Opinions - How does LSD differ from E to Salvia to mushrooms

[ledzeppelin077]

How does acid compare to salvia, ecstasy and mushrooms?

Thanks

[Nature Boy]

LSD is a lot more like mushrooms as opposed to salvia and ecstasy in that it acts more like a conventional psychedelic.

[Nagognog2]

To your point: LSD25 can compare with psilocybin. But not to the others - MDMA and Salvia at all except in very minor ways. If one had mushrooms before, then LSD would seem somewhat familiar. Read trip-reports from this site and elsewhere. As well as classic literature on the subject.

[Benzeneringz]

LSD-25, or lysergic diethylamide, is a serotonin agent. It acts specifically on 5HT-2A receptors and somewhat on D2 (dopamine subtype 2) receptors. LSD isn't suppose to be pleasurable, like most stimulants or opioids are. It simply changes conciousness. The action on dopamine D2 receptors somewhat conteracts this claim, but since the main mode of action is on 5HT-2A receptors, it can be argued.
Mushrooms of the psyllocybe class, which contain psylocybine (which is a pro-drug, converted to psilocin) act on similar serotonin receptors. Not dopamine receptors. This is why mushrooms are sometimes considered LSD-lite (and in SWIM's personal experience, this is true. But it's not to say that psychedelic mushrooms aren't as powerful as LSD in moderate-to-high doses.) Basically, LSD and psilocybin mushrooms are really the only two comparable drugs in your post. The other two drugs are much different, but methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, or ecstacy) is more like the two than salvia. Let me explain.
MDMA acts on 5HT-2A receptors as well as dopamine receptors, the same ones involved with the euphoric effects of methamphetamine and dextroamphetamine (as well as amphetamine). This means that MDMA is half-and-half a 5HT and dopamine ligand, pretty much. LSD is a stimulant in pharmacological terms but not to the degree that MDMA is. MDMA has much more pronounced effects in relation to stimulant effects commonly noted with stimulant abuse. LSD simply keeps you awake by stimulating serotonin neurons as well as to a minor degree the D2 neurons.

The main point of my reply is in referrence to salvia. Salvia acts on kappa-opioid receptors. This is unheard of in the other three drugs being discussed. Have you ever wondered why salvia isn't as pleasurable as the other three drugs? It's because most kappa agonists are adversive. This is why salvia is reguarded as solely a ethnogenic, while the other drugs are reguarded as hallucinogenic or some other -ic. Salvia acts on a totally different system than the other three drugs: the opioid system. Specifically, as I said, the kappa-subtype. Basically, the three drugs mentioned: LSD-25, mushrooms, and MDMA, can be pharmacologically compared in a reasonable motif. Salvia cannot. Salvia is much different than these three drugs. Even Alex Shulgin says that kappa-agonists are the wave of the futute of psychedelic drugs. If anyone would like a ref., please ask. I'm too lazy to find it now but I would be happy to do so if someone is interested.

Reputation Comments on this post:

	great post
	good post!

[Henfer]

SWIM would say, MDMA's only similarity to LSD is the euphoria - but SWIM also feels like LSA's euphoria (be it extracted or as MG/HBWR) is stronger than LSD's euphoria (by a pretty wide margin), and MDMA's too.

salvia doesn't compare to these three in ANY way. also, SWIM feels like salvia is much less "pleasurable" than LSD. for SWIM salvia feels more "dream-like", more in a kind of sleeping state while still fully awake, and finds it very hard (or, better said, never had) real open eye visuals on salvia. also remember, salvia is more like 10-20 minutes, and after it SWIM feels more down than good, somewhat exhausted and even a bit sad, whereas after a LSD trip, SWIM is love and good mood in person

just personal experiences... never done real shrooms through (why should SWIM even bother)

[zera]

The only one LSD is really comparable to is Mushrooms, and the best comparison Ive ever heard related to this is

