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Comments from LSD Survey 8
"How Has LSD Affected Your Life?"
Collected by Erowid
v1.0 Jun 13 2006
See LSD Surveys 1 through 8 for a list of questions on this and other surveys.

Based on the strongly positive responses we received in early surveys about the effect LSD has had on people's lives, we decided to seek more detail about what kind of effects people had seen. In the final survey, we included an open text field to allow visitors to provide short comments about how their use of LSD has affected their lives.

There is an Erowid axiom that says, "If you put up a web form, people will fill it out." Although we say this somewhat flippantly, it reflects how many people have things they want to express and communicate about their experiences with psychoactives. We collect these in the form of experience reports, but there is also value in asking visitors to distill their thoughts down to a sentence or two. Offering just a short comment field on a survey can allow people the chance to concisely communicate their ideas and thoughts. Although we receive many short, brutish comments, we also get some elegant gems and insightful statements about complex life issues involving the use of psychoactive plants and chemicals.

We ran this micro-survey for sixteen days and received 35,419 valid responses. Out of those, 11,456 included some text comments. When preparing for the Basel LSD Symposium, we sifted through the first 2000 responses, of which 600 had text comments. Of those, we ended up with 398 that were categorized into the following set.

By far the largest and most obvious category of responses were in the mind-opening and changed-perspective theme. With more work, the themes/categories could be better worked out and more differentiation added to the huge "opened mind" theme.

Question: "Do you have any comments on how LSD has affected your life?"

Tentative Themes / Categories
Opened Mind / Changed Perspective #
Provided a deeper unterstanding into the complicated maze that is the human and spiritual soul. A more clear perception of the sorrounding world and new possibilities to interpret it.
It has made me realize how much of a gift life and how we all need to take care of our earth so in the future others will be able to experience the same gift that we have.
Opened my eyes to spirituality. Increased my ability to create & enjoy music. Made me less negative towards others & myself.
Broadened my views on life. made me think in an entirely different way.
Has opened my mind to countless possibilities. Made me more aware of the world around and within. Taught me to never accept reality at face value. Given me a keen interest in consciousness and perception.
LSD has allowed me to witness reality in a perspective that one cannot comprehend in sobriety.
opens mind to new things you wouldnt necassarly be open to.
It has given me an esoteric sense of having seen behind 'the veil'.
LSD was indeed a kind of 'mind expansion' agent for me, opening up what was a rather narrow perception of life. However, I am unable to say if its physical effects were completely benign - the states of our brain health are too complex to assess the effects of only one factor. As yet, I have no regrets.
Opened up my mind and heart to the world.
LSD gave me a new perspective on just about everything that is considered reality. It really allowed me to see the importance of many things that I took for granted--it showed me the fine line between the twisting nether of philosophy and the systematic patterns of science and walked me through both. Without the experiences I've had during unfathomable trips to the depths of my mind and back... I would never understand the world as well as I do today.
I believe LSD further opens up portals in the brain.
Opened my mind - initially made me very vulnerable, then when my situation stabilized... all's well that ends well..
LSD has taught me the basics of a subjective reality. It has shown me that the way I see things is not always the way things are and is not always the way others see things. It has taught me that I can become anything I choose, as long as I remove the restrictions I set on what I can become.
LSD brodened my outlook on life and made me realize the vastnest realitly of life.
It had opened up my mind and made me fearless to the uknown.
it helps broaden my horizons.
Opens my eyes.
I just can say it gave me a better understanding of the world and specially of my brain and my subconsciouness. it also helps with the creativity process.
more open minded.
It opened my mind, then all I got was bad trips.....
See things differently. im in deep thought a lot.
My personal opinion is that lsd opens the mind to more radical thought and is a step in the right direction for humankind.
I liked how it opened my mind.
I started in the 1960's. It's always been a Inspirational, uplifting, and expanded on my perception of being.
Opened the doors of possibilty, of behond, and within.
Opened my mind to a greater future and changed my reality.
Changed my outlook on the universe and nature as a whole.
It can give you a complete different view of the world.
Has made me more readily challenge concepts and pre-conceptions in everyday life.
Made me see the world with diffrent eys.. views.
I look at things a bit differently now.
Intangible openings.
New perspective on things and some wonderful memories. The experience added to my view in lots of things, example: human behavior, social structure and social contracts, laws. In short, how we live our daily lives and why we don't reflect about what we're actually doing or how it's being done. I would call the experience a great insight, but I can understand why people who are scared of asking too many questions call it hippie bullshit.
insight.
My first time I took ten hits of triple dipped acid tabs and lay in a corner for about three hours, barely able to move, sorting out the things going through my head. Everyone was scared. But afterwards, I stood up and seemed to have a new understanding of life.
Without LSD how can one truly understand.
LSD has givin me the a new look at the world.
I feel that my experiences with LSD helped me to open my mind to new ideas and break out of the mold that society has set for us. It helped show me how to think for myself and not just be led around and believe what is told to me. It has helped me find meaning through my depressions. Thank you Albert Hofmann.
I do see things differently. Mentally see and physically see. I tend to think more abstractly. Even with a pot buzz, I tend to hallucinate more than before I took so much acid. Acid is not for someone who does not expect a change in their mentality, or for the weak of mind.
It is an incredible eye opener. It always lets me sort out major issues in my life and look at things with a different perspective. So long as I go into with a positive, open mindset, it always adds a little to my life, making it a richer and altogether more enlightened.
When my door of perceptoin was opened the door was booted off the hinges and ive never desired to hang it back up the world has been a wonderous place ever sience and i plan to keep it that way god bless the gods long live the memorys of our forefathers of pysconaunts.
Nothing is ever the same after you get turned on.
LSD opened my mind to things that had never mattered before for a few mind blowing hours.
LSD made me think about higher things and made me realise the power of my subconscious mind.
From a strong christian/religious background, this has heavily influenced a change/shift in my world view and perspective on life. I still maintain faith, but this drug reveals the ignorance of the public and of what was once myself.
LSD has helped me look at life from a different perspective.
I definitely think about everything a lot more than i ever did before tking LSD
Changed my view of how objective (or subjective as it turns out) reality is.
It has opened doors that have never closed.
I'm now a better person and I expanded my mind.
I beleive it has made me open my mind very much.
