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- [...only the conclusions of this paper are made publicly available via
- anonymous ftp, interested persons should visit their libraries...]
-
- (Originally printed in Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, Vol 21(1),
- Jan-Mar 1989).
-
- LSD and Creativity (reproduced w/o permission)
- ------------------
-
- 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)
-
- 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.
-
- **************************** Article Separation *******************************
-
- I was reading a back copy of The Journal of Drug Issues looking at an article
- on additiction when I came accross annother article. A chemistry for world
- peace. Willam H. McGlothlin, Journal of Drug Issues, Spring 1985, 225-245.
-
- Ok so it is a twinkie title, however it is perhaps the best article I have ever
- read on acid. The abstract;
-
- This paper presents an argument for research into
- the means of altering individual attitudes, values,
- and communication abilities in the direction of
- increased social empathy, which , inturn would
- produce a more favorable enviroment for resolving
- differences and facilitate peaceful negotions
- between individuals and nations. It is proposed
- that prior research with the drug d-lysergic acid
- diethylamide (LSD), shows sufficient promise in
- producing relatively long-lasting changes in the
- above areas to merit further research. Furthermore,
- the use of LSD has been demonstrated to be quite
- safe _under supervisory conditions_, i.e. the
- guided "trip." LSD is also non-toxic and
- non-addictive.
- A brief history of psychedelic drugs is
- provided along with a description of thier
- psychological effects. Some possible modes of
- action are discussed. LSD and other psychedelics
- are seen as a possible means of tapping mental
- resources which are not ordinarily available, but
- which may be of great value to the individual and
- ultimately to the society.
-
- The man who wrote it is unfortunantly dead, he was a well recognized scholar
- with a number of awards from academia and the government. He worked for RAND
- for a number of years and was no brainless yammerhead (despite the twinkie
- title).
-
- The article is full of all kinds of interesting things, A very good brief
- history of LSD and other psychedelics, one of the dest descriptions of an LSD
- experience I have ever encountered here is part:
-
- About 30 minutes after ingesting LSD the
- subject normally experiences a feeling of dizziness
- or intoxication. One of the most common early
- emotional reactions is smiling and laughing, which
- sometimes develops into uncontrollable laughing
- and/or crying. With closed eyes there is a
- lightening of the normal gray-black expanse and
- almost invariably colorful and luminous geometric
- designs appear in the field of vision. They may
- change into architechtural structures which
- freaquently are in very saturated colors and appear
- to be glowing from an internal light.
-
- He goes on to discuss changes resulting from the LSD experience (almost all are
- beneficial), and then talks about side effects. One nifty factoid;
-
- Estimated rates of Major Complications Associated with LSD
-
- Attempted completed psychotic reaction
- suicide suicide over 48 hours
-
- experimental
- subjects- 0/1000 0/1000 0.8/1000
-
- patients
- undergoing
- therapy- 1.2/1000 0.4/1000 1.8/1000
-
- (w/o psychobabble that means like really fucking good)
-
-
- There are also three and a half pages of cited references which alone is worth
- diggin up the article.
-
- **************************** Article Separation ****************************
-
- Newsgroups: alt.drugs
- Distribution: world
- Subject: From the Merck Manual -- LSD references, etc
- Keywords: LSD, Lysergic Acid Amide, Lysergic Acid
- Summary: A couple of pages of copywrite infringement
-
- 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.
- [if you wanted to get really technical, the lower hydrogen atom in
- all of the structures should be coming out, and have a thick line]
-
- =============================================================================
-
- In article <1992Dec8.093008.25698@gdunix.gd.chalmers.se> guccw@gdunix.gd.chalmers.se (Christian Wernstedt) writes:
- >
- > Has anyone any comments on this? Is it common that people experiencing
- >a bad trip resort to violence against him/herselves or people around? Any
- >anecdotes, statistical info or just scientific references would be of
- >benefit to get a clearer picture.
- >
-
- A followup to my earlier reply. Two refrences from the bibliograpy
- of Intoxication, Ronald SIEGEL
-
- BARTER, J. T and REITE, M. 1969.
- "Crime and LSD: The Insanity Plea."
- American Journal of Psychiatry 126:113-19.
-
- REICH, R and HEPPS, R. B. 1972.
- "Homicide During a Psychosis Induced by LSD."
