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From: honig@buckaroo.ICS.UCI.EDU (David Honig) Subject: Updated LSD FAQ Message-ID: <9408091330.aa03614@paris.ics.uci.edu> Newsgroups: alt.drugs Date: 9 Aug 94 20:30:57 GMT The following large (200K) file is the updated LSD FAQ incorporating various posts that I've collected since this faq first came out. There is a "Changes" section near the top. This also contains info on other tryptamine psychedelics, viz. DMT and psilocybin. (c) 1994 The reproduction for nonprofit use of this file is encouraged. The Usenet alt.drugs LSD FAQ Last Update: 9 Aug 94 Subject: LSD Size: Now 200K, 80K gzip'd Formatting Info: topic break: ****************************** within-topic break: .............................. Special DMT FAQ insert: ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ****************************** Caveat: [NB: This FAQ provided to reduce the Net's bandwidth / confusion / misinformation, as an informational resource ONLY. There are some very informed, and some very clueless people on the Net. This FAQ tries to shift the balance. The truth shall set you free, as they say.] ****************************** Changes since Previous Version - added synthesis notes, MAPS - merged misc. files and references, organizations, the baseball story, recipes I'm not competent to judge - added scholarly section on creativity - include more info on related active tryptamine derivatives - traded off half-a-decibel of signal-to-noise for wider scope - added mycological horticultural note - added postscript stereoimage of structure ****************************** Synopsis / Table of Contents: LSD (definition, introduction) Delysid (medical fact sheet for pharmaceutical LSD) (pharmacology) Cautions, Real And Imagined: Addiction Potential (none) Adulterants (including the strychnine myth, manufacturing impurities, etc.) Bad Trips (what they are, how to avoid, what to do) Myths (stamps for children, staring at the sun..) Dangers (LSD isn't for morons...) Flashbacks (what they are ---post-traumatic stress syndrome) Insomnia (common, what to do) Tolerance (aquired and lost quickly (3 days) harmlessly, no withdrawal) Backround: Anthropology (and history) Botany (sources in nature: mushrooms, ergot, morning glories, hawaiian baby woodrose, tropical plants) Chemistry (structure) Mechanism of Action (uncertain) Related Compounds (indoles: psilocybin, DiMethylTryptamine (DMT) ) Manufacture (forget it) Drug Testing (don't worry) Legal Scheduling (sched. 1, no medical uses in US (despite past effective use)) Pragmatics: Set and Setting (how to have a positive experience; lsd != beer) Storage (keep in a cool dark dry place) Synergies, Bad Combinations (cannabis is good, otherwise be careful) References & Further Reading: (Recommended) _Psychedelic Encyclopedia_ by Peter Stafford _LSD: My Problem Child_ by Albert Hofmann _Licit & Illicit Drugs_ (Consumer Reports) _Storming heaven : LSD and the American dream_ by Jay Stevens ****************************** LSD Generic name for the hallucinogen lysergic acid diethylamide-25. Discovered by Dr. Albert Hofmann in 1938, LSD is one of the most potent mind-altering chemicals known. A white, odorless powder usually taken orally, its effects are highly variable and begin within one hour and generally last 8-12 hours, gradually tapering off. It has been used experimentally in the treatment of alcoholics and psychiatric patients. [Where it showed some success.] It significantly alters perception, mood, and psychological processes, and can impair motor coordination and skills. During the 1950s and early 1960s, LSD experimentation was legally conducted by psychiatrists and others in the health and mental health professions. Sometimes dramatic, unpleasant psychological reactions occur, including panic, great confusion, and anxiety. Strongly affected by SET and SETTING. Classification: hallucinogens. Slang names: acid, sugar. See also appendix B. (RIS 27:211-52 entries) -- Research Issues 26, Guide to Drug Abuse Research Terminology, available from NIDA or the GPO, page 54. .............................. Common Drug Slang Terms (NB: many of these refer to the carrier, ie, "Blotter" or "Sugar Cubes". Often the local names will refer to patterns printed on the blotter, eg, "Blue unicorn".): Acid, 'Cid, Sid, Bart Simpsons, Barrels, Tabs, Blotter, Heavenly blue, "L", Liquid, Liquid A, Lucy in the sky with diamonds, Microdots, Mind detergent, Orange cubes, Orange micro, Owsley, Hits, Paper acid, Sacrament, Sandoz, Sugar, Sugar lumps, Sunshine, Tabs, Ticket, Twenty-five, Wedding bells, Windowpane, etc. .............................. from the data sheet accompanying product: (see also Physician's Desk Reference from mid-60's) Delysid (LSD 25) D-lysergic acid diethylamide tartrate Sugar-coated tablets containing 0.025 mg. (25 ug.) Ampoules of 1 ml. containing 0.1 mg. (100 ug.) for oral administration. The solution may also be injected s.c. or i.v. The effect is identical with that of oral administration but sets in more rapidly. PROPERTIES The administration of very small doses of Delysid (1/2-2 ug./kg. body weight) results in transitory distur- bances of affect, hallucinations, depersonalization, reliv- ing of repressed memories, and mild neuro-vegetative symp- toms. The effect sets in after 30 to 90 minutes and gen- erally lasts 5 to 12 hours. However, intermittent distur- bances of affect may occasionally persist for several days. METHOD OF ADMINISTRATION For oral administration the contents of 1 ampoule of Delysid are diluted with distilled water, a 1% solution of tartaric acid or halogen-free tap water. The absorption of the solution is somewhat more rapid and more constant that that of the tablets. Ampoules which have not been opened, which have been protected against light and stored in a cool place are stable for an unlimited period. Ampoules which have been opened or diluted solutions retain their effectiveness for 1 to 2 days, if stored in a refrigerator. INDICATIONS AND DOSAGE a) Analytical psychotherapy, to elicit release of repressed material and provide mental relaxation, par- ticularly in anxiety states and obsessional neuroses. The initial dose is 25 ug. (1/4 of an ampoule or 1 tablet). This dose is increased at each treatment by 25 ug. until the optimum dose (usually between 50 and 200 ug.) is found. The individual treatments are best given at intervals of one week. b) Experimental studies on the nature of psychoses: By taking Delysid himself, the psychiatrist is able to gain an insight in the world of ideas and sensations of mental patients. Delysid can also be used to induced model psychoses of short duration in normal subjects, this facilitating studies on the pathogenesis of mental disease. In normal subjects, doses of 25 to 75 ug. are generally sufficient to produce a hallucinatory psychosis (on an average 1 ug./kg. body weight). In certain forms of psychosis and in chronic alcoholism, higher doses are necessary (2 to 4 ug./kg. body weight). PRECAUTIONS Pathological mental conditions may be intensified by Delysid. Particular caution is necessary in subjects with a suicidal tendency and in those cases where a psychotic development appears imminent. The psycho-affective lability and the tendency to commit impulsive acts may occasionally last for some days. Delysid should only be administered under strict medi- cal supervision. The supervision should not be discontinued until the effects of the drug have completely worn off. ANTIDOTE The mental effects of Delysid can be rapidly reversed by the i.m. administration of 50 mg. chlorpromazine. Literature available on request. SANDOZ LTD., BASLE, SWITZERLAND 9792*-Z1540 e.-sp./d.-fr. Printed in Switzerland. .............................. From: An Introduction to Pharmacology 3rd edition, JJ Lewis, 1964 (p 385) Peripheral Actions These include an oxytocic action and constriction of the blood vessels of isolated vascular beds. In intact animals LSD causes a fall in blood pressure, but its adrenergic blocking potency is low. LSD causes mydriasis in man and other species. It also causes hyperglycaemia and mydriasis, has a hyperthermic action and causes piloerection. These effects are sympathetic in nature and are abolished by ganglion blocking or adrenergic blocking agents. Parasympathetic effects include salivation, lachyrmation, vomiting, hypotension, and brachycardia. Low doses stimulate respiration but larger doses depress it. (nb: mydriasis = pupillary dilation) .............................. Hoffman thought the diethylamide version of the lysergic acid molecule might be a respiratory stimulant... (see _Problem Child_ by Hoffman) .............................. The "speedy" quality of unadulterated LSD is due to the pharmacological actions of LSD itself, and not necessarily due to decomposition or impurities. LSD typically causes early adrenergic effects such as sweating, nervousness, jaw grinding and insomnia which are easily confused with the side effects of amphetamine. ****************************** ADDICTION POTENTIAL: Zero physical addiction potential. Not something that makes you want to do it again immediately. Essentially zero psychological addiction potential. Rarely people use it to escape in a negative way or as part of "polydrug abuse" behavior or pattern of behavior. Usually in this case other drugs are causing more harm, and the fundamental problem is a personal difficulty; the escapism/distraction is a symptom. ****************************** ADULTERANTS: Several problems are associated with street drugs: their unknown purity and their unknown strength. Because of its extreme cheapness and potency, the purity of LSD in blotter form is not an issue: either it's lsd or untreated paper. The purity of powders, pills, and liquids cannot be assumed as safe. With regards to uncertain strength, the strength of hits these days is low, 100 micrograms or so. One should be careful and assume that the smallest square in a tiling of a sheet is a dose, even if a printed pattern covers several. An experienced person could judge the strength of a dose, and if it is assumed all doses on a sheet have been processed equivalently, those doses would be calibrated for others, much like anything else. .............................. From _Psychedelic Chemistry_ by M.V.Smith, 2nd edition p 5: "There is a great deal of superstition regarding purification of psychedelics. Actually, any impurities which may be present as a result of synthetic procedures will almost certainly be without any effect on the trip. If there are 200 micrograms of LSD in a tablet, there could only be 200 mics of impurities present even if the LSD was originally only 50% pure (assuming nothing else has been added), and few compounds will produce a significant effect until a hundred to a thousand times this amount has been ingested. Even mescaline, which has a rather specific psychedelic effect, requires about a thousand thimes this amount." .............................. Note that: 1) on a piece of paper, vs. a tablet, you can't even add significant amounts of adulterants 2) adulterants would cost, whereas blank paper will rip someone off just as well. LSD itself has some "body-kinks" on some people some times. Nausea is one of them. its usually mild and transient. It also has speedlike (ie, adrenergic stimulation) effects, etc. (It is common for the uninformed to harbor fears (e.g., about adulterants) instilled by ignorance and the current hysteria/propoganda. That's why this FAQ exists.) .............................. [Referring to strychnine] 15 mg has been fatal, but a more typical fatal dose is on the order of 50mg. [Another post indicates 25 mg. as the LD50] 1 mg of strychnine orally probably has no observable pharmacological effects in a typical adult. [1 mg being ten times the effective dose of LSD, by the way.] From: Handbook of Poisoning, 10th ed, R.H. Dreisbach, M.D., PhD, Lange Med. Pub. Co. Los Altos, Ca.: strychnine is lethal in 15-30 mg amounts to adult humans. (Pure nicotine is fatal at 40 mg./person; cyanide salts are fatal at about 100 mg./person) Strychnine causes death by respitory failure, via increased spinal reflex excitability. Actually, I think the fact that PharmChem analyzed something on the order of 2,000 LSD samples between 1972 and 1979 and never found one with strychnine in it would be better. I'm going over all their data with a toothpick and I'll get back to you on exactly what I find. It looks like the percent of LSD with strychnine in it is, however, at least under .05%. More a little later. .............................. According to Alexander Shulgin the difinitive answer is that strychnine is neither used in the synthesis, produced by the synthesis, or a possible contaminant of the synthesis. But just look at the structures of strychnine vs Lysergic acid/LSD/etc and you should be able to understand that readily. .............................. From "The PharmChem Newsletter" (vol 3, no 3), 1973: Summary of Street Drug Results - 1973: "Of 189 samples of LSD quantitatively analyzed, the average dose was 67.25ug LSD. Of the 32 samples of alleged mescaline actually containing mescaline, [...stuff about mescaline and mushrooms deleted...] It is interesting to note the low incidence of deception among the less sought after psychotomimetics LSD and PCP." Most likely "good" acid is N-acetyl-LSD (ALD-52) [according to _Psychedelic Encyclopedia_ it produces a smoother trip and is somewhat commonly found in analysis -- references to the latter were provided]. while "speedy" acid is LSD-25. You might want to inform her that those "speedy" effects are also commonly reported side effects of legal drugs which effect the 5-HT neurotransmitter system. And ditto on the potency issue -- you'd need mg quantities of strychnine to feel anything. And what you would feel (according to descriptions I've read) does not match descriptions of LSD "speed" effects. Most significantly because strychnine muscular effects tend to fade in & out, while LSD "speed" effects are typically reported as being consistent -- and there are other qualitative differences. "actual experience"? ... no one here is likely to post descriptions of that over the net, even in e-mail... I'm *quite* sure that some people could though... > Well, hypothetically speaking, I bought some from her friends, and I could > probably surrender half a hit or a whole one, maybe, in the interest of > science. Does anyone have facilities to perform a REAL (hypothetical) > analysis of blotter to find out exactly what's in it? Its been done.... > > Schnoll SH Vogel WH > > Analysis of "street drugs". > > N Engl J Med (1971 Apr 8) 284(14):791 This reference sucks. > > Brown JK Shapazian L Griffin GD > > A rapid screening procedure for some "street drugs" by thin-layer > > chromatography. > > J Chromatogr (1972 Jan 19) 64(1):129-33 Nope. There's a LA County analysis of street drugs I've got (Clin Tox ~1984 I think) that reports LSD as being >96% pure or blank (If I remember correctly) -- the rest most likely is substitutes, but it wasn't reported in the analysis. .............................. This is the PharmChem analysis of LSD from 1972 (vol 1, no 1) up to the time that the DEA no longer allowed them to make quantitative measurements (1974- vol 3, no 2 included). NOTE: NO STRYCHNINE! also note that PharmChem found a sample of Shrooms contaminated with Strychnine in 1972 (vol 1, no 7), and I would think it safe to assume that they also checked LSD for Strychnine. ****************************** BAD TRIPS: A person on LSD who becomes depressed, agitated, or confused may experience these feelings in an overwhelming manner that grows on itself. The best solution is to remove disturbing influences, get to a safe, comforting environment, and reassure the tripper that things are alright. It may comfort those who fear that they are losing their minds to be reminded that it will end in several hours. Authorities are fond of administering injections of anti-psychotic drugs. Recovery in the presence of authorities, in hospitals or police stations, is not pleasant. Sedatives or tranquilizers such as Valium may help reduce panic and anxiety, but the best solution is calm talking. Some claim that niacin (an over the counter vitamin supplement) can abort a trip, but this may be due to a placebo effect (niacin produces a flushing effect). Remember that odd bodily sensations are normal and not harmful. ****************************** From page 8 of Robert Anton Wilson's Sex and Drugs: A Journey Beyond Limits "The distinction between psycholytic and psychedelic doses of LSD is used in many scientific publications but seems to be ignored by popularizers who either preach the "LSD utopia" or warn of the "decline of the West." A psycholitic does, generally 75 or 100 - or at most 200 - micrograms, causes a rush of thoughts, a lot of free association, some visualization (hallucination) and abreaction (memories so vivid that one seems to relive the experience). A psychedelic dose, around 500 micrograms, produces total but temporary breakdown of usual ways of perceiving self and world and (usually) some form of "peak experience" or mystic transcendence of ego. "Bad trips" usually occur only on psychedelic doses." ****************************** The best review of this question is Rick Strassman's "Adverse Reactions to Psychedelic Drugs: a Review of the Literature" in _J. Nerv and Mental Disease_ 172(10):577-595. He writes: The most common adverse reaction is a temporary (less than 24 hours) episode of panic --the "bad trip". Symptoms include frightening illusions/ hallucinations (usually visual and/or auditory); overwhelming anxiety to the point of panic; aggression with possible violent acting-out behavior; depression with suicidcal ideations, gestures, or attempts; confusion; and fearfulness to the point of paranoid delusions. Reactions that are prolonged (days to months) and/or require hospitalization are often referred to as "LSD psychosis," and include a heterogenous population and group of symptoms. Although there are no hard and fast rules, some trends have been noted in these patients. There is a tendency for people with poorer premorbid adjusment, a history of psychiatric illness and/or treatment, a greater number of exposure to psychedelic drugs (and correlatively, a great average total cumulative dosage taken over time), drug-taking in an unsupervised setting, a history of polydrug abuse, and self-therapeutic and/or peer-pressure-submission motive for drug use, to suffer these consequences. In spite of the impressive degree of prior problems noted in many of these patients, there are occasional reports of severe and prolonged reactions occuring in basically well adjusted individuals. In the same vein, there are many instance of faily poorly adapted individuals who suffer _no_ ill effects from repeated psychedelic drug use. In fact, it has been hypothesized that some schizophrenics do not suffer adverse reactions because of their familiarity with such acute altered states. Another possibility is that there individuals may be "protected" by possible "down- regulation" of the receptors for LSD, bu the (over-)production of some endogenous compound. _Individual_ prediction of adverse reactions, therefore, is quite difficult... ... Major "functional" psychosis vs. "LSD psychosis" ----------------------------------------------- A diagnostic issue dealth with explicitly in only a few papers is that of LSD-precipitated major functional illnesses, e.g. affective disorders or schizophrenia. In other words, many of these so called LSD psychoses could be other illnesses that were triggered by the stress of a traumatic psychedelic drug experience. Some of the same methodological issues described earlier affect these studies, but they are, on the averagem better controlled, with more family and past psychiatric history available for comparison. Hensala et al. compared LSD-using and non-LSD-using psychiatric inpatients. They found that this group of patients was generally of a younger age and contained more characteristically disordered individuals than the non- LSD-using group. Patients with specific diagnoses with or without LSD histories were not compared. Based on their observations, they concluded that LSD was basically just another drug of abuse in a population of frequently hospitalized individuals in the San Francisco area, and that it was unlikely that psychedelic use could be deemed etiological in the development of their psychiatric disorders. Roy, Breakey et al., and Vardy and Kay have attempted to relate LSD use to the onset and revelopment of a schizophrenia-like syndrome. A few comments regarding this conceptual framework seem in order, before their findings are discussed. The major factor here is that of choosing schizophrenia, or in the Vardy and Kay study, schizophreniform disorders, as the comparison group. There is an implication here that LSD psychoses are comparable, phenomenologically, to schizophrenia-like disorders, and that LSD can "cause" the development of such disorders. The multiplicity of symptoms and syndromes described in the "adverse reaction" literature should make it clear that LSD can cause a number of reactions that can last for any amount of time--from minutes to, possibly, years. I believe what is being studied here is the question of the potential role of LSD in accelerating or precipitating the onset of an illness that was "programmed" to develop ultimately in a particular individual--in a manner comparable to the major physical or emotional stress that often precipitates a bona fide myocardial infarction in an individual with advanced coronary atheresclerosis. The stress did not _cause_ the heart disease; it was only the stimulus that accelerated the inexorable process to manifest illness. In looking at the relevant studies, Breakey et al. found that schizophrenics who "used drugs" had an earlier onset of symptoms and hospitalization than non-drug-using schizophrenics, and had possibly better premorbid personal- ities than non-drug using patients (although Vardy and KAy have challenged this analysis of Breakey's data). Bowers compared 12 first-admission patients with psychosis related to LSD use, requiring hospitalization and phenothiazines, to 26 patients hospital- ized and treated with phenothiazines with no history of drug use. Six of these controls had been previously hospitalized. Drug-induced psychotic patients were found to have better premorbib histories and prognostic indicators than the nondrug groups. There was no difference in rates of family history of psychiatric illness. However, several issues flaw this study. One is the poly-drug abusing nature of the "LSD-induced" psychotic patients, compared to the controls. The role of LSD, therefore, in causing or precipitating these symptomatic disorders, is open to dispute. The other is the lack of an adequate comparison control group, i.e. the controls were specified only as "psychotic," and did not necessarily match the LSD group in either symptoms or diagnostic classification. A follow-up study of the patients occured between 2 and 6 years later. One half did well and one half did poorly, although the lack of a control group for a follow-up in a similarly symptomatic control group makes interpretation of the data difficult. Roy, in a somewhat different design, compared chronic schizophrenic patients (diagnosed according to DSM-III criteria) who had used LSD within the week preceding hospitalization, and found no difference in age of symptom onset or hospitalization compared to patients without a history of illicit drug use. Vardy and Kay, in an elegant study with a 3- and 5- year follow-up period, demonstrated that patients hospitalized for a schizophrenic picture that developed within two weeks of LSD use (patients with other diagnoses were explicitly excluded form comparisons with non-drug-using schizophrenics) were "fundamentally similar to schizophrenics in geneology, phenomenology, and course of illness (165, p. 877). Pre- morbid adjustment, age of onset of symptoms and hospitalization, family history of psychosis or suicide, and most cognitive features were also equal between groups. Family histories of alcohol abuse were markedly great in the LSD group. I believe these data, taken as a whole, limited as they are in terms of comparing subgroups (i.e. LSD-using vs. non-LSD-using) of "schizophrenia- like" disorders, point towar, at most, a possible precipitory role in the development of these disorders, in a non specific and not etiologically related manner. MYTHS: LSD does not form "crystals" that reside in the body to be "dislodged" later, causing flashbacks. LSD is a crystalline solid (though it is unlikely that one would ever have enough to be visible to the naked eye) but it is easily water soluble, thus cannot form bodily deposits. Furthermore, it is metabolized and excreted in hours. The bogus "loosened crystal" description in not necessary to explain flashbacks, which are psychological phenomena (see FLASHBACKS). LSD does not cause chromosome damage. In Science 30 April 1972, Volume 172 Number 3982 p. 431-440 there was an article by Norman I. Dishotsky, William D. Loughman, Robert E. Mogar and Wendell R. Lipscomb titled "LSD and Genetic Damage - Is LSD chromosome damaging, carcinogenic, mutagenic, or teratogenic?". They reviewed 68 studies and case reports published 1967-1972, concluding "From our own work and from a review of literature, we believe that pure LSD ingested in moderate doses does not damage chromosomes in vivo, does not cause detectable genetic damage, and is not a teratogen or carcinogen in man." Well, there's the study by Sidney Cohen which was cited here recently, Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 130, 1960. The following is from Jay Stevens' Storming Heaven: "Cohen surveyed a sample of five thousand individuals who had taken LSD twenty-five thousand times. He found and average of 1.8 psychotic episodes per thousand ingestions, 1.2 attempted suicides, and 0.4 completed suicides. 'Considering the enormous scope of the psychic responses it induces,' he concluded, 'LSD is an astonishingly safe drug.'" Some urban legends: I've heard two "stories" about people blinding themselves on "drugs". One was revealed as a hoax by the person who perpetrated it (apparently it was intended to "illustrate" the dangers of LSD), another is trotted out by anti-drug speakers at high schools: 1) Seven people on LSD stared at the sun and lost 90% of their reading vision. 2) A teenager arrested while on LSD plucked out his eyeballs in his jail cell, and felt no pain. While these are bogus, the drug has powerful effects on the mind and the consumer should be aware of the hazards, and act appropriately. .............................. There is an occasionally circulated fake warning from some police department about LSD-laced "tattoos" or stickers (the "blue star tattoo" story) being given to children. This probably originated with some hick cop or ignorant and panicky parent not understanding some children-cartoon (eg, mickey mouse in sorcerer's garb) printed on a sheet of blotter. .............................. See also myths about testing in DRUG TESTING ****************************** DANGERS: Purely psychological hazards, not harmful to body. May release latent psychosis or exacerbate depression, leading to irrational behavior. There is also a danger of foolish or incautious behavior, e.g, misjudging distances or thinking one can fly. Physical overdose is not a hazard, though one may easily ingest more than one may be able to handle psychologically. .............................. Because the "LSD psychosis" is not distinguishable from non-drug- induced psychosis, we have reasonable evidence to conclude that LSD was not the sole cause of psychosis. Instead, it would seem that the drug brought on the problems in vulnerable individuals. Interestingly, the rate of parental alcoholism was found to be much higher in LSD patients than in other patients or in the general population by one study (Vardy and Kay, Arch-Gen-Psych, 1983 40(8): 877-83). .............................. Lethal (toxic) doses of LSD are conservatively several tens of thousands of times as much as a normal dose, making it (in the toxic sense) one of the safest drugs known. See section on Pharmacology for description of bodily side-effects. The LD50 for psilocybin (active ingredient in mushrooms) is 275 mg/kg i.v. in mice. Of course, it would take lots more p.o. to kill someone. The reported LD50 values for LSD are 46, 16.5, 0.3 mg/kg I.V. for mice, rats, and rabbits, respectively. Again, it's hard to accurately translate these numbers to oral values. Note that an average human dose is 0.001 mg/kg, ie, 1 microgram/kg, ie, 1 part per billion by weight. .............................. Never take any drugs while pregnant. Best to be prudent. ****************************** FLASHBACKS: Quoted without permission from 'Licit and Illicit Drugs,' written by Edward M. Brecher and the editors of Consumer Reports. ISBN: 0-316-15340-0 A simple explanation of LSD flashbacks, and of their changed character after 1967, is available. According to this theory, almost everybody suffers flashbacks with or without LSD. Any intense emotional experience--the death of a loved one, the moment of discovery that one is in love, the moment of an automobile smashup or of a narrow escape from a smashup--may subsequently and unexpectedly return vividly to consciousness weeks or months later. Since the LSD trip is often an intense emotional experience, it is hardly surprising that it may similarly "flash back." <end quote> "Post-traumatic stress disorder has been commonly associated with war veterans, but it also affects victims of disasters and violence... Experts estimate that 1% of the population suffers from the disorder." ---LA Times, Feb 18 1992, p A3, "Journey For Better Life Hell For Some Women." .............................. Can smoking marijuana induce a flashback? Also are you more likely to suffer flashbacks from having a bad trip? Apparently yes and yes. The following is reproduced without permission from Lester Grinspoon and James B. Bakalar, "Psychedelic Drugs Reconsidered," Basic Books, Inc. New York, 1979. pp. 159-163. I highly recommend this book, and if you find it please buy me one too. I typed this in a while ago and didn't type in the references at the time (slap!). If you want them i'll see what i can do. Typos are mine. - - - - - - - ... Studies of flashbacks are hard to evaluate because the term has been used so loosely and variably. On the broadest definition, it means the transitory recurrence of emotions and perceptions originally experienced while under the influence of a psychedelic drug. It can last seconds or hours; it can mimic any of the myriad aspects of a trip; and it can be blissful, interesting, annoying, or frightening. Most flashbacks are episodes of visual distortion, time distortion, physical symptoms, loss of ego boundaries, or relived intense emotion lasting a few seconds to a few minutes. Ordinarily they are only slightly disturbing, especially since the drug user usually recognizes them for what they are; they may even be regarded lightheartedly as "free trips." Occasionally they last longer, and in a small minority of cases they turn into repeated frightening images or thoughts. They usually decrease quickly in number and intensity with time, and rarely occur more than a few months after the original trip. A typical minor and pleasant flashback is the following: -- ... Frequently afterward there is a momentary "opening" ("flash" would be too spastic a word) when for maybe a couple of seconds an area one is looking at casually, and indeed unthinkingly, suddenly takes on the intense vividness, composition, and significance of things seen while in the psychedelic condition. This "scene" is nearly always a small field of vision -- sometimes a patch of grass, a spray of twigs, even a piece of newspaper in the street or the remains of a meal on a plate (Cohen 1970[1965], pp. 114-115) -- Here are two more troublesome examples: -- For about a week I couldn't walk through the lobby of A-entry at the dorm without getting really scared, because of the goblin I saw there when I was tripping. (Pope 1971, p. 93) -- A man in his late twenties came to the admitting office in a state of panic. Althought he had not taken any drug in approximately 2 moths he was beginning to re-experience some of the illusory phenomena, perceptual distortions, and the feeling of union with the things areound him that had previously occurred only under the influence of LSD. In addition, his wife had told him that he was beginning to "talk crazy," and he had become frightened ... He was concerned lest LSD have some permanent effect on him. He wished reassurance so that he could take it again. His symptoms have subsided but tend to reappear in anxiety-provoking situations. (Frosch et al. 1965, p. 1237) -- Flashbacks are most likely to occur under emotional stress or at a time of altered ego functioning; they are often induced by conditions like fatigue, drunkenness, marihuana intoxication, and even meditative states. Falling asleep is one of those times of consciousness change and diminished ego control; an increase in the hypnagogic imagery common at the edge of sleep often follows psychedelic drug use and can be regarded as a kind of flashback. Dreams too may take on the vividness, intensity, and perceptual peculiarities of drug trips; this spontaneous recurrence of psychedelic experience in sleep (often very pleasant) has been called the high dream (Tart 