More open to different ideas and viewpoints.
It opened my mind.
lsd helped me see many things.
open for more alternate realities.
LSD helped me to become a more relaxed person and to be more free and open in talking with people i dont know. It also expanded my mind a great deal, leaving my mind and imagination much more open and capable of picturing nearly anything, even able to simulate entire scientific experiments within my head.
certailny made me look at things very differently in a positive way.
It's incredibly eye opening. Shows you that life truly is a struggle and that we are not strong enough to figure it out with our feeble minds. My last few experiences have been incredibly stimulating to my own self-awareness and the end result everytime is an overwhelming feeling of my own small size in comparison to the world.
Kind of "opens your eyes" i know it's a clichŽ but it's also true. I view us all as one!"
i have become more understanding of how people think and react, almost giving me foresight into a situation. my experiences with LSD have made me realize the validity of the phrase, "mind-expanding"
It has opened doors to the mind, is this good or bad?
made me more open minded in general.
I'm now more open minded, open to new things. On the other hand, I've had a few bad trips which has caused great anxiety.
Caused me to consider many different things over the following weeks after taking a trip. Gave me a different alternative on viewing life. Nothing to extreme, but enough to remember and view things from different angles.
made it possible for me to look at things from an entirely differnet perspective. i can see differing points of view much more easily, and have become less likely to damn things that are different just because they are different. i have done and tried many things in different cultures because i am more ready to experience different things now, and that has enriched my life through music, food, and activities that i would necer have even considered had i not already opened my mind. .
Appreciation for something which I cannot put my finger on.
I opened up my mind to new experiences, and new thoughts.
Helped me with a few insights.
a beautiful experience out in the woods opened my eyes to something big, that im still trying to grasp right now, im not quite there yet.
LSD makes you more aware of everything that's going on around you. It allows you to see the world for what it really is, as opposed to the extremely fake and hypocritical views that are drilled into people's minds from birth.
Made me take a whole different pespective on everyday life. More positive outlook on the future.
I would say it provided me with a different outlook on everything in life and that is a learning experience beyond anything the mind can normally comprehend.
It has opened my mind in ways never thought possible in a sober manor.
lsd gave me the ability to open my mind in ways that never would have been available to me at that time.
Opened my mind significantly...
it opened my mind and i was able to explore into the unknown parts of my perception.
Breaks down your ego and allows you to view life from a different perspective.
it has really opened my mind... if used safely you can use it to your advantage.
It opened my mind, made me question and think about everything a little more.
opened my mind. made me questioned things. made me want to return to education.
it has made me look at life through a different perspective.
Tripping on acid flung my mind open in ways I previously would have thought unimanginable. everthing around me was new, the way i thought, saw, felt. so that let me experience it all in a new way that was so fundamently clear and right. The experience transfered into my life because i have a newfound awareness of my perception after living one that was so insanly different. life is an amazing and beautiful thing and acid is just a simple key to tear down the walls that confine our minds.
allowed me to realize that things could have just been so drastically different... once you can't trust your eyes, what can you trust??
Opened my mind more.
opened my mind to new things.
LSD awakened me to the Greater Reality in which we all exist but of which we are unaware in our normal limited mode of consciousness.
It opens your mind, what more can i say.
it changes your outlook on everything.
it truly opened my mind quite a bit. I came to realize how insignificant I am in the grand scheme of the universe, and this was actually good, as I am now able to enjoy my life to the fullest with much less stress about the long term effects of my choices--in 5 years, will I care? 10? 20? 100?
LSD expanded my awareness in ways beyond what can be described with words.
helped to open my mind in many different ways.
gave me a new outlook on life and made me realize just how much i really love the beatles.
See the other sides of stuff, diff views.
opened the third eye.
i think lsd can show a part of reality that we cant se in norrmaly state.
I believe everyone should try to experience life from a different perspective, and LSD can do this very well.
opened my mind to a whole new perspective of existence on many levels.
it expanded my vision as a whole. My outlook on life was broadened.
I think that it showed me a new side of life. I was able to see things differently like and outsider would and then when I would come down my life would return to normal but with the thoughts that I experienced while on the trip...weird I know but it allowed me to open up to the world.
Made me think about things i would never think about, it's an idea drug, an inventors drug.
It opened my eyes in a sense. By perceiving things from a novel perspective induced by LSD, I was able to draw conclusions about life and my own personal perspective that I may never have gained without it.
opened my eyes to a whole new world.
My first experiences on LSD took me by surprise. They caused a lot of paranoia and anxiety. I was intrigued and had to find the source. After a series of bad experiences, I was ready to give up, when I had an extremely positive +3.5/+4. It gave me a new perspective and I started to feel that everything would work out in my life. It showed me that things change all the time... Every experience I've had, good or bad, has made me stronger than I was before.
IT HAS OPENED MY THOUGHT PROCESS TO ACCEPT AND APPRECIATE THINGS I WILL NEVER UNDERSTAND.
opened my eyes, my mind, and my spirit.
i look at life in a new way, in a very positive and optimistic way.
LSD opened my mind, and in turn opened alot of doors in my life that may have not been opened otherwise, i feel like it has given me the opportunity to grow mentally, and so much more.
It opened my mind in a time I needed to explore.
certainly a mind opening experience.
After every trip I felt as though I had gained deep insight on the nature of reality.
Completely changed how I look at life's little problems and has made me more open to different outlooks.
at the time I was young and had a small perspective on many aspects of life.Definitly a positive mental stimulation.
mind expansion.
It has opened my mind to new thoughts and ideas.
has helped broaden my outlook and as a result lots of positive things have happened ...and what goes up must come down so maybe the comedown or low back to reality is negative.
I definatly look at everything in a different shade.
Opened my eyes to see through the smoke to the truth.
It gave me a new perspective on the infinite, but I'm not sure that the
Opened my eyes to an understanding that 'point of view' is absoultly up to me.
It shows you things you could never see without it.
In regards to alice affecting my life, there is no good or bad; one does as one must. Alice simply opens doors, doors that can be opened while sober; you spend your time catching up to her.
it had made me more open minded than I used to be.
opened my mind to perception and other view points.
It opened my mind, my soul and reminded me of why I am here.
its like having a higer and deeper point of view than a person normally has.
