Acid-Tripping, Artist Drawings Analyzed by Doctors and Scientist

Mad Hatter blotter paper sheet of LSD or lysergic acid diethylamide.

LSD is a very interesting psychedelic drug that has been the subject of numerous recreational activities among countless individuals as well as creative sessions and experiments by doctors, universities, and governments. LSD can be absorbed by any part of the body, although it is usually ingested  orally.

LSD has inspired some amazing works of classic Americana as well as international classics including but limited to the Greatful Dead, The Beatles, Jimmy Hendrix, The Rolling Stones, etc.

As a side note, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards were said to sometimes put their acid in between their bandannas and heads so they could trip while performing. I cannot verify that, it's just a rumor.... probably a pretty solid one. 

It has been proven that when people are tripping they can hear colors and see sounds. As if that wasn't interesting enough on it's own, it's more interesting when you think about Jimmy Hendrix who is a musician that is embedded in American culture as a truly unique and classic artist. Jimmy never learned how to read music traditionally, he in fact devised his own way to write and read music based on colors.... coincidental? I'm not sure, I'm just throwing that out there.

There are many forms of acid an LSD and numerous varieties or forms including liquid to the classic magic mushroom (psilocybin mushrooms), peyote cactus, to frogs that you can lick and many many other forms. 

The point of this post is not to teach you about all the various ways to trip but rather the focus is on what I deem to be a series of very cool experiments that took place more than 50 years ago.  I didn't want to write a term paper so I stuck to one experiment that involved four main factors which I outlined below:

• time
• scientists/doctors
• an artist
• LSD

Here is the scenario: more than 50 years ago and unnamed artist was given two 50-microgram doses of LSD which he took but not at the same time. He took the first dose and then the second dose was ingested 65 minutes after the first. This artist was in a room and had access to "an activity box full of crayons and pencils". The artist was to create or draw art throughout different periods of his trip over time and the subject was the assisting Dr. who administered the drug. In other words, this artist was going to and did create drawings of this Dr. overtime while he began to trip and as the tripping progressed. The interesting part is the art.

During the sketches the artist did report how he felt the acid was effecting him as he was drawing each sketch.
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1

 Observations: After 20 minutes of the first dose the artist chooses to draw with charcoal the Dr. 

Artists comment: " Condition normal... no effect from the drug yet"

The rest, the other 8 pictures as the tripping progresses is below, click "Keep Reading"... you won't regret it! Very interesting.

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2

 Observations: After 85 minutes of the 1st does and 20 minutes after the second the patient seems euphoric.

Artists comment: "I can see you clearly, so clearly. This... you... it's all... I'm having a little trouble controlling this pencil. It seems to want to keep going."

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3

Observations: Two hours and 30 minutes after the 1st does & 85 minutes after the 2nd dose. The patient appears very focused on the business of drawing.

Artists comment: "Outlines seem normal, but very vivid - everything is changing color. My hand must follow the bold sweep of the lines. I feel as if my consciousness is situated in the part of my body that's now active - my hand, my elbow... my tongue."

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4

Observations: Two hours and 32 minutes after the 1st does the patient seems gripped by his pad of paper.

Artists comment: "I'm trying other drawing.  The outlines of the model are normal, but now those of my drawings are not. The outline of my hand is going weird, too. It's not a very good drawing, is it? I give up - I'll try again...."

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5

Observations: Two hours and 35 minutes after the 1st does. The patient follows quickly with another drawing. Upon completing it, he starts laughing, the becomes startled by something on the floor.  

Artists comment: "I'll do a drawing in one flourish... without stopping... one line, no break!"

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6

Observations: Two hours and 45 minutes after the first dose. The patient tries to climb into the activity box, and is generally agitated - responds slowly to the suggestion that he may like to draw some more. He has become largely nonverbal. The patient mumbles inaudibly to a tune (sounds like "Thanks for the Memory"). he also changes medium to tempera.

   

Artists comment: "I am... everything is... changed... They're calling... your face... interwoven ... who is... "

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7

Observations: Four hours and 25 minutes after the first dose. The patient retreated to the bunk, spending approximately 2 hours lying, waving his hands in the air. His return to the activity box is sudden and deliberate , changing media to pen and water color. He makes the last half-a-dozen strokes of the drawing while running back and forth across the room. 

   

Artists comment: "This will be the best drawing, like the first one, only better. If I'm not careful I'll loose control of my movements, but I won't because I know, I know" (He repeated I know, I know several more times)

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8

Observations: Five hours and 45 minutes after the first dose the patient continues to move about the room, intersecting the space in complex variations. It took and hour and a half before he settled down to draw again. He appears to be over the effects of the drug.

   

Artists comment: "I can feel my knees again; I think it's starting to wear off. This is a pretty good drawing - this pencil is mighty hard to hold." (He was actually holding a crayon) 

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9

Observations: Eight hours after the first dose the patient sits on his bunk bed. He reports that the intoxication has worn off except for the occasional distortion of faces. We ask for a final drawing, which he preforms with little enthusiasm. 

   

Artists comment: "I have nothing to say about this last drawing. It is bad and uninteresting. I want to go home now." 

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Whether you were a pot smoking, acid dropping hippy or a staunch conservative, taken a lot of drugs in your life or never even had a drop of alcohol.... I thought that this article could and would really appeal to everybody in some way, form or fashion. I just find it very interesting to mix the mind altering effects of LSD in a controlled environment with art which was in theory also controlled as the subject was always the same. 


It's amazing how much the same artist who was sketching the same Dr. varied wildly in his interpretation of what he was doing, seeing, and drawing and also at times seemed to not even recognize what he was actually drawing with.


I hope you guys liked this one. Comment if you did please. 

*All the dialogue and sketch's were from an article entitled "LSD - Scientists Analyze Drawings by an Acid-Tripping Artist" and courtesy of http://www.lifeslittlemysteries.com