[...only the conclusions of this paper are made publicly available via anonymous ftp, interested persons should visit their libraries...] (Originally printed in Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, Vol 21(1), Jan-Mar 1989). LSD and Creativity (reproduced w/o permission) ------------------ Oscar Janiger, M.D. (Department of Psychiatry, University of California, Irvine, California) Marlene Dobkin de Rios, Pd. D. (Department of Anthropology, California State University, Fullerton, California) CONCLUSION Contrary to popular belief, most artists find it possible to exercise some technical proficiency, with varying degrees of success, under the influence of LSD. This seems to improve with repeated experiences. The artistic productions are not ipso facto inferior to those performed in ordinary states of consciousness. However, in evaluating the reports and follow-up questionnaires, they are often judged by the artists to be more interesting or even aesthetically superior to their usual mode of expression. A review of the follow-up information shows that, in many instances, the artist in the series described herein felt that the LSD experience pruduced some desirable lasting change in their understanding of their work, which continued to incluence the form and direction of their artistic development. A so-called confusional or disorganized phase may represent a creative crisis in which the artis struggling, to maintain his/her traditional approach, finally reaches another level of integration and expression. These metamorphoses all contribute to the artists' convictions that they are able to create new meanings in an emergent world. It is of special interest to note that many of those elements that are universally reported under the influence of LSD are those features traditionally associated with heightened artistic creativity. The ultiamte explanation for these changes may lie in a biochemical basis of perception and/or the cultural history of the individual. **************************** Article Separation ******************************* I was reading a back copy of The Journal of Drug Issues looking at an article on additiction when I came accross annother article. A chemistry for world peace. Willam H. McGlothlin, Journal of Drug Issues, Spring 1985, 225-245. Ok so it is a twinkie title, however it is perhaps the best article I have ever read on acid. The abstract; This paper presents an argument for research into the means of altering individual attitudes, values, and communication abilities in the direction of increased social empathy, which , inturn would produce a more favorable enviroment for resolving differences and facilitate peaceful negotions between individuals and nations. It is proposed that prior research with the drug d-lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), shows sufficient promise in producing relatively long-lasting changes in the above areas to merit further research. Furthermore, the use of LSD has been demonstrated to be quite safe _under supervisory conditions_, i.e. the guided "trip." LSD is also non-toxic and non-addictive. A brief history of psychedelic drugs is provided along with a description of thier psychological effects. Some possible modes of action are discussed. LSD and other psychedelics are seen as a possible means of tapping mental resources which are not ordinarily available, but which may be of great value to the individual and ultimately to the society. The man who wrote it is unfortunantly dead, he was a well recognized scholar with a number of awards from academia and the government. He worked for RAND for a number of years and was no brainless yammerhead (despite the twinkie title). The article is full of all kinds of interesting things, A very good brief history of LSD and other psychedelics, one