LSD opens your mind to the possibility that everything is only as yyou perceive it.
realization that the world is entirely different than our immediate experiences allow us to see.
it has opened my eyes to many things & given me incredible sensations & joy.
It made me question everything. It made me see that everyday perception is only a tiny fraction of what 'existence' must be made of. It humbled me.
Using LSD has given me perspective on life. I am able to understand other people's points of view better and make choices in my own life from a more mature standpoint.
lsd has opened my eyes to the world ,no ill effects as of yet.
just enhanced vision ever since, and the ability to think in a different perspective along with my normal senses!
my perception of the world has become more complex and profound, giving a deep significance to existence.
My perception has been widened to an extent that cannot be expressed by words. My concepts of self, society, my spirtuality, have been completely changed.
LSD has helped me look at life from a new perspective. My life has continued to improve since taking LSD. I now have a greater appreciation for nature, and life in general.
LSD has effected my life in a very good way. I have learned to think in a different way, always thinking outside the box. I have a greater ability to come up with new ideas and question ideas that do not make sense.
While I don't do LSD very often I find that after each time that I
It has opened doors to many great thing in life..
It had helped me understand that there is much more to understand than I could ever possibly understand.
It opened up circuits in my brain that were previously hidden. For the first time, you are really
I am now 44 yrs old. I took LSD when I was 20 and 21 and not once since. It was a great experience that opened my mind but I never felt like taking it again and I never lost that psychic ability.
It opened my eyes to the world, let me see situations from points of view I never would've before.
expanded my mind, and my relationships with various people. it has given me a much deeper understanding of life.
more insight, perception heightened, broke free of needless materialistic values.
I wouldn't say there was any life altering religious-esque experiences but it definitely opened up my mind to the mysteries of the human brain.
It opened my mind vastly. I had problems as a teenager and when I started dropping LSD I started to get a more positive outlook on life. LSD is a wonder drug.
made me realize things differently and has let me view things from different perspectives.
it has given me perspective to myself and the world around me.
opened my eyes to how truly unpredictable and fragile life is.
LSD has made me appreciate the world in ways that i didn't use to. I see things differently now, and i just wish that everyone had one experience with LSD to change how we all think and feel.
After every trip i took something away from it and it made me see things differently for the better, it expanded my mind.
LSD would be opened my eyes to this wonderful world.
its changed my way of thikning.
Asking me how acid has affected me is asking me how I have come to grips with my understanding of being. I have come to an acceptance of it rather well, and I have utilized that to my advantage over time.
It changed the outlook of how I view things. I am more involved with nature and horticulture.
Really helps me see things clearer, i'm nearly 50 now and love to trip.
LSD opened up new doors and showed me who i really am. simply life changing.
It taught me to view the experiences of the world with an open mind and not to quickly judge things.
LSD allowed me the benefit of a series of alternate views of my reality and my self. I came out of my experiences inspired and with the feelings of being more than I was before.
it opens your mind you learn new thihgs about your self.
First and foremost it helped me to be free of that little box the Catholic church had raised me in. I became a child of the universe.
it really didnt open any doors for me, but it broke the chains that were holding me back from going threw them.... the doors are always there.....
After taking LSD I am aware of the vast, yet-untapped potential of my mind.
i look at the world a whole new way. i didn't think that my mind could make things do that. i didn't know my mind would let me see things the way i saw them. i feel like i saw a part of the world that only i could see and no one else and that made it special.
truly expanded my perception of
it has helped me to see things from different perspectives.
i think more in depth about things.
it makes one aware of the minds power and the fact that reality can be perceived in different ways under different mental conditions.
opened doors. gave insight to past.
Through Lsd i was finally able to open my eyes to reality and was able to stop lying to myself and others. I learned how to appreciate life for what it is, for what god gave me, and not to spend all of my time worrying about how to get what i didn't have. Over LSD has made my life beautiful again!
It changed the way I saw the world. After my experiences with blotter I saw the world with a much more positive perspective.
opening your mind to what seems to be the oppurtunity into another demension.
lsd is my favourite psychoactive, it really gave me a different perspective of everything, even now.
opened my mind ,made think alot deeper ,work stuff out in my head,released my imagination.
Completely changed my life, my perspective, my views on spirituality, all for the better. I'm a 55 year old father of two wonderful daughters, been married 22 years, love my career. I would never recommend LSD to anyone, though. I don't consider myself an expert on who could handle it and who could not. It's not for everyone...
opened my mind to somethings and inspired me.
It made me see the world in a whole new sense.
I did not realize my eyes were closed until I took LSD for the first time. I was completely against drugs up until I was in my early 20's and one day I decided to experiment. My life completely changed after my first trip. It affected my life in a very positive way. It also affected my life in a not so positive way. My first experience with LSD was around a 1/2 million people. That is definitely not the way to start your first trip. But I tried it at an outdoor concert and I saw things that still give me the chills. The images that I saw I will never forget - I saw a crowd of people standing in front of the stage and they were yelling we don't want to go- you can't take this away from us and at that moment I saw a huge rolling fire that killed everyone in the crowd including me. I continued to see things that day that seemed to be related to the fire incident. I could hear what people were thinking. It was as though someone had turned up a loud speaker and every thought, word, and noise was in my head. After that experience I said I would never do it again, but did. This experience was nothing like the one before - I saw beautiful colors, familar faces that were comforting me and wonderful thoughts and insite. It was so wonderful that when I came back to reality I was extremely depressed. Both experiences had positive and negative thoughts, etc..I only tried it a few times and do not currently use drugs. I have anxiety attacks every once in a while, but I don't think it is because of LSD. It may be related but i think it has more to do with work and society. I am glad that I tried LSD and I have not shared my experience with a lot of people, because people who have not tried it have a hard time relating. I meditate and do yoga to relieve my anxiety and it works. I don't really consider myself a religous person. I think of myself as a more spirtual person now. I believe in a higher power, but I will always have questions. After my experience I set out to find out all the answers of why we here? where did we come from? and where are we going? I gave up worrying and just decided to live. I see life for what it is -
Changed Forever #
lsd will change you forever.
my life is changed because I will never see the world or life as it once was before.
1st time was pretty negative, wrong setting. 2nd time, it was very weak, but interesting. The 3rd time though changed me as a person.
opened doors in the mind that cannot be closed.
nothing ever sounds the same again.