1972). Marihuana smoking is probably the most common single source of flashbacks. Many people become more sensitive to the psychedelic qualities of marihuana after using more powerful drugs, and some have flashbacks only when smoking marihuana (Weil 1970). In one study frequency of marihuana use was found to be the only factor related to drugs that was correlated with number of psychedelic flashbacks (Stanton et al. 1976). How common flashbacks are said to be depeds on how they are defined. By the broad definition we have been using, they occur very often; probably a quarter or more of all psychedelic drug users have experienced them. A questionanaire survey of 2,256 soldiers (Stanton and Bardoni 1972), leaving the definition to the respondents, revealed that 23 percent of the men who used LSD had flashbacks. In a 1972 survey of 235 LSD users, Murray P. Naditch and Sheridan Fenwick found that 28 percent had flashbacks. Eleven percent of this group (seven men in all) called them very frightening, 32 percent called them somewhat frightening, 36 percent called them pleasant, and 21 percent called them very pleasant. Sixty-four percent said that their flashbacks did not disrupt their lives in any way; 16 percent (4 percent of the whole LSD-using group) had sought psychiatric help for them (Naditch and Fenwick 1977). In a study of 247 subjects who had taken LSD in psychotherapy, William H. McGlothlin and David O. Arnold found 36 cases of flashbacks, only one of which was seriously disturbing (McGlothlin and Arnold 1971). McGlothlin, defining flashbacks narrowly for clinical purposes as "repeated intrusions of frightening images in spite of volitional efforts to avoid them" (McGlothlin 1974b, p. 291), estimates that 5 percent of habitual psychedelic users have experienced them. There are few studies on the question of who is most susceptible. In 1974, R. E. Matefy and R. Krall compared psychedelic drug users who had flashbacks with those who did not, and found no significant differences in their biographies or on personality tests. The main causes of flashbacks were stress and anxiety. About 35 percent found them more or less pleasant, and the same proportion thought they could control them. Most accepted them as an inevitable part of their lives as members of the psychedelic fraternity and did not want help from psychiatry (Matefy and Krall 1974). Naditch and Fenwick found that the number of flashbacks, both pleasant and unpleasant, was highly correlated with the number and intensity of bad trips and the use of psychedelic drugs as self-prescribed psychotherapy. Those who enjoyed flashbacks and those who were frightened by them did not differ significantly on tests of ego functioning. A case seen in an outpatient setting in the late sixties illustrates the kind of set and setting that may create flashback problems. PQ was a thirty-six-year-old single man who entered therapy because of depression and anxiety. He was a heavy drinker who was passive, slovenly, and spent most of his time in bed. Just before taking to alcohol and his bed he had failed in an attempt to parlay a gift from his wealthy father into a fortune on the stock market. Despite a remarkable incapacity for insight, during a year in psychotherapy he managed to give up alcohol and start a promising business. But his anxiety continued, and in order to allay it he had to keep himself very busy wheeling and dealing. Imitating his father, a successful self-made man who had married a woman twenty years younger than himself, PQ dated only women under the age of nineteen. Being attractive to young women was so imporant to him that much of his time was spent in the company of teenagers. During business hours he would wear a conservative three-piece suit and drive a new sedan, but when he was with his young friends he would wear a leather jacket and drive a motorcycle. Anxiety and fears of inadequacy dominated both of these lives. Several months after therapy began, during a weekend in a small resort town, his young friends decided to take LSD, and he felt obliged to dissemble his fears and join them; it was his first and only trip. He felt a panic he had never known before; he thought that he was losing his mind and going "out of control." His friends were so concerned thet they took him to a small hospital, where he was given chlorpromazine and after six hours released in their care. The next day he had a flashback that lasted one or two hours and was almost as frightening as the original experience. Flashbacks continued for six months, their frequency, duration, and severity eventually diminishing to the point where it was difficult for him to determine whether they were related to the LSD trip or merely an intensification of his usual anxiety. In fact, the patient described the flashbacks as being like very much enhanced anxiety episodes. Even several years after this experience, when he became very anxious, he was reminded of the trip and these flashbacks. He denied that these experiences had any perceptual or cognitive aspect; both during the LSD trip and later, the only symptom was panic. There is no question that the nature of his trip was influenced by the unfortunate set and setting. It is a matter of speculation what part his underlying chronic anxiety played in the development and form of the flashback phenomena. Several explanations for flashbacks have been proposed. One is that the drug has lowered the threshold for imagery and fantasy and made them less subject to voluntary control; in another version of this explanation, flashbacks are caused by a heightened attention to certain aspects of immediate sensory experience suggested by drug trips and reinforced by the community of drug users. Something more seems to be needed to account for repeated fearful relivings of sequences from past drug trips, and these have been explained as similar to traumatic neuroses precipitated by fright: disturbing unconscious material has risen to consciousness during the drug trip and can be neither accepted nor repressed. For example, D. F. Saidel and R. Babineau (1976) have reported a case of recurrent flashbacks -- three years of blurring images and auditory distortions, with some anxiety and confusion -- which they regard as a neurosis founded on the patient's problems with his career and his relationship to his mother. (See also Horowitz 1969; Shick and Smith 1970; Heaton 1975.) Another explanation treats the flashback as an example of recall associated with a particular level of arousal. (Fischer 1971). In this conception the memory of an experience is best retrieved when the rate of mental data-processing is the same as it was during the original experience -- in other words, when the state of consciousness in similar. Therefore, psychedelic experiences are likely to be recalled and relived when the ego's sorting and control of sensory information is disturbed by drugs, stress, or the state of half-sleep. For a critique of flashback studies, see Stanton et al. 1976 - - - - - - - ****************************** INSOMNIA: Insomnia occurs frequently after the trip. A mild, over-the-counter sleeping aid can help, and these antihistamines do not produce adverse interactions. Also, some people like to consume a small amount of alcoholic beverage to "smooth the jitteries". The usual precautions about sleeping aids if alcohol has been consumed apply of course. ****************************** TOLERANCE: Aquired rapidly, within 3 days. Tolerance dissipates equally rapidly, without withdrawal, craving, or symptoms of addiction. Cross-tolerance can and is developed between other indole hallucinogens, eg, DMT, LSD and Psilocybin. ****************************** BOTANY: Lysergic compounds appear in ergot, a fungal parasite of cereal grains; morning glory and hawaiian baby wood rose seeds; psychedelic tryptamines also occur in psilocybe mushrooms, in some south american trees and the poison glands of the cane toad. (Mescaline is not in this chemical family). .............................. "Indole Alkaloids In Plant Hallucinogens" Richard Evans Schultes, PhD. Journal of Psychedelic Drugs Vol.8(No.1) Jan-Mar 1976 "The main constituent of the seeds of Rivea corymbosa is ergine or d-lysergic acid amide. Minor alkaloids present are the related d-isolysergic acid amide (isoergine), chanoclavine, elymoclavine and lysergol. The seeds of Ipomoea violacea have a similar composition, but instead of lysergol, they have ergometrine (ergonovine). Later, very minor amounts of two alkaloids ergometrinine and penniclavine - were found in I. violacea by chromatography. the total alkaloid content of the seeds of Ipomoea viloacea is approximately five times as great as that of the seeds of Rivea corymbosa: 0.06% in the former; 0.012% in the latter. This difference in the alkaloid content explains why Indians employ smaller doses of seeds of the Ipomoea than of the Rivea. "Ethnopharmacology and Taxonomy of Mexican Psychodysleptic Plants" Jose Luis Diaz M.D. Journal of Psychedelic Drugs Vol. 11(1-2) Jan-Jun 1979 Seeds of various Morning Glories contain Ergolines: ergine,isoergine,ergonovine Glucosides: turbicoryn [apparently in Rivea corymbosa only] called Tlitlitzen (Aztec word for "The Divine Black One") to the Aztecs, Black is a "hot" color, a property of psychotropics associated with light .............................. "The Botanical and Chemical Distribution of Hallucinogens" Richard Evans Schultes, PhD. Journal of Psychedelic Drugs Vol.9(No.3) Jul-Sep 1977 "I. violacea, often referred to by it's synonyms I. rubro-caerulea and I. tricolor, is represented in horticulture by a number of "varieties," such as: Heavenly Blue, Pearly Gates, Flying Saucers, Wedding Bells, Summer Skies, and Blue Stars - all of which contain the hallucinogenic ergot alkaloids." >In the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 1980, there is an article >on an ergot derivative used in obstetrics which is an hallucinogen. >Although the dose required is ten times the ED50 (.2 mg) no >significant ill effects were reported. >I believe the name of this drug is methyl ergovine(?) The drug >without the methyl group is supposed to be more effective. It >was (is?) a Sandoz drug, for those with a PDR. Ergonovine and methylergonovine are both oxytocic agents: they increase uterine tone and are used (rarely) to assist in delivery and (more frequently) to stop post-partum uterine hemorrhage. Less frequently, they can be used to abort a migraine headache. If they have any hallucinogenic effects, it is certainly a well-kept secret. I would be quite concerned about taking 10x the therapeutic dose of a drug like ergonovine, since it can cause arterial spasm and precordial distress even in healthy persons, and intense vaso- constriction and gangrene can follow from an overdose. These are not drugs to fool around with. Another related drug, 1-methyl-methylergonovine, or methysergide (Sansert), is used in migraine prophylaxis, and is claimed to have LSD-like actions when high doses are taken. The methyl group on the indole nitrogen reduces the drug's vasoconstrictive actions. Chronic, uninterrupted use of the drug causes a fibrosis of the heart valves and the lungs. .............................. "Burger's Medicinal Chemistry" Fourth Edition, Volume III Chapter: "Hallucinogens" Alexander Shulgin Composition, % of total alkaloids present ========================================= Compound R. corymbosa I. violacea =============== ================ ====================== Ergine (LA-111) 54, 48 58, 10-16, 5-10 Isoergine 17, 35 8, 18-26, 9-17 Ergometrine 8 Elymoclavine 4 4 Chanoclavine 4 4 Lysergol 4 Total Alkaloids .012, .04 .06, .04-.08, .02-.04 (% of dry weight of seeds) ****************************** ANTHROPOLOGY: _The Road to Eleusius_ by Hoffman, Wasson, and Ruck. Summary: A secret religion existed for 2,000 years in Greece (until the christians displaced it around 400 AD). The initiation was open to anyone who spoke Greek and hadn't committed murder, once in their life. After 6 month long preparatory rituals, members walked to Eleusius whereupon they underwent secret rituals. The rituals remained secret until the 1970's. Wasson, an ethnomycological scholar and former banker (and the first white to trip on shrooms with the mexican indians) proposed the following explanation of the Eleusian mysteries to Hoffman, an ergot-alkaloid expert chemist, and Ruck, a greek scholar: The Secret of the ritual involved the personal visions induced by drinking the grain decoction administered to the initiates. The domestication of grains permitted the development of greek civilization; it also brought ergot fungus (of St. Anthony's fire infamy). The thin book contains their argument for the use of the ergot fungus in Eleusian rites, Wasson providing some background on the use of mushrooms and grains and their role in the culture; Hoffman on the psychoactivity of ergot strains; and Ruck on the mythological and cultural backround of the sect. Evidence includes: Hoffman dosed himself with large (ergot-derived) doses of obstetric compounds to assay their hallucinogenic potential, and found them to possess such activity. The Eleusian temple site still remains, but there is no room to view theatric performances, just rows of tripping initiates, further supporting their argument. An interesting read, and its neat to think that the culture that more or less lead to the western industrial one had psychedelic rites. (Various greek prominant figures attended the rituals, including Plato). .............................. IPOMOEA PURPUREA: A NATURALLY OCCURRING PSYCHEDELIC Charles Savage, Willis W. Harman and James Fadiman >From "Altered States of Consciousness, A Book of Readings" edited by Charles Tart BF311.T28 Of the naturally occurring plant alkaloids used in ancient and modern religious rites and divination one of the least studied is ololiuqui. The earliest known description of its use is by Hernandez, the King of Spain's personal physician, who spent a number of years in Mexico studying the medicinal plants of the Indians and "accurately illustrated ololiuqui as a morning glory in his work which was not published until 1651" (Schultes, 1960). In his words, "When a person takes ololiuqui, in a short time he loses clear reasoning because of the strength of the seed, and he believes he is in communion with the devil" (Alacon, 1945). Schultes (1941) and Wasson (1961) have reported in detail on the religious and divinatory use of two kinds of morning-glory seeds, Rivea corymbosa and Ipomoea violacea, among the Mazatec and Zapotec indians. The first of these is assumed to be the ololiuqui of the ancient Aztecs. In 1955 Osmond described personal experiments with Rivea corymbosa seeds and reported that the effects were similar to those of d-lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD-25). He suggested (1957) that the word psychedelic (meaning mind-manifesting) be used as a generic term for this class of substances to refer to their consciousness-expanding and psychotherapeutic function as contrasted with the hallucinogenic aspect. In 1960 Hoffman reported that he had isolated d-lysergic acid amide (LA) and d-isolysergic acid amide from the seed of both Rivea corymbosa and Ipomoea violacea. LA is very similar to LSD in its psychological and physiological manifestations but is reported to have about one twentieth the psychological effectiveness of LSD (Cerletti & Doepfner, 1958). The work of these investigators led us to a preliminary study of the psychedelic properties of species of Ipomoea which are commonly found within the continental United States. The seeds of Ipomoea purpurea, the common climbing morning glory, resemble the seeds of Ipomoea violacea and have been found to have similar psychedelic properties. Recent analysis by Taber et al. (1963) has verified that LA is present in the varieties used and is probably the primary active agent. The effects of the seeds of Ipomoea purpurea (varieties Heavenly Blue and Pearly Gates) in a total of 45 cases are summarized below. The subjects are all normally functioning adults and the majority had previous experience with LSD. The onset of effects is about half an hour after the seeds have been chewed and swallowed and they last from five to eight hours. Low Dose, 20-50 Seeds (11 Subjects) This dosage rarely produces any visual distortions, although with eyes closed there may be beginning imagery. Restlessness, evidenced by alternating periods of pacing about and lying down, may be present. There tends to be a heightened awareness of objects and of nature, and enhanced rapport with other persons. A feeling of emotional clarity and of relaxation is likely to persist for several hours after other effects are no longer noticeable. Medium Dose, 100-150 Seeds (22 Subjects) In this range the effects resemble those reported for medium-dose (75-150 micrograms) LSD experiences, including spatial distortions, visual and auditory hallucinations, intense imagery with eyes closed, synaesthesia and mood elevation. These effects, which occur mainly during the period of 1 to 4 hours after ingestion, are typically followed by a period of alert calmness which may last until the subject goes to sleep. High Dose, 200-500 Seeds (12 Subjects) In this range the first few hours may resemble the medium-dose effects described above. However, there is usually a period during which the subjective states are of a sort not describable in terms of images or distortions, states characterized by loss of ego boundaries coupled with feelings of euphoria and philosophical insight. These seem to parallel the published descriptions of experiences with high doses (200-500 micrograms) of LSD given in a supportive, therapeutic setting as reported by Sherwood et al. (1962). All the subjects who had previous experience with LSD claimed the effects of the seeds were similar to those of LSD. Transient nausea was the most commonly reported side effect, beginning about one half hour after ingestion and lasting a few minutes to several hours. Other reported side effects not commonly found with LSD were a drowsiness or torpor (possibly due to a glucoside also present in the seeds) and a coldness in the extremities suggesting that the ergine content of the seeds may be causing some vascular constriction. (If this is the case, there may be some danger of ergot poisoning resulting from excessive dosages of the seeds.) The only untoward psychic effect was a prolonged (eight hours) disassociative reaction which was terminate with chlorpromazine [Thorazine]. The possibility of prolonged adverse reactions to the psychological effects of the seeds is essentially the same as with LSD, and the same precautions should be observed (Cohen & Ditman, 1963). .............................. IPOMOEA.003 7-MAY-90 Additional Notes: Ipomoea purpurea is sold as the "Heavenly Blue" variety of morning glory. "Ipomoea tricolor" is the trade name used for that variety. It is identical with the species of morning glory described above. The seeds must be chewed or ground in order to be effective. Soaking the ground seeds in water for several hours, filtering out the grounds, and then drinking only the water portion of the mixture can reduce some of the stomach-upset symptoms if such occur. Unpleasant LSD and morning glory trips can be smoothed out or even stopped by taking niacin (in the form of nicotinic acid, vitamin B-3 or "niacin"). Vitamin C has been shown to reduce the incidence of paranoia and prevent depletion of the vitamin from the adrenal glands during LSD trips. There have been reports that commercially available packets of morning glory seeds from some distributors are coated with fungicides or other chemicals to increase shelf life or discourage the practice of eating them. Seeds from plants grown in one's own garden will be safe as long as you do not spray them with insecticides. The last few notes about Niacin and Vitamin C are based on a paperback edition of Hoffer & Osmonds "The Psychedelics" It's pretty clear that the latin names of this plant are somewhat confused (which is typical). Ipomoea purpurea, Ipomoea tricolor, Ipomoea violacea and Ipomoea rubro-caerulea are all the same plant. The other variety of morning glory, "Ololiuhqui" has at least two Latin names as well: Rivea corymbosa, and Turbina corymbosa. .............................. "Recreational use of Ergoline Alkaloids from Argyreia Nervosa" William E. Shawcross Journal of Psychedelic Drugs Vol. 15(4) Oct-Dec 1983 CHEMISTRY AND EFFECT OF THE SEEDS The Hawaiian baby woodrose entered the drug scene in 1965 with the publication of a paper in "Science" entitled "Ergoline Alkaloids in Tropical Wood Roses" by Hylin and Watson. The wide circulation of this journal assured thorough dissemination of the information they presented. They wrote, "The possible health and legal problems associated with the presence of similar compounds in commercially cultivated plants led us to examine the ornamental wood roses, Ipomoea tuberosa and Argyreia nervosa, both common Hawaiian crops that have assumed commerical importance as components of [the] dried tropical flower industry." Comparing the seeds of these two plants with those of the morning glory varieties Pearly Gates and Heavenly Blue, they found the following yield of alkaloids (mg of alkaloid/g of seed material): Heavenly Blue 0.813 Pearly Gates 0.423 I. tuberosa [None] A. nervosa 3.050 The seed of A. nervosa is the best plant source of ergoline alkaloids discovered; it contains approximately 3 mg of alkaloidal material per gram of seed. Approximately one-eighth of this is lysergamide. Hylin and Watson found the major alkaloidal constituents in A. nervosa seeds to be ergine (780 mcg/g of fresh seed) and isoergine and penniclavine (555 mcg). [Note: Argyreia nervosa has NO history of shamanic use as a hallucinogen] This is an excerpt from the article cited. There's no record of Argyreia being used as an hallucinogen in India, but it was used externally as some kind of skin medicine. There's been speculation that Argyreia might have been a component of "Soma", but there's no evidence for that, apparently. Because there's not a long history of human usage of Argyreia, it may be that there are glycosides not mentioned here that take effect at higher doses or might cause stomach upset, tachycardia etc. The article mentioned intestinal complaints in one or two cases at higher experimental doses. ****************************** CHEMISTRY: lysergic acid diethylamide _is_ lysergic acid diethylamide (or... N,N-diethyl-D-lysergamide or... 9,10-Didehydo-N,N-diethyl-6-methylergoline-8B-carboxamide). Only one stereoisomer (the d-) is psychoactive. Thus, racemic (l/d 50-50 mix) lsd shows half the potency of the dextro form. In synthesis it is possible to recover the l-form for the lysergic acid. Lysergic Acid Diethylamide is LSD rather than LAD because the German word for acid is saeure (sp). LSD-25 Lysergic acid O CH2-CH3 O || / || || / || -C--N C---OH | \ | | \ | |___ CH2-CH3 |___ / \ / \ / \ / \ << N---CH3 << N---CH3 \\ / \\ / \\____/ \\____/ / \ / \ / \ / \ < > < > // \ / // \ / // \_____/ // \_____/ | || || | || || | || || | || || | || || | || || \\ /\ / \\ /\ / \\ / \ / \\ / \ / N N H H Ergot is a product of the fungus Claviceps purpurea. The bio-active ingredients of ergot are all derivatives of lysergic acid. LSD is a semisynthetic derivative of lysergic acid. Thus LSD is an "ergot"-like substance. ****************************** MECHANISM OF ACTION: (Note: the mechanism of action of LSD and other psychedelics is uncertain.) From a chapter titled Hallucinogens and Other Psychotomimetics: Biological Mechanisms by S.J.Watson "The current thesis of the effect of indole hallucinogens on 5-hydroxytrypamine might be stated as follows: LSD acts to preferentially inhibit serotonergic cell firing and seems to spare postsynaptic serotnergic receptors. This preference is shared by other simillar hallucinogens but in a limited fashion. Nonhallucinogenic analogs of LSD show no preference. These results suggest that there are two different steric conformation of serotonergic receptors, one of which has higher affinity for LSD than the other. In general, 5-ht is an inhibitory transmitter; thus, when its activity is decreased, the next neuron in the chain is freed from inhibition and becomes more active. Since serotnergic systems appear to be intimately involved int eh control of sensation, sleep, attention, and mood, it may be possible to explain the actions of LSD and other hallucinogens by their disinhibition of these critical systems. There is also evidence for interaction with dopaminergic systems. .............................. LSD acts as a 5HT autoreceptor agonist in the raphe nucleus. These autoreceptors are typically considered to be 5HT1As. It also acts as a 5HT2 agonist, which is thought to be the main site of hallucinogenic activity. It's probably best called a a mixed 5HT2/5HT1 receptor partial agonist. I don't know of its effects on dopamine. Wouldn't be surprised if it has 'em; the systems aren't really functionally separable. The DA effects wouldn't be necessary for hallucinogenic activity, I'd bet. .............................. (From Snyder, "Drugs and the Brain", 1986, Sci Am Books Inc., Reprinted w/o permission, blah, blah, blah... ) In more recent studies, Aghajanian has focuses not on the serotonin neu- rons of the raphe nuclei but on the norepinephrine neurons of the locus coeruleus. As we saw in Chapter 6, the locus coeruleus cell bodies give rise to axons that ramify all over the brain and provide the majority of the norepi- nephrine neuronal input in most brain regions. Amphetamine releases norepi- nephrine from these nerve terminals by diplacing the norepinephrine from the neurotransmitter storage vesicles. Presumably, the overall influence of amphet- amine on brain function is therefore somewhat different than what occurs when the locus coeruleus fires rapidly. The amphetamine-induced seepage of norepinephrine out of nerve terminals probably elicts a milder type of activa- tion than does the repetitive and presumably more robust ejection of norepi- nephrine that occurs with rapid firing of the locus coeruleus. Drug-induced changes in animal behavior support this conceptual model. Amphetamine elic- its behavioral activation, represented by the rats or mice running about the cage. In contrast, electrical stimulation of the locus coeruleus produces a more dramatic startle response. It is difficult to observe a rat and make inferences about what the animal is feeling, but rats in whom the locus coeruleus has been stimulated seem to go into a state of panic. They stare about, hyper-responsive to all stimuli in the enviornment, whether visual, auditory, or tactile. Rats show the same hyper-responsiveness to environmental-stimuli-- jumping abruptly at the sound of fingers snapping or in response to a puff of air in the face--when they have been treated with a psychedelic drug. And as you will recall, hyper-responsiveness to sensory stimuli of all modalities is just what one observes in humans under the influence of psychedelic drugs. At- tracted by the similarity between the behavior of rats on LSD and their reac- tion to stimulation of the locus coeruleus, Aghajanian embarked in 1980 upon a series of studies to evaluate how psychedelic drugs affect the locus coeruleus. He showed that any kind of sensory stimulation--sight, sound, smell, taste, or tactile sensation--speeds up the firing of locus coeruleus neurons in rats, and that the accelerated firing is greatly enhanced by treating the animals with LSD or mescaline. In contrast, nonpsychedelic drugs, such as amphetamines and antidepressants, fail to exert this effect. Moreover, the LSD analogue methysergide, which has no psychedelic effects in humans, is correspondingly ineffective in enhancing the reactivity of locus coeruleus neurons to sensory stimulation. Although psychedelic drugs increase the response of locus coeruleus cells to sensory stimulation, they do not cause the neurons to fire spontaneously in the absence of such stimulation. Moreover, directly applying LSD or mescaline to locus coeruleus neurons does not enhance the neurons' reponse to sensory stimulation. We must therefore conclude that the effect of psychedelic drugs on sensory stimulation is indirect--the drugs presumably interact with a different set of neurons that in turn make direct contact with the locus coeruleus. What is particularly fascinating about Aghajanian's findings is how nicely they correspond to what we know about the effects of psychedelic drugs in humans, and how readily they explain the way psychedelic drugs accentuate all our sensory perceptions. The locus coeruleus is a funneling mechanism that integrates all sensory input. Viewed in this way, the observations of Aghajanian can explain synesthesia. If the locus coeruleus lumps all types of sensory messages--from sights, sounds, tactile pressures, smells, tastes--into a generalized excitation system within the brain, one can readily appreciate that stimulation of the locus coeruleus will cause the drug user to feel that sensations are crossing the boundaries between different modalities. Aghajanian's research may also illuminate how LSD influences the user's sence of self. The greatly accelerated firing of the locus coeruleus presumably provokes a powerful, patterned release of norepinephrine from nerve terminals throughout the brain. As we discussed earlier, the consequent alerting action would be much more pronounced than what occurs with the far more gradual leaking out of norepinephrine produced when amphetamine displaces the transmitter from the storage vesicles. This extremely enhanced level of alert- ness might possibly account for the "transendent" mental state produced by psychedelic drugs. In other words, in a state of such heightened awareness, the drug user may become conscious of an "inner self" to which he or she is normally oblivious. Did that answer any of your questions? Probably not, but I thought it was interesting. P.S. Snyder has tripped before =) .............................. >"If there's no documentation, you can't tell bugs from features." ---C.P. .............................. >>Lysergic-acid diethylamide >> >>When ingested into the human body, LSD act as 5-HT (Serotonin) autoreceptor >>inhibitor, thus it is a 5-HT agonist. LSD increases the level of active 5-HT >>molecules by disaffecting their autoreceptors (a safeguard type feature in the >>brain which reduces levels of certain neurotransmitter and the like). That "thus" in the first sentence should be an "and." I'm not certain what "disaffecting" should be (autoreceptors' only true loyalty is to the laws of chemistry & physics) for the second sentence to be true. The autoreceptors in question are 5-HT1As. 5-HT2s, which are not autoreceptors and which hallucinogens agonize, seem to be the more important ones for hallucinogenic activity. Hallucinogens need not affect 1As directly (some definitely don't). However, 5-HT2 receptor activation seems to facilitate presynaptic 1A function (such that, for example, hallucinogen use produces rapid 5-HT2 downregulation which, in turn, decreases 5-HT1A function). So hallucinogens would inhibit autorecetpor activity, but not necessarily directly. >LSD also has effects on 5-HT1C receptors, and its not entirely sure what the >specific receptor mechanism is -- there's also the question of why the >psychological effects seem to last much longer than the presence of the LSD >molecule. One thing that is fairly sure is that LSD shuts down the firing of >the seratonin neurons in the raphe, though. It is difficult to separate 1Cs from 2s because of their great similarity. However, hallucinogens seem to be all 2 & 1C agonists. Molecules which (like LSD) are partial 2 agonists, and which (unlike LSD) are 1c antagonists are not hallucinogenic. I believe that the effects of DOI (and probably LSD) on firing in the raphe nucleus are not blocked by 5-HT2 antagonists (like ketanserin), implying that these effects are not mediated by 5-HT2 receptors. Oddly enough, ritanserin (which antagonizes 2 and 1C) doesn't block 'em either. That's kind of mysterious to me. > 5-HT has been implicated in >>certain behaviors, notably dreaming and sleep, which explains the hallucinatory >>effect. We are in effect dreaming while completely awake and aware. >Actually, a better explanation is the increased firing of the locus coereleus >by its disinhibition due to the neurons in the raphe slowing down (since you >are inhibiting an inhibitory neuron the result is excitation...). The l.c. >has been associated with being a "sensory highway" in the brain, and has also >been associated with feelings of anxiety, and theorized that its invovled >with depression. My guess is that the hallucinations and stimulatory effects >of LSD come from potentiating the l.c., while the effect on the 5-HT neurons >in the raphe is responsible for its entheogenic effect on the mind. This isn't the full story since this decrease in firing (in the raphe) is still produced by hallucinogens even after chronic treatment with hallucinogens. Since tolerance does develop to hallucinogens, we would have expected to see it in the firing. Of course, rate of firing and amount of 5-HT released _are_ two different things. Besides, tolerance may occur via another route. ****************************** RELATED COMPOUNDS: Related compounds are the indole hallucinogens including DMT (dimethyl-tryptamine), DET (diethyl-), etc.; psilocybin; lysergic acid. DMT is very fast acting, lasting less than an hour. Psilocybin, found in hallucinogenic (aka magic or mexican) mushrooms, has effects similar to LSD but they work for approximately half the duration. These are all indole derivatives like the neurotransmitter serotonin, 5-hydroxy-tryptamine. "Indole" is the name of the 6-carbon ring attached to the 5-ring containing a nitrogen. The lysergic acid molecule contains an indole structure plus additional rings. LSD's two ethyl groups hanging off the amine may be replaced with other carbon chains for compounds with different durations, potencies, and effects. While LSD is semi-synthetic, DMT and psilocybin are found in nature. See the sections on BOTANY and ANTHROPOLOGY for info on related natural (plant) compounds and their uses. .............................. 