The Ultimate Microdosing Guide to LSD
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Also Known As
Lucy, L, Uncle Sid, Acid, Cid, Tabs, Blotter
Introduction
Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) is a classical psychedelic, considered to be the most widely known, most researched, and culturally influential psychedelic substance of the modern age. This point may be argued by some, but its profound effect on the counterculture and direction of modern society, technology, and spirituality may never truly be comprehended.
Synthesized in 1938, the psychoactive effects of LSD were first discovered in 1943 by Albert Hofmann, a Swiss chemist at Sandoz Laboratories, while researching various compounds found within the Ergot fungus for potentially new and novel drugs. It was introduced to the medical community as Delysid to enhance psychotherapy treatments utilized at the time, and widely distributed by Sandoz until 1963 when their patent expired.
It gained widespread notoriety and interest during this time, throughout the medical community, and even the CIA got involved with their MK Ultra Operation as they experimented with its effects as a possible truth serum and mind control agent.
After the expiration of the patent, prominent cultural figures began using and then advocating for its use, giving way to LSD becoming a central part of the counterculture of the 60’s. The message of conscious expansion, love, and unity greatly influenced the thinking of the youth, in great contrast to American politics and values at the time, becoming a major reason for it’s scheduling as a Class I substance in 1968. The last scientific study observing the functions of LSD allowed by the government came in 1980, marking the end of any legal production and research into the compound.
Following a 40 year hiatus, research into the therapeutic applications of LSD has now experienced a strong revival. It is currently being investigated for the treatment of a number of ailments including alcoholism, addiction, cluster headaches, and anxiety associated with terminal illness. LSD remains in widespread illicit use for recreational and spiritual purposes, with 6-8% of all adults worldwide reporting at least using it once in their lifetime.
How It Works
LSD works by binding serotonin receptors in the central nervous system, with its psychedelic actions specifically mediated by a subtype called 5-HT 2A receptors.This binding is responsible for its hallucinogenic effects.
LSD also binds to all dopamine and all norepinephrine(adrenaline) receptors, making it unique amongst serotonin binding psychedelics as they usually do not exhibit a strong affinity for these receptors. LSD’s ability to bind these receptors contributes to its overall subjective experience as being more energizing or stimulating.
How It Feels
A typical 100 microgram dose of LSD is reported to be significantly more stimulating and fast-paced in both physical and cognitive dimensions, producing a wide variety of effects that might be attributed to its binding activity across a range on central nervous system receptors.
With this comes a noticeably increased body temperature and neural activity throughout the body, often leading people to naturally begin moving, dancing, exercising, or wandering around. Visual effects may also become very noticeable in the form of radial color enhancement, tracers, and recurrent geometric patterns that rapidly shift and change.
As a microdose, LSD users frequently describe experiencing a boost in energy, focus, and the feeling that life is meaningful. A proper microdose, according to users of the drug, is like a day in which you’ve “gotten enough sleep and eaten well.” It’s often used to help kick addictions, from cigarettes to heroin. Many LSD microdoses find that it’s made it easier to lose weight, stop drinking, and even cut back on playing video games while being more sociable and outgoing.
Tolerance
Tolerance LSD starts to form immediately after consumption and compounds with additional use. After tolerance has built up it takes about 7 days for tolerance to return to its previous baseline. LSD produces cross-tolerance with all psychedelics, reducing the effect of other psychedelics if taken within that 7 day window.
When taken at extremely high doses, LSD can produce tolerance lasting up to multiple weeks or months. When ingesting higher doses of LSD to push through the threshold of a tolerance the subjective experiences of visuals, felt senses, and trip experience may change drastically causing an unpleasant or undesirable experience.
Toxicity
LSD is physiologically well-tolerated and has an extremely low toxicity relative to dose. There is no evidence for long-lasting effects on the brain or other organs and there are no documented deaths attributed to the direct effects of LSD toxicity.
While LSD may not be capable of causing direct bodily toxicity or death, its use can still have serious negative consequences. For example, it is capable of impairing the user’s judgment and attention, which may lead to dangerous behaviors and delusions that cause serious bodily harm to themselves and others around them.
Unlike many psychoactive substances, LSD has no known toxic dose and is essentially impossible to physiologically overdose on. However, higher doses increase the risk of adverse psychological reactions. These reactions include anxiety, paranoia, panic attacks, delusions, psychosis, and in rare cases, seizures.
Medical attention is usually not needed except in the case of severe psychotic episodes or the suspected ingestion of adulterated substances that partially mimic LSD’s psychedelic effects but carry the risk of physiological toxicity and overdose.
How To Microdose LSD
Microdosing acid is most easily accomplished when it is in a dissolved form, suspended in liquid. Most liquid preparations of LSD likely have anywhere from 100-200 micrograms per drop of liquid, varying with the type of dropper and end user competence.
A microdose would typically be 5-10 micrograms of LSD. We always recommend shooting for a 5 microgram dose as it can be more tolerable and can easily be adjusted if more effects are desired.
What you need:
- 1 ml dropper
- 3 ml dropper bottle
- Distilled water or a grain neutral spirit (like vodka).
- Vial of LSD
Preparation instructions:
- Try to avoid as much bright light or sunlight/UV exposure during this process as it will degrade the LSD.
- Pour some solution (water or vodka) into a clean cup.
- Using the 1 ml dropper, add 95 drops of liquid to the 3 ml vial.
- Make sure to empty the dropper fully back into the cup once the 3ml vial has been filled.
- Add 5 drops of liquid LSD to the 3 ml dropper bottle.
- Cap the 3 ml dropper bottle and shake it and squeeze the bulb a few times to make sure the LSD is distributed homogeneously before dosing.
The Latest Science
With no scientific studies being conducted since the 1980’s, recent years have shown an explosion of interest with the amount of studies that have been conducted on LSD and its healing potential. Notably, Johns Hopkins was recently awarded a federal grant to study psychedelic agents like LSD and psilocybin, marking the first government backed study in decades.
A number of studies, primarily based out of Switzerland, are currently investigating the use of LSD for the treatment of a number of ailments including alcoholism, addiction, cluster headache, and anxiety associated with terminal illness. There is also a study being conducted on specifically microdosing LSD for elderly patients and others looking at coadministration with MDMA for increased therapeutic benefit.
The low toxicity and abuse potential make LSD a wonderful tool in a clinician’s toolbox, as well as an effective medium for spiritual awakening and profound life changing experiences in the recreational user. Regardless of its future as a medicine, LSD use remains widespread.