OPENED DOORS THAT CAN NEVER BE CLOSED.
Beauty #
it made me realize the beauty in everything.
It helped realize the beauty of it.
Seem to be able to find good & beauty in most every situation!
it has made me see life in a very different way.
Opened up my perception to other planes or views. made me question the values we are taught, the rules we abide by. Stoped me from accepting
1st taken in 1970. Expanded my awareness of life, and taught me to look outside of the box when the box had previously been Mayberry RFD.
it makes me see things from a different perspective.
Lsd has opened a new door in my life. Opened my mind for everything that i thought were too wierd for me before. My thoughts are much more clearer and after i felt that first
It has allowed me to see 'clearly'. Unfortunatly, the world that I see around me is largely an ugly place.
more observant.. enjoy the beauty around like never before.
it makes me appreciate fucking everything. it expands and opens the mind. everything makes sense and everything is beautiful.
My lsd experiences have opened up my appreciation for life, death and especially nature. It has helped me to see the beauty in everything, and love myself and everything around me.
I see the world in a whole new way. I would have never seen life as beautiful as I do now with out LSD. Plus how much more intelligent i am.
It has allowed me to think more openly and see everything as it truly is... beautiful. It has also let me resolve some personal problems. LSD has definitely changed my life for the better.
It showed me a balance in life between that which I understood and that which is beyond my personal comprehension. It showed that there are things which are beyond my physical control but within the realm of my own energy to accept and find change in the areas which I need them. True beauty in this world was revealed and the dredges of every day life were shown to have meaning that consequentially made my understanding of my own world widen and allowed me to find comfort in the days which I previously thought would have no end.
Spirit / Mystical Insight #
One particularly massive dose gave me first-hand experience with what the Mystics are talking about when they say "We Are All One." I was not ready for that bomb, but it did not mean madness; it meant spending the next 15 years studying philosophy and experimenting with my experience of consciousness. It helped me evovle.
I now know there is a reason behind everything...providence.
Permanently altered for apprehending the transcendent object.
Take experiences more strongly and has opened up my mind.
LSD has made me more in tune with my true nature, while simultaneously allowing me to understand the world more objectively.
It is really tough to put into words but i would say im a little more spiritual and thati have a sense of acceptance towards other people and especially towards ideas out of the mainstream, not as close minded.
I am more aware of energy flow.
It has awakened my spiritual side. It has made me more peaceful and understanding of otheres. People who I would normally hate I instead have pity for. It has deepened my appreciation of certain works of art as well.
Allowed me to see my inner being.
LSD has given me greater understanding of how all things are connected to all other things, how we exist within larger systems just as smaller systems exist within us. lsd has given me a new context with witch to view the world i live in, and has thus profoundly effected the way that i exist in that world. i.
It has opened my mind and made my life a more intense and spiritual happening, which I now trie to live more fully and conscious.
Very religious and eye opening.
It invented my spirit in full tecnicolur.
Let me 'see' God, quit alcohol, improved my life immensely.
I got there - I KNEW, for one glorious moment, the entire secrets of creation, the Universe. Once I had experienced that, there was absolutely NO POINT in ever taking LSD again! I knew God, and, excuse my presumption, for that 'moment', was AS God. Yeah, the visuals I could handle again, but not the spiritual/physical side of the drug.
Experiences were immensely spiritually redefining. Much of my reality has been expanded (not simply altered) permanently... I find beauty where I never knew to look. I am more introspective, questioning individual perceptions, I write, play music, draw. I find abstract, non-material fulfilment in the present moment in all states of mind as a result of past trips that have led me to bold, brave new understandings.
I feel more open to the world and more religous: I feel Gods presence when I'm trippin.
I have an entirely new outlook on everything and every single part of my life. I have become a buddhist and have taken up painting.
would never have comprehended the spiritual side of life without it.
It has provided a wide open and clear vision for me. words can't describe about my feelings before lsd and after lsd.it was a re-borning. it was a purification of soul. i know who i am now and what i want from this world and beyond. I'm 26 years old and i can only say that i first took lsd 3 years ago and i'm 3 years old now.
left indelible imprints on my sense of the soul.
Spiritually, Emotionaly for the better. Self medication.
it stopped me from drinking, as i was an alchoholic. turned me onto a path of spirituality, and pointed me towards shamanism.
incouraged me to follow a more spiritual and forfilling life. I appreciate more natural things.
Opened up the deeper parts of my psyche for my viewing and also helped me to understand in ways I didn't think existed. As a result of the latter, I have become far more calm and quiet. Things I consider hand in hand with continuous enlightenment.
Haven't taken LSD for 2 years now, residual positive effects include increased ability to meditate, i.e. clear mind. Ability to experience life without thinking/evaluating/judging it. DIfficult to say if this was facilitated by LSD or caused by it, either way it did play a role.
Connection to the divine, inner knowledge of self, appreciation of nature. And a bloody fun time!"
It helped me find my faith again.
Spiritual enhancement.
made me more aware of my being.
lsd opened my mind to a more spiritually inclined point of view, that may well have remained constricted by social and religious limitations. Most importantly, it has freed me to accept without judgement- any thing, any one!
LSD is unique in its ability to connect me spiritually to myself. It gives me a completely different view on life and on life's problems. I reach conclusions and ask questions I never would have if not for this. This is the only drug I have experienced that has helped me after I use instead of hindering me and my ability to think. I dont understand why LSD is considered to have such a damaging and counter-active effect effect on society. If anything, used correctly I believe it could bring society closer together, not tear it apart.
I believe in God more and more whenever I trip; it's a coming together with a deity on a completely new and radical level.
60's high usage. Gained deeper perceptions of creation and the universality of all things that has helped with my spirituality though stopped taking drugs 30+ years ago. When taken with a serious and religious intent it can bring one great insight.
Exploding increase in perception and sensativity to metaphysical awareness.
It has given me a direct link to god.
For me it has some musical talents and left me with a weeker will power against drugs. At the same token acid helped me relize my demons, and come to God. Jesus is the savoir, thats what the first step was to unlocking wisdom, and that is to know where it came from.
Religiously expanded my world view.
It gave me achance to step back and look at life from a nonbias perspective and has helped me become more in touch with myself and also hieghtened my spirituality. YAY! Im much cooler now too.
