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1950s Experiment Asked Artist To Take LSD And Draw The Same Portrait 9 Times, And Each Portrait Got Crazier
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In the 1950s the US government did a lot of experiments with psychotomimetic drugs (in fact, as anybody who's seen or read 'The Men Who Stare At Goats' will know, the US government used to do all sorts of weird and wonderful experiments). One of these experiments included feeding human test subjects measured quantities of LSD and then monitoring their ensuing behavior.
In one particular experiment, Oscar Janiger, a University of California-Irvine psychiatrist known for his work on acid, gave an artist an activity box full of crayons and asked him to drawing his experiences on LSD. And as you can see from these 9 illuminating images, the results are just as trippy as you'd expect. Things start out normally enough, but it doesn't take long before the artist's perception of reality starts to warp, and his drawings (which were recently uploaded by somebody called juraganyeri) capture in fascinating detail the various stages of his hallucinogenic journey, from the beginning of his trip right through to his comedown. See for yourself below, and please, don't try this at home.
#1 Time: 20 Minutes After The First Dose (50ug)
An attending doctor observes - Patient chooses to start drawing with charcoal. The subject of the experiment reports - 'Condition normal... no effect from the drug yet'.
#2 Time: 85 Minutes After First Dose And 20 Minutes After A Second Dose Has Been Administered (50ug + 50ug)
The patient seems euphoric. '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.'
#3 Time: 2 Hours 30 Minutes After First Dose
Patient appears very focused on the business of drawing. 'Outlines seem normal, but very vivid - everything is changing colour. 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'.
#4 Time: 2 Hours 32 Minutes After First Dose
Patient seems gripped by his pad of paper. 'I'm trying another drawing. The outlines of the model are normal, but now those of my drawing 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...'
#5 Time: 2 Hours 35 Minutes After First Dose
Patient follows quickly with another drawing. 'I'll do a drawing in one flourish... without stopping... one line, no break!' Upon completing the drawing the patient starts laughing, then becomes startled by something on the floor.
#6 Time: 2 Hours 45 Minutes After First Dose
Patient tries to climb into activity box, and is generally agitated - responds slowly to the suggestion he might like to draw some more. He has become largely non verbal. 'I am... everything is... changed... they're calling... your face... interwoven... who is...' Patient mumbles inaudibly to a tune (sounds like 'Thanks for the memory'). He changes medium to Tempera.
#7 Time: 4 Hours 25 Minutes After First Dose
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 colour.) 'This will be the best drawing, like the first one, only better. If I'm not careful I'll lose control of my movements, but I won't, because I know. I know' - (this saying is then repeated many times) Patient... Read More
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 colour.) 'This will be the best drawing, like the first one, only better. If I'm not careful I'll lose control of my movements, but I won't, because I know. I know' - (this saying is then repeated many times) Patient makes the last half-a-dozen strokes of the drawing while running back and forth across the room.
#8 Time: 5 Hours 45 Minutes After First Dose
Patient continues to move about the room, intersecting the space in complex variations. It's an hour and a half before he settles down to draw again - he appears over the effects of the drug. '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 is holding a crayon).
#9 Time: 8 Hours After First Dose
Patient sits on bunk bed. He reports the intoxication has worn off except for the occasional distorting of our faces. We ask for a final drawing which he performs with little enthusiasm. 'I have nothing to say about this last drawing, it is bad and uninteresting, I want to go home now.'
I'm sorry for the lonesome "f" - okay, does it say "noch müde - 17.20.6 " because it means "still tired" in german .... 😁 Anna was here, 6.2017
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What do you think ?
These drawings surely impress, but they a public for quite a while now. @admin: when reporting on such issues, you should give more background. In this case, this could be background about Project MKUltra. Governmentally led expriments of the times of these pictures where not really "weird and wonderful experiments" as you say, but not really ethically justified, in many cases ludicrous from a scientific standpoint, and supposedly even deadly for some (not neccesarily suspecting or even voluntary) subjects. This Wikipedia article is quite illuminating: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_MKUltra
Yes, I found the term, "weird and wonderful" quite an odd way to describe these unethical kinds of experiments.
What's unethical about it? I mean im sure the guinea pigs were volunteers... Seriously the reality is people do drugs. Alot of people do drugs. So if you can't deal with reality then you should probably do yourself and everybody else a favor and just end it...
Thank you!
Interesting information. Danke Hans!
LSD looks pretty terrifying. I don't need drugged to draw awful though!
It's not a matter of need, it's a matter of wants. Curiosity to see what lies over the fence and to explore all that life has to give a person is what usually drives those experimenter, among others.
"LSD hints to us that there is a... an area of the mind which could be called “unsane” – beyond sanity, and yet not insane. Think of a circle with a fine split in it at one end is insanity, you go around the circle to sanity, and on the other end of the circle close to insanity but not insanity is “unsanity”." (Sidney Cohen) This is a eloquent way to say it is ok to take hallucinogens. I for my part believe that curiosity works without synthetic drugs, though.
Very sure I won't be taking LSD anytime soon.
As an artist who has done LSD I definitely recommend it! Some of the greatest recent minds have done it and I'll say what they have said. It's life-changing in a good way. I already have a very active imagination, but LSD brought it to a whole new level. Worlds changing at the switch of a tune, textures creating universes, the reality of your insignificance as a cog in the vast natural world... Just be safe when you do it, have someone you trust and love with you, prepare for a long 8-12 hours while relaxed and you're in for one of the most important experiences in your life.
