The last time I took acid I went insane...

[Sam]

The LSD companion to the weed thread.

I started this thread because I am quite curious about acid. I've heard a lot of dodgy things about it and by all accounts it's best to stay away, but I can't help but think I might be missing out on some harmless trips.

Who here has taken it? What's it like and what would you recommend about it or warn about it?

I have bipolar disorder so taking acid probably isn't a good idea (mind you neither is all the weed I smoke).

I don't think I even know anyone who I could get acid off in the first place.

[Analrapist]

"SAM IN STARTING DRUGS THREAD SHOCKER"

[sproggy]

Jesus Sam... grow up.

If anyone is going to have a bad trip it's you so why not take your favourite lecturer along for the ride?

[Johnny Yesno]

I have bipolar disorder so taking acid probably isn't a good idea (mind you neither is all the weed I smoke).

Both points probably true. I wouldn't recommend either to anyone with mental health problems. Lucid dreaming sounds much more the ticket - P K Duck started a thread on that recently.

[Sam]

Grow up? I'm just curious, I'm not an acid-head. And I don't smoke weed with me lecturer, just chat to him after I have been smoking.

[Neville Chamberlain]

Stop taking fucking drugs you twat.

[Pinball]

Internet group encourages drug abuse - Special Shocking Report

"My 9 year old son said he'd tripped on acid", Labia Tangential, an Acorn classification 56 mother and former Page 3 tart, told The Scum. "And I hold those bluescreen bastards at cookdandwangd wholly responsible". "It's like they captured, tortured and raped me for 6 days. Except they didn't".

The owner of the site, Neil Monsoon (Acorn classification 1), laughed at us and refused to comment. He was seen near a Mercedes S600, and we wouldn't be at all surprised if maybe that's his car.

The Scum says: the Internet is dangerous, and should be locked up. Think of the children!

"I meant sulphuric acid that went all over the lab floor at school," the corrupted little angel told us later, but he was lying. The Internet does that to kids. The shame of it!

"I haven't seen the report, but clearly a crime has been committed, and they should all be locked up", Tessa Jowell told The Scum.

"What's, like, the problem, dude old chap?" David Cameron is reported to have said on the street. But not to us, to someone else. Possibly.

Questions have been asked in Parliament, and Tony Blair has promised a radical root and branch review and overhaul. In a year's time. Honest.

Undercover reporters from your favourite paper tried to log onto the thread in question today, but mysteriously the site was down, allegedly due to "too many users". The dirty, lying bastards!

Further report on page 9: How the new Internet drug horror could affect your house price, and cripple you financially so you have to work at McDonalds, even on Saturdays.


Lord Rothschild of Barclay's Shaft: "Oh Lord, please keep prices going up, and ignore those drug-addled Acorn classification 42 bastards".
Sir Carmichael Suction: "But, Your Emperor, prices have been going down for ages. Those are adjusted figures."

[Victoria]

Stay the fuck away from acid if you're bipolar.

Read this - http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=2423253

[Sam]

Says I need to log in. Can you paste it into this thread?

[Bigflood]

Listen to Jeff and stay away.

[Victoria]

Says I need to log in. Can you paste it into this thread?

Sure!

"A little more than a week ago, on March 31st, I took two hits of acid (turtles, for those who know), intending to trip. It was 4:40 in the afternoon, on a gloomy gray day in Green Bay. I had the house to myself all day, until about midnight, and I was feeling pretty good about myself. Wasn't really worried going into the trip.

I should have thought more about what I did. I'd only taken acid once before, and a single hit at that, so I wasn't really prepared for it. I also took it alone, which was very very very stupid of myself. I can't really believe, in retrospect, that I did that. I'm usually very strict about having a trip sitter along with psychedelics.

Anyway, at about 4:55 I swallowed the blotter and began to come up pretty quickly. Those turtles had hit me fast the first time too. I was talking and joking with a friend, who is also a goon here, on AIM when I started to see light fractals play over my monitor screen. It was about 5:15 by this time, I think, and I decided "Ok, it's time to take a walk."