Intellectual Insight #
LSD altered my perception of how well we actually understand modernity. The discussions I had on LSD significantly affected my understanding of where society is, particular relative to where it's come from, and our understanding of that. Also, shortly after using LSD, the manner i go about using substances has changed. Essentially, I no longer seek a high, and am instead looking more to explore the mind expansion side of substance use. As a consequence of this, I've quit drinking and, for the most part, social marijuana smoking.
I was torn between 'somewhat' and 'very positively,' because I didn't want to exaggerate. But LSD has significantly aided me in better understanding the ideas resting on a sort of dynamic network structure in my philosophy studies. Emotionally, it was a real help through tough times. I've not used it in a number of years, but only because I can no longer safely and reliably procure it. I know it can be a double-edged sword for some, but I've nothing but glowing reports regarding my past LSD use.
I gained better understanding of everything that is.
it has given me the power to analyse my dreams because my last trip was a dream i could control completly. I just want to say that lsd is one of the strangest drug i ever had taken but again it is a lesson to dream!
Taking high doses of LSD has put me through some odd and unusual mental circumstances. i feel it taught me to better control my thoughts and emotions under uncomfortable situations and the like.
Has made me more aware of the way life works, is organized. What possibilities exist and that life is one big game that can be played the way YOU want it. Experiences mainly 9 years ago but still valid.
Expanded my understanding, led to exploration of further psychoactives which have improved my life through better understanding of my mind.
It sweept the cob weds out from the hiden parts of my brain. I pay alot more attenion to details .
It has helped me see that there is always a positive side to life.
It fostered an inquiring and ecclectic mind.I used it over 400 times, and quit about 20 years ago. I don't need the trip any longer. The trip and I sort of became one.
helped me understand myself and bit better and what true mental pain is.
I have found new levels of thinking that dont translate into normal thinking. It is a world that is completly seperate from this paradigm of thinking.
has broadened my perspective on complex systems and increased my ability to seek solutions to problems.
LSD has been a valuable tool when it comes to letting me experience abstract concepts in religion and philosophy, which is helpful both for my spiritual and academic growth. Personally it has helped me to deal with feelings which otherwise go ignored, and to be grateful for the life I have.
invaluable contribution to understanding and acting according to the ecology of the mind, body, and soul.
"it's given me new philosophies and I am somewhat more confident".
LSD has caused my mind to think on a level it never has before. I have always thought that way but when I got older the effects of society led to believe that the only way to live is through material possesions. After tripping a numerous amount of time I have found that life has a lot more to offer than the material things that Americans strive to own.
I feel that LSD has given me the ability to look beyond things - to look deeper into subjects and find out what really causes thigns to happen. It has also led me to see that things are not always what they seem.
An introspective analysis of my personality and the world that I live in. I have broken down limiting beliefs and been able to see more clearly the true nature of this world. LSD has helped me understand the importance of peace and meditation in my daily life.
it has shown me that although we may perceive things in such and such a way that perception sheds no light on how things actually may be. My limited LSD use (2 times) has fostered my sceptical beliefs and has driven me to find a deeper more definite answer to what actually is.
Positively I have had my mind opened up to all possibilities both pysically and sociologically. Negetively, recalling events and stories of events before my lsd "phase" is a bit garbled.
New View of Ordinary / Nature #
LSD showed me that there is a vastly interesting world that lies just beneath our own, where the mundane can become fantasic, and the experiences of the "day-to-day" can be drasticly enhanced. After taking LSD, I felt more in tune with the aesthetics and emotions that make life truly incredible.
the trip really made me appreciate more nature and how stunning it can look, especially when tripping.
It has provided me with a general attention to the finer details of existence...
I find I generally enjoy everything, especially nature, to a much greater degree. I feel like I have more precise muscle control as well.
it really made me realize that the ordinary can be extraordinary.
It opened my eyes to a lot of things that I did not feel were important but now are the most important to me.
It certainly changed my view on nature and the innate connection all living organisms have.
see thing differently explore normal everyday things.
I [have] a revelating feeling of affinity to nature that I still feel to this day.
refreshing reconnection to the world and nature. it made me more apprehensive about today's society, i feel like i'm being misled by society more than ever. i also found it to be a strong anti-drug for me, i don't feel that i need drugs/alcohol regularly anymore. overall positive experience, i plan on using doing it again occasionally, probably only a couple times a year.
changed my life. made me a better person, much more introspective and appreciative of nature and the little things in life.
Healing / Catharsis #
It awakened me, freed me for a few moments to explore myself deeply and see the world through beautiful refreshing eyes. It made me like myself more. It made me see what's valuable. It made me want to change things that really weigh me down and stop me from being the kind of person I aspire to be. Maybe this will sound like a load of...but it made me like myself again. It's been years since I haven't looked at my reflection with distain and humiliation. It gave me new perspective on fundamental truths about my personality.
In 1990 i took LSD for the last time and I had some real emotional difficulties. I felt like after i came down i was still tripping. I felt an intense feeling of panic, which led me to panic atttacks and therapy. Looking back I would have to say it actually woke me up to the reality of my mental illness. I was as a youth and teenager very bi-polar. I could be the most popular talkative kid one day and the next a terrified wallflower. The LSD brought to the forefront my disorder and i received help. I do not think i would have ever entered theraphy are considered using Medication if i had not taken the LSD. At the time, i felt like I ruined my life and my mind. Now i feel I have grown so much because i have learned lots about the human mind and emotion. I probably would not take LSD again, but i have taken Mushrooms,smoked pot and morning glory seed with in the past five years. I just feel LSD is unpredictable and i do not want to go down that road again.
I have troubles with depression and anxiety, and the acid trip had some severe effects on my anxiety. I felt it as a seperate entity, but attached to myself, so that it was unescapable. At the same time, it was an incredibly beautiful experience. I walked away from it with the knowledge that i had to take care of the problems within myself before any further experimentation with psychedelics. Since then, I have been very serious about seeing therapists, and my anxiety is pretty much nonexistent. I still have troubles with depression, but not to the same extent. I definitely look forward to a time when I will be able to get the full effects of the psychedelic experience without being weighed down by the chemical imbalances within me.
Self- discovery and subsequent reckoning with childhood trauma is beneficial. self actualization was helpful in choosing a course for life. LSD shows the user the paths and it is up to the individual to pick right or wrong. it simply illuminates the chess game of life. Your move.
