▁early ▁prede cess ors ▁of ▁acid ▁tests ▁were ▁performed . ▁These ▁tests ▁or ▁mass ▁usage ▁of ▁L SD ▁were ▁performed ▁with ▁lights ▁and ▁noise , ▁which ▁was ▁meant ▁to ▁enh ance ▁the ▁psych ed el ic ▁experience . ▁ ▁The ▁P rank sters ▁eventually ▁leave ▁the ▁conf ines ▁of ▁K ese y ' s ▁estate . ▁K ese y ▁bu ys ▁a ▁bus ▁in ▁which ▁they ▁plan ▁to ▁cross ▁the ▁country . ▁ ▁It ▁is ▁driven ▁by ▁the ▁legend ary ▁Ne al ▁Cass ady , ▁the ▁person ▁upon ▁whom ▁Dean ▁Mor i art y ' s ▁character ▁in ▁Jack ▁Ker ou ac ' s ▁On ▁the ▁Road ▁was ▁based . ▁They ▁paint ▁it ▁color fully ▁and ▁name ▁it ▁Fur thur . ▁They ▁traverse ▁the ▁nation , ▁tri pping ▁on ▁acid ▁throughout ▁the ▁journey . ▁ ▁As ▁the ▁P rank sters ▁grow ▁in ▁popular ity , ▁K ese y ' s ▁reputation ▁grows ▁as ▁well . ▁By ▁the ▁middle ▁of ▁the ▁book , ▁K ese y ▁is ▁id ol ized ▁as ▁the ▁hero ▁of ▁a ▁growing ▁counter c ulture . ▁He ▁starts ▁friend ships ▁with ▁groups ▁like ▁H ells ▁Ang els ▁and ▁their ▁voy ages ▁lead ▁them ▁to ▁cross ▁paths ▁with ▁icons ▁of ▁the ▁Beat ▁Generation . ▁ ▁K ese y ' s ▁popular ity ▁grows ▁to ▁the ▁point ▁that ▁perm its ▁the ▁P rank sters ▁to ▁entertain ▁other ▁significant ▁members ▁of ▁a ▁then ▁growing ▁counter c ulture . ▁The ▁P rank sters ▁meet ▁The ▁Gr ateful ▁Dead , ▁Allen ▁G ins berg ▁and