The LSD effect is described as a 'trip' because it is a long (8-12 hours) and powerful experience which takes you beyond normal perception and then back again.

Simply put, it profoundly alters and expands consciousness by loosening or - at higher doses- completely erasing the normal filters and screens between your conscious mind and the outside world.

With these filters down, more information rushes in. You sense more, think more, feel more. You became aware of things normally filtered out out by your mind, visual, auditory, sensory, emotional. The intricate details on surfaces, the richness of sound, the brightness of colours, and the complexity of your own mental processes.

At higher doses, the rush of information becomes a flood and your sense actually begin to merge and overlap (syntheasia) until you can see sounds or smell colours.

For more detailed information on effects, please visit our page on psychedelic effects.

top

come up
The effects begin to be felt between 20 minutes to two hours after ingestion. The first signs are a sense of euphoria and expectation, along with a tingling body feeling.

Once started, the effects usually take between 30-45 minutes to reach their peak.

It is common to feel some nausea during this stage. It can be reduced by having an empty stomach.

peak
The peak effect lasts from two to five hours. A clear symptom is rich visual hallucinations. Colours seem more vibrant. Surfaces may ripple and shimmer. You may notice tiny details on objects. Music sounds richer and louder.

At the same time, you may feel blissful, have flashes of insight into yourself or the world, experience severe time-distortion, or feel yourself dissolving or see objects merging into one another.

comedown
The trip wears off gradually after 8 to 12 hours, although you may continue to feel tender and altered until you get a full night's sleep.

top

after-effects
Physically you will feel tired and drained of energy right into the next day.

Psychologically, any insights or feelings you had during your trip will stay with you. A positive experience can give you a glow lasting hours, days, or even weeks afterwards. A negative experience - or 'bad trip' - can leave you traumatised for the same length of time. But it fades.