Anxiety DisordersHealthy VolunteersPersonality & Trait FactorsLSDMescaline

Long-lasting subjective effects of LSD in normal subjects

This double-blind cross-over trial (n=16) found that LSD (200μg) led to positive well-being/life-satisfaction scores up to 12 months later. The subjects experienced it as one of the top 10 most meaningful experiences (70%) in their lives.

Authors

  • Yasmin Schmid
  • Matthias Liechti

Published

Psychopharmacology
individual Study

Abstract

Rationale

Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and other serotonergic hallucinogens can induce profound alterations of consciousness and mystical-type experiences, with reportedly long-lasting effects on subjective well-being and personality.

Methods

We investigated the lasting effects of a single dose of LSD (200 μg) that was administered in a laboratory setting in 16 healthy participants. The following outcome measures were assessed before and 1 and 12 months after LSD administration: Persisting Effects Questionnaire (PEQ), Mysticism Scale (MS), Death Transcendence Scale (DTS), NEO-Five Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI), and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI).

Results

On the PEQ, positive attitudes about life and/or self, positive mood changes, altruistic/positive social effects, positive behavioral changes, and well-being/life satisfaction significantly increased at 1 and 12 months and were subjectively attributed by the subjects to the LSD experience. Five-Dimensions of Altered States of Consciousness (5D-ASC) total scores, reflecting acutely induced alterations in consciousness, and Mystical Experience Questionnaire (MEQ30) total scores correlated with changes in well-being/life satisfaction 12 months after LSD administration. No changes in negative attitudes, negative mood, antisocial/negative social effects, or negative behavior were attributed to the LSD experience. After 12 months, 10 of 14 participants rated their LSD experience as among the top 10 most meaningful experiences in their lives. Five participants rated the LSD experience among the five most spiritually meaningful experiences in their lives. On the MS and DTS, ratings of mystical experiences significantly increased 1 and 12 months after LSD administration compared with the pre-LSD screening. No relevant changes in personality measures were found.

Conclusions

In healthy research subjects, the administration of a single dose of LSD (200 μg) in a safe setting was subjectively considered a personally meaningful experience that had long-lasting subjective positive effects.

Available with Blossom Pro

Research Summary of 'Long-lasting subjective effects of LSD in normal subjects'

Introduction

Classic serotonergic hallucinogens such as LSD act primarily at 5-HT2A receptors and have been reported to produce profound acute alterations of consciousness and, in some reports, enduring positive changes in attitudes, mood, values and well-being. Earlier human research, including older studies of LSD and more recent work with psilocybin, has described persisting subjective benefits and increases in lifetime mystical-type experiences after single high-dose sessions. However, contemporary experimental data on long-term effects following administratively controlled LSD in psychiatrically healthy volunteers remain scarce, particularly using instruments comparable to those applied in recent psilocybin trials. Schmid and colleagues therefore designed a study to characterise persisting subjective effects after a single oral dose of LSD (200 μg) in healthy participants. The a priori hypotheses were that participants would attribute personally meaningful and spiritually significant effects to the LSD experience up to 12 months later, that mystical-experience scales would increase at 1 and 12 months versus pre-LSD screening, that acute alterations of consciousness would correlate with longer-term changes, and that trait openness might increase as has been reported in some prior hallucinogen studies.

Expert Research Summaries

Go Pro to access AI-powered section-by-section summaries, editorial takes, and the full research toolkit.

Full Text PDF

Full Paper PDF

Create a free account to open full-text PDFs.

