Perhaps the primary problem with LSD these days is that black market LSD can often be incredibly tarnished. Yet, there is rare black market LSD out there made with care, alchemical awareness, and ‘love’, rather than simply made most economically. In that case, the ergot or lysgeric ‘anima’ has a smooth journey through the human bio-organism, although it is often the case that specific batches of the ergot derivative that is LSD, do not interface smoothly with the human biology and can represent an invader, rather than an ally that is welcomed into the interactive nature of human biology.
Those who produce black market LSD may often not take the time or money to actually bring through that anima into the product, by cultivating the ergot into a form at which it is optimal, as this takes time, money, and patience. It is the rare chemist who understands that he is working with a living process and not just ‘dead’ molecules that are all the same. The alchemist is one who is involved in these subtle processes, who recognises and is in relationship with the alive nature of what he is working with, treating it with respect and concern in all his actions and momentum, which ‘it’ will respond to favorably – resulting in a superior product.
The process of creating LSD involves quite elementary chemical processes, in which the end result is ‘supposed’ to be completely the same as other batches and yet, never is the same in the ingestion. Experienced ‘trippers’ will normally tell you the difference between batches is like chalk and cheese. This is because there is a connection to living natural intelligence in this compound, so LSD is not completely synthetic. As a natural compound that has basically been ‘tweaked’ into a certain molecular structure, LSD is generally considered to be semi-synthetic.
It appears that on a neurochemical level LSD mimics serotonin and therefore has access to serotonin receptor sites. At times, it can appear to be that LSD possesses the brain and runs wild. LSD appears to be alive and as such, must be stored correctly and not exposed to unfavourable conditions such as ultraviolet light, or it will begin to die.
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I believe LSD can be a fantastic tool, but it is like all compounds sold on the black market, often not reaching its full potential and often deleterious in nature, as the really pure and well-made material can be exceedingly rare.
One way to recognise really good LSD is that you should feel fresher after taking it, and not in the slightest bit seedy or under the weather, but rejuvenated and healed. The best LSD should work like medicine for the mind and the body, and yet, even very well regarded batches will often fall short, due to what seems to be an emphasis upon the synthetic and mechanical nature of the molecule that does not appear to mesh well with the body. The better LSD has an organic and fluid nature, having an ability to mesh and mould and communicate itself to the human organism in a positive sense, whereas more lumpen batches of LSD can appear to just agonise and stimulate the human body in a way that can be displacing and experienced negatively. Even the very best batches of LSD tend to show me images of intricate crashing of micro-machinery in my brain, making it very clear to me that some damage is occurring.
LSD commonly takes people on a revelatory journey of analytical self-understanding. I have had fantastic adventures taking 400 - 500 micrograms of LSD by myself in a house in the country. Then I often simply lie down and enjoy the ride, and the resulting experiences can be clarifying, crazy, confusing, and messy – and yet sometimes transcendent, bringing tears and psychological breakthroughs. I have also found that LSD can be useful for deconstructing the ego and for understanding the nature and the content of one’s own psyche in a fresh way.
Articulations: On the Utilisation and Meanings of Psychedelics. Julian Palmer. 2014. ISBN: 9780992552800. Chapter 6. Synthetic Chemicals. Phenethylamines and Tryptamines (or Research Chemicals) / LSD
