Some science behind the scenes
LSD-25
Extract from LSD (Lysergic Acid Diethylamide) - Christopher P Holstege from Encyclopedia of Toxicology. [ This article is a revision of the previous print edition article by William A Watson, volume 2, pp. 264–265, & 1998]
SYNONYMS: 9,10-Didehydro-N,N-diethyl-6-methylergoline- 8b-carboxamide; Acid; Beast; Ben; Blotter; Blue caps; Blue drops; Brain buster; Brown caps; Cubes; Face melter; Ghost; Green aps; Hawk; Heavenly blue;Microdots; Paper acid; Pearly gates; Pink drops; Purple haze; Purple edges; Royal Blue; Sunshine; Wedding bells; White lightning; Window Pane; Yellow caps; Yellow drops
Uses
Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) is an illicit drug abused as a hallucinogen. Exposure Routes and Pathways. The most common route of exposure is oral ingestion. Nasal insufflation or intravenous injection is also utilized.
Toxicokinetics
The absorption of LSD is described as rapid, with clinical effects within 15 min and peak concentrations within 60 min after ingestion. Protein binding is greater than 80% and the volume of distribution is 0.3 l kg_1. LSD is metabolized to inactive metabolites with less than 1% excreted unchanged. The drug penetrates into the central nervous system (CNS), concentrating in the visual brain areas and the reticular activating systems. The elimination halflife is B2–5 h.
Mechanism of Toxicity
The mechanism of action of LSD is incompletely understood. LSD’s hallucinogenic effects are secondary to its ability to increase central serotonin activity. LSD also stimulates both D1 and D2 dopamine receptors.
It is an odd fact that although the LSD effects last 8 hours of more, usually, most of the LSD disappears from the brain and blood stream within 20 to 30 minutes, so where does it go? Papac and Foltz (1990) reported that 1 µg/kg oral LSD given to a single male volunteer had an apparent plasma half-life of 5.1 hours, with a peak plasma concentration of only 5 ng/mL at 3 hours post-dose.
Only a small percentage of the drug reaches the brain and this amount acts as a catalyst, which is why the effects continue for several hours after LSD has disappeared from the brain. After an average dose of about 100 micrograms has been swallowed, as little as two hundredths of a microgram passes through the blood brain barrier. This would mean that only 3,700,000 molecules are available for contact with 12 billion brain cells, which in turn means that LSD has to have a superbly targeted effect. And it does.
As we can see from the description above it targets the reticular system – and it does it directly, no pussy footing around to still the memory or the reasoning system, it goes right on in there and possibly triggers the composer - the dream making function directly, which is why the experiences are so vivid but also memorable. And only a tiny tiny dose is needed because that is all you need to trigger the composer function – homeopathic doses.
Furthermore direct stimulation of the composer will result in the full gamut of spiritual experiences being available – contact with other beings, out of body experiences, synaesthesia, enhanced perception, perception recall, past lives, improved creativity via access to images and functions that are not our own.