1) DMT, DET, psylocin, psylocybin, : The mushroom psylocybin cubensis contains all four of these indole derivatives, as well as others. DMT is dimethyltryptamine, an indole derivative which has functionalized at the 3 position with the dimethyl ethylamine group. It is a close relative to the amino acid, tryptophan, which until recently was available in bulk at vitamin shops, until some jerk poisoned himself by taking a wonga dose of it. [Actually it may have been a single toxic batch mistakenly produced in Japan.] A prep came out in 1984 for LSD using l--tryptophan as the precursor, so this may have facilitated the government's pullin it from the shelves. I can't find tryptophan anywhere, now, and I've tried, bud. DMT, and it's brother DET (diethyltryptamine), have no oral activity, so have to be smoked. They stink like fish oil when lit, though. Both have hallucinogenic effects within 2-3 minutes of toking, wand while DMT lasts for only a half hour, DET is a smoother, more euphoric high, lasting twice as long. DET has effects similar to psylocybin. Psylocybin is DMT which has a functional group, phosphoryloxy-, at the 4 position on the indole ring. This group is immediately converted to hydroxyl- as soon as the stuff hits your stomach to give the cousin, psylocin. In preparing the drug, then, it is not necessary to proceed beyond the psylocin. DMT and DET are easily derived from many indole derivatives, the easiest of which is indole-3-acetic acid. I've done this reaction and it stinks to high heaven of indole gunge, skatoles (methylindoles), and indenes. Bad news if you want to make it at home, because the stench is pervasive. Other derivatives, using phenyl or butyl groups have been reported as having oral activity, so it is not necessary to smoke the stuff. Doses run at about a hundred mgs for smoked drug, while psylocin is orally active at about 5 mgs. [this warning was recently posted to alt.drugs -cak] Message-ID: <221302Z24111994@anon.penet.fi> Newsgroups: alt.drugs From: an152823@anon.penet.fi Date: Thu, 24 Nov 1994 22:11:17 UTC Subject: !! DMT WARNING !! DMT WARNING!! Under the heading "related compunds" in the LSD.FAQ, where it refers to the tryptamines, specifically smoked DMT, it says, "Doses run at about a hundred mgs for smoked drug," Smoking 100mg of DMT is a very bad idea. Realistically 20-30mg is a low-end average dose and 50-60mg gets pretty hairy. The faq needs fixin big time. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- To find out more about the anon service, send mail to help@anon.penet.fi. Due to the double-blind, any mail replies to this message will be anonymized, and an anonymous id will be allocated automatically. You have been warned. Please report any problems, inappropriate use etc. to admin@anon.penet.fi. [back to the regularly scheduled FAQ -cak] For a good reference work on these compounds, their preps, and effects, see Michael Valentine Smith's "Psychedelic Chemistry," publisher unknown. Your Friendly Neighborhood Chemical Dude, St. Theo .............................. DMT CH / 3 // \\--- --- CH CH N || || || 2 2 \ \\ //\ / CH N 3 H When DMT is smoked or injected, effects begin in seconds, reach a peak in five to twenty minutes and end after a half hour or so. This has earned it the name "businessman's trip." The brevity of the experience make its intensity bearable, and, for some, desirable. At least two synthetic drugs in which the methyl group of DMT is replaced by a higher radical are psychedelic: /\ (CH2)2-N(C2H5)2 /\ (CH2)2-N(CH2CH2CH2)2 // \ ____/ // \ ____/ | || || | || || | || || | || || \\ /\ / \\ /\ / \/ \N/ \/ \N/ H H N,N-diethyltryptamine N,N-dipropyltryptamine The drug DET is active at the same dose as DMT and the effects last slightly longer, about one and a half to two hours. DPT is longer-acting still and has fewer autonomic side effects. In therapeutic experiments its action continues for one and a half to two hours at the lowest effective dose, 15 to 30mg, and for four to six hours at doses in the range of 60 to 150mg. Both DET and DPT are milder than DMT. The drug 6-FDET (6-fluorodiethyltryptamine) resembles DET in its effects. All these drugs, like DMT, are inactive orally and must be smoked or injected. Dibutyltryptamine (DBT) and higher substitutions are inert, but other synthetic drugs related to DMT may be psychoactive. .............................. From the Merck Medical Manual, 16th edition, page 2652: "Serotonin (5-HT) is the neurotransmitter of many central neruons (eg raphe nucleus). ITs synthesis begins with the uptake of tryptophan into serotonergic neurons. Tryptophan is hydroxylated by the enzyme tryptophan hydroxylase to 5-hydroxytryptophan and then decarboxylated to serotontin (5-hydroxytryptamine) by the enzyme aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase. Levels of 5-HT are controlled by the uptake of tryptophan and intraneuronal MAO. Metabolism occurs mainly via MAO to 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid." The Merck also states that tyrosine is the precursor of norepinephrine, acetylcholine's precursor is choline, tyrosine is the precursor of dopamine, GABA is made from glutamic acid. .............................. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ DMT FAQ (Draft, inserted into LSD FAQ) 8 Aug 94 DMT, DiMethylTryptamine, or 3-(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl)-indole is a chemical in the same class of drugs as Psilocybin and LSD. Structurally related to serotonin, their effects on the body are similar and cross-tolerance can and is developed between DMT, LSD and Psilocybin. DMT is not absorbed into the blood stream when taken orally and therefore is usually inhaled as a powder or smoked. A little drivel from your neighborhood chemist regarding some questions recently asked. If I'm erroneous in anything I spout, let me know. Thanks. 1) DMT, DET, psylocin, psylocybin, : The mushroom psylocybin cubensis contains all four of these indole derivatives, as well as others. DMT is dimethyltryptamine, an indole derivative which has functionalized at the 3 position with the dimethyl ethylamine group. It is a close relative to the amino acid, tryptophan, which until recently was available in bulk at vitamin shops, until some jerk poisoned himself by taking a wonga dose of it. A prep came out in 1984 for LSD using l--tryptophan as the precursor, so this may have facilitated the government's pullin it from the shelves. I can't find tryptophan anywhere, now, and I've tried, bud. DMT, and it's brother DET (diethyltryptamine), have no oral activity, so have to be smoked. They stink like fish oil when lit, though. Both have hallucinogenic effects within 2-3 minutes of toking, wand while DMT lasts for only a half hour, DET is a smoother, more euphoric high, lasting twice as long. DET has effects similar to psylocybin. Psylocybin is DMT which has a functional group, phosphoryloxy-, at the 4 position on the indole ring. This group is immediately converted to hydroxyl- as soon as the stuff hits your stomache to give the cousin, psylocin. In preparing the drug, then, it is not necessary to proceed beyond the psylocin. DMT and DET are easily derived from many indole derivatives, the easiest of which is indole-3-acetic acid. I've done this reaction and it stinks to high heaven of indole gunge, skatoles (methylindoles), and indenes. Bad news if you want to make it at home, because the stench is pervasive. Other derivatives, using phenyl or butyl groups have been reported as having oral activity, so it is not necessary to smoke the stuff. Doses run at about a hundred mgs for smoked drug, while psylocin is orally active at about 5 mgs. [this warning was recently posted to alt.drugs -cak] Message-ID: <221302Z24111994@anon.penet.fi> Newsgroups: alt.drugs From: an152823@anon.penet.fi Date: Thu, 24 Nov 1994 22:11:17 UTC Subject: !! DMT WARNING !! DMT WARNING!! Under the heading "related compunds" in the LSD.FAQ, where it refers to the tryptamines, specifically smoked DMT, it says, "Doses run at about a hundred mgs for smoked drug," Smoking 100mg of DMT is a very bad idea. Realistically 20-30mg is a low-end average dose and 50-60mg gets pretty hairy. The faq needs fixin big time. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- To find out more about the anon service, send mail to help@anon.penet.fi. Due to the double-blind, any mail replies to this message will be anonymized, and an anonymous id will be allocated automatically. You have been warned. Please report any problems, inappropriate use etc. to admin@anon.penet.fi. [back to the regularly scheduled FAQ -cak] For a good reference work on these compounds, their preps, and effects, see Michael Valentine Smith's "Psychedelic Chemistry," publisher unknown. Your Friendly Neighborhood Chemical Dude, St. Theo .............................. existing literature on each drug (some would have hundreds of references and some perhaps two), the facts that are known concerning history, human pharmacology and human psychopharmacology will be amalgamated into a "profile." The drugs to be presented will be chosen randomly, rather than with preference given to popularity, unusual potency, or current availability. Botanical mixtures will not be considered as such, but as their known active compnents. As there are upwards of a hundred psychedelic drugs currently known, it is expected that these "profiles" will eventually form an extensive reference atlas of compactly prsented drug information. 1. DMT Description and properties: DMT, N,N-diemethyltryptamine, Nigerine, desoxybufotenine, 3-(2-dimethylaminoethyl)-indole is a white, pungent-smelling, crystalline solid with a melting point of 49-50 degrees Celsius, hydrochloride salt hygroscopic, picrate m.p. 171-172 degrees Celsius and methiodide m.p. 215-216 degrees Celsius. It is insoluble in water, but soluble in organic solvents and aqueous acids. History: DMT was first synthesized in 1931, and demonstrated to be hallucinogenic in 1956. It has been shown to be present in many plant genera (Acacia, Anandenanthera, Mimosa, Piptadenia, Virola) and is a major component of several hallucinogenic snuffs (cohoba, parica, yopo). It is also present in the intoxicating beverage "ayahuasca" made from Banisteriopsis caapi, and it may have oral effectiveness due to the presence of several naturally occuring inhibitors of catabolic deamination. Human Biochemistry and Pharmacology: Both the parent compound tryptamine and the N-methyltransferase system which is capable of converting it to DMT, occur in humans, but there is as yet no evidence that DMT is formed "in vivo". DMT has nonetheless been identified in trace amounts in the blood and urine of both normals and of schizophrenic patients, but its origins and functions are unknown. Following intramuscular administration, maximum blood levels of about 100 ng/ml are observed in 10 minutes, coincident with the maximum changes in electroencephalographic responses. The plasma clearance t-1/2 [half-life] is about 15 minutes. Elevated blood levels of indoleacetic acid (IAA) are seen during the time of peak effects, implying its role as a metabolite. Urine levels of IAA are also elevated and account for about 30% of the administered drug. An increase in 5-hydroxy-IAA excretion suggests the involvement of serotonin in DMT action. Unchanged DMT is not excreted. Human Psychopharmacology: DMT is inactive orally at dosages of over 1000mg. With intramuscular injection, there is an abrupt threshold of activity shown with 30mg, and a complete psychedelic experience results from the administration of 50-70mg (75mg subcutaneously, 30mg by inhalation). An unusual feature of the induced intoxication is the speed of onset and short duration. Within 5 minutes of administration there is mydriasis [dilated pupils], tachycardia [rapid heart beat], a measurable increase in blood pressure, and related vegetative disturbances which usually persist througout the drug experience. In 10-15 minutes, the full intoxication is realized, generally characterized by hallucinations with the eyes either open or closed, and extensive movement within the visual field. There is difficulty in the expression of one's thoughts, and in concentration on a given subject. There is usually a mood change to the euphoric with unmotivated laughter, but instances have been reported in which paranoid ideation has promoted anxieties and feelings of forboding into a state of panic. The subject is largely symptom-free at 60 minutes, although some residual effects have been seen in the second hour. With the inhalation route of administration the time scale is contracted, with onset of effects noted in 10 seconds, a short period of full intoxication at 2-3 minute, and a complete freedom from any residual effects within 10 minutes. At higher drug levels, there are increased vegetative symptoms, and these effectively overwhelm the psychedelic experience at dosages of 150mg i.m. Interactions with other drugs are rarely seen; a sensitivity has been observed with pretreatment with methlysergide, but there is no cross-tolerance with LSD. Repeated usage does not appear to lead to either physical or psychological dependency. Legal Status: DMT is explicitly named as a Schedule I drug in the Federal Controlled Substances Act; registry number 7435. /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ DMT [Excerpt from a pharmacology textbook published in 1988] Chemical structure and source: This is the prototype member of the tryptamine subclass of indole derivatives. The structural formula is: /\ (CH2)2-N(CH3)2 // \ ____/ | || || | || || \\ /\ / \/ \N/ H N,N-dimethyltryptamine The drug is a constituent of many of the same South American snuffs and drinks that contain other psychedelic indole deriviatives, it is often found in the same plants as 5-MeO-DMT, and Indians add a substance containing it to drinks containing harmala alkaloids. DMT is the major constituent of the bark of Virola calophylla, mentioned above; it is also found in the seeds of Anadenanthera peregina; in the seeds of the vine Mimosa hostilis, used in easter Brazil to make a drink called "ajuca" or "jurema"; in the leaves of Banisteriopsis rusbyana, which are added to the harmaline drinks derived from other plants of the Banisteriopsis genus to make "oco-yage"; and in the leaves of Psychotria viridis, also added to the Banisteriopsis drinks. Like 5-MeO-DMT, DMT must be combined with monoamine oxydase inhibitors to become active orally. Dose: First strong effects are felt at about 50mg, whether it is smoked or injected. Tolerance develops only after extremely frequent use - injections every two hours for three weeks in rats; at that dose frequency, but not otherwise, there is also a cross-tolerance between DMT and LSD (Rosenberg et. al. 1964; Kovacic and Domino, 1976). Physiological effects: Resembles LSD, but sympathomimetic symptoms like dilated pupils, heightened blood pressure, and increased pulse rate are more common and more intense. Psychological Effects: Like LSD but often more intense. Since it is not taken by mouth, the effects come on suddenly and can be overwhelming. The term "mind blowing" might have been invented for this drug. The experience was described by Alan Watts as like "being fired out of the nozzle of an atomic cannon" (Leary 1968a p.215). Thoughts and visions crowd in at great speed; a sense of leaving or transcending time and a feeling that objects have lost all form and dissolved into a play of vibrations are characteristic. The effect can be like instant transportation to another universe for a timeless sojourn. Duration of action: When DMT is smoked or injected, effects begin in seconds, reach a peak in five to twenty minutes and end after a half hour or so. This has earned it the name "businessman's trip." The brevity of the experience make its intensity bearable, and, for some, desirable. At least two synthetic drugs in which the methyl group of DMT is replaced by a higher radical are psychedelic: /\ (CH2)2-N(C2H5)2 /\ (CH2)2-N(CH2CH2CH2)2 // \ ____/ // \ ____/ | || || | || || | || || | || || \\ /\ / \\ /\ / \/ \N/ \/ \N/ H H N,N-diethyltryptamine N,N-dipropyltryptamine The drug DET is active at the same dose as DMT and the effects last slightly longer, about one and a half to two hours. DPT is longer-acting still and has fewer autonomic side effects. In therapeutic experiments its action continues for one and a half to two hours at the lowest effective dose, 15 to 30mg, and for four to six hours at doses in the range of 60 to 150mg. Both DET and DPT are milder than DMT. The drug 6-FDET (6-fluorodiethyltryptamine) resembles DET in its effects. All these drugs, like DMT, are inactive orally and must be smoked or injected. Dibutyltryptamine (DBT) and higher substitutions are inert, but other synthetic drugs related to DMT may be psychoactive. .............................. Remember the L-Tryptophan scare a little while ago? Well I have been thinking about it and have come up with a conspiracy theory. It may be off base but it was fun to come up with it. Ever since the War on Drugs the government has become increasingly protective of precursors for drug manufacture. Some friends of mine and I were talking about Tryptophan, and it came up that it could be used as the base for several drugs. So maby the government generated the Trypto scare so people would be scared to buy/use it and stores would take it off their shelves. Has anyone on the net known anyone who got sick from L-Tryptophan? The following is a simple reaction to synthesize DMT from Tryptophan. using no hard to get or controlled chemicals save L-Tryptophan. WARNING... WARNING... WARNING... This is something I just came up with and may work but I am no chemist, j!ust a Software Engineering type, so research it yourself or lets have some net/chem/god help us out. These two reactions can be found and read about in any good library. The first reaction is using Trypto and Sodium HydroChlorite (AKA Chlorox) in a 1:1 reaction to produce Indole Acetaldehype(IAA). This reaction was use by some company to produce IAA to use to stimulate plant growth. The yield should be 70-80%. The second reaction is the IAA and Dimethyl Formamide in a 1:4 reaction to produce DMT. Dimethyl-F is supposedly a very common organic solvent easy to get and not controlled. This reaction is documented in a paper called the 'Leukart Reaction'. This paper should also have the instructions on cleaning the DMT from the other byproducts of these reactions. Remember this is just to strengthen my conspiracy theory. It is not guaranteed correct. Tryptophan NH | 2 | // \\--- --- CH -- CO H || || || 2 \\ //\ / N H | | + 1 Molar Equiv | \|/ Sodium Hydrochlorite (chlorox) Indole Acetaldehyde (IAA) // \\--- --- CH CHO || || || 2 \\ //\ / N H CH | / 3 Di-Methyl Amine | <------ NH | \ | CH | 3 | | Leukart Reaction | 4 Equivs | Dimethyl Formamide | 1 Equivs | IAA \|/ DMT CH / 3 // \\--- --- CH CH N || || || 2 2 \ \\ //\ / CH N 3 H Disclamer : The above may not be even remotely correct. I myself Don't do drugs, Legal or not. I don't advocate makings using or selling drugs. But I do think they should all be Legal and everyone should educated on there effects. The choice should be ours.... Mycal (C) 1990 Mycal Johnson All Rights Reserved. Distribute this post in anyway for non commercial use. In article <1990Nov16.011656.2696@everexn.com> mycal@everexn.com (Mike Johnson) writes: > Remember the L-Tryptophan scare a little while ago? Well I have >been thinking about it and have come up with a conspiracy theory. It >may be off base but it was fun to come up with it. I'm pretty sure the ~5000 reported cases of EMS (eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome) and 27 deaths, and their connection to a batch of Showa Denko tryptophan is real. But, I do like a good conspiracy... > Ever since the War on Drugs the government has become increasingly >protective of precursors for drug manufacture. Not too many years ago any old Joe could buy isosafrole (precursor to MDA) or phenylacetone (precursor to amphetamine) and all necessary apparatus and ancilliary chemicals with no more than a money order, [fake] signature, and the address of, say, a vacant house or apartment. Nowadays it seems even MEK (methylethylketone) is difficult to obtain. > So maby the government generated the Trypto scare so people would >be scared to buy/use it and stores would take it off their shelves. Has >anyone on the net known anyone who got sick from L-Tryptophan? Considering the numbers above, it's not surprising that noone has reported any first-hand experience with tryptophan-related EMS. If we believe the EMS problem is real, and government-generated, this would make for an intriguing conspiracy. Let us also add that many are eagerly pointing the finger at genetic engineering as the root cause of the problem. Showa Denko used a bacillus genetically engineered to produce higher yields of tryptophan. Now, can someone postulate a role for Lyndon LaRouche? > The following is a simple reaction to synthesize DMT from Tryptophan. > ... >WARNING... This is something I just came up with and may work but I am no ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Admit it, you did research! Well, conspiracies do need some grounding in fact. > The first reaction is using Trypto and Sodium HydroChlorite (AKA >Chlorox) [hypochlorite] You are perhaps refering to R. A. Gray [Pineapple Research Institute of Hawaii] Preparation and Properties of 3-Indoleacetaldehyde [IAc] Arch. Biochem. Biophysics 81, 480-8 (1959) Not merely "AKA Chlorox [sic]", but Clorox was the actual reagent! Aldehydes can be difficult to prepare (contrast to ketones) as they are easily oxidized to acids. Special care was taken by Gray to prevent this, and IAc was actually obtained as the bisulfite addition product, "which was stable for many years." > The second reaction is the IAA and Dimethyl Formamide in a 1:4 >reaction to produce DMT. Dimethylamine is really the reagent of interest here (which you did indicate in your drawings). >solvent easy to get and not controlled. This reaction is documented in a >paper called the 'Leukart Reaction'. This paper should also have the The Leukart-Wallach reaction is well-known. The original publications are Leukart Chem. Ber. 18, 2341 (1885) {Ger.} Wallach Ann. Chem. 272, 100 (1892) {Ger.} Formic acid or a formamide is used as a reducing agent. DMF (dimethylformamide) is probably to be prefered as IAc is not stable in acidic solution. >Disclamer : > The above may not be even remotely correct. I myself As an outline it was pretty darn good. You've shown there's no reason people outside a particular field can't learn some factual information about current topics. Although I'm sure it's not necessary, I will add that a list of reagents does not a synthesis make! So, yes, it's not difficult to make DMT from tryptophan. But it's also not difficult to make DMT from many other starting materials. Indole itself is readily 3-substituted (but note that indole has a horrible, intense fecal odor!) and there are also many well known reactions to produce directly 3-substituted indoles from simpler precursors. Now, do more than a handful of people actually know about DMT? I guess it must have had some use in the '60s, but I don't recall ever hearing it mentioned in the press as a drug of abuse. Perhaps it has made come- back? If people will lick toads for bufotenine, well, there's just no telling... It may be the case that peoples' desire for drugs is matched by their ingenuity to discover and re-discover many substances. If so, the WoD officials have a lesson to learn. Granted the analogue drug bill effectively makes many known and unknown chemicals illegal, it may yet become a burden simply to keep the testing and analysis procedures up to date. -- smaschue@ucsd.edu (root) [Sean] writes: >Also, while I am asking...Simon & Schuster's guide to House Plants enumerate >many plants that are rumored to have narcotic properties as common house >plants or curio plants. Datura for one and mimosa pudica (sensitva) I have >heard contain DMT? Are there sources for these plants and publications on >their properties? >...doesn't this seem very interesting? Sure does. Where'd you hear about Mimosa pudica containing DMT? There are two species of Mimosa that have been used in the Amazon that certainly contain DMT: Mimosa hostilis and Mimosa verrucosa. A hallucinogenic drink called Jurema was made from the roots of Mimosa hostilis. A taped interview with Dennis McKenna from 1985 makes mention of several other members of the pea family (Leguminosae) that contain DMT: Acacia flabiphylla, which I haven't been able to find any reference to anywhere else, and Desmodeum (only the genus was mentioned, the common name for these are "Tick Trefoil"). An tree in this same group is Anadenanthera peregrina, seeds of which are used for psychedelic snuffs in the Amazon, and which also grows in the West Indies, including Puerto Rico. (This tape, "Dennis McKenna/2 (1985)", is available from: Something's Happening Productions, Box 8381, Universal City, CA 91608) In another tape Dennis' brother, Terence, made passing mention of a plant, Desmanthus illinoensis, that was recently discovered to contain DMT as 6% of it's dry weight, according to his report. Desmanthus is closely related to Mimosa, and grows in the midwestern prairies of the continental US. If you run across a specimen of this in a University's botanical collection, or in the field, I'd like to know about it. Preserved or living specimens in herbarium collections almost always include the date and place they were collected. Desmanthus illinoensis is listed in _Petersen's Field Guide to Eastern/Central Medicinal Plants_ but the drawing is misleading. (It shows the pinnae of the compound leaves as alternating instead of opposite). The best illustration I've run across is in _An Illustrated Flora of the Northeastern United States and Canada_ Vol.II where it's listed as Acuan illinoensis. Unfortunately the measurements for various features of the plant are in error there. Decent descriptions are found in the _New York Botanical Garden Illustrated Encyclopedia of Horticulture_ and the _Standard Encyclopedia of Horticulture_ Vol 2. Two other plants reputed to contain DMT are Desfontainia spinosa, a holly-like ornamental plant available at some nurseries, and Arundo donax, the Giant River Reed, (used for clarinet reeds among other things) which grows all over the place along rivers and in urban environments where it's used for landscaping. The rootstocks of Arundo donax are supposedly DMT-bearing, but there's never been a report of Arundo being used as an hallucinogen, or even that such use is practical. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- As far as Datura and other plants in the nightshade family (Solanaceae) are concerned, they contain anticholinergic alkaloids like hyoscyamine, atropine or scopolamine, none of which are considered psychedelic, but which do cause delirium and hallucinations and are quite toxic and risky. -------------------------------------------------- Here is the second in a series of "Gracie and Zarkov" articles. -- Chris ============================================ DMT - HOW AND WHY TO GET OFF . . . a note from underground by "Gracie and Zarkov" Copyright December 1984 by Gracie and Zarkov Productions. We believe that in a truly free society the price of packaged information would be driven down to the cost of reproduction and transmission. We, therefore, give blanket permission and encourage photocopy, quotation, reprint or entry into a database of all or part of our articles provided that the copier or quoter does not take credit for our statements. Revised August 1985. Number 3. DMT, (N,N-dimethyltryptamine is not orally active (by itself), and must be smoked to experience its effects. Tolerance for the drug builds almost immediately. If you don't get enough in the first 30 seconds, smoking more will not put you into the far out visionary DMT state, but will only result in a more "ordinary" hallucinogenic state. If on an attempt, you don't get enough, you must wait at least one hour before trying again (smoking multiple doses within the hour can result in you seeing the patterns but it is almost impossible to break through to the extreme states described below). Furthermore, the actual mechanics of smoking DMT can be quite tricky. In our experience, without careful attention to technique, about half the DMT shots misfire. Therefore, it is essential to use effective technique in order not to waste the drug. In this paper we offer three different tested techniques in an easy to follow step-by-step format; We have also included our description (however inadequate) of what a DMT trip is like. We are well aware of how scarce a substance DMT is. We had to undertake a long, intensive search to secure a supply of this marvelous drug in the smokeable, freebase form. The search was well worth it! One of the reasons for writing this paper is, hopefully, to increase the demand for DMT. If this paper intrigues you, we suggest that the you seek out a supply of your own. Laok for DMT in the smokeable freebase, not hydrochloride form. You will not be disappointed. Getting Ready1. We recommend a uniformly, though not brightly, lit room. Unlike with mushrooms, in total darkness the DMT visions are rather drab. In full sunlight the colors are unbelievably intense with red and gold predominating but we feel that bright sunlight tends to obscure some of the intricate detail so characteristic of DMT visions. We usually do it during the day in a room that is brightly lit with indirect light. 2. Get comfortably seated where you can lie back and rest your head during the trance. If you smoke DMT standing up, you will almost certainly fall on your ass if you get a good hit! 3. We recommend a dosage of about 40-50 mg. The dosage should be weighed out and not eyeballed. Dosages below 25 mg yield only physical and threshold psychedelic effects. Dosages between 25 mg and 40 mg are usually not enough to display the full range of the unique DMT effects described below. Dosages in excess of 55 mg, particularly if you are successful in holding all of the vapor in your lungs, can be VERY heavy and are not recommended for f irst time users. Method One: The "Freebase" Method 4a. Obtain a "freebase" airpipe such as the one illustrated below. Use with the largest funnel type bowl you can find. Insert the largest fine mesh stainless steel screen that will fit into the bowl. Then sprinkle the DMT uniformly over the center of the mesh screen. Make sure to keep thE DMT away from the edges of the screen so that when it melts it does not run over the edge of the screen. \ / \\ __||__ _==_ ________________ \\/ || \ | |____ / _______________ \ || | | ___ \/ / | || | | | \ / | | | | \/ \______/ \__/ FREE BASE AIR PIPE CLASSIC DMT PIPE 5a. Hold a match or torch above the screen and inhale deeply and slowly. Do not let the flame touch the DMT as this will destroy much of the drug. DMT melts and vaporizes easily so the point is to let the hot air rushing by the flame into the pipe vaporize the DMT. It is quite easy to vaporize the DMT and end up with the airchamber full of white DMT vapor. Method Two: The Classic Psychedelic Ranger Method 4b. If you hanq out around a good glass blower or long time "head" you might be able to obtain a classic DMT pipe such as the one illustrated. Load the DMT into the glass reaction chamber and heat the outside bottom of the chamber with a flame. 5b. When the white vapor appears, breathe in deeply and slowly. If you inhale too soon or too quickly, the powdered DMT will be blown down your throat. It is not active that way. Make sure that all of the DMT is vaporized. In the absence of a classic DMT pipe, some people use a regular "hash oil" pipe heated from the outside. We find this too tricky to be reliable. You are just as likely to end up with boiling liquid DMT in your mouth. (That's why the classic pipe has a "V" shaped stem.) We personally use the "freebase" method. In either case... 6. The smoke is very harsh. It tastes like burning plastic. It isn't particularly hot, but you will have a tendency to cough. On each toke try to hold your breath for as long as possible. Exhale and immediately take a second toke. The physical effects, a buzzing or vibration throughout your whole body, come on first. The intensity of these effects is not a reliable guide to the dosage of DMT that you have consumed. Keep taking lungfuls and holding them until all of the premeasured DMT is consumed. Gracie suggests that the best way to smoke DMT is to try to smoke as much as you can before you inevitablly fall into a trance. While not recommended for beginners, it does capture the approach you should take towards smoking your premeasured dose. One advantage of the "freebase" method is that the 50 mg of DMT can be divided into three toke sized piles. The smaller amount can be easily vaporized and inhaled in one breath with the screen being reloaded with DMT after each toke. 7. Just as you feel yourself "going over the top", exhale. Breathe normally, close your eyes and enjoy the visions. Your companions should be instructed to take the pipe from you when you close your eyes because you will have poor motor control. Since you will be in a trance for 4-8 minutes, you should also have told them not to disturb you. To them you will look like you are asleep. This is not a social drug or one to be taken casually; you will be entranced. 