Putative Perception of Rotating Permanent Magnetic Fields following Ingestion of LSD
Perceptual and Motor Skills October 1, 1998 DOI: 10.2466/pms.1998.87.2.601 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Case study Case report Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 3 |
| Population | Participants who had ingested psychotropic concentrations of lysergic acid diethylamide |
| Intervention | Lysergic acid diethylamide |
| Topics | LSD |
| Key findings | Rotating magnets at 0.5 Hz induced reports of diffuse colored lights in three LSD-ingesting participants, with no such reports when magnets were stationary or absent. The authors suggest a possible link to historical ergot-related "magnet light" perceptions. |
Abstract
While sitting alone in complete darkness, 3 participants who had ingested psychotropic concentrations of lysergic acid diethylamide reported diffuse blobs of white, purplish, or greenish-yellow lights as two horseshoe magnets rotated at 0.5 Hz. The experiences were not reported when the magnets were stationary or removed from the apparatus. The estimated peak-to-peak variation in field strength at the distance of perception was between 50 and 500 nanoTesla. An association between these results and possible ergot-induced perceptions of “magnet light” reported during the last century by von Reichenbach (1851) is suggested.
Comparable studies
Other case reports and case series on LSD, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lasting Neuropsychiatric Sequelae of (??)Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (???Ecstasy???) in Recreational Users Persons who ingested large doses of MDMA | 1991 | Case study | n = 2 |
| Further Studies in the Therapeutic Value of Lysergic Acid Diethylamide in Mental Illness Patients with mental illness | 1957 | Case series | |
| Coma, Hyperthermia, and Bleeding Associated with Massive LSD Overdose a Report of Eight Cases People who self-administered large amounts of pure LSD powder intranasally | 1975 | Case series | n = 8 |
| Using a MDMA- and LSD-Group Therapy Model in Clinical Practice in Switzerland and Highlighting the Treatment of Trauma-Related Disorders Patients with chronic complex post-traumatic stress disorder (c-PTSD), dissociative,... | 2022 | Case series | |
| Persistent Palinopsia Following Ingestion of Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD) Patients who developed persistent palinopsia after LSD ingestion | 1996 | Case series | n = 3 |