of the dest descriptions of an LSD experience I have ever encountered here is part: About 30 minutes after ingesting LSD the subject normally experiences a feeling of dizziness or intoxication. One of the most common early emotional reactions is smiling and laughing, which sometimes develops into uncontrollable laughing and/or crying. With closed eyes there is a lightening of the normal gray-black expanse and almost invariably colorful and luminous geometric designs appear in the field of vision. They may change into architechtural structures which freaquently are in very saturated colors and appear to be glowing from an internal light. He goes on to discuss changes resulting from the LSD experience (almost all are beneficial), and then talks about side effects. One nifty factoid; Estimated rates of Major Complications Associated with LSD Attempted completed psychotic reaction suicide suicide over 48 hours experimental subjects- 0/1000 0/1000 0.8/1000 patients undergoing therapy- 1.2/1000 0.4/1000 1.8/1000 (w/o psychobabble that means like really fucking good) There are also three and a half pages of cited references which alone is worth diggin up the article. **************************** Article Separation **************************** Newsgroups: alt.drugs Distribution: world Subject: From the Merck Manual -- LSD references, etc Keywords: LSD, Lysergic Acid Amide, Lysergic Acid Summary: A couple of pages of copywrite infringement From the 11th Edition of the Merck manual, the "Centennial Edition" no less: [perhaps something to drop in the FAQ?] 5505. Lysergamide. 9,10-Didehydro-6-methylergoline- 8beta-carboxamide; lysergic acid amide; ergine. C16H17N3O; mol wt 267.32. C 71.88%, H 6.41%, N 15.72%, O 5.99%. Isoln from _Rivea_corymbosa_(L.) and from _Ipomoea_tricolor_ Cav., _Convolvulaceae_: Hofmann, Tscherter, _Experientia_ 16, 414 (1964). Prepn from lysergic acid hydrazide: Ainsworth, U.S. pat. 2,756,235 (1956 to Lilly); from lysergic acid and phosgene-dimethylformamide complex: Patelli, Bernardi, U.S. pat. 3,141,887 (1964 to Farmitalia). Microbiological production: Rutschmann, Kobel, U.S. pat. 3,219,545 (1965 to Sandoz). H. CONH2 '. / / \ / \ || | || N /\\ /\ / \ / \\ / \ / CH3 || | | \ || | | H \ // \ / \// \/ | || | || HN------- Prisms from methanol. dec 242deg. [alpha](5461)(20) + 15% (c = 0.5 in pyridine). Methanesulfonate, C7H21N3O4S, prisms from methanol + acetone, dec 232deg. Note: This is a controlled substance (depressant) listed in the U.S. code of Federal Regulations, Title 21 Part 1308.13 (1987). 5506. Lysergic Acid. 9,10-Didehydro-6-methylergoline- 8-carboxylic acid. C16H16N2O2; mol wt 268.32. C 71.62%, H 6.01%, N 10.44%, O 11.93!. Ayseqgic acid and isolyser- gic acid are the main cleavage products formed on alkaline hydrolysis of the alkaloids which are characteristic of ergot. Jacobs, Craig et al., _J._Biol._Chem._ 104, 547 (1934); 125, 289 (1938); 130, 399 (1939); 145, 487 (1942); _J._Org._Chem._ 10, 76 (1945). High-yield production by _Claviceps_paspali_: Arcamone et al., _Proc._Roy._Soc._ (London), _Ser._B_, 155, 26 (1961). total synthesis: Kornfeld et al., _J._Am._Chem._Soc._ 76, 5256 (1954); 78, 3087 (1956); M. Julia et al., _Tetrahedron_ _letters_ 1969, 1569; V.W. Armstrong et al., ibid. 1976, 4311; W. Oppolzer et al., _Helv._Chem._Acta_ 64, 478 (1981); R. Ramage et al., _Tetrahedron_ 37, Suppl. 