dip in your mood is common during the LSD comedown as well, explains Gael. In addition to Zendo Project, Gael is a therapist with the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) clinical trials in MDMA -assisted psychotherapy. An LSD trip can be deeply profound and emotional, coming out of that state may lead to lowered moods.
How to Trip Well With LSD
In addition to starting slow, share the moment with people you trust. Friend groups often trip together and designate one person as the sober trip-sitter. "Make sure you take it with someone you ...
What to Expect On Your Next LSD Trip
Some effects of LSD are benign and even enjoyable. Visual distortions, hallucinations, and altered emotion and cognition are common. Other side effects are less enjoyable, and potentially harmful- an increased heart rate and body temperature, anxiety, nausea, and psychosis are all possible after taking LSD.
Why LSD Trips Last So Long and Make Everything Seem So Meaningful
The researchers found that the LSD molecule is essentially locked on to that part of the brain as the receptor folds over it like a lid. This explains why the effects of an LSD trip last so long ...
A Simple Guide To LSD: How It Feels, Risks, And ...
An LSD trip lasts for around 9-12 hours, making it one of the longer-lasting psychedelics. Food affects how LSD's potency and how long it lasts. Eating a large meal before taking LSD could reduce the amount you absorb by up to 50%, compared to taking LSD on an empty stomach. 12.
Beyond the Hourglass: Duration, Expectations, and Integration of an
Factors Affecting the Duration of an LSD Trip: Each person's body chemistry and sensitivity to LSD can influence how long the effects last. The duration of an LSD trip is highly variable, with the effects lasting anywhere from 8 to 12 hours on average. However, it's essential to note that LSD's effects can persist for longer periods in some ...
The Benefits and Risks of LSD: Everything You Need to Know ...
Probably the most common psychological risk of LSD is the fear of having a "bad trip" or what the psychedelic therapy world refers to as a challenging trip, so as to not label the experience good or bad, as many insights that are beneficial can come from difficult journeys. Psychedelics have a way of bringing up memories and emotions from ...
Acid Trip Stages / Phases and LSD Dosage Guide
Main trip may last four to six hours, but comedown may extend to standard length. 75 ug to 150 ug. A substantial experience. All phases of the LSD experience described above experienced. At lower range, hallucinations limited to a breathing effect, strong psychedelic colors, mild visual hallucinations (e.g., objects appear distorted). At the ...
LSD's Long, Strange Trip Explained
LSD's Long, Strange Trip Explained When LSD binds to serotonin receptors, it pulls a "lid" closed behind it, locking it in place for hours, and explaining its long-lasting effects. Christopher ...
How long does an LSD trip last?
The peak of an LSD trip is reached after two hours on average, with the most intense effect lasting up to four hours. However, how long the LSD trip lasts in this phase also varies from person to person. The mood changes unpredictably, memories and psychologically relevant experiences can occur.
Ways to potentiate or intensify LSD trip : r/LSD
Here's the best way to intensify a trip. Lie down, put some good headphones on, play some awesome tunes and shut your eyes. Stay like that 10-20 minutes and then open your eyes. Finally someone gets it. Candyflip or bump some k (: I would really recommend melatonin and 5-HTP.
Ever Had a Really Long Acid Trip? Now Science Knows Why
A new paper out today in Cell finally reveals the secret of the LSD Trip Gone Far Too Long: The drug binds to receptors in your brain in a fascinating way, essentially locking into position to ...
Effects Of LSD: 12 Things To Expect During A Psychedelic Trip
LSD Changes The Way You Think. 10. Introspection. 11. Enhanced Creativity. 12. Changes To Your Philosophical Views. The effects of LSD are many and varied. When taking , the drug can lead to significant bodily, perceptual, emotional, and cognitive changes.
How Long Does LSD Last?
Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) is one of the most potent hallucinogenic drugs known to humankind. The trips associated with LSD typically last between 8 and 10 hours but can extend for 12 hours or more in some cases. In storage, LSD lasts up to 1 year if stored in a cool, dark place, or 3 years in a fridge or freezer.
The challenging trips are the most rewarding : r/LSD
5.7K votes, 235 comments. 760K subscribers in the LSD community. A kind, open-minded community dedicated to Lysergic Acid Diethylamide-25. ... I've never had a "bad" trip purely on LSD. I've had "difficult" ones as the user above you put it, with thought loops and just overall uneasiness, but the only real BAD trips I've had was when I mixed it ...
A Trip That Doesn't End
May 17, 2013. Early one night in the fall of 1987, a college freshman ate half of a microdot of lysergic acid diethylamide on his way to a party. He was young, but more than a little familiar with ...
What Does LSD Feel Like? Exploring the Effects of LSD
The cumulative effects of LSD cause an increase in entropy (chaoticness or randomness) in the brain. This allows thoughts to bubble up from inaccessible parts of the psyche and causes an exaggeration of sensory stimuli. The effects of LSD begin 30-60 minutes after ingestion and last for around 10 hours.
How do you deal with anxiety when tripping : r/LSD
jjdango. •. try not to think too hard and relax. a lot of the times, ive heard and seen people spiral down from anxiety. it is best to stay in a positive mind set and embrace the trip rather than to fight it. think of yourself being sober and let things flow. ive had anxiety before but i would either talk to myself and address the issue first ...
What a Terror Attack in Israel Might Reveal About Psychedelics and
Roughly 23 percent said they took hallucinogens like LSD, also known as acid, and about 27 percent used MDMA, a stimulant and psychedelic commonly called molly or ecstasy. Many attendees used more ...

