Lysergic acid diethylamide

LSD was first synthesized on November 16, 1938 by Swiss chemist Albert Hofmann in Sandoz Laboratories in Basle, Switzerland. However, it was a few years before Albert Hofmann realized what he had invented. LSD known as LSD-25 or Lysergic Acid Diathylamide is a psychoactive hallucinogenic drug.

It was not until 1943 that Albert Hofmann discovered the hallucinogenic properties of LSD. LSD has a chemical structure that is very similar to the neurotransmitter called serotonin. However, it is still not clear what produces all the effects of LSD.

According to a Road Junky writers, "Albert Hoffman deliberately dosed himself [after a milder accidental dose] with just 25 mg, an amount he didn't imagine would produce any effect. Hoffman got on his bicycle and rode home [from the Lab] and arrived in a state of panic. He felt he was losing his grip on sanity and could only think to ask for milk from the neighbors to counter the poisoning."

Albert Hoffman wrote this about his LSD experience, "Everything in the room spun around, and the familiar objects and pieces of furniture assumed grotesque, threatening forms. The lady next door, whom I scarcely recognized, brought me milk… She was no longer Mrs. R., but rather a malevolent, insidious witch with a colored mask.”

It's believed that LSD works similarly to serotonin, a neurotransmitter responsible for regulating moods, appetite, muscle control, sexuality, sleep and sensory perception.

It has been stated before that LSD remains in the body forever in minuscule amounts in the brain or spinal fluid, but there's no evidence to support this claim. People who believe in it, however, say that the brain holds and may release molecules of LSD over time, and this is what causes flashbacks

Of those who have reported experiencing flashbacks, many are also mentally ill. Some doctors suggest that what the user perceives as a flashback is really a form of psychosis or mental illness that may have emerged due to LSD use. There's a medically recognized disorder called Hallucinogen Persisting Perceptive Disorder (HPPD), in which some people who have taken LSD constantly experience visual hallucinations (as opposed to the brief flashbacks).

a synthetic crystalline compound, lysergic acid diethylamide, that is a potent hallucinogenic drug.

It was discovered in 1938 in a fungus that grows on rye and other grains. LSD has a high potential for abuse.

Delusions
Visual hallucinations

Impaired depth perception
Impaired time perception, distorted perception of the size and shape of objects, movements, color, sounds, touch and the user’s own body image

Severe, terrifying thoughts and feelings
Fear of losing control
Panic attacks

Flashbacks, or a recurrence of the LSD trip, often without warning long after taking LSD
Severe depression or psychosis