For the people who use it, LSD is relatively understood; however, numerous myths surround this psychedelic substance first created back in 1938. Lysergic acid diethylamide, sometimes referred to simply as "acid," has been studied for therapeutic uses, mind control applications, and good old-fashioned fun. Unfortunately, plenty of legends and myths about the chemical still stray outside the realm of fact.
Often, people wonder about the effects of acid. From rumors it stays in your spine to claims it makes people think they can fly, there are plenty of urban legends to choose from. While we don't advocate the use of this or any other controlled substance, it's important to clear up some common misconceptions people have about using psychedelics.
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The 'Bad Trip'
That feeling after the drugs kick in and you realize it’s going to be a bad trip. pic.twitter.com/2nhLtmgskM
— Rich Robinson��️�� (@RichRollsDice) September 6, 2018We've all heard legends of the so-called "Bad Trip," but how bad can it really get? Having an adverse reaction to acid usually revolves around a person's fear that they will have an adverse reaction, ultimately resulting in a self-fulfilling prophecy. The reason the rumor is so prevalent has to do with the original Woodstock back in 1969.
Concertgoers were warned to stay away from the "brown acid," which was allegedly "bad" for an unknown reason. This incident evolved into people believing any acid could randomly cause a "bad trip." The legend likely has other substances to thank, since acid is sometimes mixed with various intoxicants without the users' knowledge. When users have an adverse reaction, they may be feeling the effects of those foreign substances.
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The Beatles Connection
You've likely heard the Beatles song "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds," but have you ever noticed the prominent letters in the title? L-S-D! Because those initial letters of the key words form the acrostic LSD, it has long been a widely held belief that the song name is a reference to the hallucinogen.
When the song was released, rumors ran rampant that John Lennon's song was all about a psychedelic trip, but this couldn't be further from the truth. The song was inspired by his 4-year-old son Julian's drawing of a school friend named Lucy O'Donnell. While the myth could be true, Lennon and the others adamantly resisted the claim.
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3It Stays In Your Spinal Fluid Forever
It's a well-known fact that acid users can suffer from flashbacks and a condition called Hallucinogen Persisting Perception Disorder (HPPD). Because numerous people have experienced this sensation, it is widely believed that acid permanently remains in a person's system after use. In most cases, this myth revolves around the substance remaining in the spinal fluid of the user, but experimental evidence has proven this to be false.
The chemical is metabolized in the liver and is removed from the body in five to eight hours in most subjects. There is no evidence to suggest it incorporates itself within the spine in any way.
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Strychnine Is Used To Manufacture It
Strychnine is a toxic chemical, but the belief that it is somehow involved in the making of lysergic acid is fabricated. This myth suggests the chemical is required to bond acid to paper. Others say it's byproduct of lysergic acid synthesis, or that its metabolization produces strychnine in the body. Another rumor is that strychnine is needed to properly store the hallucinogen.
None of these claims are true, but strychnine has been used in villainous plots, which may have given credence to the rumors. Because strychnine is the bitterest known chemical on the planet, it would serve more as a deterrent, but even if it completely covered an acid blotter square, it wouldn't be enough to endanger a life.
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5Acid Will Drive You Legally Insane
According to urban legend, taking acid seven times renders a user legally insane. The theory goes that a person is considered psychotic while under the influence of the substance but will revert back to sanity once it wears off... so long as they haven't taken it seven times in total.
This rumor has no basis in law or the practice of psychology. The myth may have originated among would-be "draft dodgers" in the '60s hoping they wouldn't qualify for service in Vietnam.
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6It Causes Genetic Mutations
Whenever a pregnant woman takes a controlled substance or hallucinogen, people raise concerns of damage to the fetus. In many cases, these concerns are warranted, but the belief that acid causes chromosomal damage and genetic mutations in unborn children is false. Back in 1967, some tests were performed in an attempt to determine the dangers of the chemical to babies in vitro, but those findings have never been substantiated or validated.
Studies conducted in the following years suggest there is no evidence of chromosomal damage in developing fetuses. In 2008, a medical review effectively put an end to the myth: "The available data suggest that pure LSD does not cause chromosomal abnormalities, spontaneous abortions, or congenital malformations."
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It Makes You Think You Can Fly
A common myth is that people think they can fly while tripping. Many people have fallen from windows, balconies, and other locations high above the Earth while on acid, which may explain why this myth is so widespread.