Study Details

References (27)

Papers cited by this study that are also in Blossom

Classic hallucinogens and mystical experiences: phenomenology and neural correlates

Barrett, F. S., Griffiths, R. R. · Current Topics in Behavioral Neurosciences (2017)

Validation of the revised Mystical Experience Questionnaire in experimental sessions with psilocybin

Barrett, F. S., Johnson, M. W., Griffiths, R. R. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2015)

Psilocybin-assisted treatment for alcohol dependence: a proof-of-concept study

Bogenschutz, M. P., Forcehimes, A. A., Pommy, J. A. et al. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2015)

Survey study of challenging experiences after ingesting psilocybin mushrooms: Acute and enduring positive and negative consequences

Carbonaro, T. M., Bradstreet, M. P., Barrett, F. S. et al. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2016)

Neural correlates of the LSD experience revealed by multimodal neuroimaging

Carhart-Harris, R. L., Muthukumaraswamy, S., Roseman, L. et al. · PNAS (2016)

Pharmacokinetics and concentration-effect relationship of oral LSD in humans

Dolder, P. C., Schmid, Y., Haschke, M. et al. · International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology (2015)

97 cited
LSD acutely impairs fear recognition and enhances emotional empathy and sociality

Dolder, P. C., Schmid, Y., Müller, F. et al. · Neuropsychopharmacology (2016)

Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of lysergic acid diethylamide in healthy subjects

Dolder, P. C., Schmid, Y., Steuer, A. E. et al. · Clinical Pharmacokinetics (2017)

Safety and efficacy of lysergic acid diethylamide-assisted psychotherapy for anxiety associated with life-threatening diseases

Gasser, P., Holstein, D., Michel, Y. et al. · Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease (2014)

594 cited
Show all 27 references
Psilocybin can occasion mystical-type experiences having substantial and sustained personal meaning and spiritual significance

Griffiths, R. R., Richards, W. A., Mccann, U. et al. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2006)

Psilocybin occasioned mystical-type experiences: immediate and persisting dose-related effects

Griffiths, R. R., Johnson, M. W., Richards, W. A. et al. · Psychopharmacology (2011)

Human hallucinogen research: guidelines for safety

Johnson, M. W., Richards, W. A., Griffiths, R. R. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2008)

Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) for alcoholism: meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Krebs, T. S., Johansen, P. Ø. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2012)

Mystical experiences occasioned by the hallucinogen psilocybin lead to increases in the personality domain of openness

Maclean, K. A., Johnson, M. W., Griffiths, R. R. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2011)

Factor analysis of the mystical experience questionnaire: A study of experiences occasioned by the hallucinogen psilocybin

MacLean, K. A., Leoutsakos, J. S., Johnson, M. W. et al. · Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion (2012)

350 cited
Acute effects of LSD on amygdala activity during processing of fearful stimuli in healthy subjects

Mueller, F., Lenz, C., Dolder, P. C. et al. · Translational Psychiatry (2017)

The pharmacology of lysergic acid diethylamide: a review

Passie, T., Halpern, J. H., Stichtenoth, D. O. et al. · CNS Neuroscience and Therapeutics (2008)

The fabric of meaning and subjective effects in LSD-induced states depend on serotonin 2A receptor activation

Preller, K. H., Herdener, M., Pokorny, T. et al. · Current Biology (2017)

Receptor interaction profiles of novel psychoactive tryptamines compared with classic hallucinogens

Rickli, A., Moning, O. D., Hoener, M. C. et al. · European Neuropsychopharmacology (2016)

Psychedelics in the treatment of unipolar mood disorders: a systematic review

Rucker, J., Young, A. H., Jelen, L. A. et al. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2016)

Acute effects of lysergic acid diethylamide in healthy subjects

Schmid, Y., Enzler, F., Gasser, P. et al. · Biological Psychiatry (2015)

Acute effects of lysergic acid diethylamide on circulating steroid levels in healthy subjects

Strajhar, P., Schmid, Y., Liakoni, E. et al. · Journal of Neuroendocrinology (2016)

Psychometric evaluation of the altered states of consciousness rating scale (OAV)

Studerus, E., Gamma, A., Vollenweider, F. X. · PLOS ONE (2010)

Acute, subacute and long-term subjective effects of psilocybin in healthy humans: a pooled analysis of experimental studies

Studerus, E., Kometer, M., Hasler, F. et al. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2010)

423 cited
Prediction of psilocybin response in healthy volunteers

Studerus, E., Gamma, A., Kometer, M. et al. · PLOS ONE (2012)

