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Veteran's Hospital LSD Testing (1956) [video]

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Re: Veteran's Hospital LSD Testing (1956) [video]

#5
post #3

That clip left me with so many questions. What was the purpose of the dosing? Did they follow up with her? Was there a lasting change in her life? Seems like it must have been radically jarring to her 1950s housewife societal role.

I think the truly fascinating thing about acid is that is does have an impact but it's somehow not that jarring, given what it is.

Re: Veteran's Hospital LSD Testing (1956) [video]

#6
post #2

Subject (2:50): "I can see everything in color." I knew it! Everything really was black and white back then. Except when you took LSD.

I think if we attempt to look past her poor explanation, she appears to be experiencing something that she has no obvious rational concept to communicate, and so when asked to relate the experience in rational concepts she does know, she has unhelpfully hit on "color".

To be fair to her, she does say several times that she cannot explain it. It reminds me of this passage from Lord of Light: http://people.nas.nasa.gov/~pulliam/lord_of_light.html

Re: Veteran's Hospital LSD Testing (1956) [video]

#7
"I can't tell you about it. If you can't see it then you'll just never know it. I feel sorry or you."

This is a succinct summary of my own experiences. LSD basically makes you realize just how much of a slave you are to your own biology, and the kind of unrestrained thoughts it elicits cannot readily be translated to everyday frameworks. Nobody who's never tripped can comprehend what it's like to trip.

Still, it can help you learn lessons if you make a point to do so. I recall LSD trips whenever I feel stressed or depressed, and it works really well to make me realize how little my problems matter in the grand scheme of things.

Re: Veteran's Hospital LSD Testing (1956) [video]

#9
post #8

She is pretty terrible at describing whats happening to her.

I actually think she's doing a pretty tremendous job. If you've ever taken LSD, and tried to explain what it's like to someone who hasn't, then you know how difficult it is to describe. Even trying to speak coherently when you're tripping balls is pretty challenging.

Re: Veteran's Hospital LSD Testing (1956) [video]

#10
post #8

She is pretty terrible at describing whats happening to her.

Perhaps you're terrible at understanding. I'm not trying to be insulting, I just don't think it's something that can be explained to someone who hasn't tripped.

For what it's worth everything she described made me think "yup, I know exactly what you mean".

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