How to take LSD (Acid)

🙋 Safe use is important to avoid adverse reactions

Psychedelic retreats

☑️ Safer and more enjoyable usage checklist

🚫 Risks to avoid

What correlates with having a bad trip?

👨‍⚕️ 1. Avoid with certain health conditions

💉 2. Avoid drugs that interact with psychedelics

⚖️ 3. Use a safe dosage and start with 30-40 micrograms

Start small

Ensure high confidence in your dosage

Does dosage vary by weight?

How can I convert between LSD (acid) and shrooms dosages?

💯 4. Buy a test kit to ensure your LSD is not fake

Recommended LSD test kits

Shrooms may be safer than LSD

Backup testing methods (not recommended)

😇 5. Have a trusted, sober guide who is experienced in supporting psychedelic sessions

🏠 6. Trip in a 100% safe, pleasing and familiar environment

😄 7. Wait until you’re in a good mindset

📝 8. Prepare yourself

🎧 9. Optional: Wear eyeshades and headphones

🙏 10. Respect psychedelics

🗓 11. Don’t trip again until you feel your previous trip has been fully integrated into your normal life

📅 Follow these tips for the day of your trip

What are the best activities for an LSD trip?

What if I’m concerned about my own use or a loved one’s use of LSD?

What about taking higher doses?

The Trip Sitter Guide

Psychedelic Therapy

Read these next

Recent Guides

The LSD Comedown: Navigating the After Effects of Acid

Article by console.log(""); console.log("author name"); console.log(""); Calvin Hughes .author-bio * {display: unset !important;} Published on November 16, 2021 Updated November 23, 2021

What’s the LSD Comedown Like?

How to Grow Shrooms Bundle

The After Effects of LSD

HPPD from Acid

What to Expect the First Day After Acid

Confusion About Your Experience

Changes In Your Outlook

Recovery During An Acid Comedown

Integrating During the LSD Comedown

Related posts:

How to Take Shrooms

Art + Culture

Health & Wellness

What to Expect On Your Next LSD Trip

THE TWO SIDES OF THE TAB

SIDE EFFECTS AND SAFETY OF LSD

ENVIRONMENT

FOOD, DRINK, AND OTHER PREPARATIONS; DO’S AND DONT’S

DROPPING THE TAB

ONSET, DURATION, AND PEAKS

THE EFFECTS OF LSD

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