Memoirs of a Psychonaut

Jerry Garcia

Paper Art by Jen Stark

(Source: designboom.com)

National Geographic is a name synonymous with quality journalism. So who better to dive into some of the more obscure LSD myths and little know LSD facts then the folks down at NG? We’ve selected a few of their LSD Facts & Myths to share with you that we found particularly interesting.

To read about their more extensive piece entitled “Inside LSD” go here.

MYTH #1:  Drug Dealers Hand Out LSD to Children

Likely a story to frighten naive parents, no dealer is interested in giving away their product to unsuspecting children. Dealers sell for a reason: to make money. The logic of this one is thin and relies on the fear that naturally arises when kids are thought to be in danger.

MYTH #2: Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds is about LSD

This widely believed bit about the hit Beatles song is actually far from the truth. “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” was inspired by a drawing done by a young Julian Lennon.

FACT #1: The CIA Dosed An Entire French Village With LSD

In 1951 the CIA decided to test the effects of LSD on an entire town; unbeknown to any of the citizens. LSD is a powerful, mind altering chemical that is not for everyone and being secretly given any drug can be a recipe for disaster. The result of the dosing was mass panic and fear that eventually led to the accidental deaths of at least five people. To make matters worse, a former agent claims the CIA conducted this same kind of experiment on over 5000 people between 1963 and 1965.

FACT #2: Baseball Legend Dock Ellis Pitched a No-Hitter on LSD

The title of this one pretty much says it all: Dock Ellis is a legend for more then his pitching record. In June of 1970 he pitched a no hitter (a perfect game) against the San Diego Padres while under the influence of the drug. Here Dock tell the story here.