8. When you come our of the trance, remain seated for about 10 more minutes as you will still have only shaky control of your limbs. 9. In 30 minutes from the time you started you will be pretty much down, but still euphoric. You will be completely down after a total of about one hour. 1O. We do not recommend that DMT be combined with other drugs. It should be done on a clean head. Marijuana fogs the effects. It is not a party drug: the effects are most entertaining experienced in a quiet room. When DMT is smoked at the peak of a mushroom or LSD trip, the effects are spectacular, but only recsmmended for the experienced, most brave (or some might say, most foolhardy) of investigators. The effects used at the peak of another psychedelic can last for several hours. NOTES ON THE VISUAL STAGES OF A DMT TRIP: 0 - 20 seconds - a scratchiness in the lungs 20 - 30 seconds - a buzzing starts in the ears, rising in tone and volume to an incredible intensity. Its like cellophane being ripped apart (or the fabric of the universe being torn asunder). Your body will vibrate in sympathy with this sound, and you will notice a sharp blood pressure rise. You may feel like you are deeply under water. Wearing a unitard or leotard and tights helps to minimize this sensation. Your visual field will also vibrate in resonance to the sound and will finally be completely obscured by the visions. 30 seconds - 1 minute - You break through into DMT hyperspace. Often at this point, users believe that their hearts or breathing have stopped. This is not true. To an outside observer, you are breathing normally and your pulse, while elevated, is strong. We believe that this subjective effect is due to your "internal clock" being slowed so greatly that the subjective time interval between breaths or heartbeats seems like an eternity. Synthetic DMT has been extensively tested by medical authorities here and in Europe. It is perfectly safe with no lasting physical effects at these doses. However, since smoked DMT causes an abrupt blood pressure increase, it is probably not good for people with abnormally high blood pressure. 1 minute - 2 - 5 minutes - depending on dosage: DMT hyperspace. For all practical purposes, you will no longer be embodied. You will be part of tne intergalactic information network. You may experience any of the following: o Sense of transcending time or space o Strange plants or plantlike forms o The universe of formless vibration o Strange machines o Alien music o Alien languages, understandable or not o Intelligent entities in a variety of forms Do not be amazed and do not try to actively direct your observations but merely pay attention. The beings can show you amazing things, but if you try to impose vour personal trip on the DMT you will find that you cannot and may become frightened. At the end of the "flash" of the visions you will have an after-vision of circular interlocking patterns in exquisite colors. It has been described as looking at a vaulted ceiling or dome. If you did not "breakthrough" to the levels described above, this "chrysanthemum" pattern, as we call it, is all you will see. It is worth the trip, too. You may begin to wonder how you will ever find your way back to your body. If you have taken enough DMT to fully "breakthrough", by the time you can even wonder about it, you are almost back. Trust in your own wetware; your psyche and your body will be reunited. Worrying will only prolong the process. 5 - 12 minutes - The visions have subsided. There are still patterns when you close your eyes, but with eyes open the world is back. At this point a flood of information may rush through your mind. The phase is fleeting. In order to preserve your DMT ideation, we recommend that you begin talking as soon as you come out of the visionary state. Don't try for complete sentences but get as many ideas out as you can while you can. Have a tape recorder running during the trip and you can review your thoughts at a later time. 15 - 30 minutes - The ideation flood subsides leaving you euphoric. You may still have a trace of the vibrations in your body. 30 - 60 minutes - The euphoria subsides. 60+ minutes - You are completely down. Note: While we recommend above not to combine DMT with other hallucinogens, we have had excellent results using DMT as a "pre-dose" for LSD, MDM, MDA, or mushrooms. The technique is to take the second hallucinogen orally just as you come out of the vision state. The resulting trip will be more profound and will help you to understand the strange and alien vistas which you were shown while on the DMT. (For more details, see our Note from underground no. 4.) Method Three: The Tryptamine Giggles If the description of the DMT effects sound too heavy for you, (we certainly don't deny that DMT can be a heavy trip) 25 mg of DMT can be mixed with some dope in a joint or in a pipe and smoked in a liesurely fashion. The giggley mood lift is quite pleasant. The occasional breaking through of abstract hallucinatory patterns can liven up an otherwise quite ordinary stoned-again evening. However, we would recommend that before you burn up all your DMT in this fashion that you at least try one high dose trip as described. Finally, while there is no such thing as a "typical" DMT experience, we have attached a note of ours (reprinted from High Frontiers, issue 2) to this paper which describes one of our DMT trips. The most accessible information on DMT is Peter Stafford's Psychedelics Encyclopedia. Terence McKenna, who offers, in our opinion, the most sophisticated analysis of the DMT experience, has two excellent cassette tapes which discuss the DMT state: Mind, Molecules &Maqic. June 1984; and Tryptamine Hallucinogens and Consciousness, December 1982. They are available from Dolphin Tapes, P.O. Box 71, Big Sur, CA 93920 for $9.00 plus tax and $2.00 postage. ============================================================================= a hit of dmt 10/9/84 - zarkov i loaded about 40-50 milligrams of dmt into a glass pipe on top of a small amount of damiana. even though i had been warned, i was still shocked at how harsh the first toke was. it tasted and smelled like burning plastic. i involuntarily exhaled. i immediately took a second toke. the heavy white smoke rushed up the pipe as harsh as before, but i was somewhat better prepared for the terrible taste and i was able to hold the smoke for a few seconds. i exhaled, took a third toke, and was able to hold this last lungful. suddenly i began to hear a loud, moderately high-pitched carrier wave. immediately, the room started vibrating in sympathy. the pattern on the wall hangings oscillated madly in time to the buzzing that overlaid the carrier waves fundamental tone. simultaneously, a heavy, trembling feeling swept over my entire body as if i were being propelled at multiple g acceleration by some giant rocket engine. my visual field dissolved in the most amazing colors. i could not see the room over the intensity of the visual effects. the events of the preceding paragraph occurred in the space of a few short seconds. closing my eyes, i got a glimpse of several entities moving in front of a giant complex control panel. the visions were not crystal clear and seemed as if i were viewing it through a scrim. the creatures were bipedal and of about human size. it was impossible to say more other than they did not move like the giant insect creatures i have seen clearly under the influence of stropharia mushrooms. there was a direct awareness of an overwhelmingly powerful and knowledgable *presence*! it was neither frightening, nor encouraging. it was just mentally there. a thought came, unbidden, into my head. i realized that i was viewing god central. the central panel i saw was the control panel for the entire universe.the vision was fleeting and dissolved into a vision of much greater clarity. a gaggle of elf-like creatures in standard issue irish elf costumes, complete with hats, looking like they had stepped out of a hallmark cards happy saint patricks day display, were doing strange things with strange objects that seemed to be a weird hybrid between crystals and machines. this vision was also fleeting, and it dissolved into a visual pattern unlike that experienced by me on any other psychedelic or combination of psychedelics. the visuals were interlocking sinusoidal patterns arranged in a japanese chrysanthemum pattern that filled my entire visual field. the pattern was ever-changing and the colors of the individual patterns changed independently of the underlyng pattern. the colors were intense and came in a magnificent variety of colors: metallics, monochromes, pastels, each flickering in and out of existence as if obeying some undetected ordering principle. an idea came into my head that i was seeing the true universe or universe as it really exists. that is to say, i was seeing *directly* the vibrations of every particles in the universe that i was somehow in contact with. i was directly seeing the universe withough ordering it into an arbitrary reality tunnel -- i.e., perceived solid, objective reality. the visual pattern seemed to be a sort of m-dimensional lissajous curve formed by the intersection of i with the shock wave of space-time causality. the carrier wave remained strong throughout the experience. while definitely the same type of phenomena as the carrier wave heard under the influence of psilocybin mushrooms, the dmt carrier wave was *much* louder than even the loud carrier wave heard under the influence of ten grams of very potent, dried stropharia mushrooms. also, by comparison to the mushroom experience, the carrier wave sounded as a purer tone -- i.e., the sinusoidal component dominated the buzzng component. my throat was too sore from the harsh smoke and the control of my breathing was hindered by the intensity of the expereince, so i was unable to sing or even generate a solid tone, to attempt audio driving of the visuals. the overwhelming sense of a *presence* did not disappear when the vision changed to visual patterns, but remained an almost palpable entity as lon as the visuals remained intense. i never felt the foreboding -- let alone the direct challenges -- i have felt under the influence of stropharia mushrooms whenever the feeling of contact with the presence has been strong. the presence was just there and *very* powerful. i felt that i had glimpsed whiteheads god. the period of intense visuals lasted about eight minutes. the side effects remained unpleasant, but easily ignorable. the dmt left me euphoric and very bemused for about an hour. definitely far out and very impressive! -------------------------------------------------- > > > After reading the 'Time and Mind' article kindly typed in by Bob > I am intrigued to hear more about DMT, I was always under > the impression that LSD-25 was the strongest hallucinogen available > but even under the influence (of some pure liquid) it has always been > the real world around me that was distorted in some way and not some > fantasy land (although you could imagine it to be a fantasy land, the > very fact that you are conciously imagining it to be real is constantly > reminding you that its not.) > > So is DMT that superior an hallucinogenic? There are three issues here which are a little confused: 1) strength in the sense of effective dose, 2) strength in terms of subjective intensity, 3) being a superior hallucinogen in some subjective sense. Comparing DMT and LSD, the first is easy. The effective dose of LSD is around 100 ug, of DMT is around 60 mg, so in this sense, LSD is a much stronger hallucinogen. In terms of intensity, they are difficult to compare. Part of the intensity of DMT stems from the fact that the onset is virtually instantaneous; one is taken from feeling normal to the peak of the trip in the space of a few seconds, and this can be totally disorienting and frightening. DMT does not have the euphoria of LSD, in fact it can be quite uncomfortable. Also, the smoking of DMT is quite unpleasant compared with eating some small object. The types of hallucinations experienced within the peak of the DMT trip differ markedly from those in the peak of the LSD trip. This difference is very hard to describe, although one might contrast the dripping flowing colourful experience of LSD with the DMT visuals in which everything becomes super sharp to the point of being ripped into fragments, like placing a photo in a blender. There is some colour enhancement, but it is more like lightning-bolts of colour rather than flowing ripples of colour, and colours may be actually entirely changed and several multiple images seen at once. The 20-30 minute come-down of DMT is similar in experience and intensity to a small dose of LSD, however one is likely to be too shattered by the initial peak to worry about this much. The account Bob posted is highly subjective and metaphorical (as is this one, I suppose) and I doubt that many people would experience DMT in the way described there. However, extending the duration of DMT by the use of monoamineoxidase inhibitors (Ayahuasca,Yage,etc.) is supposed to be a very intense experience and could give one time to become more involved in it. It is possible to lose all contact with the senses and the world briefly while on DMT, as it is, e.g. from a combination of nitrous oxide and LSD. Also, psiloc(yb)in seems to have some similarity to DMT whilst retaining similarity to LSD, in that during the psilocin experience one can be transported into a different reality, although one which is still definitely based sensually on this one, and not be able to remember or understand everday reality. Other hallucinogenic experiences, e.g. the delerium caused by anti-cholinergics, might be still more intense than DMT in terms of being completely removed from traditional reality, but I don't think anyone would recommend experimenting with these dangerous substances. In terms of which is the superior hallucinogen, it depends on your taste. DMT is very interesting and extremely intense, but not necessarily pleasant. LSD has more potential for pure recreation. Most people would probably prefer LSD as a recreational hallucinogen, and it would be ill-advised for someone who was not very familiar with coping with the intensity of LSD to be thrust into the intensity of DMT. On the other hand, if you don't like DMT, you only have to hang on for a few minutes, whereas if you don't like LSD you have to hang on for several hours. This is, of course, apart from the dosage, all subjective. .............................. > Does anyone know if 4-MeO-DMT is pharmacologically active? > This would be the methyl analog of psilocin, 4-OH-DMT of > mushroom fame. > > Shulgin, among others, has made a number of tryptamine analogs. > This one seems like a logical target but I have never seen it > in the literature. Does anyone have any information on this > compound? Here is the best I can do to answer this: Extract from Hallucinogens: Neurochemical, Behavioral, & Clinical Perspectives, edited by B.L. Jacobs, Raven Press, New York (c) 1984 Medicinal Chemistry and Structure-Activity relationships of Hallucinogens - David E. Nichols & Richard A. Glennon p. 124 " 4-methoxy-N,N-dimethyl tryptamine (4-OMeDMT) has been examined only in animal studies and has shown behavioral activity roughly comparable to that of DMT (65,236,238). It has also produced discriminative stimulus effects similar to those of 5-OMeDMT with a potency somewhat less than that of DMT but greater than that of either 6-OMeDMT or 7-MeODMT (93). In drug discrimination studies using DOM as the training drug, 4-OMeDMT was more active than DMT but less active than DET (91). References: (65) Gressner, P.K., Godse D.D., Krull,A.H.,& Mc Mullen, J.M. (1968) Structure-activity relationships among 5-MeODMT, 4-HODMT (psilocin) and other substituted tryptamines. (life Sci., 7:267-277) (91) Glennon, R.A., Young, R., Jacyno, J.M., Slusher, R., and Rosecrans,J.A. (1983) DOM stimulus generation to LSD and other hallucinogenic indolealkamines. Eur.J.Pharmacol.,86:453-459 (93) Glennon,R.A.,Young,R.,Rosecrans,J.A.,& Kallman,M.J (1980): Hallucinogenic agents as discriminative stimuli: Correlation with serotonin receptor affinities. Psychopharmacology, 68:155-158. (236) Ulyeno, E.T. (1969): Alteration of a learned response of the squirrel monkey by hallucinogens. Int.J.Neuropharmacol. 8:245-253. (238) Ulyeno, E.T. (1971): relative potency of amphetamine derrivatives. Psychopharmacologia 19:381-387 .............................. Check out these. Looks like you already have the articles about Acacias from the Australian Journal of Chemistry. ----------------------------------------------- J. Agriculture and Food Chemistry 35:361-365 (1987) Thompson, A. C., Nicollier, G. F. and Pope, D. F. "Indolealkylamines of Desmanthus illinoensis and their growth inhibition activity." ----------------------------------------------- Smith, T. A. (1977) "Tryptamine and related compounds in plants." Phytochemistry 16:171-175. An excellent short guide to the literature for many tryptamine-containing plants. ----------------------------------------------- I'm having trouble uploading to this Usenet node, otherwise I'd send you excerpts from several related articles. ------------------------------ marsthom@qed.cts.com (Mark Thompson) or qed!marsthom The QED BBS -- (310)420-9327 .............................. >Can anyone tell me about this drug (IT-290)? Especially if it really exists. IT-290 is alfa-methyltryptamine. It's an orally active psychedelic tryptamine, dosage about 30 mg. .............................. Article 38451 of alt.drugs: Newsgroups: alt.drugs Path: ucivax!news.service.uci.edu!usc!sol.ctr.columbia.edu!spool.mu.edu!umn.edu!staff.tc.umn.edu!mtymp15 From: mtymp15@staff.tc.umn.edu (David Hutton) Subject: New posting: DMT FAQ Message-ID: <mtymp15.721857319@staff.tc.umn.edu> Summary: from LearyBot@irc Sender: news@news2.cis.umn.edu (Usenet News Administration) Nntp-Posting-Host: staff.tc.umn.edu Organization: University of Minnesota Date: Sun, 15 Nov 1992 19:55:19 GMT Lines: 154 How To Make DMT DMT stands for N,N-dimethyltryptamine. It is a semisynthetic compound similar to psilocin(the hallucinogenic substance in psilocybin) ins structure. The most common method of ingestion is smoking. Soaked parsley leaves are the usual method of ingestion although persons have dipped marijuana in it and said the experience was fantastic. The following recipe can be performed in the kitchen. Recipe for DMT: Mix thoroughly and dissolve 25 grams of indole with a pound of dry ethyl ether in a 2000 ml flask(2 quart jar.) 2. Take an ice tray and fill with chipped or shaved ice. Cool solution for about 35 minutes until it reaches 0 degrees C. At the same time cool 50 ml dry oxalychloride to about 5 degrees below 0 C. in the same ice tray. 3. VERY slowly add the oxalychloride solution to the indole solution. These two chemicals are highly reactive. Avoid boiling over, contact with skin, and fumes. 4. Wait until all the bubbling has died down, then add a few handfuls of table salt to the ice tray, to cool the solution further. Label the solution "solution 1" and put it in the freezer. 5. Cool 100 ml. of dry ethyl ether in a 500 ml. flask to 0 degrees C. in a salted ice tray. At the same time cool an unopened bottle of dimethylamine to 0 degrees C. in the same ice bath. 6. Open the seal of the dimethylamine bottle and slowly pour a steady stream into the ether. Label "solution 2." 7. Very slowly and carefully add solution "1" and "2" together. 8. Now take the mixed solutions from the ice tray and bring up to room temperature stirring the solution all the time. You should be left with a solution that is almost clear. If it is still murky, continue stirring until it becomes as clear as possible. 9. Now filter the solution to seperate the precipitate by suction. <---Solution and Precipitate ------------ \ /<---Funnel / / <-- Rubber hose to \ / and / / Vacuum source \ / Filter/____/ \*****\ /*************{ }*****/ <--- Two hole \****{ }*************{ }****/ rubber stopper \ { } { } <-/--- Glass Tube \ { } { } / | { } { } | | | | | | | | | |__________________________| Figure A. 10. Refilter with suction after pouring technical ether over the precipitate. 11. Repeat filtering once more with ether, then twice with water. 12. Let this substance dry on a plastic or china plate.(do not use metal) After drying, a solid material will be formed. Take particles and place them in an 800 ml beaker. 13. Mix 100 ml. benzene with 100 ml. methyl alcohol. After this mixture has been stirred, cover solid particles from step 12 with about 1/2 inch of the solution and heat the beaker in water until all solid material had dissolved. Add more solvent if necessary.(Note: Do not place beaker in water bath directly over the flame.) 14. After all solid material has dissolved, remove beaker from the heat, and allow to cool. As it cools, small needle-shaped crystals will appear. When this happens, try to pour off as much solvent as possible without disturbing the crystals. 15. Place crystals in a 1000 ml flask and dissolve in tetrahydrofurane.(Use only as much as absolutely necessary.) Label this solution "A". 16. Slowly mix 200 ml. tetrahydrofurane and 20 grams lithium aluminum hydride in a 500 ml flask, and label it solution "B". (By the way, lithuim aluminum hydride ignites on contact with moisture. Protect eyes and hands.) 17. Mix solutions "A" and "B" slowly, stirring constantly. 18. Prepare a water bath and heat solution for three hours, stirring for four minutes every half hour. When not stirring, make sure to use aspirator tube. / / <--- Rubber Tubing --- \**{ }**/<---- One hole rubber stopper /**{ }**\ and glass tubing / { } \ / { } \ : : : : : : \ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~:_____________:~/ \______________________________/ Heat source Figure B. Place Figure B. flask at a higher level than Figure A. flask. Run tube from Figure B. flask down to left side of figure A. flask, replacing funnel with glass tubing. Disconnect right side tube from vacuum source. This will be used as the aspirator tube. 19. When this is completed, allow the flask to remain at room temperature for about 20 minutes. Then place in salted ice bath, and cool to 0 degrees C. Add a small amount of chilled methanol, stirring gently until solution appears murky. 20. Filter this murky solution through a paper filter in a funnel, and collect the filtered liquid in a flask. 21. Add 100 ml. of tetrahydrofuran through the filter and collect in the same flask. Now heat the solution in a water bath until most of the tetrahydrofuran is evaporated and a gooey substance remains. 22. Place little piles of this substance on a cookie tray and dry with a heat lamp for three or four hours. Well, after all that you now have DMT. Was it worth it? To ingest, crumble a small quantity with parsley or mint, and smoke. Do not inject. Do not mix with tobacco. Keep your thoughts free and your reality...err different. - Black Adder -- send flames, comments, questions, pap smear results, $10,000 in small bills, and a large packet of neurotransmitter precursors to : mtymp15@staff.tc.umn.edu =====->Legalize Spiritual Discovery and Powerful Oxyhematoporphyrin Tools<-===== ...have you hugged an Ischiopagus lately? In article <1992Nov12.064323.7187@u.washington.edu> ap.6396@cupid.sai.com writes: >The subject of DMT came up, and in a previous post it was mentioned that >it was available in some plants and could be extracted. Does anyone have >a list of the more common of these, and references for extraction? Here's my paper on psychedelic tryptamines, where I've tried to list all the known plant sources. If you know something that isn't there please let me know. Maybe our friend could post the excellent extraction instructions he wrote? You can also find descriptions of extractions from the articles I've referred to below. TRYPTAMINE CARRIERS =================== by Petrus.Pennanen@helsinki.fi Last update Nov 13 1992 ORALLY AND PARENTERALLY ACTIVE PSYCHOTROPIC TRYPTAMINE DERIVATIVES Based on McKenna & Towers 1984 R4 R1 | / R5 // \ /\ N \// \ ____/ \ / \ | || || | R2 | || || | \\ /\ / R3 \\ / \ / N H Dosage Route Name of Compound R1 R2 R3 R4 R5 (mg) Oral/Par. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- tryptamine H H H H H 100 *1 par/oral? DMT (dimethyltryptamine) CH3 CH3 H H H 60 par DET C2H5 C2H5 H H H 60 par/oral DPT n-prop n-prop H H H 60 par/oral DAT C3H5 C3H5 H H H 30 par/oral DIPT i-prop i-prop H H H 30 oral 5-MeO-DIPT i-prop i-prop H H OCH3 12 oral 5-MeO-DMT CH3 CH3 H H OCH3 6 par psilocin CH3 CH3 H OH H 12 *2 oral CZ-74 C2H5 C2H5 H OH H 15 *2 oral serotonin H H H H OH 100 *3 oral bufotenine CH3 CH3 H H OH 16 *4 par IT-290 H H CH3 H H 30 oral 4-hydroxy-alfa-methyl- tryptamine H H CH3 OH H 20 *3 oral MP-809 H H CH3 H CH3 60 *5 oral 5-fluoro-alfa-methyl- tryptamine H H CH3 H F 25 *6 oral 5-methoxy-alfa-methyl- tryptamine H H CH3 H OCH3 3 oral 4-hydroxy-diisopropyl- tryptamine i-prop i-prop H OH H 12 *6 oral 4-hydroxy-N-isopropyl, N-methyl-tryptamine i-prop CH3 H OH H 6 *6 oral N-t-butyl-tryptamine H t-butylH H H ? *7 par? 3-(2-(2,5-dimethyl pyrrolyl)ethyl)-indole H H H ? ? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Data compiled from Kantor, et al. 1980; Shulgin 1976,1982; Shulgin&Carter 1980 *1 Autonomic symptoms; little central activity. *2 The phosphate esters are psilocybin and CEY-19, respectively; both are stoichiometrically equivalent to the 4-hydroxy isomers. *3 Cardiovascular and autonomic symptoms; little central activity. *4 A pressor amine rather than a hallucinogen in man. *5 An antidepressant rather than a hallucinogen in man. *6 Based on anonymous reports in the lay press. No clinical studies have been published. *7 No oral activity with doses up to 20 mg, may be parenterally active. MAO Inhibitors and Tryptamines Monoamine oxidase (MAO) is the primary inactivation pathway of most tryptamines. Because of this, inhibitors of the MAO enzyme (MAOIs) can be used to potentiate the effects of tryptamines and to make DMT and 5-MeO-DMT orally active. MAO inhibitors fall into two classes: Irreversible and reversible MAOIs. Irreversible MAOIs (e.g. the hydrazides iproniazid and phenelzine) bind permanently to the enzyme and cause MAO inhibition lasting 1-2 weeks after ingestion. They are used clinically to treat depression. Reversible MAOIs, such as the beta-carbolines harmine and harmaline, are effective for much shorter time, maybe up to 24 hours. Reversible MAOIs are not used clinically, but recreational drug users around the world prefer them despite the lack of scientific studies about their effects in humans. Natives of Amazon have traditionally combined Banisteriopsis caapi vine, which contains harmine, harmaline and related beta-carbolines, with DMT- containing plants to make an orally active brew called ayahuasca. Other plants containing harmine and/or harmaline can be substituted for B. caapi. The usual 'North-American ayahuasca' consists of Peganum harmala seeds and Desmanthus illinoensis roots, and in Australian 'acaciahuasca' leaves of Acacia complanata are combined with material from DMT-containing acacias (the effectivity of this mixture hasn't been confirmed). MAOIs have also been used to potentiate the effects of mushrooms containing psilocybin. Terence McKenna has mentioned chocolate being a weak MAOI, which could be a reason for the popular habit of ingesting mushrooms with cocoa. Peganum harmala (Syrian rue) seeds are the most concentrated natural source of harmine and harmaline - about 3% of their weight consists of these alkaloids. Banisteriopsis caapi has been found to contain from 0.18% to 1.36% beta-carbolines, with the concentration of harmine being from 0.057% to 0.635% (McKenna et al. 1984). According to anecdotal reports one gram of P. harmala seeds ingested inhibits MAO enough to make DMT orally active. Harmine and harmaline are hallucinogenic on their own with doses starting from around 300 mg (Naranjo 1967). They have little emotional or 'psychedelic' effects, but produce strong visual hallucinations. Because of this the natives of Amazon often add larger amounts (75-100 cm of stem per dose) of B. caapi to ayahuasca brew than is needed for MAO inhibition (Luna 1984). There are significant dangers in using MAO inhibitors. MAOIs potentiate the cardiovascular effects of tyramine and other monoamines found in foods. Ingestion of aged cheese, beer, wine, pickled herring, chicken liver, yeast, large amounts of coffee, citrus fruits, canned figs, broad beans, chocolate or cream while MAO is inhibited can cause a hypertensive crisis including a dangerous rise in blood pressure. Effects of amphetamines, general anaesthetics, sedatives, anti-histamines, alcohol, potent analgesics and anticholinergic and antidepressant agents are prolonged and intensified. Overdosage of MAOIs by themselves is also possible with effects including hyperreflexia and convulsions. Self-Synthesis of DMT Derivatives Tryptamine derivatives and beta-Carbolines have been detected as endogenous metabolites in mammals, including humans. Methyl transferases that catalyze the synthesis of tryptamines, including DMT, 5-MeO-DMT and bufotenine, are found in human lung, brain, cerebrospinal fluid, liver and heart (McKenna & Towers 1984). In the pineal gland MAO is the primary inactivation pathway of serotonin, a neurotransmitter synthesized from the amino acid tryptophan. If MAO is blocked by harmine, harmaline or other MAO inhibitors serotonin can be converted by the methyltransferase enzymes HIOMT and INMT into psychedelic tryptamines (serotonin --(HIOMT)--> 5-MeO-trypt. --(2*INMT)--> 5-MeO-DMT). So, ingesting l-tryptophan to increase serotonin levels, a candy bar to increase the amount of tryptophan getting to your brain and natural plant material containing 25-50 mg harmine/harmaline to block MAO, all at the same time, is supposed to cause your pineal gland to synthesize substantial amounts of 5-MeO-DMT (Most 1986). This is extremely dangerous for persons with existing amine imbalance or schizophrenia. For normal, healthy people *data insufficient*, possible consequences are very bad. A potent inhibitor of INMT, which is a necessary enzyme for the synthesis of DMT and 5-MeO-DMT, is found in particularly high concentrations in the pineal gland. A bypassing or inhibition of the synthesis of this inhibitor might be responsible for trances and other psychedelic states achieved "without drugs" (Strassman 1990). See Strassman's article for more info and speculation about the pineal gland. Psychedelic Toads Bufotenine and related 5-hydroxy-indolethylamines are common constituents of venoms of the genera Hyla, Leptodactylus, Rana and Bufo. Bufotenine is not psychedelic in reasonable doses (with larger doses there are dangerous physiological side effects), but the skin of one species, Bufo alvarius, contains 50-160 mg 5-MeO-DMT/g of skin (Daly & Witkop 1971). It's the only Bufo species known to contain a hallucinogenic tryptamine (McKenna & Towers 1984). The Plants Family: Acanthaceae Genus: Justicia Species: pectoralis (var. stenophylla) Waikas of Orinoco headwaters in Venezuela add dried and pulverized leaves of this herb to their Virola-snuff. Intensely aromatic smelling leaves probably contain tryptamines (Schultes 1977). Plants are available from ..Of the jungle (PO Box 1801 sebastopol CA 95473) for $35. Family: Agaricaceae Genus: Lepiota Species: peele "Peele's Lepiota" This recently discovered mushroom is supposed to contain a legal tryptamine, which produces a trip with less physical symptoms and better ability of logical thinking than psilocin/psilocybin. Florida Mycology Research Center (PO Box 8104 Pensacola Florida 32505) sells spores ($10) and cultures ($112). Genus: Psilocybe These are the psilocin and psilocybin carrying mushrooms, which have their own section in the Natural Highs FAQ. Family: Aizoaceae Genus: Delosperma Contains DMT and N-methyltryptamine (see Smith 1977 for refs). Family: Apocynaceae Genus: Prestonia Species: amazonica? Contains DMT (Smith 1977). Family: Gramineae Genus: Arundo Species: donax Leaves, flowers and rhizomes contain DMT, Bufotenine and related compounds (Ghosal et al. 1972). Genus: Phalaris Species: arundinacea tuberosa Leaves of P. arundinacea and leaves and seedlings of P. tuberosa contain DMT, 5-MeO-DMT and related compounds (Smith 1977). P. arundinacea plants are available from ..Of the jungle for $15. Family: Leguminosae Genus: Acacia Species: confusa jurema maidenii phlebophylla polycantha subsp. campylacantha niopo nubica senegal others Dried A. confusa stems contain 0.04% N-methyltryptamine and 0.02% DMT (Arthur et al. 1967). The dried leaves of A. phlebophylla contain 0.3% DMT (Rovelli & Vaughan 1967). The bark of A. maidenii contains 0.6% of N-methyltryptamine and DMT in the proportions approx. 