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LSD: The Geek's Wonder Drug? (2006)

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Re: LSD: The Geek's Wonder Drug? (2006)

#121

Post by olssy »

avodonosov wrote: post #103

My friend and university classmate - a kind of wounderkind. He was accepted to university without exams, because he had great results on programming olympics. Turned out he was also good at chemistry. When he was around 8 his mother arranged him to take chemistry classes with elder schoolchildren. But he dropped the classes because he was borred - he already knew everything taught there. In university he tried drugs…

I first heard a variant of this story about 30 years ago, either a lot of kids killed themselves jumping out of windows on acid or it's an urban legend.

Re: LSD: The Geek's Wonder Drug? (2006)

#122

Post by naturalrecursin »

avodonosov wrote: post #103

My friend and university classmate - a kind of wounderkind. He was accepted to university without exams, because he had great results on programming olympics. Turned out he was also good at chemistry. When he was around 8 his mother arranged him to take chemistry classes with elder schoolchildren. But he dropped the classes because he was borred - he already knew everything taught there. In university he tried drugs…

Total bull. This story reads like pure drug war propaganda. Go promote your fear and hate somewhere else. if this is even a real story, which it most likely isn't, then I'm sure your "friend" had a mental illness. You're harming everyone by blaming LSD and drugs on this guys death. While your at it you should put the blame on the apartment building for being too high.

Re: LSD: The Geek's Wonder Drug? (2006)

#123

Post by g0v »

eof wrote: post #119
g0v wrote: post #115

I've been interested in trying LSD since my friend offered but am hesitant because I don't know how it will interact with my medication (SSRIs). On a side note, I do like to smoke weed while I'm studying/coding. Things that were not so easily apparent to me before being high often become a given and understanding concepts comes more naturally. It's easier for me to picture in my head how data is being manipulated and…

SSRIs are known to reduce the effects of hallucinogens. LSD, and hallucinogens in general are extremely useful in personal growth. The novelty of 'reality' literally breaking down can be quite a thrill; and for many people it will be the first time it has ever happened to them; though it can be incredibly frightening as well. I have been around several people on various SSRIs while they have taken mushrooms or lsd (a…

Thank you for the link, I think this will help a good deal.

Re: LSD: The Geek's Wonder Drug? (2006)

#124

Post by scythe »

avodonosov wrote: post #103

My friend and university classmate - a kind of wounderkind. He was accepted to university without exams, because he had great results on programming olympics. Turned out he was also good at chemistry. When he was around 8 his mother arranged him to take chemistry classes with elder schoolchildren. But he dropped the classes because he was borred - he already knew everything taught there. In university he tried drugs…

>He also bought Hofmann's book with all the formulas and started cooking himself.

Making drugs is extremely hard, even for people who know lots of chemistry. It also exposes you to a lot of nasty volatile chemicals that, believe me, are waaaaay worse for your brain than any psychedelic. For example, chloroform is a standard solvent used in the synthesis of LSD. In a proper research laboratory, the risks are minimized; in your garage, they aren't: bromomethane doesn't care if you're a genius.

I have the unusual luck to have known several drug chemists. They're not an ordinary bunch of people, not by a long shot. Whether working with things like chlorine on improvised equipment is partially responsible for this pattern I'm not sure, but I think it suffices to say that your friend's case is at the zenith of psycho-chemical recklessness. (Also, the book[s] -- PiHKAL/TiHKAL -- are by Alexander Shulgin)

That isn't a pattern that carries over to typical LSD users -- consider e.g.:

http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal....

It's also worth noting that people with schizophrenia may be drawn toward euphoric/stimulating drugs:

http://journals.lww.com/jonmd/Abstract/1987/11000/A_Review_o...

Of course, one possibility is that all of these drugs cause schizophrenia; the other, that schizophrenia causes people to enjoy certain kinds of stimulation.

Re: LSD: The Geek's Wonder Drug? (2006)

#125

Post by Lambdanaut »

olssy wrote: post #121
avodonosov wrote: post #103

My friend and university classmate - a kind of wounderkind. He was accepted to university without exams, because he had great results on programming olympics. Turned out he was also good at chemistry. When he was around 8 his mother arranged him to take chemistry classes with elder schoolchildren. But he dropped the classes because he was borred - he already knew everything taught there. In university he tried drugs…

I first heard a variant of this story about 30 years ago, either a lot of kids killed themselves jumping out of windows on acid or it's an urban legend.

