Piezoluminescence
Encyclopedia
Piezoluminescence is a form of luminescence
created by pressure upon certain solids. This phenomenon is characterized by recombination processes involving electrons, holes and impurity ion centres Some piezoelectric
crystals give off a certain amount of piezoluminescence when under pressure, as in handheld cigarette lighters when the button is pressed . NaCl, KCl, KBr and polycrystalline chips of LiF (TLD-100) have been found to exhibit piezoluminescent properties . It has also been discovered that ferroelectric polymers exhibit piezoluminescence upon the application of stress..
In the lore of illicit psychadellic substance production, DMT
, 5-MeO-DMT
, and LSD have been reported to exhibit piezoluminescent qualities. As specifically noted in the book Acid Dreams, it is stated that Augustus Owsley Stansley III
, one of the most prolific producers of LSD in the 1960's, observed piezoluminescence in the compound's purest form This piezoluminescence could be related to the general luminescent qualities of both l-tryptophan
and l-tyrosine
which are precursors to most mind-altering substances, Though there are numerous anecdotal reports on the piezoluminescent properties of psychedelics, valid reported documentation is lacking. This is likely due to both the illegal nature of the compounds--and thus under-researched status, and also from the predictable bias that would occur when observing and ingesting the compound at the same time.
Luminescence
Luminescence is emission of light by a substance not resulting from heat; it is thus a form of cold body radiation. It can be caused by chemical reactions, electrical energy, subatomic motions, or stress on a crystal. This distinguishes luminescence from incandescence, which is light emitted by a...
created by pressure upon certain solids. This phenomenon is characterized by recombination processes involving electrons, holes and impurity ion centres Some piezoelectric
Piezoelectricity
Piezoelectricity is the charge which accumulates in certain solid materials in response to applied mechanical stress. The word piezoelectricity means electricity resulting from pressure...
crystals give off a certain amount of piezoluminescence when under pressure, as in handheld cigarette lighters when the button is pressed . NaCl, KCl, KBr and polycrystalline chips of LiF (TLD-100) have been found to exhibit piezoluminescent properties . It has also been discovered that ferroelectric polymers exhibit piezoluminescence upon the application of stress..
In the lore of illicit psychadellic substance production, DMT
Dimethyltryptamine
N,N-Dimethyltryptamine is a naturally occurring psychedelic compound of the tryptamine family. DMT is found in several plants, and also in trace amounts in humans and other mammals, where it is originally derived from the essential amino acid tryptophan, and ultimately produced by the enzyme INMT...
, 5-MeO-DMT
5-MeO-DMT
5-MeO-DMT is a powerful psychedelic tryptamine. It is found in a wide variety of plant and psychoactive toad species and, like its close relatives DMT and bufotenin , it has been used as an entheogen by South American shamans for thousands of years.-Chemistry:5-MeO-DMT was first synthesized in...
, and LSD have been reported to exhibit piezoluminescent qualities. As specifically noted in the book Acid Dreams, it is stated that Augustus Owsley Stansley III
Owsley Stanley
Owsley Stanley also known as Bear, was an essential and transitional personality in the development of the San Francisco Bay counter-culture. Spanning the Beat-era years of Ken Kesey's Merry Pranksters scenes, he was equally pivotal to the explosion of 1960's Psychedelia culture...
, one of the most prolific producers of LSD in the 1960's, observed piezoluminescence in the compound's purest form This piezoluminescence could be related to the general luminescent qualities of both l-tryptophan
Tryptophan
Tryptophan is one of the 20 standard amino acids, as well as an essential amino acid in the human diet. It is encoded in the standard genetic code as the codon UGG...
and l-tyrosine
Tyrosine
Tyrosine or 4-hydroxyphenylalanine, is one of the 22 amino acids that are used by cells to synthesize proteins. Its codons are UAC and UAU. It is a non-essential amino acid with a polar side group...
which are precursors to most mind-altering substances, Though there are numerous anecdotal reports on the piezoluminescent properties of psychedelics, valid reported documentation is lacking. This is likely due to both the illegal nature of the compounds--and thus under-researched status, and also from the predictable bias that would occur when observing and ingesting the compound at the same time.