- Journal of American Medical Association 219:869-71
-
- From Siegel's Intoxication (p 240):
- The cases of Jeffery and Harold, who killed people after
- having taken LSD, are presented.
-
- "Cases like Harold's tend to confuse the issue of intoxication
- and violence. Violent people are often intoxicated but the
- violence is usually rooted in the personality, not the drug."
-
- mark
-
- =============================================================================
-
- From: lamont@hyperreal.com (Lamont Granquist)
- Newsgroups: alt.drugs,alt.psychoactives
- Subject: Interesting LSD/Neuropharm/Psychopathology Articles (improving alt.drugs SNR)
- Date: 10 May 1994 05:50:12 GMT
- Message-ID: <2qn7ak$rth@news.u.washington.edu>
-
- In a valiant attempt to improve the SNR on alt.drugs...
-
- And i'd like to note that all my rants for the past 2 years on the
- pre-synaptic mechanism of action of LSD on the dorsal and median
- raphe 5-HT neurons were, apparently, all fucked. =) Apparently this
- theory was shot down in 1981 by Trulson et al. (Brain Res 215:275-293).
- The current dogma is that "classic hallucinogens" are 5-HT2 post-synaptic
- agonists.... Pierce + Peroutka have a mini-review of the mechanism of
- action of classic hallucinogens in their introduction.
-
- I also found "Study of the extraction of LSD from illicit blotters for
- HPLC determination." J-Forensic-Sci. Sep 1993. 38(5):1105-1110. But it
- was off at the bindery so i couldn't read the article...
-
- Psychopathology
-
-
- Abraham-HD, Aldridge-AM. "Adverse consequences of lysergic acid
- diethylamide." Addiction. Vol 88:1327-1334. 1993.
-
-
- Overview of acute effects, prolonged psychoses and
- post-hallucinogen perceptual disorder (PHPD). Biased somewhat
- towards trying to find problems with LSD and doesn't address
- the methodological considerations in the studies they cite.
- Interesting because it clearly states that LSD is not an in
- vivo clastogen, either weakly or not mutagenic, not teratogenic
- and not oncogenic (clastogen = breaks chromosomes, mutagen =
- causes DNA mutations, teratogenic = birth defects, oncogenic =
- causes cancer) -- and this got by the editors at Addictions.
-
-
-
-
- Neuropharmacology
-
-
- Shen-Y, Monsma-FJ, Metcalf-MA, Jose-PA, Hamblin-MW, Sibley-DR,
- "Molecular Cloning and Expression of a 5-Hydroxytryptamine7
- serotonin Receptor Subtype." Journal of Biological Chemistry.
- Vol 268(24):18200-18204. 25 Aug 1993.
-
-
- Discovery of a 5-HT7 receptor which has a high affinity for LSD
- (KD = 4.9 +/- 0.78 (n = 5) nM; Bmax = 5-15 pmol/mg protein).
- Also displays a high affinity for tricyclic antipsychotic and
- antidepressant agents. It is located primarily in the limbic
- and cortical regions of the brain.
-
- Pierce-PA, Peroutka-SJ. "Antagonist Properties of d-LSD at
- 5-Hydroxytryptamine2 Receptors." Neuropsychopharmacology. Vol
- 3(5-6):503-508. 1990.
-
-
- Argues that LSD is a 5-HT2 receptor antagonist and that this
- tends to rule out the notion that classic hallucinogens work
- via a 5-HT2 agonist mechanism. Suggests that LSD might be a
- 5-HT1A or, more likely, 5-HT1C agonist -- although the role of
- the 5-HT2A receptor subtype is not at present well known.
-
- Glennon-RA. "Do Classical Hallucinogens Act As 5-HT2 Agonists or
- Antagonists?" Neuropsychopharmacology. Vol 3(5-6):509-517.
- 1990.
-
-
- This is a rebuttal to Pierce and Peroutka's article in the same
- issue. It argues that LSD is a high-affinity, low-efficacy,
- nonselective 5-HT agonist, aka a dirty, partial agonist. Thus
- compared with high-efficacy agonists LSD would exhibit
- relative antagonist effects. Also, 5-HT1 sites have been
- shown to behave functionally as 5-HT2 antagonists, particularly
- 5-HT1A receptors. LSD's non-selective ("dirty") affinity for
- 5-HT receptors, and in particular 5-HT1A receptors, could
- explain other evidence which was offered in support of the
- 5-HT2 antagonist theory, and would explain certain biphasic
- dose/response curves that LSD has. The author does, however,
- conclude by noting that the 5-HT1C site may also (or
- alternatively) play a role in hallucinogenic activity, and that
- it should be explored.