LSD has helped me with my depression. It helps me think thru my problems.
It has turned on a switch in my brain that will never be turned off. I have a greater appreciation of almost all aspects of life, and a new perspective on all near and dear to me. It is like the best psychotherapy or counelling money can buy.
At the time. iwas depressed..but it opened o door in my brain.. like a sixth diminsion. Great Chemical.
From a 'Fun' Party Experience to a Healthy Ego. The first time I ingested LSD was at a party in 1988. After my initial experience, I thought that I might be able to use the substance as a mode of therapy rather then something to take as a party drug. LSD allowed me to undergo a very heavy duty psychic deconstruction of sorts. It ripped my fears, anxieties, quirks, family problems and much more out of their hiding places in my psyche and allowed me to 'see' them for what they really were-- baggage. Useless emotional baggage. I was able to correct bad my behaviours, overcome emotional obstacles and really undo the mess my upbringing piled up around my ego. A became what I believe the Scientologists call "Clear". Of course, it was not without cost, contrary to what Aldous Huxley asserted in 'Brave New World Revisited'. I had to put the pieces of my mind back into place myself after rending my personal daemons from their steely hold on my ego. I wouldn't want to do THAT again! A Big Challenge. After my son died in 1990, I was left in a position that no one ever prepares any of us to be in. I was chronically sad; my heart was crushed; my hopes and dreams dashed against the rocks as if they were nothing but delicate Hungarian crystal being run over by a sherman tank. SIDS support groups were useless to me. My wife wasn't able to help me and neither was 'traditional' therapy. The largest catalyst for me regaining my health back was LSD and my ability to use it as a substance of therapy. It took almost a year for the theraputic effects to kick in but now, 15 years later, I am able to deal very well with my son's death. I used to have a hard time dealing with infants, as in I didn't put myself in a position to look at them, know people with them or be around people who still had their children. The long and the short ot it is that once I was ashamed of having been a father and now I am proud of it. The post-death stressors just don't affect me the way they did before my self-administered therapy.
It was very cathartic.
I saw the life inside me and it's infinite potential. it liberated me from something that felt very heavy on me, and now i am free to be who i know i really am. i am learning to be more me everyday now. i don't know if it would have happened or not without the acid, but i do relate it strongly to it.
There is no words that can be expressed as to how LSD has helped me to get my life in order. I suffer from very suviore deppression and on several occasions LSD has let me see everything from a whole new perspective. In some of these siutations it was litterally between life and death.
My last LSD trip was extremely horrific, but as I came out of it there was a feeling of having overcome a hardship, having faced the most intense fear I could probably feel without going completely insane. Though it was an awful experience, it is not one I would renounce because it was therapeutic in the way of facing not a fear, but fear itself.
I have in my experimentation experianced 3 "bad trips" all of which had massivly positive consiquences. They have alowed me to tap into painful areas that it seems to me moden men are conditioned to block out and bury within them selves, and for this im am eternally greatful. Thanks to LSD, and in particular my more difficult experiances i feel i am a stronge more centred person.
Great.i become better and happy person.no more depresions.love it.
It helped me realize a real problem in my life. It was easier to fix once I knew what was wrong.
One night I overdosed on LSD and had the most miserably frightening experience of my life... By the end of it I had taken a good look at myself and my personal habits and proceeded to break down, by sobbing hysterically, in reflection of the vices that had taken over the person that I once was. LSD helped me take a LONG, HARD look at my own self from the complete opposite perspective. If I hadn't overdosed on that LSD that day... I would probably be blindly stuck in my every day vices. .
Lsd was the catalyst for the greatest transformation in my life - it was both my poison and my remedy; terrifying me beyond my wildest dreams whilst simultaneously gifting me with the most sublime lessons!
Physical (?) Health Improvement #
I had injured my eye, punctured 3 layers of my cornea and scraped the 4th. and my vision was not 20/20 anymore. i forget the exact ratio. the doctors gave me steroid drops for my eye along with other meds. but my vision was never back up to 20/20. until my pilgrimage back to joshua tree national park. after that "trip" my vision was somehow completely restored. maybe coincidence, maybe not. i beleive it was the LSD.
Maturation #
"LSD puts things that I may be trying to hide from myself out in the open and allows me to truly evaluate how i feel about these ideas. It has helped lead me down a path of self discovery that may never had otherwise occured. It keeps me real and in charge of my life.
At the time of my most heavy experimentation,it appeared to have negative effects on me, but now that several years have gone by those trips seem to have granted strength and also have helped me to become who i am today-which i am extremely greateful for.
Felt like Child #
I felt like a child on LSD. Definatly an adventure.
It made me 'feel' like a 5 year old. I didn't know what the feeling was like.
Motivation or Idealism #
Taking LSD made me realize what I wanted from my life, and since then, while totally sober, I've had this tremendous momentum to go out and do the things that must be done to make my aspirations a reality.
Take Life More Seriously #
i'm forced to take my life seriously...
Creativity : Art or Music Creation #
It has helped me with the creative process and the ability to evolve ideas into reality.
Expanding creativity. dissolving boundaries, eliminating anexiety. releasing tension.
LSD has influenced me in just about every area of my life. I am a musician and artist, and it was an invaluable tool for my development.
Its made me a sweet artist....And my outlook on life has become as open as a book.
It's been an interesting perceptual catalyst. The experiences I've had with LSD and other psychedelics have given me some very useful insights into different modes of artistic experience, which I've later been able to put into use in my own compositional work. Granted, there have been a few problematic 'trips' over the years, but by and large I think the benefits of the chemical(s) have certainly outweighed the downsides. .
It has made me search for creative ways to express my feelings about everything. It has also seemingly opened my mind to a world of hate and control that my virgin mind may have never noticed, but the lsd subculture may have contributed to that. In that sense it could be considered negative but these are things I'd rather face than submit to.
Increased motivation and joy for everyday life. Appreciation of nature and beauty. My personal music has been greatly influenced and improved due to my acid sessions... not to mention acid got me into some styles and theories that I otherwise may have thoughtlessly overlooked. I also learned a lot about life and our culture observing things while under the influence of lsd, many of these things I will never be able to put into words.,,, but there is no need to decribe my dream, I just tell people we're living it.
lsd is really a good way for me to think deep and come up with new ways to evolve my art and music..
