Chronic Users of LSD: The "Acidheads"
K. H. Blacker, Reese T. Jones, George C. Stone, Dolf Pfefferbaum
American Journal of Psychiatry September 1, 1968 DOI: 10.1176/ajp.125.3.341 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 21 |
| Population | Chronic users of LSD |
| Topics | LSD |
| Keywords | Perception Cognition Magical thinking Clinical psychology Alternative medicine |
| Citations | 85 |
| Key findings | Chronic LSD users shared magical-mystical beliefs, nonaggressive attitudes, and unique sensory sensitivity, possibly learned from frequent LSD experiences. |
Abstract
Twenty-one paid volunteers who were chronic users of LSD were interviewed and participated in a series of cognitive and perceptual tests and EEG studies. Among other observations derived from both interviews and testing, the authors noted that the group shared a set of magical-mystical beliefs and profound nonaggressive attitudes, as well as a unique sensitivity to certain types of sensory stimulation. The authors suggest that the beliefs and attitudes of the group may have arisen as learned consequences of frequent, intense LSD experiences in susceptible individuals.