Low-dose LSD and the stream of thought: Increased Discontinuity of Mind, Deep Thoughts and abstract flow.
Isabel Wießner, Marcelo Falchi, Fernanda Palhano-Fontes, Lucas Oliveira Maia, Amanda Feilding, Sidarta Ribeiro, Natália Bezerra Mota, Draulio B Araujo, Luís Fernando Tófoli
Psychopharmacology June 1, 2022 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-021-06006-3 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Placebo-controlled Double-blind Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 24 |
| Population | Healthy participants |
| Intervention | Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) |
| Dose | 50 μg |
| Duration | Assessments at +0 h, +2 h, +4 h, +6 h, +8 h and +24 h after drug administration |
| Topics | LSD |
| Keywords | Abstract thinking Forward flow Free association Mind-wandering Resting state cognition Semantic analysis Stream of thought |
| Citations | 22 |
| Key findings | LSD increases chaos, meaning, sensation, and abstract flow in the stream of thought at different time points from 2 to 6 hours after administration. |
Abstract
Stream of thought describes the nature of the mind when it is freely roaming, a mental state that is continuous and highly dynamic as in mind-wandering or free association. Classic serotonergic psychedelics are known to profoundly impact perception, cognition and language, yet their influence on the stream of thought remains largely unexplored. To elucidate the effects of LSD on the stream of thought. In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study, 24 healthy participants received 50 μg lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) or inactive placebo. Mind-wandering was measured by the Amsterdam Resting State Questionnaire (ARSQ), free association by the Forward Flow Task (FFT) for three seed word types (animals, objects, abstract words). ARSQ and FFT were assessed at +0 h, +2 h, +4 h, +6 h, +8 h and +24 h after drug administration, respectively. LSD, compared to placebo, induced different facets of mind-wandering we conceptualized as "chaos" (Discontinuity of Mind, decreased Sleepiness, Planning, Thoughts under Control, Thoughts about Work and Thoughts about Past), "meaning" (Deep Thoughts, Not Sharing Thoughts) and "sensation" (Thoughts about Odours, Thoughts about Sounds). LSD increased the FFT for abstract words reflecting an "abstract flow" under free association. Overall, chaos was strongest pronounced (+2 h to +6 h), followed by meaning (+2 h to +4 h), sensation (+2 h) and abstract flow (+4 h). LSD affects the stream of thought within several levels (active, passive), facets (chaos, meaning, sensation, abstractness) and time points (from +2 h to +6 h). Increased chaos, meaning and abstract flow at +4 h indicate the utility of a late therapeutic window in psycholytic therapy.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on LSD, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Safety and Efficacy of Lysergic Acid Diethylamide-Assisted Psychotherapy for Anxiety Associated With Life-threatening Diseases Patients with anxiety associated with life-threatening diseases | 2014 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 12 |
| Dose-Response Study of N,N-Dimethyltryptamine in Humans Experienced hallucinogen users | 1994 | Double-blind, saline placebo-controlled, randomized study | n = 12 |
| Acute Effects of Lysergic Acid Diethylamide in Healthy Subjects Healthy subjects (8 women, 8 men) | 2014 | Double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, crossover study | n = 16 |
| Changes in global and thalamic brain connectivity in LSD-induced altered states of consciousness are attributable to the 5-HT2A receptor Healthy human participants | 2018 | Double-blind, randomized, counterbalanced, cross-over study | n = 24 |
| LSD-induced entropic brain activity predicts subsequent personality change. Healthy adults | 2016 | Balanced-order, placebo-controlled study | n = 19 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 20
- Psychedelic Therapy's Transdiagnostic Effects: A Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) Perspective Frontiers in Psychiatry December 17, 2021
- LSD and creativity: Increased novelty and symbolic thinking, decreased utility and convergent thinking Journal of Psychopharmacology February 1, 2022
- LSD, afterglow and hangover: Increased episodic memory and verbal fluency, decreased cognitive flexibility. European Neuropsychopharmacology May 1, 2022
- Nootropic effects of LSD: Behavioral, molecular and computational evidence. Experimental Neurology June 1, 2022
- Psychedelics as potential catalysts of scientific creativity and insight Drug Science, Policy and Law 2022
and 15 more in the library
Cites 33
- Human hallucinogen research: guidelines for safety. Journal of Psychopharmacology July 1, 2008
- Acute, subacute and long-term subjective effects of psilocybin in healthy humans: a pooled analysis of experimental studies Journal of Psychopharmacology September 20, 2010
- The Pharmacology of Lysergic Acid Diethylamide: A Review CNS Neuroscience & Therapeutics November 11, 2008
- LSD-assisted psychotherapy for anxiety associated with a life-threatening disease: A qualitative study of acute and sustained subjective effects Journal of Psychopharmacology November 11, 2014
- Acute Effects of Lysergic Acid Diethylamide in Healthy Subjects Biological Psychiatry November 29, 2014
and 28 more in the library