In reality, these falls were either ruled self-harm or accidents resulting from the disorienting effects of the substance. The myth may have started following the highly-publicized passing of Diane Linkletter in 1969. Authorities claim she took her own life and it had nothing to do with acid, but the myth remains.
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8Selling Acid Can Lead To Unexpected Charges
One longstanding urban legend purports that anyone caught selling acid could be charged with attempting to take a life. The legend may come from the potentially lethal effects of the substance, but probably has more realistic origins.
When someone is convicted of selling acid or other Schedule 1 Class "A" substances, they are often given long sentences. With dealers doing long stints behind bars, some customers may have assumed they had been convicted of trying to off their customers.
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9It Can Make You Think You're A Glass Of Orange Juice
In what has to be the strangest myth of them all, there's a rumor that a young man went insane after taking acid and was committed for believing he was a glass of orange juice. In another version of the story, the fellow thought he was an orange. Regardless of what he may have thought he had become, there is no merit to the legend.
This story began popping up in the '60s from an unknown source, and as ridiculous as it sounds, it spread like wildfire. Not only were users of the drug spreading this rumor, anti-narcotics officers were also guilty of spreading it.
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Acid In Temporary Tattoos
When I was in first grade my mom got this warning about “Blue Star LSD Tattoos” from the school. ������ pic.twitter.com/jEyZ5UJyJN
— Visual Kei Yasui (@keiyasui) December 24, 2017In order to ingest acid, the substance is usually added to small pieces of paper and placed onto the tongue to be absorbed. Because of this, a popular legend involving temporary tattoos has been running rampant for decades.
The legend suggests acid is sometimes placed onto temporary tattoos featuring images of a blue star or popular cartoon characters. Children lick the paper to apply the tattoo, which then gets them hooked on acid and expands the local dealer's business to elementary schoolchildren. There has never been a case of this happening and it's a horrible way to distribute the substance. Like the Halloween myth of razor blades in candy, this one is completely made up.
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You Can Make Your Own Lysergic Acid With Bananas
"Believe it or not, bananas do contain a small quantity of Musa Sapientum bananadine, which is a mild, short-lasting psychedelic.”
— Fare_Disfare (@Fare_Disfare) November 18, 2017
William Powell pic.twitter.com/k4El1xaQ6IIf you can't run out and buy your own acid, why not synthesize it at home? That's a question that started making the rounds back in 1967 thanks to a hoax recipe for Bananadine submitted to the Berkeley Barb. The fictional substance was allegedly a hallucinogen chemically similar to lysergic acid that could be derived from banana peels and other common household items.
The whole thing was a farce, but it spread anyway and the recipe was later added to online bulletin boards and even The Anarchist Cookbook. Versions of this myth have spread over the years, but they are all false. Manufacturing lysergic acid requires knowledge of organic chemistry, specific precursor chemicals, and a well-stocked laboratory.
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Tripping Leads To Sungazing
Everyone knows you should never stare at the sun. A passing glance alone causes your vision to blur and leaves the remnants of the star on everything you look at for a few moments afterward. Staring directly at the sun will ruin your vision and can render a person blind. It's dangerous - and also something people associate with those tripping on acid.
This myth popped up in the 1960s thanks to a man named Norman M. Yoder, the commissioner of the Office of the Blind in the Pennsylvania State Welfare Department. When asked why he came up with the story, he said he did so because of his "concern over illegal LSD use by children." Interestingly, there have been cases of people doing this after hearing rumor. One teenage girl stared at the sun while on acid after being warned against it at a school lecture. She thought it "would be a neat thing."
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13Cops Unwittingly Drank LSD
According to this legend, a police officer pulled over a driver he believed to be under the influence. When he saw a water bottle, he demanded to taste the liquid to prove it was liquor. When it turned out to be water, the driver was allowed to go on their way and the cop soon began to trip badly due to the presence of multiple doses of acid in the water.
The myth began circulating in 1970, but there is no evidence it ever happened anywhere.
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Babysitters On Acid Put Babies In Ovens
There are plenty of rumors out there related to the crazy things people do on acid. In most cases, they don't do very much. However, beware of babysitters on acid: They might just end up putting your baby in the oven!
The original myth from the the '60s tells the tale of a hippie babysitter who places a turkey in the bassinet and a baby in the oven. There are many variations of this story involving different types of ovens (microwave, convection, toaster, etc.), but none have been verified... at least not the ones supposedly involving acid.
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