9, 157 (1981); J. Rebek, D.F. Tai, _Tetrahedron_Letters_ 24, 859 (1983). Ste- reochemistry: Stoll et al., _Helv._Chem._Acta 37, 2039 (1954); Stenlake, _J._Chem._Soc._ 1955, 1626; Leeman, Fabbri, _Helv._ _Chim._Acta_ 42, 2696 (1959). Absolute configuration: Stad- ler, Hoffman, ibid. 45, 2005 (1962). H. COOH '. / / \ / \ || | || N /\\ /\ / \ / \\ / \ / CH3 || | | \ || | | H \ // \ / \// \/ | || | || HN------- Haxagonal scales, plates with one or two moles H20 from water, mp 240deg (dec). [alpha](D)(20) + 40deg (c = 0.5 in pyridine). Behaves as an acid and base, pKa 3.44, pKb 7.68. Moder- ately sol in pyridine. Sparingly sol in water and in neutral organic solvents; sol in NaOH, NH4OH, Na2CO3, and HCL solns. Slighly sol in dil H2SO4. Methyl ester, thin leaflets from benzene, mp 168deg. Note: This is a controlled substance (depressant) listed in the U.S. code of Federal Regulations, title 21 Part 1308.13 (1987). 5507. Lysergide. 9,10-Didehydro-N,N-diethyl-6-meth- ylergoline-8beta-carboxamide; N,N-diethyl-D-lysergamide; D- lysergic acid diethylamide; LSD; LSD-25; Lysergsaure Di- ethylamid. C20H25N3O; mol wt 323.42. C 74.27%, H 7.79%, N 12.99%, O 4.95%. Microbal formation by _Claviceps_pas- pali_ over the hydroxyethylamide; Arcamone et al., _Proc._ Roy._Soc._(London) 155B, 26 (1961). Partial synthesis: Stoll, Hofmann, _Helv._Chim._Acta_ 26, 944 (1943); 38, 421 (1955). Industrial prepn: Pioch; Garbrecht, U.S. pats. 2,736,728; 2,774,763 (both 1956 to Lilly); Patelli, Bernardi, U.S. pat. 3,141,887 (1964 to Farmitalia). Isotope-labeled LSD: Stoll et al., _Helv._Chim._Acta_ 37, 820 (1954). Toxicity data: E. Rothlin, _Ann._N.Y._Acad._Sci._ 66, 668 (1957). Review: Hof- fer, _Clin._Pharmacol._Ther._ 6, 183 (1965). Book: _The_Use_of_ LSD_in_Psychotherapy_and_Alcoholism_, H.A. Abramson, Ed. (Bobbs-Merrill, Indianapolis, 1967) 697 pp. / C2H5 H. CON '. / \ C2H5 / \ / \ || | || N /\\ /\ / \ / \\ / \ / CH3 || | | \ || | | H \ // \ / \// \/ | || | || HN------- Pointed prisms from benzene, mp 80-85 degs. [alpha](D)(20) + 17deg (c = 0.5 in pyridine). uv max (ethanol): 311 nm (E(1 cm)(1%) 257). LD50 in mice, rats, rabbits (mg/kg): 46, 16.5, 0.3 i.v. (Rothlin). D-Tartrate, C46H64N6O10, solvated, elongated prisoms from methanol, mp 198-200deg. [alpha](D)(20) + 30 deg. Soluble in water. Caution: This is a controlled substance (hallucinogen) listed in the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations, Title 21 Part 1308.11 (1987). USE: In biochemical research as an antagonist to serotonin. Has been used experimentally as adjunct in study and treat- ment of mental disorders. NOTES: Not guaranteed to be free from typos. Underlines are supposed to be italic (ie book/journal titles, etc) Alpha, beta, and deg are the greek letters and the degree symbol [alpha](D)(20) means a greek letter in [] followed by a subscript and then a superscript (I don't know *WHAT* this actually is) The chemical structures are almost exactly what the Merck manual has drawn. Almost nothing was lost in the conversion to ASCII. [if you wanted to get really technical, the lower hydrogen atom in all of the structures should be coming out, and have a thick line] ============================================================================= In article <1992Dec8.093008.25698@gdunix.gd.chalmers.se> guccw@gdunix.gd.chalmers.se (Christian Wernstedt) writes: > > Has anyone any comments on this? Is it common that people experiencing >a bad trip resort to violence against him/herselves or people around? Any >anecdotes, statistical info or just scientific references would be of >benefit to get a clearer picture. > A followup to my earlier reply. Two refrences from the bibliograpy of Intoxication, Ronald SIEGEL BARTER, J. T and REITE, M. 1969. "Crime and LSD: The Insanity Plea." American Journal of Psychiatry 126:113-19. REICH, R and HEPPS, R. B. 1972. "Homicide During a Psychosis Induced by LSD." Journal of American Medical Association 219:869-71 From Siegel's Intoxication (p 240): The cases of Jeffery and Harold, who killed people after having taken LSD, are presented. "Cases like Harold's tend to confuse the issue of intoxication and violence. Violent people are often intoxicated but the violence is usually rooted in the personality, not the drug." mark