2:3 (Fitzgerald & Sioumis 1965). Smith (1977) and Schultes & Hofmann (1980) mention other species. Seeds of several acacia species are available from ..Of the jungle. Genus: Anadenanthera (Piptadenia) species: peregrina colubrina Black beans from these trees are toasted, pulverized and mixed with ashes or calcined shells to make psychedelic snuff called yopo by Indians in Orinoco basin in Colombia, Venezuela and possibly in southern part of Brasilian Amazon. Yopo is blown into the nostrils through bamboo tubes or snuffed by birdbone tubes. The trees grow in open plain areas, and leaves, bark and seeds contain DMT, 5-MeO-DMT and related compounds (Schultes 1976,1977; Pachter et al. 1959). Genus: Desmanthus Species: illinoensis "Illinois Bundleflower" Thompson et al. report that the root bark of this North American perennial shrub contains 0.34% DMT and 0.11% N-methyltryptamine. The bark accounts for about a half of the total weight of the roots. The plant should be resistant to cold and draught and easy to grow. ..Of the Jungle sells D. illinoensis seeds and dried roots (seed packet $3, 7 grams $10, oz $25; roots 4 oz $15, pound $50). Seeds are also available from more main-stream mail-order houses. Genus: Desmodium Species: gangetium gyrans pulchellum tiliaefolium triflorum Leaves, root, stem and seeds contain DMT and 0.06% 5-MeO-DMT of wet weight (Banerjee & Ghosal 1968). Genus: Lespedeza Species: bicolor Leaves and root contain DMT and 5-MeO-DMT (Smith 1977). Seeds of this hardy perennial shrub are available from ..Of the jungle for $5. Genus: Mimosa Species: tenuiflora (== hostilis) "tepescohuite" verrucosa The roots of M. hostilis, which is not the common houseplant M. pudica ("sensitive plant"), contain 0.57% DMT and are used by Indians of Pernambuso State in Brazil as part of their Yurema cult (Pachter et al. 1959, Schultes 1977, Meckes-Lozoya et al. 1990). Bark of M. verrucosa also contains DMT (Smith 1977). Genus: Mucuna Species: pruriens Leaves, stem and fruit of this jungle vine contains DMT and 5-MeO-DMT (Smith 1977). Seeds are available from ..Of the jungle for $5. Genus: Petalostylis species: labicheoides Leaves and stem contain 0.4-0.5% tryptamine, DMT and other alkaloids (Johns et al. 1966). Family: Malpighiaceae Genus: Banisteriopsis Species: rusbyana argentea Natives of western Amazon add DMT-containing leaves of the vine B. rusbyana to a drink made from B. caapi, which contains beta-carbolines harmine and harmaline, to heighten and lengthen the visions (Schultes 1977, Smith 1977). Family: Myristicaceae Genus: Virola Species: calophylla calophylloidea rufula sebifera theiodora The bark resin of these trees is used to prepare hallucinogenic snuffs in northwestern Brazil by boiling, drying and pulverizing it. Sometimes leaves of a Justicia are added. The snuff acts rapidly and violently, "effects include excitement, numbness of the limbs, twitching of facial muscles, nausea, hallucinations, and finally a deep sleep; macroscopia is frequent and enters into Waika beliefs about the spirits resident in the drug." Snuffs made from V. theiodora bark contain up to 11% 5-MeO-DMT and DMT. Also leaves, roots and flowers contain DMT. Amazonian Colombia natives roll small pellets of boiled resin in a evaporated filtrate of bark ashes of Gustavia Poeppigiana and ingest them to bring on a rapid intoxication (Smith 1977, Schultes 1977). Family: Rubiaceae Genus: Psychotria Species: viridis (psychotriaefolia) Psychotria leaves are added to a hallucinogenic drink prepared from Banisteriopsis caapi and B. rusbyana (which contain beta-carbolines) to strengthen and lengthen the effects in western Amazon. P. viridis contains DMT (Schultes 1977). 5 seeds $10 from ..Of the jungle. Family: Rutaceae Genus: Dictyoloma Species: incanescens Bark contains 0.04% 5-MeO-DMT (Pachter et al. 1959). Genus: Vepris Species: ampody Contains DMT (Smith 1977). References Arthur, H.R., Loo, S.N. & Lamberton, J.A. 1967. Nb-methylated tryptamines and other constituents of Acacia confusa Merr. of Hong Kong. Aust. J Chem. 20, 811. Banerjee, P.K. & Ghosal, S. 1968. Simple indole bases of Desmodium gangeticum. Aust. J Chem. 22, 275. Daly, J.W. & Witkop, B. 1971. Chemistry and pharmacology of frog venoms. In: Venomous animals and their venoms. Vol II. New York: Academic Press. Fitzgerald, J.S. & Sioumis, A.A. 1965. Alkaloids of Australian Leguminosae V. Aust. J Chem. 18, 433. Ghosal, S., Chaudhuri, R.K., Dutta, S.K., Bhattacharya, S.K. 1972. Occurrence of curaromimetic indoles in the flowers of Arundo donax. Planta Med. 21, 22. Johns, S.R., Lamberton, J.A., Sioumis, A.A. 1966. Alkaloids of the Australian Leguminosae VI. Aust. J Chem. 19, 893. Kantor, R.E., Dudlettes, S.D. & Shulgin, A.T. 1980. 5-Methoxy-alfa-methyl- tryptamine (alfa,O-dimethylserotonin), a hallucinogenic homolog of serotonin. Biological Psychiatry Vol 15:349-352. Luna, L.E. 1984. The Healing Practices of a Peruvian Shaman. J of Ethnopharmacology 11, 123-133. McKenna, D.J., Towers, G.H.N., & Abbott, F. (1984). Monoamine oxidase inhibitors in South American hallucinogenic plants: Tryptamines and Beta-carboline constituents of ayahuasca. J of Ethnopharmacology, 10, 195-223. Mckenna, Dennis J. & Towers, G.H.N. 1984. Biochemistry and Pharmacology of Tryptamines and beta-Carbolines: A Minireview. J Psychoactive Drugs 16(4). Meckes-Lozoya, M., Lozoya, X., Marles, R.J., Soucy-Breau, C., Sen, A., Arnason, J.T. 1990. N,N-dimethyltryptamine alkaloid in Mimosa tenuiflora bark (tepescohuite). Arch. Invest. Med. Mex. 21(2) 175-7. Most, Albert. Eros and the Pineal: the layman's guide to cerebral solitaire, 1986, Venom Press Box 2863 Denton TX 76202 (also publishes "Bufo alvarius: The Psychedelic Toad of the Sonoran Desert") Naranjo, C. 1969. Psychotropic Properties of the Harmala Alkaloids. In: Efron (Ed.) The Ethnopharmacologic Search for Psychoactive Drugs. Pachter, I.J, Zacharias, D.E & Ribeir, O. 1959. Indole Alkaloids of Acer saccharinum (the Silever Maple), Dictyoloma incanescens, Piptadenia colubrina, and Mimosa hostilis. J Org Chem 24 1285-7. Rovelli, B. & Vaughan, G.N. 1967. Alkaloids of Acacia I. Aust. J Chem. 20, 1299. Schultes, R.E. 1976. Indole Alkaloids in Plant Hallucinogens. J of Psychedelic Drugs Vol 8 No 1 7-25. Schultes, R.E. 1977. The Botanical and Chemical Distribution of Hallucinogens. J of Psychedelic Drugs Vol 9 No 3 247-263. Schultes, R.E. & Hofmann, A. 1980. The Botany and Chemistry of Hallucinogens. Springfield, Ill: Thomas. pp. 142 & 155. Shulgin, A.T. 1982. Chemistry of Psychotomimetics. In: Hoffmeister, F. & Stille, G. (Eds.) Handbook of Experimental Pharmacology, Vol 55: Alcohol and Psychotomimetics, Psychotropic Effects of Central-Acting Drugs. New York: Springer-Verlag. Shulgin, A.T. 1976. Psychotomimetic agents. In: Gordon, M. (Ed.) Psychopharmacological Agents, Vol IV. New York: Academic Press. Smith, T.A. 1977. Review: Tryptamine and Related Compounds in Plants. Phytochemistry Vol 16 171-175. Strassman, R.J. 1990. The Pineal Gland: Current Evidence For Its Role In Consciousness. In: Lyttle, T. (Ed.) Psychedelic Monographs and Essays Vol 5. Thompson, A.C., Nicollier, G.F. & Pope, D.F 1987. Indolealkylamines of Desmanthus illinoensis and Their Growth Inhibition Activity. J Agric. Food Chem. 35 361-365. Have fun! Petrus ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ****************************** MANUFACTURE: Forget it. Precursors (ergot alkaloids, used medicinally for migraines and ob/gyn due to their vasoconstrictive effects) are closely watched. (They are obtained through commercially cultured ergot fungus; one could theoretically extract lsyergic amides from morning glory or Hawaiian wood rose seeds.) (Though there are routes to synthesize lysergic acid from "scratch", these are complicated also.) Other typically needed chemicals are very dangerous. Serious experience in organic chemistry lab would be necessary. If you have to ask where to find the recipes, you don't know enough about chemistry to try it. (For the curious: the _Anarchists Cookbook_ is a bad place to start. _Psychedelic Chemistry_ is better, the patent office or chem. lit. better.) And you'll probably trip during manufacture if you actually succeed. Its easier and safer to buy it on the black market. .............................. >In the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 1980, there is an article >on an ergot derivative used in obstetrics which is an hallucinogen. >Although the dose required is ten times the ED50 (.2 mg) no >significant ill effects were reported. >I believe the name of this drug is methyl ergovine(?) The drug >without the methyl group is supposed to be more effective. It >was (is?) a Sandoz drug, for those with a PDR. Ergonovine and methylergonovine are both oxytocic agents: they increase uterine tone and are used (rarely) to assist in delivery and (more frequently) to stop post-partum uterine hemorrhage. Less frequently, they can be used to abort a migraine headache. If they have any hallucinogenic effects, it is certainly a well-kept secret. I would be quite concerned about taking 10x the therapeutic dose of a drug like ergonovine, since it can cause arterial spasm and precordial distress even in healthy persons, and intense vaso- constriction and gangrene can follow from an overdose. These are not drugs to fool around with. Another related drug, 1-methyl-methylergonovine, or methysergide (Sansert), is used in migraine prophylaxis, and is claimed to have LSD-like actions when high doses are taken. The methyl group on the indole nitrogen reduces the drug's vasoconstrictive actions. Chronic, uninterrupted use of the drug causes a fibrosis of the heart valves and the lungs. .............................. >You mean to tell me that the people who make LSD have a GC/MS in their >basement and know how to use it properly. No, but they probably run the GC/MS where they work and can sneak samples in -- or else know someone in a chem department somewhere that can do it for them. >I had no idea that the field was >so high tech. LSD is not particularly easy to synthesize. It certainly takes a little bit more than 2nd year O-Chem to do it. There are various synthetic methods floating around the net, along with methods published in _psychedelic chemistry_ but i gather that they're all more difficult than some relatively recent methods... ===forwarded article: Newsgroups: alt.drugs,alt.conspiracy,alt.psychoactives,rec.music.gdead,alt.folklore.urban From: aankrom@blackfoot.ucs.indiana.edu (aankrom) Subject: Re: How to Make LSD File 2 Message-ID: <Cnr0LM.EBn@usenet.ucs.indiana.edu> Date: Mon, 4 Apr 1994 18:56:10 GMT When I saw the subjects relating to the synthesis of LSD, I knew the information would be outdated. It's humourous to see people who think they're in the know giving out information that was outdated even in the 70's. Lysergic acid amides are commonly made by a simple and efficient procedure using POCl3 and the desired amine in CHCl3 solution. I doubt that this procedure is used by the majority of clandestine chemists, but since I don't know any, I wouldn't know. By the description of the procedure, it's simple and uses relatively safe reagents. (I have a reference, but not handy...) And you won't find it in any obvious places even in the most recent Merck because LSD is not the product of focus in the article. This is why I doubt that unsavvy clandestine chemists would be using this procedure. But according to the article, the method has a broad scope and has been used by Nichols and Oberlender for some other lysergic acid amides. (The article in question regards 9,10 saturated derivatives tested for emetic properties.) It's time to stop turning to those stupid "how to make your very own drug" guides and learn how to read real chemsitry literature. If you can't, don't bother... Even the synthesis of lysergic acid is outdated. Rebek has described an extremely elegant synthesis of methyl lysergate from L-tryptophan which gives only the natural isomer of lysergic acid. It's still a several step procedure, but most of the reagents are fairly common and the yields are greatly improved over past syntheses. This brings me to an interesting side-note. Several years ago, analogues of LSD that were 2 and 3 times as potent as LSD were synthesized. These went largely unnoticed and would most likely prove of little interest to clandestine chemists because LSD was the precursor used and the loss in synthesis outweighed the gain in potency. But using Rebek's synthesis, one could simply alter the procedure slightly and intorduce the groups that make the compounds more potent. When the 6N-methyl group is replaced by ethyl or allyl, it becomes 2 and 3 times as potent respectively. I am posting this for general information. I may post references if I decide it would be prudent. Requests will be ignored and I ask you not to send e-mail requesting references. But if you just want to chat about them and maybe speculate on subjective effects or other avenues of substitution... I don't know if I'll ever see the day that research in this area is open and legal, but I'd love to... ****************************** DRUG TESTING: No risk. Its not looked for, hard to find, and transient. .............................. "A maximum concentration of 2-8 ng/ml [Plasma concentration of LSD] was reached 1.0-1.25 h after an oral dose of 160 ug. ...[A] value of 2.9 h for the elimination half-life of LSD from plasma [was reached]. [Upshall, D.G., Wailling, D.G.: The determination of LSD in human plasma following oral administration. Clinica Chimica Acta 36, 67-73 (1972)] Second of all, LSD and its metabolites are detectable in the urine for much longer than one hour. "LSD and its metabolites were still detectable in human urine for as long as 4 days after the ingestion of 0.2 mg of the drug. [Faed, E.M., McLeod, W.R.: A urine screening test of lysergide. Journal of Chromatographic Science. 11, 4-6 (1973)] Note that standard, cheap initial drug screening does not use chromatography or mass-spectrometry, and does not look for LSD. .............................. There were rumors going around that LSD could be detected by drug tests fo thirty days. I think this reference and abstract makes it clear that it is probably 4 days, max. (see the end of the abstract) IDNUM 03319915 TYPE Journal paper DATE 880715 AUTHOR Heng Keang Lim; Andrenyak, D.; Francom, P.; Foltz, R.L.; Jones, R.T. Center for Human Toxicology, Utah Univ., Salt Lake City, UT, USA TITLE Quantification of LSD and N-demethyl-LSD in urine by gas chromatography/resonance electron capture ionization mass spectrometry SOURCE Analytical Chemistry; vol.60, no.14; 15 July 1988; pp. 1420-5 SUBJECT chromatography; electron capture; mass spectroscopic chemical analysis; organic compounds; quantification; gas chromatography; resonance electron capture ionisation mass spectrometry; LSD; N-demethyl-LSD; urine; lysergic acid diethylamide; human; in vitro; in vivo; aromatic hydroxylation; drug; metabolite; N-tri-fluoroacetyl derivatives; calibration curves; urinary concentrations; adult volunteer; excretion; elimination half-lives; 4 to 6 hrs; 8 to 10 hrs Numerical data: time 1.4E+04 to 2.2E+04 s; time 2.9E+04 to 3.6E+04 s Class codes: A8280M; A8280B; A3470 CODEN ANCHAM ABSTRACT Demethylation of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) in the human has been demonstrated, both in vitro and in vivo, and aromatic hydroxylation at positions 13 and 14 has been tentatively identified. A gas chromatography/resonance electron capture ionization mass spectrometry (GC/MS) assay for LSD and N-demethyl-LSD in urine has been developed, in which the drug and its metabolite are converted to their N-tri-fluoroacetyl derivatives prior to GC/MS analysis. Linear and reproducible calibration curves have been obtained for LSD concentrations from 0.05 to 5.0 ng/mL, and for N-demethyl-LSD concentrations from 0.03 to 5.0 ng/mL. The assay was used to determine the urinary concentrations of LSD and N-demethyl-LSD following administration of a single oral dose of the drug (1 mu g/kg) to an adult volunteer. The rates of excretion of LSD and N-demethyl-LSD reached maxima in urine collected at time intervals of 4-6 and 8-10 h after administration, respectively. The elimination half-lives for LSD and N-demethyl-LSD were 3.6 and 10.0 h, respectively MISCELLANEOUS Treatment: experimental Anal. Chem. (USA) Abstract number(s): A89037987 ISSN: 0003-2700 Refs: 15 Marijuana is detectable from 2 to 5 days after a single, isolated use using the standard 50-ng cutoff for the EMIT test. At 20 ng, the time may go out to a week. Frequent users (every other day or more ) may be positive for 3 weeks or more (84 days is the longest I have heard of). However, this time can be abridged considerably(to a day or two in some cases) given proper measures, in particular, drinking lots of fluids. For up-to-date details on how to deal with this new intrusion on personal privacy, contact Californ NORML, 2215-R Market St. #278, San Francisco 94114- (415) 563-5858. .................................................. If you smoke only occasionally (once or twice a month) you are likely to pass a urine test within no more than 3-5 days. If you smoke several times a week, you should allow at least 3-4 weeks, and if you smoke several time daily, you may need 6 weeks or more (84 days is the record). However, there are ways that can help you pass a urine test on shorter notice. For info, contact California NORML, 2215-R Market St. #278, San Francisco CA 94114; (415) 563-5858. What they are most likely to detect about a diluted sample is incorrect temperature. More and more labs are checking to see that the specimen is within the range 92-100 degrees F. To my knowledge, no one looks at cholrine or fluorine. Howver, there has been some talk of testing creatanin levels, which can tell if urine has been diluted. Actually, your friend took an unnecessary risk in diluting his sample in the first place. The fact is that occasional marijuana use (say, on the order of once a month or two weeks) is typically detectable only 2-5 days. A lot of occasional users get really paranoid because they hear of marijuana] staying around 4-6 weeks, but this is true only for regular users who smoke every day. For info about urine testing, send to Cal. NORML, 2215-R Market St. #278, San Francisco CA 94114 (415) 563-5858. .............................. Spinal taps are not particularly useful (cerebro-spinal fluid doesn't concentrate LSD or metabolites) and are never done under any circumstances: they are painful and dangerous. .............................. You might want to mention that Abbie Hoffman's _Steal This Urine Test_ has a table which claims lsd is detectable for 40 days. I'm almost sure this was a typo. .............................. > 1] How long can LSD be detected in the body? This varies by the test being used, the detection limit placed on the test, the point of collection and type of the sample fluid, the amount of LSD that was taken, and the individual in question. Assuming the testers are using an RIA screening test with the cutoff set at 0.1 ng/ml and assuming that the user has recently emptied their bladder, then the detection limit for one hit (100 ug) is normally around 30 hours. Each doubling of the initial amount will add about 5 hours. Thus taking 8 hits will leave a user vulnerable for approximately 2 days. (NOTE: This is based on the data in [7]) > 2] What exact form of test can be used to detect LSD in the body? There are a number of tests which can be used to detect LSD in the body. Abuscreen, a product of Roche Diagnostic Systems, is a series of RadioImmunoAssay (RIA) tests, one of which is used to detect LSD and its metabolites in whole blood, serum (blood), urine and stomach contents [1]. RIA can in theory be used to detect quantities as small as 0.020 nanograms (ng) per milliliter (ml) of sample [2]. Laboratory tests have shown that RIA results are accurate down to at least 0.1 ng/ml [3]. The manufacturer recommends limiting the cutoff to 0.5 ng/ml. EMIT, a product of Syva Corporation, is another series of tests, one of which can be used to detect LSD and its metabolites in serum and urine. EMIT stands for Enzyme Multiplied Immunoassay Technique. Both EMIT and Abuscreen are "positive/negative" response tests (much like pregnancy tests) which require periodic equipment calibration and consume chemicals for each test performed. A basic battery of tests costs approx. $15-$25 per person [4]. The basic tests (recommended by NIDA) include marijuana, cocaine, amphetamines, opiates, and phencyclidine (PCP). Normally, unless an (employer) specifically requests the test, an LSD assay is not run. Both Roche and Syva recommend confirmation of positive results by using a different test. The usual method of confirming positive results is some form of chromatography. These include High Performance Thin Layer Chromatography (HPTLC)[3], and different forms of Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS)[5][6][7][8][9]. HPTLC and GC/MS can be used to give quantitative results as opposed to the Boolean results from EMIT or Abuscreen. Laboratory tests have shown that GC/MS test for LSD in urine[6] and blood[7] can be accurate down to 0.1 ng/ml. The cost for confirmation of a positive screening test is approximately $50-60. Positive results to either EMIT and RIA are held to be "probable cause" by U.S. courts. GC/MS results are held to be "proof" by U.S. courts. > I am asking for an actual text message containing a short, precise > description of each test, Immunoassays chemicals are created by injecting animals (rabbits, sheep, donkey, etc) with the drug to be tested for and an albumin which force the animal to produce antibodies. The antibodies are then removed from the animal, purified and bottled. In RIA tests, the antibodies are then added to the fluid sample with a radioactively labeled chemical. Any of the drug (or similar chemicals) found in a sample that is being tested will react with this glop and by measuring the radioactivity, the amount of drugs can be determined [2][10]. > 3] How can such a test be beaten? While there is some literature on adulterating urine samples to produce false negative results [11], there has been little written that applies specifically to the LSD screening tests. I would suggest you read the article posted by Paul Hager paying particular attention to the warning about water intoxication [12]: In <1991May7.141615.16477@news.cs.indiana.edu> hagerp@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu wrote + Recommended: "Dealing With Urine Tests on Short Notice" + by Dale Gieringer, California NORML + + Most folks recommend that people hydrate themselves -- the idea + being that by drinking water and taking a diuretic that will + promote water loss, the urine will be very dilute and THC metabolite + content from "tomatoe" consumption will drop below the 100 ng/ml + threshold that defines a "positive". + + Mr. Gieringer recommends that, the day before the test, the + person drink lots of water. I would amend this to, drink your + normal "8 glasses" plus a few more. Don't get carried away with + drinking water -- there is such a thing as "water intoxication" + which can result in brain swelling and other nasties so don't + chug-a-lug a gallon of water just before the test. After + hydrating, and a little before the test, drink some more water + and use a diuretic (coffee is a weak diuretic). Urinate to + flush the bladder -- the first urination of the day is the + one most charged with metabolites. The pamphlet quotes from + a _High Times_ article, "How to Beat a Drug Test": + + Take an 80 mg dose of the prescription diuretic Lasix + (furosemide); take a hefty drink of water; piss two + or three times; then take the test. + + Some caution is to be exercised in taking diuretics. Consult + your physician. + + Mr. Gieringer also suggests that the clear, watery urine that + results from the above procedure is sometimes suspicious. He + recommends taking 50-100 mg of vitamin B2 which will color + urine yellow for a couple of hours. Vitamin C does not produce + this effect -- contrary to rumor. + + For more information, I'd suggest contacting California NORML + directly at (415) 563-5858. They are located in San Francisco. + It is also possible that Mr. Gieringer will respond directly + via his canorml account. > I am asking for ...[a description]... of each thing that LSD leaves behind > that can be detected, and of each method used to beat each test. The immunsoassay tests vary in their specificity. Some display a relatively low cross-reactivity[13], others a high cross-reactivity[14]. The exact metabolites of LSD in humans have not been fully determined yet, though animal studies have been done. The only verified human metabolite I could find in the literature was N-demethyl-LSD[6] but I did not check all the references. FOOTNOTES: [1] Altunkaya, D; Smith R.N. "Evaluation of a commercial radioimmunoassay kit for the detection of lysergide (LSD) in serum, whole blood, urine, and stomach contents" Forensic Science International. v47n2, September 1990, p113-21. [2] Taunton-Rigby, A.; Sher, S.E.; Kelley, P.R. "Lysergic Acid Diethylamide: Radioimmunoassay" Science. v181, July 13 1973, p165-6. [3] McCarron, M.M.; Walberg, C.B.; Baselt, R.C. "Confirmation of LSD intoxication by analysis of serum and urine." Journal of Analytical Toxicology. v14n3, May-June 1990, p165-7. [4] Berg, E. "Drug-testing methods: what you should know." Safety & Health. v142n6, Dec 1990, p52-6. [5] Lim, H.K.; Andrenyak, D.; Francom, P.; Bridges, R.R.; Foltz, R.L. "Determination of LSD in urine by capillary column gas chromatography and electron impact mass spectrometry." Journal of Analytical Toxicology. v12n1, Jan-Feb 1988, p1-8. [6] Lim, H.K.; Andrenyak, D.; Francom, P. "Quantification of LSD and N-demethyl-LSD in urine by gas chromatography/ resonance electron capture ionization mass spectrometry." Analytical Chemistry. v60, July 15 1988, p1420-25. [7] Papac, D.I.; Foltz, R.L. "Measurement of lysergic acid dietylamide (LSD) in human plasma by gas chromatography/negative ion chemical ionization mass spectrometry." Journal of Analytical Toxicology. v14n3, May-June 1990, p189-90. [8] Paul, B.D.; Mitchell J.M.; Burbage, R.; Moy, M; Sroka, R. "Gas chromatographic-electron-impact mass fragmentometric determination of lysergic acid diethylamide in urine." Journal of Chromatography. v529n1, July 13, 1990, p103-12. [9] Blum, L.M.; Carenzo, E.F.; Rieders, F. "Determination of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) in urine by instrumental high-performance thin-layer chromatography." Journal of Analytical Toxicology. v14n5, Sep-Oct 1990, p285-7. [10] Ratcliffe, W.A.; Fletcher, S.M.; Moffat, A.C.; et. al. "Radioimmunoassay of Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD) in serum and urine by using antisera of different specificities." Clinical Chemistry. v23n2, Feb 1977, p169-74. [11] Cody, J.T.; Schwarzhoff, R.H. "Impact of adulterants on RIA analysis of urine for drugs of abuse." Journal of Analytical Toxicology. v13n5, Sep-Oct 1989, p277-84. [12] Klonoff, D.C. "Acute water intoxication as a complication of urine drug testing in the workplace." Journal of the American Medical Association. v265n1, Jan 2 1991, p84-6. [13] Christie J.; White, M.W.; Wiles, J.M. "A chromatographic method for the detection of LSD in biological liquids." Journal of Chromatography. v120n2, May 26, 1976, p496-501. [14] Twitchet, P.J.; Fletcher, S.M.; Sullivan, A.T.; Moffat, A.C. "Analysis of LSD in human body fluids by high-performance liquid chromatography, fluorescence spectroscopy and radioimmunoassay." J. Chromatogr. v150n1, March 11 1978, p73-84. Sorry this was so long but I thought it deserved it :-) Enjoy a "referenced" article. Tim Basher .............................. There were rumors going around that LSD could be detected by drug tests fo thirty days. I think this reference and abstract makes it clear that it is probably 4 days, max. (see the end of the abstract) IDNUM 03319915 TYPE Journal paper DATE 880715 AUTHOR Heng Keang Lim; Andrenyak, D.; Francom, P.; Foltz, R.L.; Jones, R.T. Center for Human Toxicology, Utah Univ., Salt Lake City, UT, USA TITLE Quantification of LSD and N-demethyl-LSD in urine by gas chromatography/resonance electron capture ionization mass spectrometry SOURCE Analytical Chemistry; vol.60, no.14; 15 July 1988; pp. 1420-5 SUBJECT chromatography; electron capture; mass spectroscopic chemical analysis; organic compounds; quantification; gas chromatography; resonance electron capture ionisation mass spectrometry; LSD; N-demethyl-LSD; urine; lysergic acid diethylamide; human; in vitro; in vivo; aromatic hydroxylation; drug; metabolite; N-tri-fluoroacetyl derivatives; calibration curves; urinary concentrations; adult volunteer; excretion; elimination half-lives; 4 to 6 hrs; 8 to 10 hrs Numerical data: time 1.4E+04 to 2.2E+04 s; time 2.9E+04 to 3.6E+04 s Class codes: A8280M; A8280B; A3470 CODEN ANCHAM ABSTRACT Demethylation of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) in the human has been demonstrated, both in vitro and in vivo, and aromatic hydroxylation at positions 13 and 14 has been tentatively identified. A gas chromatography/resonance electron capture ionization mass spectrometry (GC/MS) assay for LSD and N-demethyl-LSD in urine has been developed, in which the drug and its metabolite are converted to their N-tri-fluoroacetyl derivatives prior to GC/MS analysis. Linear and reproducible calibration curves have been obtained for LSD concentrations from 0.05 to 5.0 ng/mL, and for N-demethyl-LSD concentrations from 0.03 to 5.0 ng/mL. The assay was used to determine the urinary concentrations of LSD and N-demethyl-LSD following administration of a single oral dose of the drug (1 mu g/kg) to an adult volunteer. The rates of excretion of LSD and N-demethyl-LSD reached maxima in urine collected at time intervals of 4-6 and 8-10 h after administration, respectively. The elimination half-lives for LSD and N-demethyl-LSD were 3.6 and 10.0 h, respectively MISCELLANEOUS Treatment: experimental Anal. Chem. (USA) Abstract number(s): A89037987 ISSN: 0003-2700 Refs: 15 ****************************** LEGAL SCHEDULING: Class I, "no medical use" --- mostly for political reasons, as it was and is used in psychotherapy. (Current use is in Switzerland.) Though LSD has very different subjective qualities than MDMA, Dutch psy chiatrist Dr. Hans Bastiaans' use of LSD for decades in the treatment of concentration camp survivors is an inspiring example of the beneficial use of psychedelics in the treatment of people with severe trauma. ****************************** SET and SETTING: "SET" is the expectations a person brings with them. "Setting" is the environment that a person is in. Set includes expectations about the drug's actions and how the person will react. Setting includes the social and physical conditions. For LSD and the hallucinogen-type drug more than other psychoactives, set and setting are very important in determining the nature of the experience. These factors make the difference between, e.g., the experiences of someone taking the drug for enhancement at a concert, for psychotherapy in an doctor's office, in a religious context, or in the outdoors for an aesthetic experience. For best results, one should take LSD only with people one trusts in safe, comfortable surroundings, free of everyday intrusions. Tripping alone is a very risky thing to do, that inexperienced people should avoid. ****************************** STORAGE: First, note that LSD is a fairly stable organic molecule, no more or less fragile than other molecules with comparable structures. The main factors to be concerned with are moisture (due to leaching and facilitated chemical reactions in the presense of moisture), oxygen, light, and temperature. Reaction rates typically depend upon temperature exponentially. These factors basically apply to all organic compounds. Sealing in AL foil in a cool dark place is fine. Some recommend refrigeration, but be careful about nosy guests, condensation, and frost. Multiple, redundant seals are suggested, eg., paper in metal foil in plastic in a metal candy tin which has been taped shut. Should last at least a presidential term. Wallets are contraindicated as storage locations due to sweat. ****************************** SYNERGIES, BAD COMBINATIONS: Smoking cannabis products considerably increases the effects, increasing the visuals and also possibly increasing the cognitive and linguistic disorders. As the effects of LSD wear off, marijuana may bring them back, and also ease the jitteriness some dislike. Nitrous oxide goes well with LSD, though one should be extra careful (not to suffocate or fall down) with the nitrous because of the effects of the LSD. MDA & cousins can go well, but people on these drugs should not take LSD unless they are familiar with the latter's effects. Alcohol's effects are largely overwhelmed by LSD, and they act in opposite ways: alcohol being a depressant and LSD being a (hyper)stimulant. Generally mixing stimulants and sedatives is counterproductive. MAO inhibitors ??? Amphetamines and cocaine ??? ****************************** SYNTHESIS: Don't try it, too difficult and risky both physically and legally. Precursor medical drugs (ob/gyn and migraine ergot alkaloids) are watched. When I saw the subjects relating to the synthesis of LSD, I knew the information would be outdated. It's humourous to see people who think they're in the know giving out information that was outdated even in the 70's. Lysergic acid amides are commonly made by a simple and efficient procedure using POCl3 and the desired amine in CHCl3 solution. I doubt that this procedure is used by the majority of clandestine chemists, but since I don't know any, I wouldn't know. By the