The Biochemist
March 28, 2024
Peter J. Duggan, S. Walker
1 citation
A major part of the counterculture that emerged in western societies in the 1960s centred around the use of mind-altering psychedelic drugs such as lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD). Humans had, however, been consuming hallucinogenic substances since prehistoric times and often incorporated them into their religious rituals. Concerns over the effects of potent psychedelics like LSD led to them...
The Biochemist
March 25, 2024
David Nutt
3 citations
Natural psychedelics such as magic mushrooms have a long history of human use of at least 7000 years. Their use underwent a resurgence in the 1950/1960s following the synthesis of LSD as a psychedelic and its use as a medicine with powerful therapeutic benefits. But because non-medical use led to massive cultural changes especially in young people, all psychedelics were banned globally in the...
The Biochemist
March 14, 2024
Natalie Ertl, Matthew B. Wall
The use of psychoactive substances for ritual, spiritual and medicinal purposes stretches back into prehistory and has been a common feature of many diverse cultures and societies globally. Psychedelics, with their unique ability to amplify feelings of connectedness and openness, may have also served as tools for promoting tribal cohesion and trust in ancient cultures. Psychedelic is a broad...
The Biochemist
January 19, 2024
Javier González-Maeso
Psychedelics, such as psilocybin, mescaline and lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), are psychoactive substances that induce alterations in cognition, perception and sensory processing. Studies in rodent models and healthy human volunteers highlight the serotonin 5-HT2A receptor’s pivotal role in mediating hallucinogenic effects. More recent findings indicate that psychedelics induce lasting...
The Biochemist
April 1, 2007
Erika Dyck
2 citations
In April 1943, Dr Albert Hofmann, a Swiss biochemist, dissolved a few micrograms of a newlysynthesized drug, d-lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), in a glass of water and drank it. Three-quarters of an hour later, he recorded a growing dizziness, some visual disturbances and a marked desire to laugh. After about an hour he asked his assistant to call a doctor and accompany him home from his...