Dear HF, I come to you as humble student in the great subject of LSD. I am 18 and have smoked marijuana and tripped on mushrooms two times. I have done as much research as I can on acid, but I want to be as sure as possible before I actually do it. My main worry is flashbacks. What are the odds of getting flashbacks? Anything else to look out for?
They don't really exist the way you've heard of them, but HPPD is real (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HPPD), and can be triggered from one psychedelic session. Nothing in particular triggers them, it's just about your brain, the drug, and the dose. I wouldn't say it's related to the contents of your experience while on the drug, it's a direct neural effect of the chemical. Flashbacks as you've heard of them are 99% urban myth. You're not gonna suddenly fall into a full blown acid trip ten years after your last trip, it just doesn't work like that. You need LSD in your synapses to have the LSD experience.
first off LSD is about the safest psychedelic substance known to man physiologically speaking. So lose any fears of OD or brain damage or any other such nonsense. Your morning cup o' coffee does more harm to your body than LSD. Flashbacks, as Writer said, are rather rare occurances and usually only happen to people who had a bad experience. Most of what I have read on the topic states that flashbacks are essentially PTSD episodes, same as war vets and victims of violent crime. The crucial factor is the emotional intensity of an experience and if that experience is overall negative well there ya go, PTSD/flashback. Also as Writer said , a flashback is NOT re-occurance of the LSD trip, but rather more an anxiety attack with elements that were present during the initial LSD experience. The literature even suggests that some flashbacks can be triggered by revisiting the place or circumstances that were present during the bad LSD experience. But I will say that flashbacks do seem to only occur with LSD. Any one else experience suggest otherwise? Also to set your mind at ease, from research done from the '40s through the late '50's and subsequent followup, the percentage of individuals who suffered long term negative effects was on the order of about .01%. LSD is safer than a lot of things you consume daily without a thought. Your fear of it is the biggest thing you need to be concerned with. That fear and trepidation will bite you in the ass hard if you don't resolve it prior to your trip. Research more and you will gain more confidence. Came across this a while back when googling LSD. Interesting exchange about the dangers or supposed dangers of LSD. http://hubpages.com/hub/Medical-Studies-Prove-The-Extensive-Damage-LSD-Does-To-The-Body-Mind
I have flashbacks of my worst trip ever occasionally. It's because I was in a very bad setting on a very, very large dose of mushrooms and acid.
I've never had a bad trip so this may influence me slightly, but my flashbacks from good trips just break the monotony of everyday life a little. So long as you're careful and prepare well, I don't see why it should be anything to worry about.
Acid is demonized by those in charge of society - ie "Reefer Madness". There is far less a chance of a bad reaction than to penicillin or antibiotics. Put yourself in a safe situation with people you like and trust - know the dosage - and prepare for an eye opening experience.