description of the procedure, it's simple and uses relatively safe reagents. (I have a reference, but not handy...) And you won't find it in any obvious places even in the most recent Merck because LSD is not the product of focus in the article. This is why I doubt that unsavvy clandestine chemists would be using this procedure. But according to the article, the method has a broad scope and has been used by Nichols and Oberlender for some other lysergic acid amides. (The article in question regards 9,10 saturated derivatives tested for emetic properties.) It's time to stop turning to those stupid "how to make your very own drug" guides and learn how to read real chemsitry literature. If you can't, don't bother... Even the synthesis of lysergic acid is outdated. Rebek has described an extremely elegant synthesis of methyl lysergate from L-tryptophan which gives only the natural isomer of lysergic acid. It's still a several step procedure, but most of the reagents are fairly common and the yields are greatly improved over past syntheses. This brings me to an interesting side-note. Several years ago, analogues of LSD that were 2 and 3 times as potent as LSD were synthesized. These went largely unnoticed and would most likely prove of little interest to clandestine chemists because LSD was the precursor used and the loss in synthesis outweighed the gain in potency. But using Rebek's synthesis, one could simply alter the procedure slightly and intorduce the groups that make the compounds more potent. When the 6N-methyl group is replaced by ethyl or allyl, it becomes 2 and 3 times as potent respectively. I am posting this for general information. I may post references if I decide it would be prudent. Requests will be ignored and I ask you not to send e-mail requesting references. But if you just want to chat about them and maybe speculate on subjective effects or other avenues of substitution... I don't know if I'll ever see the day that research in this area is open and legal, but I'd love to... Anthony ****************************** REFERENCES & FURTHER READING: HISTORICAL: LSD: My Problem Child [A. Hofmann, PhD] (excellent) Storming heaven : LSD and the American dream [Jay Stevens]. (excellent) Ceremonical Chemistry [T. Szasz, M.D.] (excellent) Acid Dreams Drugs and the Brain Psychedelics Reconsidered Electric Koolaid Acid Test Flashbacks (Leary's autobiography) The Great Drug War Dealing With Drugs USAGE/INFORMATIONAL: Psychedelic Encyclopedia [Stafford] (excellent) Psychedelic Chemistry [M.V.Smith] Biochemical Basis of Neuropharmacology (technical) Consumer Reports: Licit & Illicit Drugs Recreational Drugs REFERENCE: Merck Handbook Physician's Desk Reference The Botany And Chemistry Of Hallucinogens, Shultes & Hofmann JOURNALS: Journal of Psychoactive (formerly Psychedelic) Drugs .............................. AUTHOR: Cohen, Sidney AUTHOR AFFILIATION: U California School of Medicine, Neuropsychiatric Inst, Los Angeles TITLE: LSD: The varieties of psychotic experience. SOURCE: Journal of Psychoactive Drugs 1985 Oct-Dec Vol 17(4) 291-296 ABSTRACT: Discusses the contributing factors (e.g., preexisting character structure, insecurity, negative experience, current mood and stress level) and prevention and treatment of acute and prolonged psychotic reactions to LSD. (10 ref) .............................. Additional (detailed) References (in random order): "Indole Alkaloids In Plant Hallucinogens" Richard Evans Schultes, PhD. Journal of Psychedelic Drugs Vol.8(No.1) Jan-Mar 1976 "Ethnopharmacology and Taxonomy of Mexican Psychodysleptic Plants" Jose Luis Diaz M.D. Journal of Psychedelic Drugs Vol. 11(1-2) Jan-Jun 1979 "The Botanical and Chemical Distribution of Hallucinogens" Richard Evans Schultes, PhD. Journal of Psychedelic Drugs Vol.9(No.3) Jul-Sep 1977 "Burger's Medicinal Chemistry" Fourth Edition, Volume III Chapter: "Hallucinogens" Alexander Shulgin J. Psychoactive Drugs Vol 21 (1) Jan-Mar 1989 The Addictvie Behaviors: treatment of alcoholism, drug use, smoking, and obesity W.R. Miller, Ed (small amount of info on use of psychedelics in psychotherapy) Pergammon press 1986 Biological Basis Of Behavior N.Chalmers R. Crawley S.P.R.Rose Eds Open Univ Press Harper & Row1971 Recreational Drugs Young Klein Beyer Collier Books, div of Macmillan pub co 1977 The Biochemical Basis Of Neuropharmacology J.R.Cooper F.E.Bloom R.H.Roth Oxford Univ Press 1982 (4th ed) Craving For Ecstasy: Consciousness And Chemistry Of Escape H.Milkman S.Sunderwirth Lexington Books, DC Heath and co 1987 A Primer of Drug Action R.M.Julian W.H.Freeman & Co.1978 LSD & Creativity O.Janiger, M.D.de Rios J. Psychoactive Drugs Vol 21 (1) Jan-Mar 1989 An Introduction To Pharmacology J.J.Lewis Williams and wilkins Co, Baltimore 1964 (3rd edition) Metabolism Of Drugs Of Abuse Spectrum Publications 1976 Dist by Halstead Press of John Wiley Press L. Lemberger Medicinal Chemistry: a series of monographs G.deStevens Ed Vol 4: Psychopharmaceutical agents M. Gordon (ed) Vol I, ch 13: psychomimetic compounds D.F.Downing Vol II, ch 4: psychomimetic agents by A.T.Shulgin Academic press 1976 The Road To Eleusis Unveiling the secret of the mysteries R.G.Wasson, A.Hoffman, C.A.P.Ruck harcourt brace jovanovich inc. 1978 Lsd Man And Society R.C.Debold, R.C.Leaf Eds Wesleyan U press Middletown Conn 1967 Hallucinogenic Plants (A Golden Guide) New York: Golden Press 1976 Shultes, R.E., Smith E.W. The Sun And The Moon A.Weil, MD The Natural Mind A.Weil, MD 1986 Houghton-mifflin pub co. Sacred Narcotic Plants Of The New World Indians H. Schleiffer ed. Hafner press 1973 Div of mcmillan pub co Moksha: Writings On Psychedlics And The Visionary Experience A.C.huxley stonehill pub co., NY M.Horowitz, C. palmer Eds 1977 Psychedelic Chemistry m.v.smith 2nd edition 1973 rip off press Psychotropic Methoxyamphetamines: Structure And Activity In Man S.H.Snyder, E.Richelson, H.Weingartner, LA.Faillace Ethnopharmacological Search For Psychoactive Drugs Proc of a symposium in SF, Ca Jan 28-30 1967 D.H.Efron, B.Holmstedt, N.S.Kline eds US Dept of HEW The Botany And Chemistry Of Hallucinogens R.E.Schultes, A.Hoffman charles C Thomas Publisher Springfield Ill 1980 The Behavioral Effects Of Drugs (Ch 4 Hallucinogens: Complications of LSD: A Review of the Literature; Dimensions of the LSD, Methlphenidate, and Chlordiazepoxide Experiences; LSD: Injection Early in Pregnancy Produces Abnormality in Offspring of Rats; LSD: No Teratogenicity in Rats; Congenital Malformation Induced by Mescaline, LSD, and Bromolysergic Acid in the Hamster; Drug Motivated-Behavior: The Effect of Morning Glory Seeds On Motor Activity In Chicks) (Also Includes Weil'S Study Of "Clinical and Psychological Effects Of Marijuana In Man") D.W. Matheson M.A. Davidson Holt Rinehart Winston Inc 1972 any textbook titled "Physiological Psychology" .............................. *BOOKS* (For a complete listing of books that we have in the No More Drug War Foundation Research Library, e-mail or write your address to me: Gerald Bryan, Secretary The No More Drug War Foundation 2045 Kearney St. Denver, CO 80207-3919 303/388-5495 days 303/394-3930 evenings) BREAKING THE IMPASSE IN THE WAR ON DRUGS, by Steven Wisotsky, 1986, 279 pages, $35.00, Greenwood Press. Sympathetic to the idea of legalization. Can be ordered from publisher at 88 Post Road West, Box 5007 PSYCHEDELIC DRUGS RECONSIDERED, by Lester Grinspoon & James B. Bakalar, 1979, 1981, Basic Books, Inc. Good book that covers all aspects of psychedelic drugs, written by Harvard professors. You can probably order this from anywhere. ECSTASY: THE MDMA STORY, by Bruce Eisner, mid-1980s. Covers all aspects of this drug, good book, available anywhere. PSYCHEDELICS ENCYCLOPEDIA, by Peter Stafford, Revised Edition, 1983, J.P. Tarcher, Inc. Great resource book, you can probably order this from anywhere (huge bookstore in Denver had it in stock) *ORGANIZATIONS* The Drug Policy Foundation The grand-father of all the 4801 Massachusetts Ave., N.W. legalization groups, this one Suite 400 appeals to educated mainstream Washington, D.C. 20016-2087 folk. Holds annual conference, 202/895-1634 has respectability. This is a MUST-JOIN !! Multidisciplinary Assoc. for Educational group seeking to Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) give drug study legitimization 23A Shaler Lane through normal public policy Cambridge, MA 02138 channels. Supports drug 617/547-7271 research projects worldwide. The Albert Hofmann Foundation Educational group seeking to 132 West Channel Road build a library to house Suite 324 vast amount of research work Santa Monica, CA 90402 done on consciousness, including extensive LSD studies. Coalition for 100% Drug Reform Political, grass-roots activist 9 Bleecker Street group seeking an end to zero- New York, NY 10012 tolerance policies and promoting 212/995-1245 safe drug use education. They have a drug reform conference scheduled for Dec 1-3. The No More Drug War Foundation Activist group seeking to bring Box 18780 an end to the drug war through Denver, CO 80218 grass-roots political action & 303/320-1910 education. N.O.R.M.L. Still around, still holding pot 2001 'S' Street, N.W. rallies. Good for people who Suite 640 want MJ legalized but don't care Washington, D.C. 20009 about other drugs. 202/483-5500 Ed Hassle's Freedom Fighters Activist group associated with Trans-High Corp High Times. Similar agenda to 211 East 43rd St. NORML. NY, NY 10017 PRIDE Yes, this is an anti-drug, 50 Hurt Plaza pro-drug-war group, but they Suite 210 publish a good newsletter Atlanta, Georgia 30303 that informs well on what the 404/577-4500 opposition is doing. 800/241-7946 .............................. (about visual disturbances: ) Migraine: the evolution of a common disorder O. Sacks U CAl press 1970 Brain Damage, Behavior, And The Mind M. Williams John Wiley & Sons 1979 ch 5 Disorders of visual perception Mescal And Mechanisms Of Hallucinations Heinrich Kluver U. Chicago Press 1930 Drugs And The Brain Perry Black MD, Ed Johns Hopkins Press 1969 behavioral effects of LSD in subhuman primates Hallucinations Sci Am R.K.Siegal (see also article on phosphenes in amateur scientist column in another issue) Luria's _The Shattered Mind_ Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) - Your Psychedelic Pharmaceutical Company by Rick Doblin, MAPS President MAPS, 1801 Tippah Avenue, Charlotte, NC. 28205 Phone (704) 3 58-9830, FAX (704) 358-1650, e-mail RICKMAPS@aol.com Becoming a member of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies, Inc. (MAPS) and receiving the MAPS newsletter is an excellent way to stay abreast of the latest developments in psychedelic research around the world. In addition, your membership donation will be used to support research into the medical uses of MDMA, LSD, marijuana, and a cornucopia of other fascinating compounds. MAPS is an IRS-approved non-profit corporation supported by tax-deductible contributions from a membership of about five hundred people and growing. MAPS works to develop the medical potential of MDMA and other psychedelics by assisting researchers around the world to design, obtain governmental approval for, fund, conduct and report on psychedelic research. MAPS is also involved in research exploring the medical use of marijuana. MAPS' primary goals are to help researchers conduct the studies necessary to transform MDMA and marijuana into FDA-approved prescription medicines. For MDMA, this is an estimated ten-year, $10 million project; for mar ijuana, a two-year, $500,000 task. MAPS offers its members a quarterly newsletter reporting on MAPS-sponsored and other psychedelic research in progress both in the US and abroad, political developments that affect psychedelic research and use, and conferences, books and articles of interest. In addition, MAPS offers for sale various unique publications (for example the protocol submitted to the FDA for the investigation of the use of MDMA in the treatment of pain and distress in terminal cancer patients), videotapes (of a MAPS benefit held in Berkeley in 1990 that featured Jerry Beck, Ram Dass, Bruce Eisner, Rick Doblin, Laura Huxley, Emerson Jackson, Mark Kleiman, Timothy Leary, Dennis McKenna, Terence McKenna, Ralph Metzner, Andrew Weil, and Robert Zanger), and audiotapes (of a MAPS seminar held in Prague in 1992 featuring Ram Dass, Ken Ring and Richard Yensen discussing working with the terminally ill with psychedelics). Since its inception in 1986, MAPS has invested about $75,000, donated by its members, into preliminary FDA-required 28-day MDMA toxicity studies in the dog and rat. These studies were submitted to the FDA in order to open MAPS' FDA Drug Master File for MDMA. These toxicity studies were a prerequisite for all FDA-approved studies involving the administration of MDMA to human volunteers. When UC Irvine psychiatrist Dr. Charles Grob applied to the FDA to conduct human research with MDMA, MAPS provided him with written permission to cross-reference its MDMA Drug Master File. This document saved Dr. Grob from having to reproduce the toxicity data, a hurdle that he would have foun d prohibitively expensive. MAPS has also invested an additional $125,000 on pilot studies into the effect of MDMA on the serotonin levels of humans, on MDMA neurotoxicity studies in the primate, and on protocol design for Phase 1 and Phase 2 human studies with MDMA. In addition to MAPS' preliminary toxicity research and its subsequent efforts on protocol design, MAPS successfully assisted Dr. Charles Grob in obtaining FDA permission to study the effects of MDMA on human volunteers. Dr. Grob's study is the first that the FDA has ever permitted involving the administration of MDMA to human volunteers. The study is designed to gather information for a subsequent study by Dr. Grob which will investigate the use of MDMA in the treatment of pain and distress in end-stage pancreatic cancer patients. MAPS intends to raise funds for Dr. Grob's studies and provide him with whatever scientific and profess ional support he may need to conduct his experiments. One function of MAPS is to conduct MDMA research as if MAPS were a pharmaceutical company interested in making MDMA into a prescription medicine. The critical difference is that MAPS makes its data available for free to responsible researchers to help advance the field of MDMA research rather than keep the data as proprietary information. In this way, duplication of expensive required studies is eliminated and researchers can focus on research rather than profit considerations. ... ------------------------------ You may have heard about "no-hitter" that Bob Milacki's of the Oakland A's pitched last week. No-hitters are pretty rare and this one made the news everywhere. One of the local TV stations refered to it as Milacki's "no-no," a term that originated with Dock Ellis's no-hitter back on June 20th, 1970 for the Pirates. Dock pitched that game on acid. That fact didn't come out until almost 15 years later. Here are some interesting excerpts from Eric Brothers account of the game in the August 1987 issue of High Times magazine: "Dock woke up late. Why shouldn't he? As far as he knew, the team had an off day and he planned to take full advantage of it. Three hits of LSD were ready and waiting in the refrigerator. "A few minutes later, his girlfriend returned with coffee, donuts, and the morning paper. At noon, they dropped acid. Dock put on a record, while his girlfriend read the paper. "Dock, it says here you're pitching today!" "Whaaaa...? said Dock groggily. He snatched the paper, scanned the box scores, and read: PITTSBURGH AT PADRES DOUBLEHEADER (6 P.M.) - Ellis (4-4) vs. Roberts (3-3) [He makes it to the game and after having someone help him find his locker, he suits up and enters the game.] "Dave Roberts, the Padres' pitcher, had an easy first inning, ending with Roberto Clemente hitting one back to the box. Dock marched to the mound, wondering if he'd last the inning. "His fingers tingled as he squeezed the ball. He squinted to see catcher Jerry May's hand signals. He nodded his head and went into his windup, falling slightly off balance in the process. The ball hit the ground about two feet in front of the plate and skipped into May's glove. "May signaled for a fastball outside. Dock wound up and threw a hot one over the the corner of the plate - a swinging strike! In was no ordinary pitch: The ball burst from Dock's hand and left a blazing, cometlike tail that remained visible long after the ball was caught. "Dock felt wobbly on the mound and his stomach was churning with acid cramps. His concentration, however, was superb. As long as he kept to his fastball, the comets kept burning across the plate. All he had to do was steer the ball down the multicolored path. Dock had a crazed look in his eyes and his lack of control was evident to the batters, many of whom were feeling increasingly vulnerable in the batter's box. Dock easily retired three batters in a row [in the second inning]. [the seventh inning:] "The Pirates were clinging to their 1-0 lead. Dock was staring at the scoreboard when he realized he'd pitched hitless ball for seven innings. He smacked Cash on the arm. "Hey, look," said Dock, pointing at the scoreboard. "I've got a no-no going!" Cash gave him a blank look. "A no-no?" asked Cash. He'd never heard the term before. But Cash wanted to keep the pitcher loose and happy, so he smiled and said nothing. [He finished the game without a hit.] (Dock had a pretty good year in 1970. He went 13-10, and helped the Pirates win their first of three divisional championships. The fact that he pitched his no-hitter on LSD was not revealed until April 8, 1984. [no details given]) ****************************** From the 11th Edition of the Merck manual, the "Centennial Edition" no less: [perhaps something to drop in the FAQ?] 5505. Lysergamide. 9,10-Didehydro-6-methylergoline- 8beta-carboxamide; lysergic acid amide; ergine. C16H17N3O; mol wt 267.32. C 71.88%, H 6.41%, N 15.72%, O 5.99%. Isoln from _Rivea_corymbosa_(L.) and from _Ipomoea_tricolor_ Cav., _Convolvulaceae_: Hofmann, Tscherter, _Experientia_ 16, 414 (1964). Prepn from lysergic acid hydrazide: Ainsworth, U.S. pat. 2,756,235 (1956 to Lilly); from lysergic acid and phosgene-dimethylformamide complex: Patelli, Bernardi, U.S. pat. 3,141,887 (1964 to Farmitalia). Microbiological production: Rutschmann, Kobel, U.S. pat. 3,219,545 (1965 to Sandoz). H. CONH2 '. / / \ / \ || | || N /\\ /\ / \ / \\ / \ / CH3 || | | \ || | | H \ // \ / \// \/ | || | || HN------- Prisms from methanol. dec 242deg. [alpha](5461)(20) + 15% (c = 0.5 in pyridine). Methanesulfonate, C7H21N3O4S, prisms from methanol + acetone, dec 232deg. Note: This is a controlled substance (depressant) listed in the U.S. code of Federal Regulations, Title 21 Part 1308.13 (1987). 5506. Lysergic Acid. 9,10-Didehydro-6-methylergoline- 8-carboxylic acid. C16H16N2O2; mol wt 268.32. C 71.62%, H 6.01%, N 10.44%, O 11.93%. Lysergic acid and isolyser- gic acid are the main cleavage products formed on alkaline hydrolysis of the alkaloids which are characteristic of ergot. Jacobs, Craig et al., _J._Biol._Chem._ 104, 547 (1934); 125, 289 (1938); 130, 399 (1939); 145, 487 (1942); _J._Org._Chem._ 10, 76 (1945). High-yield production by _Claviceps_paspali_: Arcamone et al., _Proc._Roy._Soc._ (London), _Ser._B_, 155, 26 (1961). total synthesis: Kornfeld et al., _J._Am._Chem._Soc._ 76, 5256 (1954); 78, 3087 (1956); M. Julia et al., _Tetrahedron_ _letters_ 1969, 1569; V.W. Armstrong et al., ibid. 1976, 4311; W. Oppolzer et al., _Helv._Chem._Acta_ 64, 478 (1981); R. Ramage et al., _Tetrahedron_ 37, Suppl. 9, 157 (1981); J. Rebek, D.F. Tai, _Tetrahedron_Letters_ 24, 859 (1983). Ste- reochemistry: Stoll et al., _Helv._Chem._Acta 37, 2039 (1954); Stenlake, _J._Chem._Soc._ 1955, 1626; Leeman, Fabbri, _Helv._ _Chim._Acta_ 42, 2696 (1959). Absolute configuration: Stad- ler, Hoffman, ibid. 45, 2005 (1962). H. COOH '. / / \ / \ || | || N /\\ /\ / \ / \\ / \ / CH3 || | | \ || | | H \ // \ / \// \/ | || | || HN------- Haxagonal scales, plates with one or two moles H20 from water, mp 240deg (dec). [alpha](D)(20) + 40deg (c = 0.5 in pyridine). Behaves as an acid and base, pKa 3.44, pKb 7.68. Moder- ately sol in pyridine. Sparingly sol in water and in neutral organic solvents; sol in NaOH, NH4OH, Na2CO3, and HCL solns. Slighly sol in dil H2SO4. Methyl ester, thin leaflets from benzene, mp 168deg. Note: This is a controlled substance (depressant) listed in the U.S. code of Federal Regulations, title 21 Part 1308.13 (1987). 5507. Lysergide. 9,10-Didehydro-N,N-diethyl-6-meth- ylergoline-8beta-carboxamide; N,N-diethyl-D-lysergamide; D- lysergic acid diethylamide; LSD; LSD-25; Lysergsaure Di- ethylamid. C20H25N3O; mol wt 323.42. C 74.27%, H 7.79%, N 12.99%, O 4.95%. Microbal formation by _Claviceps_pas- pali_ over the hydroxyethylamide; Arcamone et al., _Proc._ Roy._Soc._(London) 155B, 26 (1961). Partial synthesis: Stoll, Hofmann, _Helv._Chim._Acta_ 26, 944 (1943); 38, 421 (1955). Industrial prepn: Pioch; Garbrecht, U.S. pats. 2,736,728; 2,774,763 (both 1956 to Lilly); Patelli, Bernardi, U.S. pat. 3,141,887 (1964 to Farmitalia). Isotope-labeled LSD: Stoll et al., _Helv._Chim._Acta_ 37, 820 (1954). Toxicity data: E. Rothlin, _Ann._N.Y._Acad._Sci._ 66, 668 (1957). Review: Hof- fer, _Clin._Pharmacol._Ther._ 6, 183 (1965). Book: _The_Use_of_ LSD_in_Psychotherapy_and_Alcoholism_, H.A. Abramson, Ed. (Bobbs-Merrill, Indianapolis, 1967) 697 pp. / C2H5 H. CON '. / \ C2H5 / \ / \ || | || N /\\ /\ / \ / \\ / \ / CH3 || | | \ || | | H \ // \ / \// \/ | || | || HN------- Pointed prisms from benzene, mp 80-85 degs. [alpha](D)(20) + 17deg (c = 0.5 in pyridine). uv max (ethanol): 311 nm (E(1 cm)(1%) 257). LD50 in mice, rats, rabbits (mg/kg): 46, 16.5, 0.3 i.v. (Rothlin). D-Tartrate, C46H64N6O10, solvated, elongated prisoms from methanol, mp 198-200deg. [alpha](D)(20) + 30 deg. Soluble in water. Caution: This is a controlled substance (hallucinogen) listed in the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations, Title 21 Part 1308.11 (1987). USE: In biochemical research as an antagonist to serotonin. Has been used experimentally as adjunct in study and treat- ment of mental disorders. NOTES: Not guaranteed to be free from typos. Underlines are supposed to be italic (ie book/journal titles, etc) Alpha, beta, and deg are the greek letters and the degree symbol [alpha](D)(20) means a greek letter in [] followed by a subscript and then a superscript (I don't know *WHAT* this actually is) The chemical structures are almost exactly what the Merck manual has drawn. Almost nothing was lost in the conversion to ASCII. .............................. ... of the jungle P.O. Box 1801 Sebastopol, CA 95473 Their catalog doesn't list how much their catalog is. I'm sure it wasn't more than $2. It might be free. >From their catalog - "We are ... of the jungle. This catalog lists some of our favorite beneficial plants and botanical products from our personal collection ... The propagule units listed here are intended for cultivation as houseplants only. The data provided on folk uses is given for historical interest and can be found in ethnobotanical literature. We do not suggest or imply attempting such folk use ... [ :-) ]" They sell San Pedro cuttings and a number of other Trichocereus Cacti seeds, Hawaiian Woodrose, Datura, etc. Pretty much every legal medicinal plant. They are very prompt at shipping orders. LUX NATURA 2140 Shattuck Ave. Box 2196, Berkeley, CA 94704 >From an October 1988 Douglas J. Trainor posting - "Mostly listing many tapes by McKenna, but also a new expanded edition of _Psilocybin: Magic Mushroom Grower's Guide_." Their catalog is free (?). ---- SYZYGY P.O. Box 619 Honaunau, HI 96726 Amazonian Psilocybe Cubensis spore prints $10 + $1 shipping. This info is also from the October 1988 Douglas J. Trainor posting. ---- Spectra P.O Box 203 Capitola, CA 95010 They used to advertise San Pedro cactus seeds and cuttings in H.T. I ordered seeds from them and they came promptly with some nice growing information. ---- The Twentieth Century Alchemist P.O Box 1684 Manhattan Beach, CA 90266 They publish a number of booklets [some apparantly formatted using troff & Berkeley fonts, interestingly enough] including - "The Book of Acid" - LSD synthesis "Peyote and other Psychoactive Cacti" - growing and extracting alkaloids. "Legal Highs" "Basic Drug Manufacture" Booklets are $1.50 each (plus $.25 for handling). The catalog alone is 25 cents. I have quite a few from the collection, but I've bought them from bookstores, so I don't know how good the mail order service is. ---- Thompson & Morgan P.O Box 1308 Jackson, NJ 08527 (201) 363-2225 The largest seed catalog in the world. The beautiful catalog is free (you can get it by calling them). They sell peyote seeds. ---- Island Spore Co. P.O Box 8055 Honolulu, Hawaii 96830 "Baby or regular Hawaiian Woodrose Seeds, a sample $20 [20 seeds] or $75/oz.; one Hawaiian Panaeolus Cyanescens spore print for $15; Betel Nut seeds $10; Kava-Kava $20/pz., or $75/quarter lb.; Imported Poppy Seeds $10 or $60/quarter lb. Allow 6-8 weeks for delivery." - H.T. ad This company seems to have been around a while. I've only ordered from them once, and they took the full 8 weeks to get my order to me. They are quite a bit more expensive than other sources like "of the jungle." ---- The Shroom King Box 17444 Seattle, WA 98107 (206) 784-9328 "Growing Wild Mushrooms" + Psilocybe Cubensis print - $25 Above plus compost + malt agar medium - $35 ---- The Seed Bank Postbus 5 6576 ZA Ooy The Netherlands The 1989 catalog is free. They sell marijuana seeds. The color catalog is nice to look at if nothing else. ---- S.S.S.C. Postbus 1942 100 Bx Amsterdam - Holland S.S.S.C. is the Super Sativa Seed Club. Their 1989 catalog free. They sell marijuana seeds. CEREMONIAL CHEMISTRY: The ritual persecution of drugs, addicts, and pushers, by Thomas Szasz, 1985, Learning Publications, PO Box 1326, Holmes Beach, Florida, 33509. (ISBN: 1-55691-019-3.) There is a revised edition floating around -- buy it! This book is a classic. The book is divided into three major sections: (1) Pharmakos: The Scapegoat, (2) Pharmacomythology: Medicine as Magic, and (3) Pharmacracy: Medicine as Social Control. There's a great appendix, "A Synoptic History of the Promotion and Prohibition of Drugs", an addendum to the appendix, "The `War on Drugs' 1974-1984", plus copious references and a bibliography. Some feminists want to borrow my copy when I'm done reading it. LSD by Richard Alpert and Sidney Cohen, photography by Lawrence Schiller, 1986, The New American Library, New York. What a find!!! Alpert and Cohen play good-cop/bad-cop with LSD. More debate-type books like this should be written. .............................. Getting Real About Drugs ALEX BEAM It was almost 30 years ago that a group of 20 young seminarians from Andover-Newton Theological School gathered in the basement of Boston University's Marsh Chapel to participate in an experiment using psychedelic drugs. Organized by Walter Pahnke, a graduate student in religion and society, assisted by a young Harvard researcher named Timothy Leary and encouraged by the Rev. Howard Thurman, the charismatic black chaplain of Boston University, half the group swallowed psilocybin, a hallucinogen derived from mushrooms, while their colleagues ingested niacin tablets. Then all 20 filed into pews to listen to Thurman's Good Friday sermon and reflect upon Christ's Passion on the cross. Pahnke believed that the psilocybin would induce mystical religious visions, and he hypothesized that the drug experiences would exert a longterm positive influence on his subjects' lives. Little did he know that his Good Friday experiment, which created a furor at the time, would be one of the last scientifically controlled tests using psychedelics. Shortly after the experiment, Leary was booted out of Harvard and psilocybin was outlawed. Pahnke died in 1971. Rick Doblin, a young researcher at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, has spent four years tracking down the 20 participants in the Good Friday experiment. One has died, one has disappeared. Of the remaining 18, all but one agreed to discuss their experiences with him. Ten of the 18 subjects whom Doblin located entered the ministry, while the rest fanned out among other professions. By and large, they agree that the psilocybin experience had a lasting, positive effect on their lives. In an article just published in the Journal of Transpersonal Psychology, Doblin writes: "The subjects unanimously described their psilocybin experience as having had elements of a genuinely mystical nature and characterized it as one of the highpoints of their spiritual life." Robert Kirven, who at the time was writing a thesis on spiritual reality, remembers feeling like a skeleton and experiencing his own death. "It was a very vivid opening onto another aspect of reality," he said. "Here I thought I knew what I was talking about; it was like writing about China and then getting a chance to go there." Several psilocybin subjects had profound mystical experiences, prompting one to tell Doblin: "I would want my kids to take it " But Doblin's follow-up research also uncovered some of the experiment's darker moments. Two subjects found the combination of the hallucinogen and Thurman's vivid Passion sermon to be overwhelming -- When Thurman urged his listeners to spread the news about the crucifixion, one seminarian rushed onto Commonwealth Avenue to announce the good news and had to be restrained. More chillingly, one of the subjects experienced what Pahnke called a "psychotic episode," and was given an injection of the powerful tranquilizer thorazine - a fact Pahnke never mentioned in his writings. Six months after the experiment, the man reported "slightly harmful" negative persisting effects. Almost 30 years later, the man's colleagues told Doblin that "his experience caused no persisting dysfunction and may even have had some beneficial as well as detrimental effects." The subject refused to talk to Doblin. Doblin, who is also the president of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies, believes his follow-up to Pahnke's original research argues for the legalization of drugs, which he supports. I don't support the full legalization of drugs, but if dissemination of Doblin's work helps quell the antidrug hysteria in this country, so much the better. My own children are learning about illicit drugs from public-service advertisements aired during Saturday-morning cartoon shows, thus whetting their interest in the forbidden fruit of which their parents partook. Some drugs are dangerous and are properly outlawed. Other controlled substances provide medical benefits. As the aging hipsters might say: It's time to get real about drugs. Alex Beam is a Globe Columnist. .............................. DATE 890922 AUTHOR McKenna, Terence TITLE Plan plant planet. (Special Section: Plants as Teachers) SOURCE Whole Earth Review n64 p5(7) 1989 Fall SUBJECT Plants and civilization--study and teaching Botany--philosophy Hallucinogenic plants--history GRAPHICS photograph DATE 890922 AUTHOR Rheingold, Howard TITLE Ethnobotany and the search for vanishing knowledge. (Special Section: Plants as Teachers) SOURCE Whole Earth Review n64 p16(8) 1989 Fall SUBJECT Ethnobotany--study and teaching Plants and civilization--study and teaching Hallucinogenic plants--study and teaching Shamanism--study and teaching GRAPHICS photograph .............................. LSDCREAT.TXT follows this line: (Originally printed in Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, Vol 21(1), Jan-Mar 1989. Note: every word in the text, omitting the References-section, beginning with a slash, i.e. /word, is to be printed in cursive font.) LSD and Creativity ------------------ Oscar Janiger, M.D. (Department of Psychiatry, University of California, Irvine, California) Marlene Dobkin de Rios, Pd. D. (Department of Anthropology, California State University, Fullerton, California) The effects of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) on creativity were examined in a unique experiment in the late 1950's. In this project, artists were asked to draw and paint a Kachina doll both prior to and one hour after the ingestion of LSD. Evaluations of these artistic productions were analyzed by a professor of art history in order to investigate the impact of LSD on artistic creativity. Certain representative changes were found in the artists' predominant style. The most significant change was noted in those artists whose styles were intrinsically representational or abstract to more expressionistic or nonobjective. Other changes noted included the following: relative size expansion; involution; movement; alteration of figure/ground and boundaries;greater intensity of color and light; oversimplification; symbolic and abstract depiction of objects; and fragmentation, disorganization, and distortion. Many artists judged their LSD productions to be more interesting and aesthetically superior to their usual mode of expression. The above-mentioned changes contributed to heir usual mode of expression. The above-mentioned changes contributed to the artists' convictions that they were fashioning new meanings to an emergent world. The eminent novelist Aldous Huxley has written that the twentieth century may well be remembered for the impact of hallucinogens on society. One of the issues debated regarding the use of these drugs, particularly lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), is that they may heighten creative capacity in the individual. There is a large and