Lysergic acid diethylamide or simply LSD is a non-toxic non-addictive psychedelic drug of the Ergoline family. It was first synthesized by Albert Hofmann in 1938 from Ergot a grain fungus that grows on rye. What many people don't know is that LSD can also be synthesized from the seeds of the common garden flowers morning glory and hawaiian baby woodrose. The seeds contain over 10 different Ergoline Alkaloids, most notably Ergine. Ergine is also known as LSA. These common legal seeds have been used in shamanic rituals by Latin Americans for centuries LSD works by mimicking serotonin and binding to the same receptor sites in the brain. LSD has a higher affinity for the 5-HT receptors than serotonin. This means the presence of LSD takes priority and prevent serotonin from sending neural messages. This process is what scientists believe cause the visual hallucinations and bodily effects. Although the precise mechanism of action is currently unknown. This means scientists really don't know how LSD works exactly. UK researchers used functional magnetic resonance imaging to study the live brain activity of 30 hallucinogen users. They found the brain regions that are responsible for constraining consciousness are turned off, giving birth to a free flow of thought. The psychedelic used for the study was psilocybin mushrooms, which is a tryptamine. LSD is also in the tryptamine family and is believed to produce similar results. LSD is non-toxic and non-addictive, the median lethal dose were fifty percenof users die for humans has never been reached this means no one has ever died directly as a result of consuming LSD the LD50 is predicted to be roughly 12,000 micrograms this means you have to consume over 120 standard doses to reach this level although there are reports of users consuming over 400 doses and surviving it is important to note that you build an immediate tolerance to LSD if you were to take the same dose three days in a row by day three would have little to no effect on you the danger with taking LSD comes from buying it off street dealers who are selling more harmful substances in disguise LSD has been illegal since the 1960's this pretty damper on scientists ability to continue their research into it however new research of its potential beneficial effects has finally sparked this is being done by an organization called MAPS.

With new research and an open-minded society we may see the substance make a valiant return to more humans worldwide and many famous people have warranted their success to LSD Steve Jobs, the creator of Apple, has said that was one of the three most important experiences in his entire life it's doubtful Apple computers would have came to fruition if it wasn't for his exploration into psychedelics. And in the scientific community, Francis Crick the man who discovered the DNA helix did so while tripping on LSD. even Bob Wilson who co-founded Alcoholics Anonymous was greatly moved by his LSD experiences. He initially wanted to include it in the 12 step system as an aid to help recovering alcoholics kick the habit something tells me there is a treasure trove of knowledge to be gained exploring this substance but... only time will tell.