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How do LSD and mescaline compare?
Q: Are the effects of mescaline as strong and deep as the effects of LSD or is LSD much stronger (qualitatively, not quantitatively)? I have read that on LSD your thoughts control your perception (cognitive processes and perception fuse together), so is this also possible on mescaline?

A: The effects of LSD and mescaline are often described as being nearly the same in many older books and articles. While there are many points of similarity, these are two very different drugs from two very different chemical families. It is very hard to try to explain the differences to somebody who has not tried both, and this difficulty is made even worse because no two people will be affected by both drugs in the same way.



Many people feel that mescaline leaves you with a more lucid and coherent state of mind, where LSD can often create a very confused and disoriented state of mind. This does not at all mean that LSD is a more intense experience though. Some people find that mescaline produces stronger and much more organized visual effects, especially with the eyes closed. While LSD visions are often mosaics of rapidly morphing bizzarre scenes, mescaline visions tend to be more organized, less changing, and more familiar - the difference might be compared to watching a surreal music video compared to watching a movie. LSD tends to be much more of a stimulant, whereas on mescaline many people are more likely to lie down with your eyes closed. Some find mescaline produces a strong euphoria which is compared to that from MDMA. Some find LSD is more likely to cause anxious feelings.



Some people say LSD is much "deeper" while others will say that mescaline is the more profound drug - and others will say they're both equally deep. All of this is highly subjective, and varies greatly from person to person. LSD and mescaline are very different drugs, but with many things in common. Each has its own unique profile of effects, but what these are will be different for every person.

Asked By : San Pedro
Answered By : murple
Published Date : 1 / 7 / 2001
Last Edited Date : 1 / 7 / 2001
Question ID : 1744

Categories: [ Mescaline ] [ LSD ]



Ask Erowid v1.7 - Jul, 2005

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