Mushrooms - Wisdom
LSD - Intellect

[Trebor]

What's the difference between the two? (intellect and wisdom)

[Henfer]

technically, wisdom is something you gain through experience in life, maybe also meditation etc. - more "understanding" than "knowing", deep insights can also be wisdom.

intellect is mostly the ability to think logically, understand complex tasks and structures and think stuff through. also memory, remembering a lot of stuff etc. often comes together with intellect (not always). intellect is mostly something you're born with (or not hehe).

sorry, SWIM doesnt understand why LSD is intellect and shroom's wisdom? LSD doesn't provide you with intellect either, but both CAN create wisdom through insights and the understanding of human thinking.

personally, SWIM would put both more into "creativity" (assuming shrooms and LSD are somewhat similar in effect, SWIM's using only LSD).

[Trebor]

Ah.

Well, LSD, in affects, is simillar to mescaline. In that it opens the users eyes to the unseen beauty. eg, think of the brain as a filter that lets only the bear minimum in. LSD is something that allows much uch more in.

Shrooms are alot like reading sci fi novels in the way that they're a lots of strange creatures and complex story lines.

[Henfer]

don't they both shut down the filters, even the ones inside the brain?

SWIM's always fascinated by the background brain processes you can see live while tripping.

[Trebor]

No, if they shut down the filters then they would just cuase the user to become blind.

Or, if you mean that they would stop the filters from overloading, then only in huge doseages.

[Henfer]

Originally Posted by Trebor

No, if they shut down the filters then they would just cuase the user to become blind.

Or, if you mean that they would stop the filters from overloading, then only in huge doseages.

what? SWIM's always believed LSD shuts down the filters your brain sets up to filter out unwanted/unnecessary information and also to hide inter-brain processes to not distract you from what you do.

SWIM's also read an article somewhere that LSD shuts down the filters in the brain that are there to avoid that, for example, senses mix up (this is a commonly reported feature of LSD; like seeing sound etc.).

[Nagognog2]

"Shutting down the filters" is a poor analogy for the actions of LSD and other major psychedelics. More to the point is that these drugs take over the job of a chemical regulator that keeps the stream of electrical impulses running at a set rate. While it takes over this job, it can't do this properly and the electrical impulses are sent at a higher rate and in more directions than normaly.

[Trebor]

No no, LSD opens the doors of perception. (not using huxley here) and allows the user to see other things that normally wouldn't be visible. What I beleive happens is an increase in senses perception. meaning you see what normally wouldn't be seen, hear what normally wouldn't be heard etc.

[Henfer]

SWIM remember his bathroom. he has never seen the very fine and very light-coloured patterns on the tiles there. as he was in his bathroom some time before the peak of the trip, the patterns on the tiles were overriding the actual tiles and seemed more like hover several inches from the wall away.

so, SWIM does definately see details by far better. He checked the tiles the next day, and the pattern was really there but almost impossible to see.

just a sidequest.. SWIM's been always holding the blotters (usually taking 2 for a trip, of pretty good quality.) for 20 - 30 minutes under the tongue then swallowing them... he hopes this is the right method, his dealer told him to do so (his dealer is also a good friend of him who prepared him psychically for the trip, although SWIM would say nothing can really prepare you for this )

SWIM's watching a BBC documentation right now, "LSD - The Beyond Within", hopefully he'll understand better how it works after that.

[Yukio Mishima]

LSD is like shrooms....but different. LSD produces more open eye visuals and of course it lasts longer. It's more "intense" in that respect, but shrooms are more of a mindfuck. Shrooms are harder to direct. They have a mind of their own. LSD puts one in a somewhat similar state, but there's more control over that state. SWIM finds it pretty easy to think about what he wants on LSD.

Just SWIM's two cents.

[Trebor]

Originally Posted by Flurry

so, SWIM does definately see details by far better. He checked the tiles the next day, and the pattern was really there but almost impossible to see.

There ya go. No you're getting it.