Now, I live in a very suburban area, so there isn't really much to see. I threw on a hoodie and some shoes and went out to walk around the block a few times, then back to my house. It was spring, there were birds everywhere, and they seemed like black shadows against the gray sky to me. I swear I've once seen a picture representing a LSD trip; it showed a warped, leafless tree with two birds, blacked out, flying away from it. I saw this exact image quite a few times throughout the trip.

I was walking down the street when I realized that everything was warping, growing, and shrinking before my eyes. The water tower off in the distance looked like it was my exact height and its normally light blue color was flashing between a pale blue and a strong navy blue. There weren't many mental effects yet. I felt exactly like , with the sunglasses and the smirking, and all. The asphalt on the roads began to form themselves into fractals. About halfway through the walk, three quarters of a mile into the one-mile circuit, I started feeling pretty afraid.

I realized that the trees all seemed like they were miles and miles away, even though I knew that they were more like ten or so yards between me and the trees. I hadn't seen any people or (moving) cars at all so far. I began running, to try to get home as quickly as possible. I started to suspect that I was alone, all alone, and that everyone had left to go out and do stuff and forgotten about me.

After some running, I got to my driveway, panting and sweating. I was getting freaked out, it was about 5:45, and I still felt sane. Looking around, nothing seemed to hold their shapes for long. No protean warping or spiking, just a general instability of form and line. The birds were seriously creeping me out now, whenever I'd look up, I'd see a ton of spring birds fluttering around or some hawks swooping through the currents, hunting. They were all blacked out, though, and I couldn't make any details of them out against the gray sky.

I tried to lay down on the grass to regain my composure. That wasn't really a great idea. I felt like I was falling into the earth, and my brain went into overdrive, screaming stuff at me like "You've lost your grip" "You're freaking out" "Look at those trees, they're reaching towards you" so I didn't stay there very long. I got up and went inside, which made me feel better for a bit. I went back downstairs to talk to my friend again. The computer felt alien and unwelcoming to me, so I just typed out "I'm having a bad trip, man, I gotta go." and ran upstairs to my room. Hid under the covers, but my brain was still churning out crazy sentences and being generally incoherent.

I threw off the covers, stumbled downstairs to grab my stash of the rest of the acid, and crushed it and went upstairs to the garage to throw it into the trashbin. I didn't want anything to do with it ever again. I went back into the kitchen to grab my cell phone, then got back outside again. Texted my best friend, pleading with him to come over because I was feeling very freaked out. I didn't mention that I was on acid, he wasn't too approving of my psychedelic use. He replied, no, he couldn't come over, he was at a girl's house. I asked again, begging, but he said no. I somehow found myself sitting against a tree digging my hands into the grass and weeping a bit.

Looking back, I'm not really sure why I got so freaked out. I was continually telling myself "You're on acid, you're on acid" so it's not like I lost perspective.

I texted my mother (which she never received) telling her that I had taken some acid and to please come home and not be angry with me. No reply. I was becoming very upset. I threw my cell phone against the wall and smashed it into three pieces. I sat against my car wheels, trying to breath deeply and think calmly about this.

It was at this point that I really lost control.

I started thinking... thought that I was the only person in the world. There was nobody else, just me and my perception of the world, and I had been living in a dream of my own making for the last eighteen and a half years of my life.

I've came up with this before, on a mushrooms trip, so it really hit me hard. I'm aware that it's a very childish and self-centered view of the world, though.

There was only me. If I died, there would be nothing. I was like a god. But I also knew that there was no god, so I became very conflicted. I was looking around frantically, going from the empty maw of the garage to the bending and wavering trees to the black flying birds to the streets that looked like rivers of gray back to the garge. The world seemed like it had lost all color.

Suddenly I saw that my life was like a cycle. It was cyclical, of course, how obvious! I was born, lived, until I discovered Drugs, then took them, then I would explore the "Edge of Consciousness" and realize that there was nothing there, then I would become depressed and kill myself because I couldn't deal with that realization, then I would be born again and recreate the world again. And so it would continue.

