12/13/2020 Weekly Dose: LSD – dangerous, mystical or therapeutic?

Close

Good information is vital to the public. Support our efforts to

Academic rigor, journalistic flair

LSD causes euphoria, increased body temperature and hallucinations where some or all of the senses are distorted. from shutterstock.com

Weekly Dose: LSD – dangerous, mystical or therapeutic?

Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) is a synthetic chemical made from a substance Author
found in a fungus that grows on rye and other grains, called ergot.

In 1943, Swiss scientist Albert Hofmann – who was interested in the medicinal
properties of plants – altered a molecule in the fungus hoping to create something
Julaine Allan
that would stimulate blood circulation. But by testing the compound on himself, he Senior Research Fellow, Charles Sturt
discovered he had created a hallucinogen instead. University

Today, LSD is an illicit substance used recreationally for its hallucinogenic effects.

https://theconversation.com/weekly-dose-lsd-dangerous-mystical-or-therapeutic-64550 1/8
12/13/2020 Weekly Dose: LSD – dangerous, mystical or therapeutic?

How is it used?

LSD is a white powder with no smell. A tiny amount is mixed with liquid and soaked into blotting
paper, sugar cubes, gelatine squares and tiny pills called microdots; or squeezed out of a dropper and
swallowed; or held under the tongue.

https://theconversation.com/weekly-dose-lsd-dangerous-mystical-or-therapeutic-64550 2/8
12/13/2020 Weekly Dose: LSD – dangerous, mystical or therapeutic?

LSD takes 30 to 60 minutes to have an effect, which is called a trip. A trip can last from four to 12
hours and is characterised by feelings of euphoria, increased body temperature and hallucinations,
where some or all of the senses are distorted. Time may seem to pass slowly or quickly, colours are
enhanced, smells are stronger and thoughts are intense.

A trip can be positive or negative. A bad trip can include overwhelming memories of traumatic
experiences, increased anxiety, or fear of people or things in the environment. A person’s mood, the
setting and the dose will influence the experience of LSD.

History of use

During the 1950s and 1960s, LSD was used more for psychotherapy than recreation. Between 1950
and 1965, 40,000 people were treated with LSD (under the brand name Delysid) for alcoholism,
depression, schizophrenia, autism and homosexuality.

In the United States, psychotherapists used low doses of LSD to enhance the standard therapeutic
process. In Europe, psychologists used higher doses to induce a mystical experience and emotional
release, believing this would reduce anxiety and depression.

Scientific reports on the effectiveness of either approach are limited.

Most LSD-assisted psychotherapy stopped when increased recreational use led to it being made illegal
in the United States in 1966. In 1967, the World Health Organisation recommended LSD become a
controlled substance.

How does it work?

Limited research has been conducted into how LSD produces its psychoactive effects. One study on
psilocybin, the hallucinogenic substance in magic mushrooms, found it led to decreased activity and
connections in the brain, as well as causing changes in blood flow. The link to blood flow suggests
Hofman’s theory about LSD affecting circulation could be true.

https://theconversation.com/weekly-dose-lsd-dangerous-mystical-or-therapeutic-64550 3/8
12/13/2020 Weekly Dose: LSD – dangerous, mystical or therapeutic?

Limited research has been conducted into how LSD produces its psychoactive effects. Pixabay

Other scientists have suggested LSD affects the brain’s serotonin receptors that regulate moods,
appetite, sex drive and perception.

It it dangerous?

LSD is not physically addictive. Tripping on a regular basis, and therefore relying on the drug to have
a good time, can lead to psychological dependence.

There have been many reports of phenomena termed acid flashbacks – bouts of psychedelic-like
perception long after the drug’s effects have work off. Although the flashback is frequently described
by people who have used LSD, it has not been well researched or understood.

Except in the case of a pre-existing mental illness, there is little evidence of LSD having a negative,
long-term impact on mental health.

The biggest risks associated with LSD are accidents and injuries during trips because of distorted
perceptions and feelings of immortality that can lead to risk-taking behaviour.

