How to have a good acid trip

With LSD making a cultural and scientific comeback, guidance on how to use LSD is needed to steer beginners in the right direction. Many people long to experience the mind-altering effects of this elusive but acclaimed drug that has found an eclectic mix of fans from Michel Foucault to Steve Jobs.

LSD, also known as acid, stands for lysergic acid diethylamide. First synthesized in 1938 by the Swiss chemist Albert Hofmann, it has since achieved a lasting cultural impact, plays a crucial role in the counterculture of the 1960s and 1970s, and holds great promise for psychiatric applications.

LSD has given me an inner joy, open-mindedness, gratitude, open eyes and an inner sensitivity for the wonders of creation … I think that in human evolution it has never been more necessary to possess this substance. It’s just a tool to make us what we should be.

Albert Hofmann

Read our guide to using LSD to prepare for your first acid trip:

Picture from: FLY: D

Basic LSD Terms You Should Know

Micrograms (μg): Usually abbreviated as “microphones”, this is the unit of measurement for LSD. Many consider a “full dose” to be 250 micrograms, since Albert Hoffman first took it when he was using LSD. Apart from that, it is known that LSD has an effect from 20 μg.

Setting and setting: This term was coined by psychedelics advocate Timothy Leary and is a mantra to enable responsible and fun travel. “Set” refers to the mental state during a trip and “Setting” refers to physical variables such as social groups and location.

Tripsitter: Most commonly used in psychedelic situations, this term refers to a specific sober person whose purpose is to guide, support, and guide a person or group who stumbles.

Come up / come down: The “emergence” refers to the time before the climax when the effects of LSD begin to intensify. This build-up can lead to physical reactions including nausea. The “coming down” refers to the time after the climax and does not burden the body as much as the effect slowly wears off.

Microdosing: Microdosing is an increasingly popular method of using psychedelics. Extremely low doses of around 20 μg can be taken to avoid the usual full-body effects of LSD and still experience benefits such as increased creativity and empathy. Learn more about microdosing here.

Entheogenic: An entheogen is any drug that induces mental or emotional changes, as well as behavioral changes, to facilitate spiritual development.

Tips for the process

Most people get their LSD in blotting paper. Each 1 centimeter by 1 centimeter blotting paper usually contains between 150 μg and 250 μg of LSD.

Before embarking on your acid trip, I recommend that you have a small meal and wait at least an hour. This is because you are unlikely to want to eat while traveling, and a heavy meal beforehand may also make you feel more sick or have muted effects. Other than that, the process of dripping acid is super simple:

1. Get the right set and attitude. This can mean meeting up with some close friends for a lazy day at home, throwing wacky movies, or taking a quiet stroll around the neighborhood – it’s different for everyone!
2. Make sure you know how many μg of LSD each square contains. If it’s your first time dropping acid, I recommend trying a 100 mcg dose first to experience a range of its effects, but on a less intense level (lower doses may not deliver the same audiovisual effects). You can cut up the squares to get the correct dose.
3. Put the paper under your tongue and wait. Give it a good 10 to 15 minutes, and when the paper is nice and mushy, swallow it. It is normal for it to have a very slight bitter taste.
4. Let the magic happen!

The effects of LSD usually set in within half an hour. There is an upward phase, a climax, and then a descent that take at least a couple of hours depending on the dose. The entire journey can take anywhere from 10 to 20 hours, although 12 hours seems like a normal travel time for 100 to 250 mcg. Because of the length of an acid trip, I recommend setting aside a full day.

LSD is also very sensitive to tolerance. In general, you should at least wait two weeks if you want to take the same dose again. If you don’t wait at least two weeks, you’ll have to take an exponentially higher dose to feel the same effects.

What to Expect from LSD

The outside world was changed as in a dream. Objects seemed to be gaining relief; they assumed unusual dimensions; and the colors became brighter. Self-perception and the sense of time were also changed. When the eyes were closed, colored images flashed by in a rapidly changing kaleidoscope.

Albert Hofmann

LSD is kind of a miracle. There’s a reason they call it a journey – it really feels like you’ve stepped into another world – after all, it’s considered a hallucinogen and an entheogen, and it also binds to dopamine and serotonin receptors. All of this together means that you will experience a range of intense effects that can promote emotional, mental, or spiritual growth.

Here is a breakdown of the potential impact:

Physical effects:

• Visual and / or auditory hallucinations
• High blood pressure
• Increased sensitivity to body temperature (feeling colder or warmer than usual)
• Increased energy
• Reduced appetite or aversion to food
• alertness
• Tense or tense muscles (sporadic and not constant, more pronounced when standing up)
• Nausea (especially when standing up)

Galaxy brain stuff:

Picture by: Jon Manning

• Ego death
• Harmony with nature
• Spiritual or mystical attunement
• The expansion of your mind and consciousness
• Out of body experiences
• Afterglow (a general feeling of euphoria during the trip, and then an elevated mood for a day or more afterwards)
• Time dilation

safety instructions

As described above, you may encounter some physical ailments during your trip. These come with the territory – don’t worry, you won’t die! It’s important to stay calm, go with the flow, and trust the process. Remember that too drink enough LSD can cause you to expend large amounts of energy without the usual levels of fatigue and thirst.

In addition, the advent and climax can be especially disorienting for beginners, so I recommend staying away from dangerous and unfamiliar places.

As with any drug use, psychological side effects are possible, which is why set and setting are so important, as well as having a trip sitter, at least for the first time. When you feel that a bad trip is about to begin, retire to a safe and comfortable place, relax and meditate, and stay with someone you trust.

Recognize yourself

Astronauts cannot stay in space and LSD experimenters cannot stay in transcendental spheres, they have to return to earth and everyday reality, where the newly acquired experiences have to be evaluated.

Albert Hofmann

How to complete an acid trip Albert Hofmann and other key LSD figures like Alexander Shulgin were meticulous documentarists and kept extensive travel diaries. These individuals were clearly looking for LSD experiences to help them understand their own thoughts, but that may not be for everyone.

If all you want to do is see trippy pictures and have fun, that’s fine too! It is always helpful to understand why you want to travel before embarking on it. Acid trips are long and really let your mind wander. Keeping your goals in mind will make you less likely to get into a bad trip.

LSD can be a great time and produce great results. What do you love most about LSD? Share your thoughts with the community in the comments below!