Well, fuck. What am I going to do now? Garage, trees, birds, river-street, garage... Garage, garage, house, house, kitchen, kitchen, knife... I had to kill myself. I saw the cycle, and I had no choice but to continue it. I got up, feeling like a zombie. My memories of the next few minutes are almost like a slideshow. I went into the kitchen, to the knife rack, pulled out a silvery stainless-steel knife, put it to my throat... and cut. Then I cut again, to make a complete line across my neck from left to right.

I found myself on my back on the kitchen tile floor. I was bleeding. It didn't hurt. I lay there for a while, bleeding, thinking "Now I die."

But... I didn't die. Oh fuck, fuck, FUCK. I got to my feet, leaving the blood pool and the knife there, and started freaking out. I'm not dead yet! I'm not dead, I'm not dead, I'm not dead. If I'm not dead, it has to be a dream. I don't die in dreams. I passed out after taking the acid and I'm dreaming all of this!

I ran out into the street, looking around me. It was a dream, it was all a dream. I felt the blood running down my chest, soaking my white shirt with red. I remembered another thing... in my dreams the windows are never real. The glass is always gone. I ran to the house across the street and jumped at the window.

BAM!

I was on my ass, staring at a huge blood splotch on the glass. It wasn't a dream... Oh shit, I cut my throat, I was going to die. I ripped up some grass, tears running down my face. Wait, no, I intended to die. I'll just die, and I'll move on to the next cycle of my life. I got up and ran down the street. I was dying too slow! My shirt was sticking to me, soaked in blood. I ripped it into half and left it on the street.

"This is like a nightmare. This is like a horror film. What have you done?"

I stopped at another house, blood all down my front. I saw someone inside. I was going to get help! I pounded on the door. Blood spattered all over. A thought popped into my head, I should be naked, why shouldn't you be naked? You're dying. You should be naked. I took off my pants and my underwear.

"This is like a horror film," my thoughts said again.

An old lady opened the door, saw me, covered in blood, and screamed. SLAM! I was locked out. I wasn't alone, but I wasn't wanted.

I had no idea what to do next. My instincts, reflexes took over. The blood was clotting, clumping, falling off me. I ran through some yards, jumped two fences, and ran out in the main street near my neighborhood, University Avenue.

"What are you doing? You've finally gone crazy."

I saw a minivan coming. About 35 miles per hours. It swerved. I was too fast. I jumped in front of it.

I remember myself in the air, looking up at the gray sky.

I was on the street, looking up at the sky.

There was a mustachioed man, screaming at me. I couldn't hear him, I'm deaf. I could just lipread what he was saying. It was something like... "Calm down! Calm down! Don't move!" I don't really remember this part very well.

He grabbed my throat. I saw people all around me, standing, some of them on cell phones. I reached out my arms, I think I croaked out "Help," once again my memories are hazy. They avoided my arms. More people came to hold me down. I felt more hands on my throat, then everything was black.

---

I woke up at 9:40 AM, Sunday, April 1st. Right when I woke up, I couldn't open my eyes. I thought, "Am I dead?" No, I could feel other people in the room, if I was in a room. I decided "I'm done, you're done, done, done. Never again."

I eventually managed to open my eyes, and I was in the hospital, the ICU, with my family around me and two nurses looking at me.

I spent the next three days in the ICU. I had missed my jugular, missed my trachea, by a single centimeter. If I had cut any deeper, I would be dead right now. I broke my right big toe, still limping around on it. Lots of road rash, two major impact cuts on my left arm that will leave scars. My neck is healing up, but the scar will be there for the rest of my life. That, and the memories.

I've given up all drugs, except marijuana and alcohol, and even those I'll probably only ever use in small or moderate doses. I've satisfied my curiosity, and learned quite enough from the psychedelics. I just knew that I was done. I have a complete lack of desire to ever take another trip.

My reaction to the whole thing? I feel normal. I don't feel depressed or happy or anything. I think about it every now and then, especially when I handle knives, but it doesn't dominate my thinking. I sleep about the same as I did before. Actually, even better - I've been waking up at 7:45 sharp for the last week, 15 minutes before my alarm goes off. I've never been able to do that.

