LSD, or lysergic acid diethylamide, is a drug that induces a psychedelic state of consciousness. It is a manufactured drug whose effects are similar to the natural psychedelic substance mescaline. The effects of LSD are similar to those of mescaline, although the latter is much more potent. Despite its name, LSD is not a pure form of lysergic acid; it is a combination of lysergic acid and a basic body substance called diethylamine.
First, users experience confusion and panic under the influence of LSD. They have trouble thinking and function normally in daily life. Time seems to go by much slower while under the influence of LSD. This is because the drug literally slows down time for the user. In addition, space also seems to stretch out infinitely under the influence of LSD. This is why some people describe their first trip under the drug as terrifying- it made them feel like they were trapped in a infinite space with no way to escape.
After this initial phase passes, people who take LSD enter a state of infinite love and happiness. They feel as if they are united with every other person on earth through an omnipresent bond of love. They also feel as if they are one with everything in creation. It is common for people under the influence of LSD to feel that they are part of a vast universal mind. There is no ego or sense of separate individuality in this state; all people exist as part-and-synergy with all other things in creation.
Many users also have difficulty distinguishing between their real selves and their inner child selves. This can make it difficult to tell where one ends and the other begins. Some people also have trouble distinguishing between themselves and others when they are tripping. This can make it difficult to tell who among friends or family members actually experiences more extreme changes in perception when they're on the drug. These problems can make it difficult for those on LSD to interact with others normally under the influence of the drug.
Unfortunately, replicating these effects in a laboratory setting is very difficult- perhaps impossible. Even experts in the field find it nearly impossible to induce these same effects on themselves or on their students when experimenting with LSD. It's almost as if someone were playing God and creating infinite love and happiness out of thin air for them to experience. When someone else is present who has never taken LSD, even these experts will admit that they appear completely normal while under the influence of the drug. Only after someone has left that person's presence will he (or she) start behaving strangely again once off LSD.
Although many see acid as a sacrament or spiritual tool, it's actually more commonly used recreationally for its hallucinogenic properties. Users experience boundless love and unity with reality under the influence of LSD, which has led some governments to consider it a dangerous drug with mental health implications for those using it recreationally. Other experts view LSD as nothing more than fun recreational experimentation that has its place among many other fun substances in our culture.