Allowed me to be more creative.
It hasn't majorly affected my life, but definently helps with my poetry and insight upon the world and myself.
im a more thoughtful and insightful person and the music i write now is fuckin sick.
I have a better appreciation for color.
Changed Job / Career / Life Direction #
I was working for the local newspaper in Virgina and, after my first trip, i was so profoundly affected, i called in 'sick' to work saying I had been sick for a long time, but now i was better. Ostensibly, I called in "well" to work. and never went back: for the better.
It has given me a different outlook on life and has helped me realize that I have a lot of potential and to strive to work harder on my personal goals.
It hepled me pay more attention to the often ignored details, and helped me appreciate the things that don't get as much attention as they should. It also helped me to see past the insignificant things that we all find so important in our lives, and to look for more important things to spend my time doing.
It has put me back in touch with , my real goals in life, respect 4 nature ,and made me quit other more destructive substances and lifestyles .
It has given a lot of perspective, deep insights, brought to surface things that are hard to notice. Usually after LSD-experience I feel energic and determined for quite a while.
Helped me make difficult life decisions and carry them out in a positive way. Helped me avoid bad situations at parties by improving my analytical abilities.
After several trips, and wanting to make some changes in the world, I realized that I needed to finish school so that someday I could make these changes. Then finished undergrad, med school, and became a doctor, and feel good about the changes I am helping make come about.
It made me realize things that need to be done in my life.
I sat in a closet and tripped out for a long time, rethinking my entire life. In all it made me change alot of things that where going wrong in my life and become a better person.
Helped me re-evaluate my priorities, change to a less stressful lifestyle, and enjoy more of each moment. Sorry to sound so cliched, but it seriously changed my perspective on life.
The new and complex brain paterns learned under the influence of LSD has freed my mind and allowed my creativity to syrocket as a result.
Art or Music Appreciation / Understanding #
LSD gave me a better view of art,and has even gotten me an artistic ability!!
Enhanced baseline aesthetic appreciation. Slightly clued in to 'Cosmic Joke'.
It only changed my likes in music.
LSD enabled me to develop an appreciation for certain styles of music.
LSD has enhanced my artistic point of view, shifted my musical interests, and gave me new insights to life. Unfortunantly, because of the harshess of the laws, My LSD experiences have never been "pure", and have always been plauged with paranoia.
No Effect #
Made for a couple special nights, but no life altering exp.
Hasnt really made an effect. It was fun though.
Added an interesting experience, but nothing extraordinary.
Had two very fun experiences but I wouldn't say either of them have had a long term effect on my life.
Only made me late for work the next day ;).
I had both wonderful and scary experiences. I can't say that it had lasting affects into middle age. But I am glad I did it.
I have noticed no real effects. Probably a little more open minded.
LSD never really affected my life. I never got busted or had any kind of problems. I did however have a couple of "bad trips".
It didnt affect my life very much, you ppl are just trippin... its a drug, and you trip... allthough it can help you make art... it is creative drug.
Fun, but not life-changing.
I love it, it hasn't affected me negatively in any way, only been a lot of fun.
Mixed Effect #
It«s hard to judge afterwards. was a mind-opener at first but after a while it became boring and meaningless.
Professionally and socially, i would be better off if i had not taken it. My personal life experiences are probably greater for having done so. All in all, I wish i had not done as much and more selectively.
LSD changed my outlook on life completely. I am proud to say I'm more liberal and accepting today. A long drug problem with the hard drugs followed my heavy use of LSD, though.
It has changed me so that i can never be howi was before...but I'm not sure thats a good thing...or a bad thing.
It has given me a better outlook on life at times. It has made me appreciate life a little more. It has also made me a little less social at times which is really the only negative side affect.
It made me more aware of my surroundings and more artistically inclined but effected my concentration. I now zone out periodically.
Gave me minor tracers for about two weeks after use (fun but seemed threatening at times...). Gave me new insight on myself and life (very positive).
enhanced my spirituality & latent paranoid tendencies, made me aware of multiple reality layers, etc.
Though I don't really do it nearly as much as I did, I had a period of intense usage, as with most everything I dabble in, I go to an extreme. It did leave me a bit more cynical than before, and that much never changed back, but not in a way that has been prohibitive. Otherwise, I certainly believe it has been an all-in-all consciousness-expanding venture.
LSD has given me another perspective from which to view both the world and my mind. I think at times it may have scatered some of my focus, but LSD also pulled me out of a prolateriate cycle of work/sleep/work. I use it sparingly.
Envisioning the interconnectedness of everyting. That is the positive. The not so positive would be on some occasion not being able to tear myself away from the thoughts of connectedness with everything.
While hallucinogens in general are partially to blame for bring a schizo active mental abnormality to the surface, LSD helped greatly in teaching me to control some of the problems and how to move on.
positive is gave me a better understandng of the world around me the negative caused the usual short-term depression etc but I got over it and continue to enjoy with greater understanding than ever. T,38. UK.
Has profoundly changed/altered the way I perceive and view the pathways open to me in my life. Has also provided some of the more memorable and unforgettable visions I have ever experienced. On the other hand, I have also lost months of time where I cannot recall what has happened.
more or less confused me.
I only took one hit of acid one time. The experience was both frightening and enlightening. I felt as if my mind was an open book, but at the same time, I experienced what seemed to me like insanity. I still carry a lot of these feelings, years after I took acid.
Increased sense of spirituality at the obvious cost of braincells. A very insightful life lacking any real durability.
Bad Trip #
I had a very intense bad trip once, almost killed myself and almost killed some friends . Never more.
HPPD / Health Problems #
HPPD is a very real condition, I have since taken a complete hiatus from psychedelics until my eyesight returns to normal.
I see spots constantly blurred vision back problems.
Lots of fun then one bad trip was the last one, that one blew my life off track and put me into depression for around 6 months. Not the only factor, of course. I was 20 maybe. I'd do mushrooms again but not sure about lsd -- it's very powerful.
I see shit move constantly. Aspect on things after were altered.
Sometimes i think i have alot of body aches and a little bit of a memory problem due to acid. but who knows it may just be me slowing down im 25 now.
I see fuckin orange balls flaoting about.
