Substances
Mescaline, LSD, psilocybin, DMT, MDMA, the molecules, the discoveries, Bicycle Day, and what neuroscience now understands about how they work.
Part of Psychedelics
39 moments in this segment.
- - Ball-and-stick model of mescaline from crystal data. A ball-and-stick depiction of mescaline built from crystallographic measurements of mescaline hydrobromide published in Acta Crystallographica in 1973. The image was assembled with Avogadro, Discovery Studio and GIMP, and is rendered on a transparent background.
- - Space-filling model of the mescaline molecule. A three-dimensional van der Waals rendering of mescaline, showing the molecule as interlocking spheres sized to each atom's radius. It was produced by the Commons contributor Ring0 and released into the public domain.
- - Ball-and-stick model of the MDMA molecule. A three-dimensional ball-and-stick rendering of 3,4-methylenedioxy-methamphetamine, built from the crystal structure of MDMA hydrochloride as resolved by X-ray diffraction. Atoms follow the standard colour code, with carbon black, hydrogen white, oxygen red and nitrogen blue.
- - Space-filling model of the same MDMA molecule. The space-filling counterpart to the ball-and-stick rendering, drawn from the same X-ray crystal structure of MDMA hydrochloride and released on the same day by the same author. Here the atoms are shown as overlapping spheres at their van der Waals radii rather than as linked nodes, giving the molecule's occupied volume.
- - The Accidental Creation of LSD (The Origin of Bicycle Day). ) (1943).
- - What Is Bicycle Day? | Reactions (ACS). April 19th celebrates Bicycle Day? But what is this holiday dedicated to? Find out in this Reactions video!
- - Space-filling model of the LSD molecule. A space-filling rendering of lysergic acid diethylamide in which each atom is drawn at its van der Waals radius, giving the molecule's overall volume rather than its bonds. The structure derives from the crystal structure of LSD o-iodobenzoate monohydrate, refined with the PM3 semi-empirical method. Rendered on a transparent background by Ben Mills.
- - Stick model of the LSD molecule showing its bond framework. A stick rendering of lysergic acid diethylamide in which only the bonds are drawn, with no spheres at the atomic positions, exposing the fused four-ring ergoline skeleton. Atom colours follow the standard convention: grey-black carbon, white hydrogen, blue nitrogen, red oxygen. The coordinates come from the same X-ray crystallographic structure used for the other models in this set.
- - Ball-and-stick model of the LSD molecule. A ball-and-stick rendering of lysergic acid diethylamide, with spheres marking each atomic centre and rods marking the bonds between them. The structure was opened in Spartan Student 4.1 from the crystallographic data and refined with the PM3 semi-empirical method before rendering. It shows the diethylamide group attached to the lysergic acid core.
- - LSD skeletal formula beside ball-and-stick and space-filling models. A composite rendering of lysergic acid diethylamide, C20H25N3O, showing the two-dimensional skeletal formula alongside three-dimensional ball-and-stick and space-filling models. The geometry follows an X-ray crystallographic determination of the related salt LSD o-iodobenzoate monohydrate published in Molecular Pharmacology in 1973. Carbon is grey-black, hydrogen white, nitrogen blue and oxygen red.
- - Close view of undecorated LSD blotter paper. A close photograph of LSD blotter paper uploaded in August 2007 by the contributor Drogadicta. The source description is minimal and the file remains uncategorised on Commons beyond maintenance tracking.
- - LSD blotter tab beside a match for scale. A single blotter tab photographed next to a red-headed matchstick placed to indicate its size. The scale comparison shows how small an individual dose unit is. Commons groups the file with images using matchsticks to indicate scale.
- - Sheet of perforated blotter paper for acid. A plain sheet of blotter paper of the kind divided into perforated tabs to carry liquid LSD, photographed by Flickr contributor Retinafunk. Commons files it under lysergic acid diethylamide tabs and blotters. The sheet carries no printed artwork.
- - Blotter art printed with an Eye of Horus. A sheet of blotter art carrying an Eye of Horus design, credited to Blotter Barn and dated to around 1982. The Egyptian eye motif is one of the recurring emblems in the printed-tab tradition. It is held on Commons as a text logo in the public domain.
- - Ayahuasca: Characterization and Metabolism in Humans | MAPS. Ayahuasca: Characterization and Metabolism in Humans (2013).
- - How Do Psychedelic Drugs Work on the Brain? | Imperial College London. How Do Psychedelic Drugs Work on the Brain? The neuroscientist whose Imperial College brain-imaging showed how psychedelics quiet the mind's "default-mode network".
- - Dr Robin Carhart-Harris - Psychedelics and Brain Imaging
- - Prof. David Nutt - The Brain & Drugs: Time for a Neuroscience Revolution
- - What Does LSD Do to Your Brain? | BBC Earth. What Does LSD Do to Your Brain? (2015).
- - Psychedelics: Lifting the Veil | Robin Carhart-Harris | TEDxWarwick. Psychedelics: Lifting the Veil, neuroscientist Robin Carhart-Harris.
- - What Happens to Your Brain on LSD? | SciShow. What Happens to Your Brain on LSD? (2016).
- - How Can Illegal Drugs Help Our Brains? | David Nutt | TEDxBrussels. How Can Illegal Drugs Help Our Brains? psychopharmacologist David Nutt.
- - The Pharmacology of Ayahuasca | Dennis McKenna. The Pharmacology of Ayahuasca (2018).
- - Merck Digs Up Truth About Its Role in the Birth of Ecstasy | DW. Merck Digs Up Truth About Its Role in the Birth of Ecstasy (2018).
- - How Does MDMA (Ecstasy) Work?. (2018).
- - Prof. David Nutt - Psychedelics and the Neuroscientific Enlightenment
- - Mike Jay - Mescaline: A Global History and Q&A | Breaking Convention. Mike Jay - Mescaline: A Global History and Q&A, Mescaline, the peyote psychedelic, the first ever isolated, in 1897.
- - Psilocybin: Biosynthesis, Mechanism of Action & Metabolism. (2020).
- - 2-Minute Neuroscience: LSD. (2020).
- - History of MDMA | Rick Doblin | The Long Now Foundation. History of MDMA (2020).
- - 2-Minute Neuroscience: MDMA. MDMA, better known as ecstasy, molly, or one of a number of other street names, is a stimulant drug with unique prosocial effects. In this video, I discuss the current understanding of how MDMA acts on the brain to produce its effects.
- - How Psychedelics Change the Brain | NOVA PBS. How Psychedelics Change the Brain (2022).
- - Psilocybin Synthesis in 4 Steps & How Magic Mushrooms Rewire the Brain. (2023).
- - Amanda Feilding - LSD Revealed | Beckley Foundation. Amanda Feilding - LSD Revealed (2023).
- - Psychedelics and Empathy | Rob Malenka | Wu Tsai Neurosciences. Why are psychiatrists taking a fresh look at MDMA? Recently, there's been growing excitement in the scientific community about revisiting the potential medical benefits of psychedelic drugs that have been off limits for decades. Scientists are discovering or rediscovering applications of psilocybin, LSD, MDMA, and other compounds for treating people with depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder.
- - Mescaline: History, Isolation, Synthesis, Pharmacology. (2024).
- - 2-Minute Neuroscience: Default Mode Network. (2025).
- - The Secret History of Mescaline | Bureau of Lost Culture. The Secret History of Mescaline (2025).
- - How Scientists Believe Psilocybin Rewires the Brain. (2025).