I still hold the same opinions regarding drugs - they should be legal, bla bla bla, etc. My family has come over to my side, seeing how I still defend them even after nearly killing myself and even after swearing off them for life. "All that and he's still like this? Maybe he's right."

I can't believe how badly I fucked up, though. Impulsive dosing of acid? Taking it alone? Taking it in a shitty setting? A little bit of forethought would have prevented all of this. I'm more upset with myself for breaking so many personal responsibility rules (and right after I explained to my best friend, the night before, how safe and responsible I always was and always would be) than I am for trying to kill myself twice.

I've lost all fear. Deep ocean? Vast space? Women? Driving? Nothing fazes me anymore. I almost died - twice - and I guess that had some effect on me.

But, holy fuck, how did I survive? My mom claims it was a divine being watching over me. I scoffed at that, but sometimes I wonder. A single centimeter away from the jugular? Only a single broken bone from getting hit by a 35 MPH minivan?

I guess I only have seven lives left."

[Make me smile]

That was interesting to begin with, but don't you think it gets a bit fanciful about 2 thirds of the way in?

[Al Tha Funkee Homosapien]

It's on the internet, IT MUST BE TRUE!

[Murdo]

My favourite bit was

I've given up all drugs, except marijuana and alcohol

[Santa's Boyfriend]

My favourite bit was

I've given up all drugs, except marijuana and alcohol

I'm vegetarian, but I eat fish.  And ducks.  Well they're nearly fish, aren't they?

[ziggy starbucks]

I dispose of my victims in acid baths

I don't know if that's relevant

[NoSleep]

I know 6 people whose lives have been permanently fucked by taking acid only once. In some individuals it can trigger a permanent psychosis, as it did for those 6. I know loads of other people that this didn't happen to, even after multiple trips, but it's a risk you take.

[Charles Charlie Charles]

Have a look here http://www.erowid.org/chemicals/lsd/lsd_health3.shtml
Sam. It's from a pro-drugs website but the info it contains is pretty balanced in a lot of ways.

Personally, I love acid and will take it whenever I get it. Mushrooms and marijuana fuck me completely. I always have a bad trip on mushies now, although I used to take them regularly. 2 tokes on a spliff and I'm all over the place - loss of motor control, speech goes, paranoia and panic.

I've found that a general rule of thumb for me is the more synthetic or processed the drug the less likely I am to have a bad time. This is after 25 years experimentation though, and it's not been all fun and laughter along the way.

[aaaaaaaaaargh!]

I know 6 people whose lives have been permanently fucked by taking acid only once. In some individuals it can trigger a permanent psychosis, as it did for those 6. I know loads of other people that this didn't happen to, even after multiple trips, but it's a risk you take.

That's the thing that puts me off.  I'm worried about a switch being flicked that I can't flick back.  I've taken normal prescription drugs that seem to have had a permanent effect on me which I don't like.  I just think it's too dangerous for me so I just can't do it.

[Captain Crunch]

I'm worried about a switch being flicked that I can't flick back.

I was always under a vague impression that acid somehow dissolved something in your brain which would never be the same again.  However, that was just from teachers in PSE and the 'bloke in the pub' font of modern scribble so I never took it as fact.

Sam, it sounds like you've got more to lose if you take the stuff so you might as well leave it.

[aaaaaaaaaargh!]

My "switch that can't be flicked back" was largely derived from what the Beatles have said about acid

[Space ghost]

Fuck all that.

Acid is nice, you got to be careful though keep it to once a year at the very most. Special occasion type thing. I

know it sounds strange but mushrooms would probably be a better choice for some one who wants to try out the psychedelic experience. They seem a lot less artificial than LSD and it is far easy to regulate your intake and it doesn't last as long so if you really don't like it you can take comfort in the fact it won't go on for hours and hours ( and hours )

[ffogems]

know it sounds strange but mushrooms would probably be a better choice for some one who wants to try out the psychedelic experience. They seem a lot less artificial than LSD and it is far easy to regulate your intake and it doesn't last as long so if you really don't like it you can take comfort in the fact it won't go on for hours and hours ( and hours )