Cited By (88)

Papers in Blossom that reference this study

Examining mystical experiences as a predictor of psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy for treatment-resistant depression

Brudner, R. M., Kaczmarek, E., Blainey, M. G. et al. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2025)

2 cited
Pharmacological and non-pharmacological predictors of the LSD experience in healthy participants

Vizeli, P., Studerus, E., Holze, F. et al. · Translational Psychiatry (2024)

LSD-assisted therapy in patients with anxiety: open-label prospective 12-month follow-up

Holze, F., Gasser, P., Müller, F. et al. · BJPsych Open (2024)

26 cited
Show all 88 papers
Potential therapeutic effects of an ayahuasca-inspired N,N-DMT and harmine formulation: a controlled trial in healthy subjects

Aicher, H. D., Mueller, M. J., Dornbierer, D. A. et al. · Frontiers in Psychiatry (2024)

24 cited
Psychedelics for acquired brain injury: a review of molecular mechanisms and therapeutic potential

Allen, J., Dames, S., Foldi, C. J. et al. · Molecular Psychiatry (2024)

Safety pharmacology of acute psilocybin administration in healthy participants

Straumann, I., Holze, F., Becker, A. M. et al. · Neuroscience Applied (2024)

15 cited
Perceptions of psychedelic personality change, determinants of use, setting and drug moderation: Toward a holistic model

Weiss, B., Sleep, C., Beller, N. et al. · Journal of Psychedelic Studies (2023)

10 cited
Psilocybin induces acute and persisting alterations in immune status in healthy volunteers: An experimental, placebo-controlled study

Mason, N. L., Szabo, A., Kuypers, K. P. C. et al. · Brain Behavior and Immunity - Health (2023)

Effect of LSD and music on the time-varying brain dynamics

Adamska, I., Finc, K. · Psychopharmacology (2023)

7 cited
Personality change in a trial of psilocybin therapy v. escitalopram treatment for depression

Weiss, B., Ginige, I., Shannon, L. et al. · Psychological Medicine (2023)

Dosing and Therapeutic Conduct in Administration Sessions in Substance-Assisted Psychotherapy: A Systematized Review

Thal, S. B., Wieberneit, M., Sharbanee, J. M. et al. · Journal of Humanistic Psychology (2023)

4 cited
Psychedelics and psychological strengths

Brasher, T., Rosen, D., Spinella, M. · International Journal of Wellbeing (2023)

Altered States of Consciousness During Ceremonial San Pedro Use

Bohn, A., Kiggen, M. H. H., Uthaug, M. V. et al. · International Journal for the Psychology of Religion (2022)

Nootropic effects of LSD: Behavioral, molecular and computational evidence

Ornelas, I. M., Cini, F. A., Wießner, I. et al. · Experimental Neurology (2022)

25 cited
Scoping Review of Experiential Measures from Psychedelic Research and Clinical Trials

Herrmann, Z., Earleywine, M., De Leo, J. et al. · Journal of Psychoactive Drugs (2022)

Towards an understanding of psychedelic-induced neuroplasticity

Calder, A. E., Hasler, G. · Neuropsychopharmacology (2022)

Psychedelics and mindfulness: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Radakovic, C., Radakovic, R., Peryer, G. et al. · Journal of Psychedelic Studies (2022)

Antidepressant effects of a psychedelic experience in a large prospective naturalistic sample

Nygart, V., Pommerencke, L. M., Haijen, E. et al. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2022)

46 cited
Decreases in State and Trait Anxiety Post-psilocybin: A Naturalistic, Observational Study Among Retreat Attendees

Kiraga, M. K., Kuypers, K. P. C., Uthaug, M. V. et al. · Frontiers in Psychiatry (2022)

20 cited
Psychedelic Resting-state Neuroimaging: A Review and Perspective on Balancing Replication and Novel Analyses

McCulloch, D. E-W., Knudsen, G. M., Barrett, F. S. et al. · Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews (2022)