Folks think this is "bad" or "terrifying"?! I think it's really cool and interesting. My LSD adventures have largely been positive, though my photography and drawing (once) certainly did not benefit. Showers are among the most beautiful activities to experience while tripping. That said, psychedelics are not for everybody and you should NOT jump into such an adventure without careful planning and personal research. Stay safe!
I definitely agree that LSD - and hallucinogenics in general, aren't for everyone - they can shatter your reality and some people battle to put themselves back together again. That said, I was a big fan for a while, mostly in my twenties. A happy, friendly environment is essential.
@CultOfBambi Not only hallucinogenics. If you ever experienced "fast" caffeine overdose you might know how paranoiac it makes you. And imagine it at someone who is not completely stable. That person would be capable to kill twenty bystanders AND believe it was self defense.
👍
@Luc, this! I agree 100 percent!
... It slowly deteriorates your mental stability. That's not fun. Fascinating? Yes. Fun or positive? ....No. If a lot people actually took it often then we would all be in this crazy state of mind and we wouldn't have doctors, dentists, teachers.... IDK. And when people take it often it can ruin you and your chance at life by shattering the reality around you. I guess experimentation is okay but it may lead you getting addicted. This drug can also easily lead people to schizophrenia. My parents are mental health nurses and the most common cause for schizophrenia and other mental illnesses is hallucinogenics. I think it's really bad for you but hey we have alcohol and they are fairly similar so who am I to judge and this is just my personal opinion why did I share this I don't know.
Complete nonsense. Studies are continually coming out debunking the myths of psychedelics causing mental illness of any kind other than in those predisposed to it in the first place. Psychedelics as part of a mental well-being widely spread practice is inevitable
These drawings surely impress, but they a public for quite a while now. @admin: when reporting on such issues, you should give more background. In this case, this could be background about Project MKUltra. Governmentally led expriments of the times of these pictures where not really "weird and wonderful experiments" as you say, but not really ethically justified, in many cases ludicrous from a scientific standpoint, and supposedly even deadly for some (not neccesarily suspecting or even voluntary) subjects. This Wikipedia article is quite illuminating: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_MKUltra
Yes, I found the term, "weird and wonderful" quite an odd way to describe these unethical kinds of experiments.
What's unethical about it? I mean im sure the guinea pigs were volunteers... Seriously the reality is people do drugs. Alot of people do drugs. So if you can't deal with reality then you should probably do yourself and everybody else a favor and just end it...
Thank you!
Interesting information. Danke Hans!
LSD looks pretty terrifying. I don't need drugged to draw awful though!
It's not a matter of need, it's a matter of wants. Curiosity to see what lies over the fence and to explore all that life has to give a person is what usually drives those experimenter, among others.
"LSD hints to us that there is a... an area of the mind which could be called “unsane” – beyond sanity, and yet not insane. Think of a circle with a fine split in it at one end is insanity, you go around the circle to sanity, and on the other end of the circle close to insanity but not insanity is “unsanity”." (Sidney Cohen) This is a eloquent way to say it is ok to take hallucinogens. I for my part believe that curiosity works without synthetic drugs, though.
Very sure I won't be taking LSD anytime soon.
As an artist who has done LSD I definitely recommend it! Some of the greatest recent minds have done it and I'll say what they have said. It's life-changing in a good way. I already have a very active imagination, but LSD brought it to a whole new level. Worlds changing at the switch of a tune, textures creating universes, the reality of your insignificance as a cog in the vast natural world... Just be safe when you do it, have someone you trust and love with you, prepare for a long 8-12 hours while relaxed and you're in for one of the most important experiences in your life.
Folks think this is "bad" or "terrifying"?! I think it's really cool and interesting. My LSD adventures have largely been positive, though my photography and drawing (once) certainly did not benefit. Showers are among the most beautiful activities to experience while tripping. That said, psychedelics are not for everybody and you should NOT jump into such an adventure without careful planning and personal research. Stay safe!
I definitely agree that LSD - and hallucinogenics in general, aren't for everyone - they can shatter your reality and some people battle to put themselves back together again. That said, I was a big fan for a while, mostly in my twenties. A happy, friendly environment is essential.
@CultOfBambi Not only hallucinogenics. If you ever experienced "fast" caffeine overdose you might know how paranoiac it makes you. And imagine it at someone who is not completely stable. That person would be capable to kill twenty bystanders AND believe it was self defense.
👍
@Luc, this! I agree 100 percent!
... It slowly deteriorates your mental stability. That's not fun. Fascinating? Yes. Fun or positive? ....No. If a lot people actually took it often then we would all be in this crazy state of mind and we wouldn't have doctors, dentists, teachers.... IDK. And when people take it often it can ruin you and your chance at life by shattering the reality around you. I guess experimentation is okay but it may lead you getting addicted. This drug can also easily lead people to schizophrenia. My parents are mental health nurses and the most common cause for schizophrenia and other mental illnesses is hallucinogenics. I think it's really bad for you but hey we have alcohol and they are fairly similar so who am I to judge and this is just my personal opinion why did I share this I don't know.
Complete nonsense. Studies are continually coming out debunking the myths of psychedelics causing mental illness of any kind other than in those predisposed to it in the first place. Psychedelics as part of a mental well-being widely spread practice is inevitable