I really enjoyed my first experience of Mushrooms, but the second time hubris dictated my intake and I overdosed and fell onto the bonnet of my mum's car while my friend scowled his way past his wooziness to make sure I didn't do serious damage, even doing the ignoble thing of sniffing my boxer shorts to confirm that I hadn't shit myself. Now, over 3 years later, I still get little pangs and reprises of a 'trippy' state of mind, even recently having my slate of identity completely wiped away for a short time. If, like me, you're constantly teetering on the edge of eternal breakdown then I'd recommend staying well away. It can however be an edifying experience, altering your understanding of the revolving world. It's merely a fast-track though, as these 'perspectives' and paradigm shifts can be obtained through less perilous means and more determination.

Try taking a small amount of mushrooms and I reckon you'll be fine, if a little giggly. If you want to push it then you can top it up as you go, but for someone with a medically 'validated' mental ailment I'd think very long and seriously about what it might do to you. That erowid site that has been linked to has some great horror stories, so make sure you don't just limit your research to all the spiritual ideographic hippy-adage parables that can be extremely misleading about the 'benefits' of drugs.

[Labian Quest]

The road of excess leads to the palace of wisdom...or the booby hatch.

[Banana Woofwoof]

I am absolutely shit scared of drugs.  Jemble Fred can attest that I *cannot* handle weed and the only time I took coke it actually calmed me down.  Aside from that, it all scares the hell out of me.  I don't like things that fuck with your brain.

[NoSleep]

Fuck all that.

Acid is nice, you got to be careful though keep it to once a year at the very most. Special occasion type thing.

Moderation isn't the issue here. The first time you take it is a test. If, like most people, it doesn't trigger permanent psychoses, then fine. You can't really overdo it, as it's a catalyst, and taking more the next day will have less effect, take it again the next and nothing will happen. You need at least a week to recharge for it to take effect again. Better to wait 3 months or more.

[Oscar]

It always seemed to me that it was the "normal-acting" people who found acid most disturbing, I suspect because they were the ones who needed stability and self control and didn't like it when those things went on the wonk.
However, people are very complicated so it's not an observation I'd hold up as any kind of truth.

[chimpoo]

It always seemed to me that it was the "normal-acting" people who found acid most disturbing, I suspect because they were the ones who needed stability and self control and didn't like it when those things went on the wonk.
However, people are very complicated so it's not an observation I'd hold up as any kind of truth.

No, I've always found that a pretty accurate rule of thumb.  It often boils down to insecurities and self-righteousness in my experience, not to mention miseducation, grandiosity, and hyperboyle.  And if there wasn't such a hard line against acid then people wouldn't be starting out on such stupid doses in the first place.

I don't mind drug threads, if everyone's doing it then fine.  There are some very, very basic rules to  experimenting with acid I'd (ahem) boil down to environment, doseage and yes, sorry Sam, mental illness.  I've never understood this fascination with 'sitters' either.  Maybe the first time for peace of mind - and its always fun with close friends - but you'll get a deeper experience with some peace and quiet.

... even doing the ignoble thing of sniffing my boxer shorts to confirm that I hadn't shit myself.

...there simply must have been another way...

[the midnight watch baboon]

I am absolutely shit scared of drugs.  Jemble Fred can attest that I *cannot* handle weed and the only time I took coke it actually calmed me down.  Aside from that, it all scares the hell out of me.  I don't like things that fuck with your brain.

Exactly the same here, enjoyed a few teenage bongs and buckets until I had a massive panic attack and haven't touched them since. My sister developing drug-induced schizophrenia from too much acid put me off trying anything harder, tho I did briefly enjoy taking zopiclone which made me kinda delirious and prone to climbing out of windows and divvying up a bit. Good way to get sent home from work tho.

[sick as a pike]

I've taken acid and mushrooms a few times and every time it's been a thoroughly terrifying and disturbing experience.  Which might lead one to wonder why I repeated it.  Which would be a good question.
I've never understood how most (?) people talk about happy experiences and giggling.  It was fear pretty much all the way for me.  I am quite paranoid and insecure at the best of times, so whipping away my fragile link with comfort wasn't the best idea.