LSD is a reflection of life and a reflection of who we are and who we are yet to become.
It is also a reflection of the wicked sense of humour and fun that can be found throughout nature and throughout the universe.
1956 Interview with a “normal” housewife on LSD.
This was filmed about six years before LSD came began to be used by the wider community. At that time it was being used extensively by researchers who were trying to plumb the depths of our consciousness. Sadly, I have no idea of who she was, but her answers are full of an innocent joy that has mostly been lost to the brutal “War on Drugs”. She also comes up with the best quote that I have heard anyone say while on LSD: “If you can’t see it, you’ll just never know it. I feel sorry for you”.
Bill Maher’s AWESOME rant about LSD/Psilocybin.
Bill Maher is an impressively good comedian and here he does his bit for LSD, psilocybin and Kermit the Frog!
Obviously, being Bill Maher, it does contain the obligatory anti-Republican attacks, but nothing too hurtful, unless you are running for US president, or a certain drug addled right wing radio host.
British Infantry Soldiers on LSD.
As a former soldier, I can only wish that my time out bush was this entertaining! This video shows the general hilarity that can accompany an LSD experience, even when people have no real awareness of what is happening.
The military are a highly opportunistic bunch, forever looking for new ways to improve their own soldier’s performance, while degrading that of their enemies. So when a new mind altering drug came along that was active in doses previously unimaginable they quickly decided to see how it impacted soldier performance.
This video is interesting, because it was made before LSD hit the mainstream and shows the natural uninhibited responses that LSD produces if one hasn’t been conditioned into fearing the worst. You’ll note that one soldier didn’t respond well to it and was removed from the experiment, which reflects the reality that not everybody is going to enjoy using LSD and Transcendent Compounds.
Czechoslovak Officers on LSD.
The Armies of the Soviet Block weren’t about to be taken by surprise by LSD, so here we see some Czechoslovakian Officers given some LSD. Unlike the previous video, which involved field work, this experiment looked more at the planning aspects of war by having the officers complete a Tactical Exercise Without Troops (TEWT), in a room that had been hooked up with hidden cameras and microphones. All in all, it seems like a good time was had by all.
A good point bought out by this report is that the different officers experienced their trips differently and had difficulties relating to where other people were at any particular space. This makes communication difficult and if poorly managed can sometimes result in people feeling negative experiences. An example of this would probably be when one officer was happily tripping with his eyes closed and suddenly gets interrupted by the senior officer and instructed to perform a real world task. This could be quite jarring for him, although at the end of the video he reports that he would be happy to volunteer for another such experiment.
I’d note that the talk of suicide by the modern commentators is not reflected by the research. While it is almost certain that some people have committed suicide while under the influence of LSD, there is absolutely no evidence in any of the medical literature to suppose that LSD can of itself cause people to take their own lives. Like so many modern “drug experts” these people are simply repeating the lies of received wisdom and their opinions aren’t based on any evidence. In my mind they are little different from medical professionals who used to adamantly swear that women were incapable of handling the responsibility of voting and lacked the intelligence to earn a simple Bachelor’s degree.
Mentions of suicide are also indicative of the incredible hypocrisy surrounding the most dangerous drug known to humanity and the one which has monopoly status in our community: Alcohol. The correlation between alcohol and suicidal behaviour is well established.
From “Suicidal Behavior and Alcohol Abuse” (Int J Environ Res Public Health. Apr 2010; 7(4): 1392–1431):
“Alcohol use has consistently been implicated in the precipitation of suicidal behavior. Alcohol abuse may lead to suicidality through disinhibition, impulsiveness and impaired judgment, but it may also be used as a means to ease the distress associated with committing an act of suicide.”
Again, from “Alcohol Consumption and Suicide” (QJM: An International Journal of Medicine Volume 99, Issue 1, 57-61):
“Acute alcohol use is associated with suicide. Suicide completers have high rates of positive blood alcohol. Intoxicated people are more likely to attempt suicide using more lethal methods. Alcohol may be important in suicides among individuals with no previous psychiatric history.
Alcohol dependence is an important risk factor for suicidal behaviour.”
US Soldiers attempting to perform Parade Drill on LSD.
The US Army also did testing on the effects of LSD on soldiers. This time, we are shown the impact that it has on a soldiers ability to perform routine Parade Drill.
Marching is a highly ritualised activity that any soldier can do without thinking. It forms an integral part of the training of every member of every modern Army and is hammered into them from their first day of training. While in barracks, most soldiers probably do at least some marching every day of their military lives and the movements shown here are only the most basic. As before, one soldier experienced difficulties and was removed from the experiment by medical staff. While safe, tripping can be a disturbing experience for many. Remember, Dose, Set and Setting!
Although, as can be seen, like the other soldiers in these experiments, general hilarity was the norm.
Timothy Leary Interviewed by Merv Griffin in 1966.
Timothy Leary probably did more to popularise the widespread use of LSD in the 1960s than any other person. Here he is his idealistic self in an interview with a clearly disapproving Merv Griffin. Filmed in 1966, less than a year before LSD was first made illegal in the United States, it perhaps epitomises the reasons why it was soon to be prohibited. Leary didn’t understand that his Messianic message would alienate people and frighten them. In this clip, Griffin seems to have judged the issue before he laid eyes on Leary. His mention of people taking LSD and thinking that they could fly is classic scare-lore, with no evidence that it actually ever happened.
Portrait Artist on LSD.
LSD and Transcendent Compounds are integrally linked to the creative process. By moving a person into a completely different space, they allow some amazing progress on difficult problems. However, the tripping space itself can often interfere with immediate artistic, or creative expression, although as you can see from this short video, some of the results can be truly amazing!
Top Ten LSD Users.
Many famous people have used LSD and found it to be hugely beneficial to them. My top ten list would probably include some different people, but these make an interesting selection.
Safety Dance on LSD.
Because sometimes the funniest things about LSD, don’t actually have anything to do with it. Maybe you just had to be there! 