LSD Essay Research Paper Fear And Loathing

LSD Essay, Research Paper

Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas

Las Vegas has always been known as the city of sin, and the movie

Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas corroborates this belief. From drug

experimentation to gambling, this movie portrays a surprisingly thoughtful

glance into the mind of addiction and of drug usage. Though various drugs

were used in this movie, psychedelics seemed to be the drugs of choice for

the characters. The focus of this paper is to define the hallucinogens by using

it.s most popular member, LSD. After LSD has been adequately defined, a

comparison of the drug and the portrayal of the drug in this movie will be

addressed.

Before LSD is outlined, here is a brief introduction to the movie in

case you haven.t seen it yet. The movie is set in the early seventies, and the

main character is sent to Las Vegas to write an article on an annual

motorcycle race. Under the advice of his estranged lawyer, both ride out to

Las Vegas in a non-stop LSD and mescaline trip. Not only are these two

drugs abused, but other drugs such as ether, cocaine, marijuana, Thorazine,

and a variety of uppers and downers are also abused. As the main character

experiments with the different drugs, the audience can hear his thoughts as

they ramble from extreme paranoia to thoughtful insights. This aspect of the

movie is important because along with great special effects and distorted

sounds, it is a fairly realistic view into the thoughts and actions of a person

on a psychedelic drug. To better describe these thoughts and actions, here is

an explanation of LSD and it.s effects on the body.

The history of LSD doesn.t go back very far. It.s full name is lysergic

acid diethylamide, and it was synthesized for the first time in 1938 by Albert

Hofmann in Basel, Switzerland, who was looking for a blood stimulant. It

was basically untouched until five years later, when Hofmann accidentally

experienced a small amount during a routine synthesis. It was at this time that

the psychoactive elements were made known. The first article on LSD was

written by Werner Stoll in the Swiss Archives of Neurology in 1947. During

the early 1950.s the CIA became aware of the drug, and organized the

infamous Project MK-Ultra, which led to the suicide of a patient who was

given LSD. Use of LSD rose rapidly until 1967, when it was banned

federally by the U.S. government. On October 27, 1970, the Comprehensive

Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act was passed, which made

hallucinogens a Schedule 1 drug. LSD use tapered off until the nineties,

where a resurgence of the drug is occurring, especially among adolescent use.

Pure LSD is a white, odorless crystalline powder that is soluble in

water. It can be administered to the body in several ways, the most common

being oral ingestion through paper, sugar cubes, gelatin, or by pill. LSD may

also be administered intravenously, intramuscularly, or smoked. After the

drug enters the body, it normally takes between 15 minutes to an hour for the

psychoactive properties to take effect. Once the .trip. begins, it will continue

for an average of six to eight hours. A typical dosage of LSD is around 150 -

300 micrograms, and the effects of the drug depend on several factors:

the amount taken at one time

the user.s past drug experience

the manner in which the drug is taken

the circumstances in which the drug is taken

These factors are especially important with LSD, because the effects on any

user, or even the same user at a different time, are difficult to predict.

The normal physical reactions to LSD usually include dilated pupils,

lowered body temperature, nausea, goose bumps, profuse perspiration,

muscle weakness and trembling, impaired motor skills and coordination, lose

of appetite, increased blood sugar, and a rapid heart rate. The initial effects

begin with a feeling of euphoria and dizziness, followed by

pseudo-hallucinations. Pseudo-hallucinations are hallucinations that the user

is aware of but knows isn.t real. In the hallucinatory state, distortions of time

and distance occur, accompanied by a distorted perception of the size and

shape of objects, movements, color, sound, touch, and the user’s own body

image. The body.s senses become fused together, explaining why users are

able to see music and hear colors. Usually feelings of a mystical or cosmic

nature fill the person taking LSD, and reflections on the self and the world

around are common.

Adverse effects of LSD are feelings of paranoia, fear, anxiety, and

depression. These reactions are indications of a .bad trip.. In these .bad

trips., the pseudo-hallucinations give way to terrifyingly true hallucinations

that the user can.t control or stop. These hallucinations sometimes result in

violence, homicide, or suicide. There are no reported deaths of exclusive

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