Reports of overdose are rare. In 1973, eight people were taken to hospital after snorting several
milligrams of a powder they thought was cocaine but was actually LSD. They passed out and were
hospitalised with high temperatures, internal bleeding and vomiting; although all recovered within 12
hours.

However, a more powerful hallucinogenic sometimes sold as LSD – called 251-NBOMe, 251 or N-
bomb – has caused a number of deaths around the world including in Australia, both from overdose
as well as accidents and injuries.

How many people use it?

https://theconversation.com/weekly-dose-lsd-dangerous-mystical-or-therapeutic-64550 4/8
12/13/2020 Weekly Dose: LSD – dangerous, mystical or therapeutic?

A survey found that in 2013, around 1.3% of the Australian population, or 299,000 people over 14
years of age, had used a hallucinogen in the previous 12 months. This includes LSD and other drugs
that cause hallucinations such as magic mushrooms.

The rate of use has not changed much over time, although it was recorded as 3% of the population in
1998.

How much does it cost?

The price of a single dose varies between A$5 and A$25. An average dose is thought to be 0.001 of a
gram, althoough 20 to 30 micrograms (a millionth of a gram) can produce an effect. Like most illicit
drugs, the amount of LSD in a purchased dose is unknown.

Other points of interest

A controversial psychologist Timothy Leary was sacked from Harvard University for using LSD in
experiments, and recreationally with students.

In response to supply restrictions, in 1967, Leary founded The League for Spiritual Discovery, a
religion that claimed LSD as a holy sacrament that should be legal as a religious freedom. United
States president at the time, Richard Nixon, called Leary the most dangerous man in America.

Leary wasn’t the only one who believed LSD caused religious or mystical experiences. Many people in
the 1960s sought such experiences from LSD, and were sometimes called psychonauts.

Aldous Huxley, author of the dystopian novel Brave New World, regularly used and wrote about
psychoactive substances such as LSD and mescaline, a cactus-obtained hallucinogen. He thought LSD
was valuable for those who didn’t have a talent for visionary experiences; the kinds necessary to
produce great works of art.

Indeed, great artists such as The Beatles did a lot to popularise LSD; with their song Tomorrow Never
Knows quoting directly from a book co-authored by Timothy Leary.

Interest in the medical uses of hallucinogens continues. A 2014 study in Switzerland reported
participants’ anxiety was reduced following two LSD-assisted psychotherapy sessions.

In Australia, an anaesthetic called ketamine – which causes hallucinations – is being trialled to see if
it helps people with depression.

Illicit drugs Psychotherapy LSD Ketamine Hallucinations Party drugs Weekly Dose

Support The Conversation
˙uʍop ǝpısdn sɯǝǝs uǝʇɟo ʇɐɥʇ p‫ן‬ɹoʍ ɐ ɟo ǝsuǝs ǝʞɐɯ ɔı‫ן‬qnd ǝɥʇ d‫ן‬ǝɥ sn sd‫ן‬ǝɥ ʇɟıƃ ɹnoʎ

Donate now

Eric Zack
https://theconversation.com/weekly-dose-lsd-dangerous-mystical-or-therapeutic-64550 5/8
12/13/2020 Weekly Dose: LSD – dangerous, mystical or therapeutic?

Director, University Relations

You might also like

Psychedelic drug use linked to fewer mental health problems

https://theconversation.com/weekly-dose-lsd-dangerous-mystical-or-therapeutic-64550 6/8
12/13/2020 Weekly Dose: LSD – dangerous, mystical or therapeutic?

Explainer: what is NBOMe?

Ketamine: painkiller, party drug – and possibly next-generation antidepressant

https://theconversation.com/weekly-dose-lsd-dangerous-mystical-or-therapeutic-64550 7/8
12/13/2020 Weekly Dose: LSD – dangerous, mystical or therapeutic?

Shedding light on online stores for illicit and synthetic drugs

https://theconversation.com/weekly-dose-lsd-dangerous-mystical-or-therapeutic-64550 8/8