often-cited literature of self-reports by such drug users concerning their perceived enchanced creativiness. In addition, there are a number of anthropological accounts that relate the use of mind-altering ethnobotanical substances to artistic inspiration and productivity. Objective analysis of these data is difficult, although there is certainly a need for their systematic examination and evaluation. Capturing the elusive elements of a creative act is like trying to weigh a pound of leaping mice. Janiger and his colleagues were fortunate to have been present when several mice seemed to hit the scale at the same time. This opportunity came during the course of a large clinical project that was begun by Janiger in the spring of 1955, with the cooperation of the Sandoz Pharmaceutical Corporation. Many papers had been published prior to that time regarding the unique properties of LSD. The several clinical reports were almost all of psychiatrically ill subjects in hospital settings, and little was known about the effects of LSD on normal subjects in a controlled nonmedical environment. Janiger designed a series of experiments to study the behavioral and psychological effects of LSD in a varied population of human subjects in a natural setting. This was done at a time when the investigational use of the drug was legally permissible, its clinical testing selectively encouraged among researchers, and no public knowledge of LSD was generally available. By the close of the project, more than 2,000 administrations of the drug had been given to 848 people who reported their experiences. Candidates were selected from a large number of applicants on the basis of health and demographic factors, such as ethinicity, religion, age, sex, marital status, occupation and education. Two settings were provided: One was a comfortable living room and the other was an artist's studio, with facilities for painting, drawing, and sculpting. An adjoining garden was also accessible. The subjects were given LSD (2,5 ug/kg of body weight) and were unobtrusively monitored during the period of heightened drug activity. They were encouraged to provide a written account of their experiences as soon as they were able. In addition, one-month and one-year follow-up questionnaires were submitted by 70 percent of the participants. The art subproject began serendipitously when one of the early subjects, a practicing professional artist, insisted om having some object to draw. A decorative and colorful Deer Kachina (see front cover) taken from the mantel of Janiger's office proved to be a fortuitous choice. The artist drew furiously and later exclaimed. "This is four years of art school!" He felt that it would be most insightful for other artists to experience this process of perceptual change. It was decided to pursue this concept, and a separate art project was formed. By the close of the study, almost seventy practicing professional artists had participated under controlled conditions. This preliminary article will examine the corpus of artwork produced by these artists who drew and painted the Kachina doll both prior to and on ehour after ingestion of a prescribed dose of LSD (see Plate 1). Additional data were obtained on several occasions from artists who chose to draw self-portraits or their internalized imaginery. Whether these transformations represent enchancement or deterioration of the artistic product is a question to which this study of LSD-created art may provide a tentative answer. Aside from occasional presentations at professional meetings and some partial exhibitions of the artwork, this research material has not been previously published. LITERATURE REVIEW The research literature on LSD and creativity is scant. The little information that is available is either inconclusive or the measurements used lacked sensitivity to the issue. Six studies were undertaken to examine the subject of hallucinogenic drugs and creative performance. Most were pilot studies rather than full-scale investigations. Berlin and colleagues (1955) investigated the effects of mescaline (400-700 mg)and LSD (50 ug) on four graphic artists of national prominence. They found impairment of fingertapping efficiency and muscular stediness; however, all were able to complete paintings. A panel of art critics judged the paintings as having "greater aesthetic value" than the artists' usual works, with the lines bolder and the use of color more vivid. However, technical execution in the material was somewhat impaired. In another study, Barron (1963: 284) administered psilocybin to a number of highly creative individuals and recorded their impressions. He concluded that "psilocybin dissolves many definitions and melts away boundaries, permitting greater intensities or more extreme values of experience to occur in many dimensions." In 1967, McGlothlin, Cohen and McGlothlin studied seventy-two graduate students, each of whom volunteered to receive 200 ug of LSD. A number of crativity tests were given before the session and one week later. The main finding was that 62 percent of the subjects asserted that they had a greater appreciation of music. They purchased more record albums, visited art museums, and attended musical events more frequently in the postdrug period. The authors concluded that the increase in aesthic appreciation was not accompanied by an increase in sensitivity and performance. Zegans, Pollard and Brown (1967) investigated the effects of LSD (0.5 ug/kg) on creativity test scores of thirty volunteer graduate students. The indices of creativity showed that the administration of LSD to a random sample, for the purpose of enchancing creativity, is not likely to be successful. The fifth study, which was conducted by Fadiman and colleagues (1966), examined the effects of mescaline (200 mg) as a facilitating agent in the creative process. Subjective reports culled from the participants' responses yielded the following: the increased capacity to restructure a problem in a larger context, an enchanced fluency of ideas, a heightened capacity for visual imaginery, an increased ability to concentrate, a greater accessibility of unconscious material, and an ability to associate dissimilar ideas and to visualize the completed solution. About half the subjects reported that they had accomplished a great deal more during the session than they usually did. Twenty percent were not able to concentrate on their project because they were diverted by the hallucinogenic effectsm, and 30 percent fell in between the two groups. As Krippner (1969) has pointed out, two of the five studies that were cited above indicate that experimental LSD use in unselected graduate students does not seem to increase their creative ability. However, in the three remaining studies utilizing hallucinogenic drugs, an enchancement of creative ability among artistic individuals was demonstrated. In 1967, Krippner surveyed ninety-one artists reputed to have had one or more LSD-like experiences. He defined the psychedelic artist as one whose work was produced during an LSD experience or as the result of the influence of a psychedelic experience. Ninety-seven percent of Krippner's respondents stated that their art was influenced in three general areas: content, technique, and approach. Seventy percent stated that their experiences affected the content of their work, particularly the heightening of eidetic imaginery. Fortu-four percent noted improvement in their techniques; the use of color was the most cited example. As for the creative approach, 52 percent of the artists stated that the experience eliminated superficiality from their work and gave them greater depth as people and as creators. Cohen (1964) wrote that whether LSD does or does not increase creativity remains an open question. Certainly, no systematic research to date has been available to help in finding an answer. All that can be definittively said about the effect of hallucinogens on the creative process is that a strong subjective feeling of creativiness accompanies many of the experiences. ANALYSIS OF THE ARTWORK During the seven years of the experiment, 250 drawings and paintings were produced. These were examined by Carl Hertel, professor of art history at Pitzer College, Claremont, California, who undertook a stylistic assessment of the artwork. An inherent difficulty of this formal analysis was the wide range of individual stylistic tendencies charasteristic of the works of contemporary Western artists. Hertel has stated that "it is probably simpler to formally analyze the work of any tribal group where definite traditional stylistic conventions are operative than our task here. A heterogeneous group of non-traditional artists in this study reflects the numerous conventions that characterize post-Renaissance art in the West." When the results are examined in light of the many stylistic tendencies in twentieth-century paintings - such as expressionistic, abstract-expressionistic, and nonobjective works of art - at a glance, it is difficult to separate the drug-influenced works from the historic examples. There is a striking homogeneity of stylistic effect. One is also tempted to compare certain of the drug-incluenced drawings with examples of Ch'an (Zen) Buddhist works by a traditional Chinese and Japanese artists and to observe equally striking stylistic similarities. There may be some bias in the individual attitudes related to the drug-taking experience. Some of the artists were content with quick sketches of the subject matter presented, while others were motivated to execute rather finished drawings and paintings. A more ideal research design, which was not available to the study, would have been to conduct longitudinal studies of individual artists before and after the experimental period. Some of the most significant data and impressions received in dealing with these particular paintings and drawings will now be reviewed. A Deer Kachina series, consisting of fifty-six items of before-and-after samples of twenty artists, was selected for detailed analysis. Twenty-five items by eight artists were labeled /series and represented /free paintings and drawings during the experimental period. They comprised a wide variety of subject matter, including self-portrait series, random drawings, and paintings. Of the eighty-one items, seventy-three were paintings done in various media and eight were drawings. RESULTS This section summarizes the results of the formal analysis of the Deer Kachina series, which were classified under the following eight categories: 1. Dominant style - whether the work was predominantly abstract, representational or of another genre. 2. Compositional charasteristics - whether the composition was architectonic, a vignette or of another form. 3. Linear charasteristics - whether the quality of line was nervous, angular, curvilinear of another form. 4. Stroke charasteristics - whether the predominant stroking was short and broad, broken, flat field or another technique. 5. Textural charasteristics - whether the predominant textural quality was a heavy impasto (actual), illusionistic or another format. 6. Color charasteristics - whether color was noticeably local, arbitrary, brilliant, muted or otherwise portrayed. 7. Value charasteristics - whether the use of lights and darks was strong in contrasts, close value or another blend. 8. Dimensional charasteristics - whether the nature of the drawing and/or painting was suggestive of volume and mass, flat, two dimensional or otherwise presented. The most predominant changes were in the following categories: dominant style (1); color (6); line (3); and texture (5), in that order. Focusing on the representative changes in the dominant style category (1), three general stylistic tendencies in the pre-LSD state were represented in the Deer Kachina series. First, ten of the artists were classifiable as predominantly representational in their approach to the subject matter (i.e., their primary motive lay in representing the object as it presents itself to the eye). Of course, there was a great deal of individual variation within this style category, as well as withing the other two. Four of these ten changed their style under the influence of the drug to a noticeably expressionist one (i.e., their primary motive lay in alterations of form, color, line, and medium). Within this group, the major tendency was to radically distort stroke, and therefore medium and form. Image was retained in varying degrees. Three changed their style to a nonobjective one (i.e., image was lost and was replaced by an interest in color and personal symbolism). One artist changed to a predominantly abstract style (i.e., the primary motive lay in the reduction of forms or simplification of forms and formal elements generally). In this case, the focus was shifted to a single part of the Deer Kachina. It might be noted that reduction is a charasteristic of this Kachina's style, but the reduction utilized by the artist and those in the category below exceeded what might be considered to be within the realm of naturalistic representation. Second, six of the artists were classifiable as predominantly abstract in their approach to subject matter. Of these six, three changed their style to a nonobjective one; two changed their style to being notably expressionist and engaged in radical distortions of composition and color; and on eretained an essentially abstract style. Third, two artists were classifiable as distinctly expressionistic in their approach to subject matter. In both cases, the predominant stylistic tendency was retained. However, changes in articulation of various formal elements, particularly line, were observable. In summary, eight of the changes were to an essentially expressionistic style. Six were to a nonobjective one, which in many cases entailed expressionistic distortions of medium and color. In fact, on ecan state that fourteen of the cahnges were to a style in which the primary motive alteration of the representational image. Two of the changes were to a predominantly abstract style. Two other changes were ambiguous and unclassifiable. The changes generally manifested were as follows: There was a movement toward alteration and fragmentation; the /enlargement of the composition through focusing on parts rather than the whole, and with filling up the page; intensification of color; the /loosening /up of the line to either a chiefly curvilinear (flowing) or sharply angular motive; and a general intensification of the textural properties of the medium used. These results are not surprising. One could suggest tentatively that although the work done under the influence of LSD was more interesting on a sensational level, it was not immediately clear that the individual artist - in the majority of cases - was able to produce aesthetically superior work during the period when the drug was operable. To be more spesific, in a majority of cases a residual imprint of the artist's aesthetic preferences was retained. This was especially evident in choice of color and in technical facility. In those cases where technical proficiency appeared deficient in the pre-LSD state, a certain increase in articulateness (confidence) was noted due to the freedom apparently provided by the drug experience. PERCEPTUAL CHANGES The most commonly reported phenomena resulting from an LSD experience and having particular relevance to this question of creativity were greater freedom from prescribed mental sets and syntactical organization, an unusual wealth of associations and images, synesthesia, the sharpening of color perception, remarkable attention to detail, the accessibility of past impressions, memories, heightened emotional excitement, a sense of direct and intrinsic awareness, and the propensity for the environment to compose itself into perfect tableaux and harmonious compositions. The data from this study and others by Janiger (1959a, 1959b) seem to support the thesis that the evidence from LSD-induced artwork reveals perceptual changes indicative of those generally gound under the influence of hallucinogenic drugs. The powerful global statement of the artists' work bears witness to these perceptual transformations. They can be examined at will and serve as a prototype of the visual record of consciousness changes accompanying the creative process. As evidenced by this study, the alterations in perception can be categorized as follows: 1. Relative size expansion - the figure tends to fill all available space and shows difficulty being contained within its borders. 2. Involution - obecjts shrink down or fill less space; they become more compact or are imbedded in a matrix. 3. Alteration of figure/ground - or to a circular viewpoint. 4. Alteration of boundaries - figure and ground may be considered a continuum. The object tends to merge with the surroundings, with observer and observed not rigorously delineated, with less differential between the object and the subject. 5. Movement - the object or environment is in continuous movement, with greater vibrancy and emotion. 6. Greater intensity of color and light. 7. Oversimplification - elimination of detail and extraneous elements. 8. Objects may be depicted symbolically - or as essences. 9. Objects are depicted as abstractions. 10. Fragmentation and disorganization. 11. Distortion. CONCLUSION Contrary to popular belief, most artists find it possible to exercise some technical proficiency, with varying degrees of success, under the influence of LSD. This seems to improve with repeated experiences. The artistic productions are not ipso facto inferior to those performed in ordinary states of consciousness. However, in evaluating the reports and follow-up questionnaires, they are often judged by the artists to be more interesting or even aesthetically superior to their usual mode of expression. A review of the follow-up information shows that, in many instances, the artist in the series described herein felt that the LSD experience pruduced some desirable lasting change in their understanding of their work, which continued to incluence the form and direction of their artistic development. A so-called confusional or disorganized phase may represent a creative crisis in which the artis struggling, to maintain his/her traditional approach, finally reaches another level of integration and expression. These metamorphoses all contribute to the artists' convictions that they are able to create new meanings in an emergent world. It is of special interest to note that many of those elements that are universally reported under the influence of LSD are those features traditionally associated with heightened artistic creativity. The ultiamte explanation for these changes may lie in a biochemical basis of perception and/or the cultural history of the individual. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The authors wish to acknowledge the asistance of Virginia D. Berg, M. A., in the preparation and editing of this article. REFERENCES Barron, F. 1963. Creativity and Psychological Health. Princeton, New Jersey: Van Nostrand. Berlin, L.M.; Guthrie, T.; Weider, A.; Goodell, H. & Wolff, H.G. 1955. Studies in human cerebral function: The effects of mescaline and lysergic acid on cerebral process pertinent to creative activity. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease Vol 122: 487-491. Cohen, S. 1964. The Beyond Within: The LSD Story. New york: Atheneum. Fadiman, J.W.; Harman, H.W.; McKim, R.H.; Mogar, R.E.; & Stolaroff, M.Y. 1966. Psychedelic agents in creative problem solving: A pilot study. Psychological Reports Monograph Vol. 19 (Suppl. 2): 211-227. Janiger, O. 1959a. The use of hallucinogenic agents in psychiatry. California Clinician Vol.56:193-200. Janiger, O. 1959b. The use of hallucinogenic agents psychiatry. California Clinician Vol. 55: 222-224. Krippner, S. 1969. The psychedelic state, the hypnotic trance and the creative act. In: Tart, C. (Ed.) Altered States of Consciousness. New York: John Wiley & Sons. McGlothlin, W.H.; Cohen, S. & McGlothlin, M.S. 1967. Long lasting effects of LSD on normals. Archives of General Psychiatry Vol. 17(5): 521-532. Zegans, L.S.; Pollard, J.C. & Brown, D. 1967. The effects of LSD-25 on creativity and tolerance to regression. Archives of General Psychiatry Vol 16: 740-740. .............................. >From the sci.med archives: Migraines are severe headaches which are caused by dilatation of blood vessels in the scalp and meninges (the brain itself is insensitive to pain). They are throbbing, often unilateral. At or before onset of the pain, many people will have neurologic symptoms. These may be caused by spasm of vessels or by electrical disturbances in the brain (spreading activation). EEG at this time may be abnormal. The most common of these symptoms are visual, such as sparkling lights off to the side (scintillating scotomas), colored jaggy lines (fortification spectra), or blind spots that sometimes expand. Occassionally, retinal migraine can cause total loss of vision in one eye. Some patients will have numbness of the face or extremities, often progressing from foot to arm to face or in reverse (usually on one side of the body only). Some will have weakness, speech disturbance, or confusion. Vertigo is another common complaint. These symptoms typically last 10-20 minutes. Patients with neurologic symptoms are said to have "classic migraine". Common migraine may appear without such prodromes. Blurred vision is very common with all types of migraine. Usually, the patient with migraine is photophobic (light hurts their eyes), and will seek to lie down in a dark room, often with an icepack or cool cloth on their head. They are irritable and don't like to be bothered at this stage. Nausea is usually present, and vomiting may occur. The scalp is sore and combing the hair may be painful. Pressure on the temples may temporarily help the pain. If the patient can sleep, the pain is usually better on awakening. The headache usually lasts a few hours. Sometimes, it can last days. The frequency of the headaches varies from every year or two to daily. Most sufferers have one or two per month. Females are much more likely to have migraine, which usually abate after menopause. Migraines are hereditary. Certain foods and medications can provoke migraines. Patients with migraine should first make a food diary to determine if any food appears commonly in the 24 hours prior to the migraine attack. Such foods should be eliminated if necessary. Chocolate, cheese, wine, beer, nuts, and fruits are often the culprits. Birth control pills should be eliminated if they are being taken. Certain nitrates such as nitroglycerine and isosorbide are notorious provokers of migraine. Calcium channel blockers and theophylline are also guilty in some. Change in sleeping time and stress can cause a migraine. Treatment depends on the frequency of migraines and is pharmacologic. If migraines are less than weekly, and especially if there is a prodrome, the vasoconstrictor ergot preparations are useful. The ergot is most effective sublingually or as a suppository (so it can't be vomited up) and should be taken at the earliest sign of the prodrome. Doses can be repeated half-hourly up to 6mg per day and 12mg per week. Dosages above this can lead to overconstriction of small vessels in the periphery and should not be taken. This medicine has been used for hundreds of years, and if the above caution is respected, is safe. Midrin works like the ergots and is an alternative. If the migraines are too frequent to use ergots, daily doses of propranolol (a beta blocker) are effective in about 60% of people. Usually 80mg or above daily are needed. Depression and malaise are the most common side effects which prevent its use. Tricyclic anti-depressants are very effective on a daily basis. 50mg of amytriptilene nightly is the usual dose. If the patient gets too drowsy with these, Prozac may be effective also. Women who have migraines only during menses may benefit from tiny doses of ergot (0.2mg tid) taken only at that time of month. Those who don't respond to propranolol or tricyclics may also benefit from chronic small dose ergots. Methysergide, a serotonin inhibitor is also very effective, but can only be given for 6 months at a time because of fibrotic side effects. Cyproheptadine is another serotonin inhibitor that is less effective but safer. Lithium is effective, but difficult to administer. Fiorinal is a good migraine remedy, but may be habit forming if taken on a daily basis. It is good for the occassional migraine sufferer, especially if taken early on in the attack. Phenobarbital is also effective and is sometimes preferred by pediatricians. In my experience, most migraineurs can be brought under control if one is patient enough to search for the proper regimen. .............................. This was sent to me for anonymous post. This is a pretty good procedure, but the author asked me to add his recommendation that anyone who wishes to grow mushrooms of any kind consult a secondary source of information, such as the book he mentions, or _PSILOCYBIN: Magic Mushroom Grower's Guide_. Of course these books deal with contraband, illegal, evil, satanic hallucinogenic mushrooms, but the information they contain can also be used to grow other strains, and if you use one of these books to grow your morels, you should definitely ignore the information they contain about those unAmerican psilocybes, cuz if you don't you may just turn into an free-thinking liberal commie pinko long hair drug abusing rebelious hippie (TM). I didn't proofread this, so any inaccuracies or mistakes are unknown to me. To flame the writer, copy your comments to /dev/null. ============================ BEGIN ANONYMOUS POST ========================== Well here it is, all I know about growing psychedelic mushrooms... This information was taken from a book in the rare books collection at the University of Texas at Austin entitled "Magic Mushroom Cultivation", published in 1977 and written by (the name escapes me). Anyway, I have used the rice- cake method described below, and am currently growing my third batch, which has turned out some pretty potent mushrooms! I feel the need to mention that I'm giving you this information for INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY, and I don't expect you or anyone else to actually undertake any of the techniques I will describe below, for to do so may violate certain laws--and I wouldn't give you this information if I thought you might do something illegal. Before I describe the technique I use, I'd like to say that there are many methods of growing 'shrooms, some more difficult than others, and I am simply presenting the method which has worked well for me: never had a dud batch-- they've always fruited readily, and I've never poisoned myself or others with contaminated 'shrooms. ******************************************************************************* HOW TO GROW PSYCHEDELIC MUSHROOMS ******************************************************************************* Materials Needed: - a sporeprint from a strain of psychedelic mushrooms. (make sure it's the real thing, and that it's not contaminated with dust or anything!) - a pressure cooker, pref. 17 qt. (liquid) capacity. (this is the most expensive item, but it's a necessity. Borrow, rent, buy, or steal one.) - one dozen (or more) new mason jars, 1 quart size, pref. wide mouthed, with lids. - a box/bag of brown rice--not white rice and not long-grain. Use a decent quality brand...i find that Comet brand SUCKS! Do not use it. - something to scrape the spores off the print into the jar... You want something like a stiff metal wire with a handle, so you can heat the end red hot in a flame to sterilize it without burning your fingers. I find that a probe from a Biology dissection kit works wonderfully. - a flame source. An alcohol lamp is not hard to make out of a small jar filled with rubbing alcohol, with a cotton ball as a wick. I suppose you could just use a lighter, but i prefer making an alcohol lamp--just make sure you don't burn your place down!! - a clean place with a relatively constant temp. between 60-78 degrees to store your jars. ( I made up the temperature range ) Closet shelves are fine, in my experience. You want a place that's pretty dust/bug free, but you don't want the storage area to be airtight, as shrooms do have to breathe just like any other living organism. Many books recommend making some kind of superclean box to store the jars in, but I've never bothered with that. Most sources of information on growing 'shrooms (this one, too) stress that everything be AS STERILE AS POSSIBLE. However, if you do have to cut a few corners you should still be successful if you just USE YOUR HEAD! which leads me to the.... - optional materials: germ-killing soap for washing hands, alcohol for sterilizing hands, etc., surgical gloves, dust masks, hair-nets, an air-filtering machine (Pollenex?), a couple gallon jugs of distilled water. (As you can see, this is all stuff which will help to make things a bit more sterile--definetly recommended!) PROCEDURE (finally!) This is the procedure I follow for the rice-cake method of propagating psychedelic mushrooms. I use this method for a number of reasons. One is that my first ever batch consisted of 6 jars of manure medium and 6 of the brown rice medium, I found the rice cakes produced more 'shrooms, and for a longer period of time than did the manure-filled jars. Rice has obvious advantages in that it's easy to obtain--no trekking thru a pasture looking for fresh cow-shit! Also, the manure stinks like hell when cooked in the pressure cooker! Perhaps the biggest advantage to the rice cake method is that when the rice cake no longer produces crops of 'shrooms (2-3 mos.), you can actually CONSUME THE RICE CAKE ITSELF!! Given, of course, that you detect no contaminants on the rice cake (molds or bacteria). When mushroom growth stops, the rice cake can provide a trip for 2-4 people. See the end of this article for methods of ingesting mushrooms/rice cakes... PROCEDURE ( i promise! ) 1. Turn off the air-conditioner in the place you're going to do this...It is very important to work in a draft-free area. Turning the A/C off will allow the dust in the room to settle (incl. the heavier mold spores which can contaminate your rice-cake medium. ) 2. Set up the pressure cooker, make sure you read the manual if you have one. You don't want the damn pressure cooker exploding, or anything like that... Wash out the pressure cooker for good measure, and also wash the jars and lids. I wouldn't use a towel to dry them out, though, you'll just wipe germs & dust back on 'em. 3. Wash yourself, too. It's recommended that you wear a long sleeved shirt, and to pull your hair back or wear a cap or hair-net. I don't think that the dust mask would be nec. at this point, maybe later, though... 4. For each quart-size mason jar, add 1/4 cup brown rice, and 1/3-1/2 cup water I use the distilled water that you can buy in any grocery store--I don't trust tap water. Fill 6 or 7 jars with this mixture, as many as will fit into your pressure cooker without stacking or jamming them in there. Place the lids on the jars, with the rubber UP, and leave the lids very loose. 5. Place the jars on the bottom rack of the pressure cooker. I recommend using the rack, that way the jars won't tip and spill as the water boils around them. Also keeps them from breaking from the heat of the burner directly below them. For a 17 quart pressure cooker, add about 3 quarts of water, but not so much that the jars start to tip over too much from floating. Again, I use distilled water for this. 6. Now, follow the directions for sealing the pressure cooker. Some recommend that you rub a dab of cooking oil on the seal, so that it seals properly and is easier to close and open. Do it right. Do it by the book. Turn the stove on high and cook the jars for 1 hour AFTER the pressure reaches 15 lbs. inside the cooker. LET THE PRESSURE COOKER COOL BEFORE OPENING! Also, don't try to rush the cooling process. 7. Just before opening the pr. cooker, wash up again, maybe use rubbing alcohol or surgical gloves. Now is the time for dust masks (although I usu. use my shirt to keep from breathing germs on the jars). Long sleeves and a hat or whatever is recommended because literally millions of germs are falling off your body at any given moment. Sterility and the absence of drafts are of utmost importance from here on out... 8. Open the pressure cooker and let the jars cool until they're pretty close to room temp. You may want to tighten the lids a bit so air/germs can't contaminate the rice cakes. When the jars cool off some, you're ready to go... 9. Heat your wire loop/probe/whatever until it is GLOWING RED. Put on your dust mask or pull your shirt up over your nose and mouth. 10. Lift the lid off the jar and set it down on a sterile surface, with the inside face down. 11. Get out your sporeprint and hold it over the open jar at an acute angle. Use the sterilized wire loop/probe to gently scrape and tap the sporeprint to get the spores down onto the rice cake. If you can see the dark specks fall onto the rice, you've done it sufficiently--anything you can see is probably a few hundred thousand spores. A sporeprint the size of a nickel can EASILY innoculate a dozen jars. 12. Screw on the jar's lid tightly and shake the jar until the rice cake breaks up, this will allow the spores to spread throughout the rice medium, thus increasing the chances for success. Next, unscrew the lid until it almost comes off-- this allows for air to get into the jar. I usu. just screw the lid on about 3/4 of a turn--just enough where it won't fall off easily. 