The Acid Trip

More people are using acid today than at any time since the 1960s. This book summarizes everything that is known about this potent psychedelic drug: what an acid trip is like, how LSD was discovered, what forms are currently available on the underground market, how to produce the drug, and much more -- including, of course, caveats about acid and the law.

An exploration of the personal and spiritual truths revealed through LSD • Reveals that LSD visions weave an ongoing story from trip to trip • Shows that trips progress through three stages: personal issues and pre-birth consciousness, ego-loss, and on to the sacred • Explores psychedelic use throughout history, including the mass hallucinations common in the Middle Ages and the early therapeutic use of LSD Toward the end of his fifties, Christopher Gray took, for the first time in years, a 100-microgram acid trip. So extraordinary, and to his surprise so enjoyable, were the effects that he began to take the same dose in the same way--quietly and on his own--once every two to three weeks. In The Acid Diaries, Gray details his experimentation with LSD over a period of three years and shares the startling realization that his visions were weaving an ongoing story from trip to trip, revealing an underlying reality of personal and spiritual truths. Following the theories of Stanislav Grof and offering quotes from others’ experiences that parallel his own--including those of Aldous Huxley, Albert Hofmann, and Gordon Wasson--he shows that trips progress through three stages: the first dealing with personal issues and pre-birth consciousness; the second with ego-loss, often with supernatural overtones; and the third with sacred, spiritual, and even apocalyptic themes. Pairing his experiences with an exploration of psychedelic use throughout history, including the ergot-spawned mass hallucinations that were common through the Middle Ages and the early use of LSD for therapeutic purposes, Gray offers readers a greater understanding and appreciation for the potential value of LSD not merely for transpersonal growth but also for spiritual development.

A history and criticism of psychedelic music of the late 60s.

A thought-provoking and humorous exploration of the mind and its potential capabilities as well as views on society and humans' place in the world as observed by the author over the course of ten hours in one summer night under the influence of LSD, documented in real-time diary notes form.

The renowned food photographer explores the world of vinegar in this globe-hopping volume with recipes from Daniel Boulud, April Bloomfield and others. An avid maker of vinegars at home, Michael Harlan Turkell traveled throughout North America, France, Italy, Austria, and Japan to learn about vinegar-making practices in places where the art has evolved over centuries. In Acid Trip, he invites readers along on the journey. This richly narrated cookbook includes recipes from leading chefs including Daniel Boulud, Barbara Lynch, Michael Anthony, April Bloomfield, Massimo Bottura, Sean Brock, and many others. Dishes range from simple to sophisticated and include Fried Eggs with a Spoonful of Vinegar, Sweet & Sour Peppers, Balsamic Barbecued Ribs, Poulet au Vinaigre, Tomato Tarragon Shrub, and even Vinegar Pie. Turkell also details methods for making your own vinegars with bases as varied as wine, rice, apple cider, and honey. Featuring lush color photographs by the author, Acid Trip is a captivating story of culinary obsession and an indispensable reference for creative home chefs.

This is a book about LSD. A substance that nearly everyone has heard of, but very few really know anything about. In these pages you can learn about the history of this enigmatic substance; the chemistry of how it works; come to understand some of the myths and truths about it; and even read some first-hand stories of 'trips' taken after having consumed LSD. But most importantly, this is a book about Self-Discovery. It explains how LSD can be used to learn about yourself; how it changes your perception of the world, and how to use this changed perception to make changes in yourself.

How historical, social, and cultural forces shaped the psychedelic experience in midcentury America, from CIA LSD experiments the Harvard Psilocybin Project. Are psychedelics invaluable therapeutic medicines, or dangerously unpredictable drugs that precipitate psychosis? Tools for spiritual communion or cognitive enhancers that spark innovation? Activators for one's private muse or part of a political movement? In the 1950s and 1960s, researchers studied psychedelics in all these incarnations, often arriving at contradictory results. In American Trip, Ido Hartogsohn examines how the psychedelic experience in midcentury America was shaped by historical, social, and cultural forces—by set (the mindset of the user) and setting (the environments in which the experience takes place). He explores uses of psychedelics that range from CIA and military experimentation to psychedelic-inspired styles in music, fashion, design, architecture, and film. Along the way, he introduces us to a memorable cast of characters including Betty Eisner, a psychologist who drew on her own experience to argue for the therapeutic potential of LSD, and Timothy Leary, who founded the Harvard Psilocybin Project and went on to become psychedelics' most famous advocate. Hartogsohn chronicles these developments in the context of the era's cultural trends, including the cold war, the counterculture, the anti-psychiatric movement, and the rise of cybernetics. Drawing on insights from the study of science, technology, and society, he develops the idea of LSD as a suggestible technology, the properties of which are shaped by suggestion. He proposes the concept of collective set and setting, arguing that the historical and sociocultural context of midcentury America offered a particular set and setting—creating the conditions for what he calls the American trip.