-
- --
- Lamont Granquist (lamont@hyperreal.com)
- "And then the alien anthropologists - Admitted they were still perplexed - But
- on eliminating every other reason - For our sad demise - They logged the only
- explanation left - This species has amused itself to death" -- Roger Waters
-
- =============================================================================
-
- From: malcolm@cs.su.oz.au (Malcolm Gillies)
- Newsgroups: alt.drugs,alt.psychoactives
- Subject: Re: Interesting LSD/Neuropharm/Psychopathology Articles (improving alt.drugs SNR)
- Date: 11 May 1994 00:04:28 GMT
- Message-ID: <2qp7ec$1d2@staff.cs.su.oz.au>
-
- In article <2qn7ak$rth@news.u.washington.edu> lamont@hyperreal.com (Lamont Granquist) writes:
- > Shen-Y, Monsma-FJ, Metcalf-MA, Jose-PA, Hamblin-MW, Sibley-DR,
- > "Molecular Cloning and Expression of a 5-Hydroxytryptamine7
- > serotonin Receptor Subtype." Journal of Biological Chemistry.
- > Vol 268(24):18200-18204. 25 Aug 1993.
- > [...]
- > Pierce-PA, Peroutka-SJ. "Antagonist Properties of d-LSD at
- > 5-Hydroxytryptamine2 Receptors." Neuropsychopharmacology. Vol
- > 3(5-6):503-508. 1990.
- > [...]
- > Glennon-RA. "Do Classical Hallucinogens Act As 5-HT2 Agonists or
- > Antagonists?" Neuropsychopharmacology. Vol 3(5-6):509-517.
- > 1990.
- > [...]
-
- Lamont, you have to note that 5-HT receptor nomenclature is in a bit of a
- state of flux at the moment. 1993's 5-HT2 receptor is not necessarily the
- same as 1990's 5-HT2 receptor. There is also some discrepancy between the
- nomenclature used by those with a more molbio perspective, and those
- approaching from a more classical pharmacological perspective (i.e. 5-HT7
- is not accepted nomenclature by most pharmacologists).
-
- Defining the exact pharmacological actions of LSD will probably not be
- possible until 5-HT receptor has properly settled down. Note that there
- may be issues of significant inter-species variation here as well
- (rat != human).
-
- Malcolm
- --
- Funk not only moves, it can re-move, dig? -- P-FUNK
-
- =============================================================================
-
- From: "Charles D. Nichols" <cn0p+@andrew.cmu.edu>
- Newsgroups: alt.psychoactives,alt.drugs
- Subject: Re: Interesting LSD/Neuropharm/Psychopathology Articles (improving alt.drugs SNR)
- Date: Fri, 13 May 1994 09:50:24 -0400
- Message-ID: <ghosKUW00WBOI1knYo@andrew.cmu.edu>
-
- Excerpts from netnews.alt.psychoactives: 11-May-94 Re: Interesting
- LSD/Neuroph.. by Malcolm Gillies@cs.su.oz
- > Defining the exact pharmacological actions of LSD will probably not be
- > possible until 5-HT receptor has properly settled down. Note that there
- > may be issues of significant inter-species variation here as well
- > (rat != human).
- >
- > Malcolm
-
- You've got a point there. There are 5HT receptors in worms, insects
- such as Drosophila, all the way through to humans. The 'homologous'
- version of a particular receptor may only have 60% identity from species
- to species. So if you figgure what's specifically going on in one
- system it may be different in another, although the global model of
- what's going on probably (usually) holds. Given that genetics (creating
- transgenics with mutant receptors and such) are difficult to nearly
- impossible in 'higher' animals such as rats and humans it may be
- necessary to study these receptors in a more genetically tractable
- animal such as Drosophila before we really can know how drugs like this
- are interacting with the receptors.
-
- Chuck
-
-
-
- **************************************************************************
- Chuck Nichols
- Carnegie-Mellon University
- Department of Biological Sciences
- cn0p+@andrew.cmu.edu
-
- ************ On a Trip Without a Destination (graduate school) ***********
-
-
-
-