Wikipedia and snopes seem to both think it's an urban legend.

http://www.snopes.com/horrors/drugs/linkletter.asp

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Misconceptions_about_drugs#Thou...

Re: LSD: The Geek's Wonder Drug? (2006)

#126

Post by moe »

olssy wrote: post #121
avodonosov wrote: post #103

My friend and university classmate - a kind of wounderkind. He was accepted to university without exams, because he had great results on programming olympics. Turned out he was also good at chemistry. When he was around 8 his mother arranged him to take chemistry classes with elder schoolchildren. But he dropped the classes because he was borred - he already knew everything taught there. In university he tried drugs…

I first heard a variant of this story about 30 years ago, either a lot of kids killed themselves jumping out of windows on acid or it's an urban legend.

http://www.snopes.com/horrors/drugs/linkletter.asp

Re: LSD: The Geek's Wonder Drug? (2006)

#127

Post by brickmort »

avodonosov wrote: post #103

My friend and university classmate - a kind of wounderkind. He was accepted to university without exams, because he had great results on programming olympics. Turned out he was also good at chemistry. When he was around 8 his mother arranged him to take chemistry classes with elder schoolchildren. But he dropped the classes because he was borred - he already knew everything taught there. In university he tried drugs…

You mentioned that this person was a classmate of yours. Did you know him personally? Is there an article or some kind or obituary that you can link to?

I hate to play devil's advocate, but this story has been told time and time again in different settings. sometimes it's a girl, sometimes its a college student, etc. but it always ends up with the person jumping out of a window/rooftop because they've convinced themselves that they can fly. I'm not saying that this particular story isn't true, but it's become the classic anti-LSD urban myth.

Re: LSD: The Geek's Wonder Drug? (2006)

#128

Post by naturalrecursin »

sillysaurus3 wrote: post #94
pwr22 wrote: post #92

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And every choice we make may change who we are relative to who we would be if we didn't make it. Basically that line of argument is fruitless imo

These chemicals will change your brain, and your brain is who you are. It's not philosophical. It's physical.

So is that cup of coffee you're drinking, and basically everything you do. Everyone is constantly changing. I don't understand what your point is?

Re: LSD: The Geek's Wonder Drug? (2006)

#129

Post by avodonosov »

brickmort wrote: post #127
avodonosov wrote: post #103

My friend and university classmate - a kind of wounderkind. He was accepted to university without exams, because he had great results on programming olympics. Turned out he was also good at chemistry. When he was around 8 his mother arranged him to take chemistry classes with elder schoolchildren. But he dropped the classes because he was borred - he already knew everything taught there. In university he tried drugs…

You mentioned that this person was a classmate of yours. Did you know him personally? Is there an article or some kind or obituary that you can link to? I hate to play devil's advocate, but this story has been told time and time again in different settings. sometimes it's a girl, sometimes its a college student, etc. but it always ends up with the person jumping out of a window/rooftop because they've convinced thems…

He didn't convince himself he could fly - his note said to dispel the ashes over the ocean. I knew him personally, it was more than 10 years ago.

If you heard some similar stories before - it's not strange, probably such things happened many times.

Re: LSD: The Geek's Wonder Drug? (2006)

#130

Post by naturalrecursin »

sillysaurus3 wrote: post #82
jarin wrote: post #68

I actually tried LSD a couple of times because of this article, back when it was written. It was a pretty enjoyable experience, and I'd recommend it to anyone who is interested in trying it, with a few caveats. First, you need to have an experienced sitter with you. You're in for the full 8-10 hours, and on the off chance you start having a bad trip (things getting really dark and scary), you need someone to ground y…

Third, go out into nature if you can. Preferably with just your friends and not a lot of people around. It's pretty cool. LSD impairs your ability to feel cold. People have died by taking drugs and then going out into snow. I sadly can't find the proof to back up my claim, but I read about a case of a girl taking ketamine and then going outside and succumbing to hypothermia. Here's another case of someone dying from…

If you are worried about people not realizing it is cold outside maybe start advocating against drinking.
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