Predictors and potentiators of psychedelic-occasioned mystical experiences

Gandy, S. · Journal of Psychedelic Studies (2022)

Psilocybin-Induced Mystical-Type Experiences are Related to Persisting Positive Effects: A Quantitative and Qualitative Report

McCulloch, D. E-W., Madsen, M. K., Jensen, P. S. et al. · Frontiers in Pharmacology (2022)

79 cited
Psychedelic use is associated with reduced daily opioid use among people who use illicit drugs in a Canadian setting

Argento, E., Socias, M. E., Hayashi, K. et al. · International Journal of Drug Policy (2022)

Evaluating the Potential Use of Serotonergic Psychedelics in Autism Spectrum Disorder

Markopoulos, A., Inserra, A., De Gregorio, D. et al. · Frontiers in Pharmacology (2022)

30 cited
Classic Psychedelic Drugs: Update on Biological Mechanisms

Vollenweider, F. X., Smallridge, J. W. · Pharmacopsychiatry (2022)

71 cited
Human behavioral pharmacology of psychedelics

Strickland, J. C., Johnson, M. W. · Advances in Pharmacology (2022)

5 cited
Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy for Substance Use Disorders and Potential Mechanisms of Action

Rieser, N. M., Herdener, M. ;., Preller, K. H. · Current Topics in Behavioral Neurosciences (2021)

Psychedelics as Novel Therapeutics in Alzheimer’s Disease: Rationale and Potential Mechanisms

Garcia-Romeu, A., Darcy, S., Jackson, H. et al. · Current Topics in Behavioral Neurosciences (2021)

Bridging the Gap? Altered Thalamocortical Connectivity in Psychotic and Psychedelic States

Avram, M., Rogg, H., Korda, A. et al. · Frontiers in Psychiatry (2021)

35 cited
Persisting effects of ayahuasca on empathy, creative thinking, decentering, personality, and well-being

Kiraga, M. K., Mason, N. L., Uthaug, M. V. et al. · Frontiers in Pharmacology (2021)

56 cited
Do Psychedelics Change Beliefs?

McGovern, H., Leptourgos, P., Hutchinson, B. et al. · Psyarxiv (2021)

Safety pharmacology of acute LSD administration in healthy subjects

Holze, F., Caluori, T. V., Vizeli, P. et al. · Psychopharmacology (2021)

Effects of ayahuasca on personality: results of two randomized, placebo-controlled trials in healthy volunteers

Dos Santos, R. G., Rocha, J. M., Rossi, G. N. et al. · Frontiers in Psychiatry (2021)

Does psychedelic therapy have a transdiagnostic action and prophylactic potential?

Kočárová, C., Horacek, J., Carhart-Harris, R. L. · Frontiers in Psychiatry (2021)

73 cited
Role of the 5-HT2A receptor in acute effects of LSD on empathy and circulating oxytocin

Holze, F., Avedisian, I., Varghese, N. et al. · Frontiers in Pharmacology (2021)

Genetic influence of CYP2D6 on pharmacokinetics and acute subjective effects of LSD in a pooled analysis

Vizeli, P., Straumann, I., Holze, F. et al. · Scientific Reports (2021)

40 cited
Examining changes in personality following shamanic ceremonial use of ayahuasca

Weiss, B., Miller, J. D., Carter, N. T. et al. · Scientific Reports (2021)

53 cited
Development of the Psychological Insight Questionnaire among a sample of people who have consumed psilocybin or LSD

Davis, A. K., Streeter Barrett, F., Griffiths, R. R. et al. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2021)

108 cited
The History of Psychedelics in Psychiatry

Nichols, D. E., Walter, H. · Pharmacopsychiatry (2020)

Therapeutic effects of classic serotonergic psychedelics: A systematic review of modern-era clinical studies

Andersen, K. A. A., Carhart-Harris, R. L., Nutt, D. J. et al. · Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica (2020)

Acute subjective effects in LSD- and MDMA-assisted psychotherapy

Schmid, Y., Gasser, P., Oehen, P. et al. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2020)

