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
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.
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.
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Study Details
- Study Typeindividual
- Journal
- Compounds
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- APA Citation
Schmid, Y., & Liechti, M. E. (2018). Long-lasting subjective effects of LSD in normal subjects. Psychopharmacology, 235(2), 535-545. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-017-4733-3
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