[Corporeus]

Since the past few months, I have been intrigued by a very powerful substance called Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD, as I will be calling it from now on). I have looked all over the internet, but all I can find are people having very powerful experiences, and as interesting as they are, I am more interested in how it affects the mind, and how it can do what it does. This may be the wrong group of people to ask, and I totally understand, but if you can answer my questions, or at least refer me to another website, please do.

First off, how are substances psychoactive? How can they induce a feeling that isn't normal, may it be dizziness, an altered field of view, a reduction in pain, dissociation, and in this case, hallucinations (geometric patterns, warping and manipulation of objects, color change [most likely do to dilation of pupils]) and complete change in thought processes. How can the arrangement of specific atoms, in specific structures, induce effects that aren't normal?

Second, how can a chemical induce hallucinations? How can a substance cause you to see something that isn't normally there?

I understand chemicals fit into receptors, but what happens from there?

[billnotgatez]

I assume you have read the forum rules

[Arkcon]

There is a tiny bit about what you're asking here on the Wikipedia page:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LSD#Pharmacodynamics  And I'm sorry there isn't more, it seems people just want to quote Dr. Timothy Leary on the "gee-wiz" aspects of the consumption of this drug.  But there are references in that section, and you could use them to try to understand what is happening in the brain when LSD, basically, forces certain neurons to fire without actual real world stimuli.

[curiouscat]

There is a tiny bit about what you're asking here on the Wikipedia page:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LSD#Pharmacodynamics  And I'm sorry there isn't more, it seems people just want to quote Dr. Timothy Leary on the "gee-wiz" aspects of the consumption of this drug.  But there are references in that section, and you could use them to try to understand what is happening in the brain when LSD, basically, forces certain neurons to fire without actual real world stimuli.

One of the issues here is that research is highly regulated, especially human trials.

I recall there was one researcher that the US-DEA had allowed to do studies on one drug (I forget which one it was!)and all the work was coming out of his lab.

[Corporeus]

There is a tiny bit about what you're asking here on the Wikipedia page:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LSD#Pharmacodynamics  And I'm sorry there isn't more, it seems people just want to quote Dr. Timothy Leary on the "gee-wiz" aspects of the consumption of this drug.  But there are references in that section, and you could use them to try to understand what is happening in the brain when LSD, basically, forces certain neurons to fire without actual real world stimuli.

In that wikipedia article, it actually says its unknown exactly how the chemical produces its effects. Very interesting! Thank you very much for the section on the wikipedia article

[Raphael]

Isn't there a research group at purdue that is allowed to research and synthesis LSD? maybe try finding them and seeing if they have any papers?