Jose Alberto Chavarin

Mr. Lewenstein

October 19, 2017

English 061

Psychedelic Sixties

Evil is like a cancer, it’s not about watching others suffer. It’s about causing the suffering. It’s about not caring about other’s wellbeing and it tends to feed off of bad vibes. Evil is about getting what you want and send everything and everyone to hell if it doesn’t go your way. The intentions of the government finding a way to manipulate a town was evil, they deemed the drug bad and useless for not filling their expectations. It altered people’s feelings with huge amounts of LSD given to them without knowing. MK-Ultra is a proven event where the government cared not for the safety of people in this town and proceeded with test that left many sick and delusional. Mind control wasn’t achieved so the drug was banned, self-interest and no sympathy is evil. Although LSD created a great high for people, it also destroyed their lives.

Timothy Leary was a Harvard professor who had a tough break through after losing his wife. In a short vacation period to New Mexico he tried LSD for the first time. His exact words were “it’s a life shattering experience”, Leary became a spokesperson for LSD and believed it enhanced the ability to think. As well as enhanced the ability to resolve problems in ways that are not merely visible to the regular human being. This became the peak of his spokesman’s career he proceeded to support the idea of new ways to think and enhance the human brain. Paired with the Psychedelic Pioneers he made a major impact on America’s youth and began on his famous quote “tune in turn on and drop out” which implemented his use of LSD and how he believed the school system was a failure and one can learn more on their own.

“What are the risks of LSD?” States the good and bad trips a person can have while also alerting the audience about the dangers of the drug. The author talks about the addiction it causes when you have good trips, which leads to more and more doses of the drug. While others can have the worst trip of their lives and end up mentally ill for the rest of their lives and permanently paranoid. The author believes that one should take proper caution while using this drug, because constant use can result in deadly consequences. LSD can have some fatal consequences if one isn’t careful with the dosages taken. Whenever I see a person that is a constant user it saddens me how gone they are. Those who don’t keep their guard up will be befriended by the drug and there’s no turning back from that. One should be really careful especially when dealing with hallucinogenic drugs. An improper dosage can even result in addiction. “Bad trips, can even last up to twelve hours”. This tells me how the author wants to let the readers know how important it is to be careful when trying LSD and how it can potentially affect.

In 1930-1960 LSD was a common pain reliever. Of course one had to consume the right amount and have to put themselves through proper and adequate instructional time from doctors to know how to use it effectively. There has been only addiction links between LSD and its users if it is mixed with other drugs, the hallucinogen can in fact treat severe pain with proper dosage. Using more than the recommended dosage can affect the brain waves and afflict to more serious complications. One being paranoia and another including the need/feel to always be on the drug. Doctors have emphasized on why one shouldn’t use LSD unless you are supervised and have a professional, in the medical field, next to you. As strange as it is the drug can lead to triggers in the body that make you addicted to it, and can result in horrible events. The amount of micrograms for a good trip is 150, after addiction it is easy to fall in a fine line between a proper dosage and a deadly one. Which often leads to death, without proper observation and no safety precaution taken, once addicted to the drug it’s hard to stop taking greater dosages than the previous before. This illegal drug, although deadly, has many benefits to it and is manageable enough to prevent it from being a reaper drug. In 1853 a devastating discovery was made, morphing and heroin were discovered and so were opioids. This is a drug found in your common pain killers it is a moderate morphine like substance that helps stimulate the body and relieve pain. It can be prescribed by a doctor and can be obtained at a pharmacy, but just like it’s siblings it can result in serious addiction. Opioids have been a result of severe addiction, victims get addicted to the soothing pain relief. In many occasions this step reached overdose, which is common for those who are addicted to Opioids. Both drugs can have deadly consequences and are both very much alike, though one is legal and one is not.

What caught my interest for this topic was the fact that LSD was made illegal when at one point it had the people unified and moving together. What many don’t realize is that the experience shared when doing this drug was truly a bond at the time where people wanted to know how you felt and why. Conducting research and trying to find out what LSD’s full potential was the goal to all of its use. It’s a type of drug that allows you to get better understanding of the world revolving around you. At first I wasn’t so convinced about the whole “Psychedelic Sixties” November but after a short amount of research and background checks I realized I was in the wrong and I could possibly be convinced that the drug can have a positive outcome. Upon gathering all the data I had received I noticed how LSD traces can be found amongst the smartest people in the world some even go as big as Steve Jobs and Bill Gates. I believe my position and stance on this drug has changed, no longer would I find it wrong to use a hallucinogenic drug which can allow more understanding and better stimulation than a prescription drug ever will. This led us to misunderstand the potential effects this drug can have on expanding our minds. “Allows me to solve problems in ways unimaginable” as Hoffman says it can alter our universe and let us see things we are blind to daily.

Works Cited

“Watch Truth about Drugs Documentary Video & Learn About Substance Addiction. Get The Facts About Painkillers, Marijuana, Cocaine, Meth & Other Illegal Drugs.” Foundation for a Drug-Free World, www.drugfreeworld.org/drugfacts/lsd/what-are-the-risks-of-lsd.html.

“The Cold War Museum.” Cold War Museum, www.coldwar.org/articles/60s/timothyleary60s.asp.

Rothstein, Edward. “A Mind-Altering Drug Altered a Culture as Well.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 4 May 2008, www.nytimes.com/2008/05/05/arts/05conn.html.

Bernstein, Adam. “Albert Hofmann, 102; Chemist Discovered LSD.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 30 Apr. 2008, www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/29/AR2008042902738.html.

Ferranti, Seth. “The Trippy Life of the LSD Manufacturer Who 'Helped Create the 60s'.” Vice, Vice City Inc., 13 Nov. 2016, www.vice.com/en_us/article/9b8qd5/the-trippy-life-of-the-lsd-manufacturer-who-helped-create-the-60s.

Anderson, Jack. “Lawsuit Forces CIA Confession On MK-Ultra.” Https://Www.cia.gov, 28 Aug. 1985, www.cia.gov/library/readingroom/docs/CIA-RDP90-00965R000100150073-8.pdf.