Acid has permanently affected my vision giving me hppd, but it only bothered me for a little while. But now its fine. I learned a hell of a lot from my experiences as well.
Anxiety #
Resulted in anxiety and new fears never before thought of. Change of way I looked at life.
Given me extreme anxiety, also a whole new outlook on life.
Mental Health Problems & Flashbacks #
i am never sure of anything anymore i dont even know if my brain is im my skull.. its trippy but some times i get tired of these mixed perceptions.. its fucked im still fucked up.
It's basically made me insane. I have been cursed with HPPD and constant hallucinations of things unexplanable, and when I try to explain what I am seeing I sound like a complete nutball. I will never touch LSD again intill I'm ready to die.
I've suffered for nine years of flashbacks, saw things I can't describe to my psychologists. I take medicene for the flashbacks. Sometimes it helps and sometimes it dosen't.
Schizophrenia says it all.
Changed me forever. made me self conscious, paranoid, and no self esteem.
bad trips, flashbacks.
i suffer from depression and have a lot of negative thoughts. I sometimes think this was bought on by the expeirences i had, but smoking pot surrely doesn't help.
after one bad trip, don't even bother trying it again. maybe a cause of some long-term generalized anxiety.
IT BROUGHT OUT BI-POLARISM.
after an overdose on LSD I had delusions and hallucinations for year afterwards. And what the "doctors" wanted to give me didn't do anything (ie merraril, thorazine, haldol) and I had panic attacks for about 10 years, for which I *was* succefully treated medicinally. Some of the trips I wouldn't trade for anything, some of ths ites I've seen. But the long term part i could do without.
social anxiety/depression, saw more of the light and dark side of things, felt mixed emotional ups & downs 6 months/1 year after last dose.
my vision and perspective have been altered... slight flashbacks.
I'm a lot dumber than i was before i have taken LSD.
I am now unable to stare at a dark ceiling without seeing it swirl. For a while it contributed to paranoia, but that has ceased over time. I was admitted to hospital with psychosis after taking LSD (although I believe the combination of ketamine and others probably influenced this reaction). After that, I have treated drugs with an increased respect and will categorically never touch LSD again (just the thought of it terrifies me).
It definitely affected me mentally over time, I am slower to retain information now, I forget a lot. It did, however, enable me to objectively look at my own mind in ways that were lost to me in reality. I would say it's a good experience, but don't overdo it. .
I see objects all day long. I can't live my life normally, I'm always scared. I am unable to do school work any longer. .
It has made me paranoid.
Everything isn't reall anymore. I feel lke everything is a own seperate uniserse and i live on some fogheren planet....c i cant even spell fogheren plaanet.
Relationships / Empathy / Understanding Others #
i feel that i am more observant and more capable of close relationships. i previously wasn't for a long time after a very bummer relationship.
LSD made me feel more caring and respectful towards Friends and Family than I ever have.Experiencing these new and very strong emotions made a deep and lasting impression on my morals, and the way I treat others.
Showed me a new way to view the world. Whats really important and gave me a new philosophy on how to treat my fellow man.
15:4:13 it made me a happier person and less of an asshole to people.
LSD has helped me become a more social person, acid turned me from an angry, depressed hermit to a social loud freak, and I couldn;t be happier now.
most profound lasting effect seems to be on social situations. i wish i could be specific about what i mean by that, but i can't .
it's extended my ablity to see the world the way it really is rather than what it clames to be. It's decreased my shyness and has improved my ablity to deal with people and life better.
Gateway Drug #
It encouraged me to explore more dangerous drugs.
Fear of Death #
It helped link all my thoughts to create a unified thought, and expelled my fear of death.
Category Unknown #
Exploring subconsciousness in such a way LSD provides teached me that there are things in life other than materialistics.
Brought me closer to the truth. helped me in accepting who i am. tought me how to love. Made music sound bad ass. Found my true friends.
i have become more in peace with myself and others it was the most fun i've ever had.
It's allowed me to fix a lot of subconscious issues that I had, as well as expanding my mind, knowledge, experience etc. It has had some negative affects, such as bad trips, but overall it has been positive, and the positivity far outweighs the set backs.
It helped me become more benevolent, contemplative, and more concerned about people's feelings as well as my own health.
Got rid of all that was bad in my upbringing, ridiculous inhibitions etc - the sort of thing that are oddments of religious hangovers/superstitionsdating back to witchhunt days; most of all - developed my ability to empathise.
Before I took LSD, I was a kid who took drugs to get messed up. The day I tried LSD for the first time I matured more in 12 hours than I had in 3 years. For the first time since I had become a teenager life was not about getting messed up off of drugs. Suddenly life had a new, unexplainable meaning, which has stayed with me to this day.
i hold that my use of lsd has improved my understanding of both my own psyche and that of my fellow humans. i also believe that lsd has allowed my a closer contact with my more primal and psychic insticts.
The first effect was a rearangement of my values (all vestiges of materialism were abandoned). My senses have been permanently heightened. Also I feel many emotions that I couldn't feel before. All my trips were extremely positive except for my last wich I originally thought was terrible. I was severely traumatized for 3 years but now I see myself as being a much better person than I was before I had my last trip. I now see this last trip as a rite of passage or as a catalist for change and maturation. LSD has not necessarily made me happier but it has definetely made my life richer and it has made me much more intelligent. I often feel isolated from other people and I feel very much at odds with mainstream society, but I have had experiences in which I feel that I have made a true connection with others. The main drawback to my situation right now is that my LSD use has made it difficult for me to concentrate on trivialities which sometimes must be dealt with.
I was a liar, a thief, and a cheater. I was a sneaky, nasty person who secretly hated people and resented myself. While other people went to college to get ahead, i used it to start over. I used it to completely erase my ego in order to recreate myself. It worked perfectly. Unfortunately, it took a few years for the left side of my brain to recover. for example, there were times i would look at words and only see unrecognizable symbols. so..that was a challenge. I had a hard time holding a job (or a conversation). Eventually I recovered, after years of re-educating myself and redifining my pragmatic and spiritual values, I'm a big-time family man with a great daughter. I'm #3 man for an IT Security start-up and we are making millions. I still love Aminita, weed, and (very rarely) e. The difference is, today I do everything in moderation and can get the most out each experience without all kinds of issues to work though. ;)