72 cited
Psychedelic drugs: neurobiology and potential for treatment of psychiatric disorders

Vollenweider, F. X., Preller, K. H. · Nature Reviews Neuroscience (2020)

Mystical Experiences in Retrospective Reports of First Times Using a Psychedelic in Finland

Kangaslampi, S., Hausen, A., Rauteenmaa, T. · Journal of Psychoactive Drugs (2020)

Long-term effects of psychedelic drugs: A systematic review

Aday, J. S., Mitzkovitz, C. M., Bloesch, E. K. et al. · Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews (2020)

Psychedelics and Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy

Reiff, C. M., Richman, E. E., Nemeroff, C. B. et al. · American Journal of Psychiatry (2020)

Therapeutic Use of LSD in Psychiatry: A Systematic Review of Randomized-Controlled Clinical Trials

Fuentes, J. J., Fonseca, F., Elices, M. et al. · Frontiers in Psychiatry (2020)

Microdosing psychedelics: Motivations, subjective effects and harm reduction

Lea, T., Amada, N., Jungaberle, H. et al. · International Journal of Drug Policy (2020)

95 cited
Neuropharmacological modulation of the aberrant bodily self through psychedelics

Ho, J. T., Preller, K. H., Lenggenhager, B. · Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews (2020)

Modulation of Social Cognition via Hallucinogens and “Entactogens”.

Preller, K. H., Vollenweider, F. X. · Frontiers in Psychiatry (2019)

Distinct acute effects of LSD, MDMA, and D-amphetamine in healthy subjects.

Holze, F., Vizeli, P., Müller, F. et al. · Neuropsychopharmacology (2019)

214 cited
REBUS and the Anarchic Brain: Toward a Unified Model of the Brain Action of Psychedelics

Carhart-Harris, R. L., Friston, K. J. · Pharmacological Reviews (2019)

Replication and extension of a model predicting response to psilocybin

Russ, S. L., Carhart-Harris, R. L., Maruyama, G. et al. · Psychopharmacology (2019)

55 cited
Cessation and reduction in alcohol consumption and misuse after psychedelic use

Garcia-Romeu, A., Davis, A. K., Fire Erowid et al. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2019)

211 cited
Pharmacokinetics and subjective effects of a novel oral LSD formulation in healthy subjects

Holze, F., Duthaler, U., Vizeli, P. et al. · British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology (2019)

Intensity of Mystical Experiences Occasioned by 5-MeO-DMT and Comparison With a Prior Psilocybin Study

Barsuglia, J. P., Davis, A. K., Palmer, R. et al. · Frontiers in Psychology (2018)

Current perspectives on psychedelic therapy: use of serotonergic hallucinogens in clinical interventions

Richards, W. A., Garcia-Romeu, A. · International Review of Psychiatry (2018)

Predicting responses to psychedelics: a prospective study

Haijen, E. C. H. M., Kaelen, M., Roseman, L. et al. · Frontiers in Pharmacology (2018)

339 cited
Increased amygdala responses to emotional faces after psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression

Roseman, L., Demetriou, L., Wall, M. B. et al. · Neuropharmacology (2018)

Positive psychology in the investigation of psychedelics and entactogens: A critical review

Jungaberle, H., Thal, S., Zeuch, A. et al. · Neuropharmacology (2018)

High dose psilocybin is associated with positive subjective effects in healthy volunteers

Nicholas, C. R., Henriquez, K. M., Gassman, M. C. et al. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2018)

61 cited
Effects of psilocybin therapy on personality structure

Erritzoe, D., Roseman, L., Nour, M. R. et al. · Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica (2018)

219 cited
Neuroendocrine Associations Underlying the Persistent Therapeutic Effects of Classic Serotonergic Psychedelics

Schindler, E. A. D., Wallace, R. M., Sloshower, J. A. et al. · Frontiers in Pharmacology (2018)

Your Personal Research Library

Go Pro to save papers, add notes, rate studies, and organize your research into custom shelves.