Improved colour blindness symptoms associated with recreational psychedelic use: Results from the Global Drug Survey 2017
Jec Anthony, Adam Winstock, Ja Ferris, Dj Nutt
Drug Science, Policy and Law 2020 DOI: 10.1177/2050324520942345 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Survey Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 47 |
| Population | Respondents to the Global Drugs Survey 2017 who reported using LSD or psilocybin in the last 12 months and described color blindness improvement |
| Interventions | LSD psilocybin |
| Topics | LSD Psilocybin |
| Keywords | Blindness Hallucinogen Perception Optometry |
| Citations | 9 |
| Key findings | 23 of 47 respondents reported improved color blindness after using psychedelic drugs, with effects lasting from days to years. |
Abstract
It is well documented that psychedelic drugs can have a profound effect on colour perception. After previous research involving psychedelic drug ingestion, several participants had written to the authors describing how symptoms of their colour blindness had improved. The Global Drugs Survey runs the world’s largest annual online drug survey. In the Global Drugs Survey 2017, participants reporting the use of lysergic acid diethylamide or psilocybin in the last 12 months were asked, We have received reports from some people with colour-blindness that this improves after they use psychedelics. If you have experienced such an effect can you please describe it in the box below, say what drug you took and how long the effect lasted. We received 47 responses that could be usefully categorised of which 23 described improved colour blindness. Commonly cited drugs were LSD and psilocybin; however, several other psychedelic compounds were also listed. Some respondents cited that the changes in colour blindness persisted, from a period of several days to years. Improved colour blindness may be a result of new photisms experienced in the psychedelic state aligning with pre-existing concepts of colour to be ascribed a label. Connections between visual and linguistic cortical areas may be enhanced due to disorder in the brain’s neural connections induced by psychedelics allowing these new photisms and concepts to become linked. This paper provides preliminary data regarding improved colour blindness accompanying recreational psychedelic use which may be further investigated in future iterations of the Global Drugs Survey or in a stand-alone Global Drugs Survey-managed psychedelics survey.
Comparable studies
Other cross-sectional and survey studies on LSD, most cited first.
Citations in the library
Cited by 8
- Investigation of self-treatment with lysergic acid diethylamide and psilocybin mushrooms: Findings from the Global Drug Survey 2020 Journal of Psychopharmacology March 6, 2023
- Are you tripping comfortably? Investigating the relationship between harm reduction and the psychedelic experience Harm Reduction Journal July 24, 2022
- Magic Mushroom Use: A Qualitative Interview Study of Post-Trip Impacts and Strategies for Optimizing Experiences Journal of Psychoactive Drugs March 22, 2022
- Three Cases of Reported Improvement in Microsmia and Anosmia Following Naturalistic Use of Psilocybin and LSD Journal of Psychoactive Drugs August 31, 2023
- Case report: Prolonged amelioration of mild red-green color vision deficiency following psilocybin mushroom use Drug Science, Policy and Law 2023
and 3 more in the library
Cites 12
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- Evidence for 5-HT2 involvement in the mechanism of action of hallucinogenic agents. Life Sciences December 17, 1984
- Psychedelic effects of psilocybin correlate with serotonin 2A receptor occupancy and plasma psilocin levels Neuropsychopharmacology January 26, 2019
- Psychedelics and the Human Receptorome PLoS One 2010
and 7 more in the library