13. When you've done this for all your jars, just put the jars in a safe, clean place with a fairly steady temp., a dark place is OK. In 3 days-2 weeks you should see white, fluffy mycelia appear--looks like white fuzz. Any other color of fuzz (green, black, etc.) is mold, and the jar should be disposed of. I'm not kidding about this! Certain contaminants, molds in particular, can cause illness or even death if you ingest the contaminated 'shrooms. It's better to be safe than sorry, believe me. Also be on the lookout for bacterial infections of the rice medium. These will often appear as colored (orange or pink) runny or clammy looking gunk in with the rice. These should be thrown out immediately as well. Bacterial infections may also give off a kind of putrid odor, but of course you should not be taking the lids off the jars at all at this stage. Now, the rice itself will get very soft as a result of the pressure cooking, and the initial shaking of the jar may smear gel-looking gunk all over the insides of the jar. But by comparing with the rest of the jars you should be able to tell the difference between this gunk and a bacterial infection. Like I said before, JUST USE YOUR HEAD!! 14. This is not actually another step because you're done! Just sit back and wait for nature to take its course! Shrooms are pretty much maintenance-free until fruiting starts to occur. It should take anywhere from 2 weeks to 1 month for the mycelia to completely permeate the rice medium, then it will start getting these stringy looking or fan shaped runners in the white fuzzy growth. Mushroom formation is not far off, and the jars should be getting a couple of hours of light per day--fluorescent is OK, and natural sunlight is superb, just make sure the jars don't get too warm. Of course at all stages be on the lookout for any possible contaminants in the mycelia. By the way, as the mycelia mature, they may start staining blue, due to bruising, I think--so don't mistake this for a mold infection, but keep a close eye on any change in color from the white coloring. The 'shrooms first appear as tiny white pinheads and then they will darken (in P. cubensis) to a lovely reddish brown. When the 'shrooms are growing the lids on the jars should be very loose. Also, mushrooms grow best in an environment with a humidity of over 90%, so if you think that your 'shrooms may need a more moist environment, one thing to do is to simply use a spray bottle to spray boiled or distilled water directly onto the lids of the jars. I find that the moisture condenses inside the jars and runs down the inside of the jars, moisturizing the mycelia. You don't want things TOO wet, however, as this will promote mold/bacteria growth. Another possible method is to replace the lids with a double layer of paper towel which is misted daily--although I would think that not having an actual lid on the jar would invite contamination. Just my personal preference. It is important that air exchange takes place in the storage area--this becomes more important as fruiting occurs, as the mycelia gives off CO2 and needs O2. HARVESTING: 'Shrooms are "ripe" as soon as the white membrane connecting the cap to the stem has broken somewhat, although you don't want to pick them before they have reached their full size! To harvest an individual mushroom, wash your hands well--I usu. use rubbing alcohol, too. Then take the lid off the jar and grasp the mushroom firmly near the base. You may need to use a pair of sterilized tweezers to do this, which is what I usu. do--I avoid placing germy hands inside the jars. A brisk twisting motion will help to free the 'shroom from the mycelia. STORAGE AND METHODS OF INGESTION: Avoid crushing fresh mushrooms. The blue staining that is common in psychedelic mushrooms is evidence of oxidation--meaning that the active ingredients (psilocin and psilocybin) are being oxidized, too--rendering the 'shrooms inactive. While refrigeration is recommended, freezing fresh mushrooms should be avoided, since the expansion of the freezing water in the cells ruptures the cell walls and thus opens them up for oxidation. Mushrooms that were frozen while fresh may be an attractive blue color, but they are inactive.... Storage of fresh mushrooms should be in a breathable container such as a paper bag stored in a refrigerator, avoid putting fresh 'shrooms in a ziploc bag, as they may become slimy--ugh! I have heard of people also storing fresh shrooms by chopping them up and mixing them into honey--the 'shroom honey is then spread on bread or whatever and eaten. I have not had good experiences with drying mushrooms, although there are a couple ways to do it. One is by placing them on a cookie sheet in an oven on the lowest temp. with the door slightly open. Sun drying will also work. My main problem with dried shrooms is that in my experience they are only about half as potent as fresh 'shrooms. I believe the reason for this is that the two psychoactive ingredients (psilocin and psilocybin) are present in equal amounts in fresh shrooms. BUT, psilocin is an unstable compound compared to psilocybin, and breaks down readily when exposed to heat and oxygen. The normal dosage for dried shrooms is 2 - 5 grams, dried. But I have never had a "trip" from dried shrooms--only with the fresh stuff. I ate 4 grams once and only got a buzz--like being stoned or drunk. So, I like my shrooms fresh, and of course, I have that luxury since I grow my own. Whether they are dried or fresh, there are many interesting ways to take them. My current favorite method is to blend fresh ones in a blender with orange juice--the effects are fantastic! I believe due in part to the fact that the shrooms are almost completely liquefied by the blending process, releasing the "good stuff" into the orange juice and making it more readily absorbed by the stomach. Another good method, one which I have used to eat the rice cakes, was to chop the rice cake (or shrooms), and brown them for JUST a few seconds in butter before pouring in an omelete mixture. Mushroom omeletes!! Not only a meal, but a good trip, and a tasty way to ingest the shrooms! (I happen to dislike the taste of shrooms by themselves) Yet another method of taking shrooms is to make a milkshake in a blender, and add the shrooms, you can make kind of a "strawberry smoothie" in this way. Another way is to boil the shrooms, fresh or dried (or a rice cake) in a couple cups of water for about 15 minutes, and then either add a tea bag for hot tea, or make Kool-Aid with the cooled water (straining out the shrooms, of course). Sprinking fresh or dried shrooms (chopped) onto pizza, or into spaghetti sauce is another treat--fun for a "shroom party". Since psilocin and psilocybin are soluble in both water and alcohol, soaking shrooms in any liquor will release these active ingredients into the liquor, making for a powerfully intoxicating liquor a la' the way an "Emerald Dragon" is made with marijuana... I have tried smoking a couple dried shroom caps, but only got the slightest buzz from the VERY harsh smoke, no real effects to tell the truth. I should mention again that once shroom production has really tapered off (and you'll be able to tell) after 2 - 3 months, the rice cake can be eaten/used, if you closely examine it and decide that there is no green or black mold contaminant present. I should note that the rice cake will probably be all kinds of funky colors--a mix of white, steel blue, gray, maybe even purple in places from spores falling on it! I have ingested several scary-looking rice cakes, however, with no ill effects. A single rice cake is enough for 2 - 4 people to trip on, although 2 is probably the better figure. Some of my best trips were on half a rice cake chopped up and cooked in an omelete! That's what I love about the rice-cake method--when the shrooms stop growing there's no waste! Speaking of no waste, if I ever had a rice cake that I didn't want to risk eating I might use it to innoculate a compost pile or a pasture full of cow shit by inserting a small piece into each cow-pie or into the compost pile...Wild mushrooms...Just something to think about. MAKING SPORE-PRINTS: This is really easy, just take a fresh shroom and gently twist the cap off away from the stem. Then place the cap, gills down, on a sterile card or piece of glass. Cover the cap and card with a clean, small container to keep drafts from blowing the spores away, and to prevent dust/contaminants from settling on the card/glass. I usu. use a small juice glass for this purpose. Leave the covered 'shroom cap on the card/glass overnight and, voila! I suggest folding the card the next day and keeping it in an airtight container (sm. ziploc bag) in a refrigerator. I have been told that spore prints will keep for up to a year in an airtight refrigerated (not frozen) environment. From personal experience I know that they last at least 3 months. .............................. In the middle 80's I had obtained a copy of Stafford's Psychedelic Encyclopedia and read the description of 5-MeO-DMT. It didn't sound as fun as other mind drugs (eg, lsd) but the book said it was legal and different. (like having elephants dance on your head...) So, I made up a company and used a quasi-safe address and money order, and bought 250 mg from A******h chemical co. They called and wanted to make sure that it was for "laboratory use only". I assured them it was, so they were off the hook. The first time I tried it, I was frozen with my pipe in hand. It hits within seconds and is like being thrown into the peak of a really strong trip. Thrown by being picked up and bounced on your head. There was very momentary visual distortion ---like the visual world was made of rubber being stretched at the center--- that lasted for maybe half a second. But the big effect is purely mental: you become a catatonic psychotic for ten minutes. Your body feels weird, you may see a little of the acid-sheen on surfaces. But mostly, everything seems very strange and you sit there and wait for it to subside. And you're convinced you know what its like to be crazy, in a different way than acid. You don't talk for a minute after taking the hit. You better sit down when you try it. Note that this is different, though chemically related, to DMT, aka 'businenessman's trip', which is supposedly mostly visual. Alas, this poor monk has not tried that sacrament. Born too late, I suspect. The burnt chemical smells awful; use a disposable pipe, or clean it in water after use. Use a tiny amount ---maybe the amount of 3 grains of salt or so. It either works or it doesn't; the dose-response curve is more like a step-function than any other drug I know of. There are no aftereffects evident, and you can talk to your parents in half an hour. It is the most potent demonstration of the physical basis of mind that I know of. I've let 3-4 people try it over the course of several years, (hi Peter!) and the effects have been similar. It is not ecstatic like lsd, and after doing it, there is no great desire to repeat it soon after. The chemical is a constituent of various south american snuffs, which contain other ingredients too. It may also be a component of cerebrospinal fluid. .............................. LSD, MDMA, plus some other compounds are being used in Europe, legally, as part of various psycholytic[*] therapies and research studies by qualified investigators. Newsletter #2 of the Albert Hofmann Foundation focuses on psychedelic research in Europe and is being mailed now ( 14 pages and GROWING!!! ). Here are only a few tidbits from Robert Zanger's recent trip to Europe... * * * Jan Bastiaans of Leyden, Emeritus Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Leyden and former Director of the Psychoanalytic Institute in Amsterdam, was the last researcher permitted to use LSD in the Holland. He reached the mandatory retirement age for Dutch professors -- 70. * * * Hanscarl Leuner of West Germany ( Emeritus Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Gottingen ) is currently working with Ketamine and a new empathogen ( an unidentified phenethylamine from Shulgin, twice the activity of MDMA, and used at 50 mg. ). Michael Schlichting is doing a pilot study of the phenethylamine, as part of his doctoral thesis, and initial neurotoxicity studies have found no neurotoxicity at normal dosage levels. Leuner's psycholytic clinic administers Ketamine in 3 intramuscular injections, beginning in the morning, and spaced 90 minutes apart ( 1st dose moderate, 2nd higher, 3rd lower again ). The phenethylamine is taken orally, usually in just one dose. Patients have guides. * * * Milan Hausner of Prague, formerly Medical Director of Sadska Hospital, has joined the Advisory Board of the A.H.F. and will be its first scholar-in-residence. Hausner will spend 6 months in the U.S. putting together results from his 20 years experience with LSD in therapy. Czechoslovakia even made their own LSD, Lysergamid-SPOFA, and supplied it for 8 years after Sandoz halted production in 1966. * * * Albert Hofmann of Burg, just received is 3rd honorary doctorate from the University of Bern ( biochemistry of ergot alkaloids ), and has been talking a lot lately about the medical uses of LSD, plus celebrating Sandoz's drug Hydergine. * * * Peter Baumann of Zurich, President of the Swiss Association of Physicians for Psycholytic Therapy, brings some of the best news -- that permission was granted in Switzerland ( Office of Pharmaceuticals and Narcotics, of the Department of Public Health of the Ministry of the Interior ) for private practitioners to use LSD, psilocybin, mescaline, and MDMA! Baumann's group, however, is currently using only LSD and MDMA, and the LSD is being synthesized at the University of Bern. Jorg Roth of Bern, Research Director for the Association, is setting up a whole ward at Lindenhof Hospital to study the "therapeutic efficacy of both LSD and MDMA", at the prompting of Swiss health officials. George Ricaurte of Baltimore, MDMA researcher at Johns Hopkins University, will be working with the Swiss Association. Swiss subjects will be donating spinal fluid ( before and after ) for Ricaurte's study ( currently illegal in the U.S. to collect such data... ). * * * If you're currently on the Foundation's mailing list, you should be receiving the newsletter soon. If you're not, write for information: The Albert Hofmann Foundation 132 West Channel Road, Suite 324 Santa Monica, CA 90402 [*] European investigators seem to like the word "psycholytic", i.e. mind-dissolving, over the term "psychedelic", i.e. mind-manifesting. P.S. The 4th Symposium of the European College for the Study of Consciousness is focusing on PSYCHOACTIVE SUBSTANCES AND ALTERED STATES OF CONSCIOUSNESS IN RESEARCH AND THERAPY this December 8th-10th ( 1989 ) in West Germany. European ethnopharmacologists are planning the FIRST INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS ON ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY for June 5th-9th ( 1990 ) in France. Write the Foundation or send e-mail for more details on these. .............................. ENTHEOGENIC RESOURCES ======================= Spring 1991 Analysis: S.P. Lab, 5426 NW 79 Avenue, Miami, FL 33166 - Assign random five-digit number to sample, state alleged content, and enclose $25 money-order, allow two weeks before calling (305) 757-2566. Books, in-print: Books By Phone, POB 522, Berkeley, CA 94701; 800-858-2665 - free catalog Books, out-of-print: Cape Ann Antiques, POB 3502, Peabody, MA 01960 - Used and rare, catalog $3. Flashback Books, 906 Samuel Drive, Petaluma, CA 94952 - (707) 762-4714 - Used and rare, catalog $1. Mycophile Books, POB 93, Naples, FL 33939 - Used and rare, catalog $3. Skyline Books, POB T, Forest Knolls, CA 94933 - (415) 488-9491 - Used and rare, catalog free Business: Business Alliance for Commerce in Hemp (BACH) P.O.Box 71093, Los Angeles, CA 90071-0093 - (213) 288-4152 - information and list of resources National Hemp Imports 1718 M Street #322, Washington, DC 20036 - (202) 829-9419 - "Imported Hemp Products" Churches: Church of the Tree of Life, POB 330155, San Francisco, CA 94133-0155 - membership: upon request, with self-addressed stamped envelope. - publications: BARK LEAF, quarterly bulletin, $7/yr. FIRST BOOK OF SACRAMENTS, updated edition, $5.75 ppd. SUPPLIERS LIST, $1. - sacraments: [for members only] from Inner Center, POB 362, Hermosa Beach, CA 90254 Ethiopian Zion Coptic Church, POB 3581, Urbandale, IA 50322. - publications: THE COPTIC WORLD: THE VOICE OF THE COPTIC NATION, biweekly newsletter, $12/yr. THE COPTIC WORLD past issues, complete set $2. MARIJUANA AND THE BIBLE, pamphlet $3.50 from: E.Z.C.C., Dept. C, POB 110519, Hialeah, FL 33011-0519. Fane of the Psilocybe Mushroom Association [The Fane], P.O. Box 1295, STN. "E", Victoria, B.C. V8W 2W3, CANADA - $1 for membership form - publication: THE SPOREPRINT, newsletter, $5 Neo-American Church of California, c/o Robert Funk, POB 4380, Arcata, CA 95521. Neo-American Church of Texas, c/o Kevin Sanford, POB 3473, Austin, TX 78764. Art Kleps (Neo-A.C. founder), Gravestein 119, 1103 BH, Amsterdam, Z.O., NETHERLANDS; tel. 020-996554. - inactive membership free, active membership by donation - publications from Neo-A.C. of Texas: BOO HOO BIBLE, $10 DIVINE TOAD SWEATS, $10 Peyote Way Church of God, Star Rt. #1, Box 7X, Willcox, AZ 85643. - Rev. Anne L. Zapf, President - lifetime associate membership, card, newsletter, BYLAWS & FREEDOM UNDER THE CONSTITUTION/$28 - publications: THE SACRED RECORD, newsletter/$2 BYLAWS/$5 FREEDOM UNDER THE CONSTITUTION/$3 LETTER TO MRS. BUSH/$2 THE SPIRIT WALK/$3 Conferences: Wild Mushrooms/Telluride, August 21-24 - Fungophile, Inc., POB 5503, Denver, CO 80217-5503 (303) 296-9359 [?]; $145 inclusive, with camping. Omega Institute for Holistic Studies - Lake Drive, RD 2, Box 377, Rhinebeck, NY 12572 Catalog of courses upon request. Breitenbush Hot Springs/Retreat and Conference Center - POB 578, Detroit, OR 97342; (503) 854-3314 Newsletter and schedule of events upon request. [Esalen /A.R.U.P.A. ?] Gene Pool: Botanical Dimensions, POB 807, Occidental, CA 95465 (POB 953, Captain Cook, HI 967??) (POB 619, Honaunau, HI 96726) - private research farm operated by Terence & Kathleen McKenna - publication: PLANT WISE newsletter Information: Lux Natura, 2140 Shattuck Avenue, Box 2196, Berkeley, CA 94704 - free catalog of books and tapes by Terence McKenna. Rosetta, POB 4611, Berkeley, CA 94704-0611 - catalog of folios and books with SASE Legal: National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) - 1636 R Street, 3rd Floor, Washington, DC 20009 202-483-5500 (24 hours); legal referals available. - $25 for annual membership and newsletter THE LEAFLET, quarterly newsletter Alexander T. Shulgin, 1483 Shulgin Road, Lafayette, CA 94549 - reference publication: THE CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES ACT: A RESOURCE MANUAL OF THE CURRENT STATUS OF THE FEDERAL DRUG LAWS (April 1, 1988) /$34.95 + $4 postage & handling Libraries: The Albert Hofmann Foundation - 1341 Ocean Avenue, Suite 300, Santa Monica, CA 90401 - (213) 281-8110 - annual membership and newsletter/$30 - free catalog of publications, audio and video materials - 24 hour computer bulletin board (Forum-PC Version 2.0E) (213) 454-2874 300/1200/2400 N,8,1 Periodicals: PSYCHEDELIC MONOGRAPHS AND ESSAYS - POB 740, Boca Raton, FL 33429 - Published by Thomas Lyttle. Political: Cannabis Action Network P.O.Box 54528, Lexington, KY 40555; (606) 266-3218 Coalition for 100% Drug Reform, 9 Bleecker Street, New York, NY 10012 - (212) 995-1245; 24-Hour Information Hotline International Anti-Prohibitionist League, 97 Rue Belliard, Rem. 512, 1040 Brussels, BELGIUM; tel. (32-2) 230-4121; fax. (32-2) 230-3670 - full membership US$ 100 - publication: ANTI-PROHIBITIONIST REVIEW, subscription US$ 20 Coalition for Religious Freedom, 515 Wythe Street, Suite 201, Alexandria, VA 22314. - basic membership $30 - publications: RELIGIOUS FREEDOM ALERT, newsletter, $20 w/o membership ASSAULT ON RELIGIOUS FREEDOM, book, free with memebership [Drug Policy Institute, Chicago, DC ?] Suppliers: Of The Jungle, POB 1801, Sebastopol, CA 95473. - catalog of beneficial plants and botanical products $1. Pacific Seeds, POB 15050, Honolulu, HI 96815 - (808) 946-5868 - seed list upon request Thompson & Morgan, POB 1308, Jackson, NJ 08527. - (201) 363-2225 - free seed catalog - Lophophora williamsii, 7 seeds, $9.95 + $1.50 p&h It seems to me that among the many positive benefits from drug use, especially acid and to a lesser degree other hallucinagens is an enhanced appreciation of beauty. That is finding aesthetically pleasing images that other people tend to ignore or not appreciate. Things like enjoying the pattern of frost that forms on a glass, or the lights of a city, or just the paterns formed on the inside of our eyelids. This is not just limited to the periods when one is actually under the effects of the substance. For example while driving into a city at night with a mixed group of people, one of the persons in the car who occaisionally uses acid was very taken with the image and described it in very poetic picturesque words, without exception those who also used drugs were able to sympathize and understand what the person was talking about. The rest of the car just looked at them strangely. Or annother instant that comes to mind is the time someone came in from outside very excited and told about how pretty the lights shining off the frost on the cars in the parking lot looked, the only people who went back out to look at this were those that had at some point partaken of these psychoactives. Annother example is a time early in the morning after a long night of talking and general togetherness, everyone was sitting back with thier eyes closed and talking about the images that were coming to thier mind, talking about what they could see in thier mind's eye, and sharing it with the others there, going from one person to annother around the room, the people who did drugs had visions that were remarkably more detailed, vivid, and unusual. Further they could seem to relate to what the otehr people wer describing better. Let me emphasize that in none of these instances was anyone under the influence of anything, this was merely their normal mindset. It is not that the non-users couldn't see the beauty, it is just that they wer not excited or empassioned about it, it did not touch them as deeply. .............................. The Sacred Record December 1990 Peyote Way Church of God Star Rt #1 Box 7x Willcox, Az., 85643 Edited by Rev. Anne L. Zapf, President The Peyote Way Church of God advocates: 1) The sacramental use of peyote; 2) a wholistic lifestyle (the health of the body, of the family, and of the Earth -- see Section 89 of the Doctrine and Covenants of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints); 3) the pursuit of personal experiences of the Holy Spirit within and without ourselves; 4) self discipline; 5) compassion; 6) non-violence; 7) selfless service; 8) the recognition of the central role of the female as the giver of life; 9) family oriented cottage industry. Dear Friends, We've been pretty busy around here making our last minute preparations for winter. Matthew has been especially busy filling Christmas Pottery orders. The final days of summer brought many Spirit Walkers, finishing off the last of our supply of the Holy Sacrament Peyote. A three-judge panel of the U.S. Fifth Circuit Appeals court, in Houston, heard oral arguments appealing Judge Robert Maloney's ruling against the Peyote Way Church of God on August 8. Two weeks before the scheduled oral arguments, our attorney received a call from repreentatives of the Native American Church of North America. They requested a metter to discuss the effect of our appeal on the Native American Church. Two days later, we met with two attorneys representing the Native American Church and one Native American Church member at our attorney's office in Safford. The attorneys requested that we drop our appeal. They stated that they had a "generic" bill which would accomplish recognition of the religious use of the holy sacrament by non-Indians. They expressed confidence that they could work for the good of both our Churches. The N.A.C. representative indicated that the Native American Church would work with the Peyote Way Church. After several hours of discussion, they requested that we ask for a delay in our oral arguments. Their major concern was that the judges wold rule that the Texas and Federal statutes concerning Peyote are unconstitutional, and that the exemption for the N.A.C. would be struck down. The Board of Stewards was advised of the situation and gave serious consideration to their request over the next week. Our attorney researched their arguments carefully and learned that their fears were unfounded. Should the judges in the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals determine that the exemption is unconstitutional, the law itself would have to be struck down, making the Holy Sacrament Peyote legal! We felt that our beest course was to continue our appeal for justice. We are, as always, ready to work with the Native American Church. ************* We would like to encourage support of the "Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1990," introduced by Congressman Stephen Solarz. The Bill (#HR5377), now in Committee, was prompted by the recent Supreme Court ruling in Oregon vs Smith which stated that the State did not need to show a compelling interest in enforcing laws which restrict religious observance (see The Sacred Record, July and August, 1990). Please write to your Congressional Representatives asking them to support this Bill. ************* A few folks have written to ask about the Church since brother Guy Mount has decided to discontinue "Friends of the Peyote Road." He is committed to continuing _The Peyote Book_, which has reached many folks and been a great influence on their opinions about the Holy Sacrament Peyote. He has donated the $2,150.49 received by the "Friends" to the Peyote Way Church of God. We plan to use the funds received from "Friends" to construct the Sacramental Greenhouse Facility. The pump which is the only source of Church water has seized up on several occasions, alerting us to the imminent need to repair or replace it in the ensuing months. We are expecting it to be a major expense. We would rather not use the funds received from the "Friends" to make this expensive repair. All donations are gratefully received and tax-deductible. Those who would rather not donate money to the Church could help us by donating building materials: lumber, glass, nails, etc, which could be used in th construction of the Greenhouse. We also need latex paint (white), carpets (new or used), a refrigerator, copier cartridges for a Canon PC 5 copier, video camera, recycled copier paper, and Fonts and a scanner for the Macintosh Plus computer. The Goddess She is beautiful She is terrible. What you can imagine is less than what you can see in the eyes of the Goddess. She is all form... ever balanced and changing. She is everything that was and is and will be. -MSK Associate membership is available to all, over the age of eighteen, regardless of race or spiritual disposition. Upon the receipt of twenty-eight dollars lifetime membership dues, we will send a membership card and a copy of the Church Bylaws. All donations are Tax-deductible, and go toward the sustaining of one hundred and sixty acres of Church land for Spirit Walk, the maintenance of Church buildings and facilities for Spirit Walk communicants and visitors during their stay at the Mother Church; food for visitors; Newsletters; care of four-legged Church Stewards; and the planned construction of a Sacramental Greenhouse Facility. Our Tax-exempt ID # is 94-2722621. Literature: (suggested donations) Bylaws 5 Freedom under the Constitution 3 letter to Mrs. Bush 2 The Spirit Walk 3 back issues of the Sacred Record 1 Section 89: A Word of Wisdom n/c bibliography of books and articles n/c Please include .29 for n/c items and .45 for other items. Thank you .............................. presumably some persons have always "abused " cerain drugs --alcoohol for millennia, opiates for centureies. However, only in the twentieth centruy have certain paterns of drug use been labelled as "adictions". Traditionally, the term "adiction" has meant simply a strong inclination toward certain kinds of conduct, withlittle or ;no pejorative meaning attached to it. Thus, the Oxformd English Dictionary offers such pre-twentieth-century examples of the use of this term as being adicted "tyo civil affairs", "to useful reading" -and also "to bad habits". Being addicted to drugs is not among the definitions listed. From Ceremonial Chemistry: The ritual persecution of drugs, addicts, and pushers Thomas Szasz, M.D. 1985 Learning Publications Inc PO Box 1338 Holmes Bch FL 34218-1338 Available by mail: 1-800-222-1525 .............................. I believe Gordon Wasson did a huge amount of anthropological sleuthing into the use of mushrooms in ancient societies and developed a compelling argument that the original tree of knowledge (from which Adam and Eve consumed forbidden fruit) was an abstraction of the "fruiting body" of mushrooms-- although I don't recall many of his points I do remember one particularly facinating illustration that was a rendering of the earliest known tree-of-life/knowledge drawing: it was carved in stone and was simply a cap and a stem--the stereotypical representation of a mushroom. Wasson did his research in the early fifties and never got much recognition. .............................. >> Page 58 of this week's _Time_ magazine carries a very interesting >> article headed: "Do Humans Need to Get High?" and is subtitled "A >> scientist says society should provide safe, nonaddictive drugs." >> >> Basically, a UCLA researcher named Ronald Siegel argues that man's >> very nature is to seek altered states from time to time, and we'd >> be better off trying to find safer, better drugs, rather than trying >> to kill the ones that exist. >Check out his book: > >Ronald K. Siegel. Intoxication: Life in Pursuit of Artificial Paradise. >New York: E. P. Dutton, 1989, 390 pp. > >Dr. Will Also, along the same lines, there is an excellent book called _The Natural Mind_, by Andrew Weil, which deals with exactly the same subject. He postulates the search for altered states of consciousness is a normal and, in fact, essential part of the human psyche. He then goes on to deal with how the mindset towards drugs should be changed, and why it is as confused as it is. It's a really good read, and left me with a very hopeful feeling. It was originally written years ago (69? Early 70's?) and recently reprinted with a new preface. Weil also co-authored a book called _From Chocolate to Morphine_, a sweeping treatise on psychoactive substances. This has got to be one of the best pieces of drug-related literature I've ever read. It discusses why we do drugs, reiterates Weil's thesis that altered states are not evil, and catalogues all the many and varied psychoactive substances they could fit in a book. The information on each class of drug and individual substance consists of background, history, subjective effects, dangers, physiological effects, and more. The attitude put forth by this book is one which everyone should be exposed to. Drugs, food, amusement park rides, in fact anything, are not inherently bad, only your RELATIONSHIP with them can be bad. Only when people get into bad (dependent, overloading, etc...) relationships with psychoactive substances do problems occur. .............................. >IMHO, this theory should be obvious. Profound religious experiences >involve non-ordinary states of consciousness. Period. This doesn't >necessarily mean that every religious experience involves leaving your >body and being taught how to fly by psychedlic jesus jellyfish, drugs >need not be involved and there are plenty of different religious "highs." I think a very interesting question is, What are those circuits doing there in the first place? Its easy to understand what the circuits for, e.g., love, ie, pair-bonding are for: humans take forever to raise, and its easier if you have two helping. Many animals share these features. I've read that it was useful in smaller societies to have the ability to bond to one's tribe and feel brotherhood; of course this has been exploited in patriotism and is part of many modern religions. So, an interesting question is: Are states of religious awe and ecstacy artifacts or have they been selected for? .."Think anyone will mind that I don't have a tie?" ---Cliff Stoll .."Don't worry," Bob said. "At your level of abstraction, it doesn't make any difference" ---Robert Morris, chief scientist, NSA .............................. The following is a postscript stereo rendering of the LSD structure. %!PS-Adobe-1.0 %%Creator: RRT. 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1519 1868 m 1575 1889 l 1524 1854 m 1535 1858 l 1546 1863 m 1558 1867 l 1569 1871 m 1580 1875 l 1578 1882 m 1587 1956 l stroke newpath 1 setlinewidth 0 0 0 setrgbcolor 1429 1890 m 1388 1935 l 1421 1880 m 1381 1925 l stroke newpath 1 setlinewidth stroke newpath showpage grestore %%Trailer ******************************END OF FAQ****************************** [Reminder: FYI only, consult your shamans & attorneys etc., you are self-responsible, regardless of what anyone asserts.]