Alterations of consciousness and mystical-type experiences after acute LSD in humans
Matthias E. Liechti, Patrick C. Dolder, Yasmin Schmid
Psychopharmacology October 7, 2016 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-016-4453-0 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Experimental study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Participants in a study on acute LSD effects |
| Intervention | LSD |
| Dose | 100 μg and 200 μg |
| Topics | LSD Mysticism Psilocybin Mystical experience |
| Keywords | Hallucinogen Placebo Level of consciousness Clinical psychology Psychotherapist |
| Citations | 203 |
| Key findings | Mystical-type experiences were infrequent after LSD, possibly due to set and setting; 200 μg may produce greater alterations of consciousness than 100 μg, and ego dissolution may reflect plasma LSD levels. |
Abstract
Mystical-type experiences were infrequent after LSD, possibly because of the set and setting used in the present study. LSD may produce greater or different alterations of consciousness at 200 μg (i.e., a dose that is currently used in psychotherapy in Switzerland) compared with 100 μg (i.e., a dose used in imaging studies). Ego dissolution may reflect plasma levels of LSD, whereas more robustly induced effects of LSD may not result in such associations.
In the evidence
This study is part of the evidence base for a synthesis in the library. Here is how each one recorded it.
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State of the evidence: Mysticism Opposes
Mystical-type experiences were infrequent after LSD, possibly due to set and setting; 200 μg may produce greater alterations of consciousness than 100 μg, and ego dissolution may reflect plasma LSD levels.
Synthesized
Comparable studies
Other experimental studies on LSD, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neural correlates of the LSD experience revealed by multimodal neuroimaging. Human participants | 2016 | Experimental study | |
| Crystal structure of an LSD-bound human serotonin receptor | 2017 | Experimental study with structural biology and molecular dynamics simulations | |
| Lysergic Acid Diethylamide: Sensitive Neuronal Units in the Midbrain Raphe Midbrain neurons containing serotonin | 1968 | Experimental study | |
| Connectome-harmonic decomposition of human brain activity reveals dynamical repertoire re-organization under LSD. Human brain | 2017 | Experimental study | |
| LSD-Assisted Psychotherapy in Patients with Terminal Cancer Cancer patients | 1973 | Experimental study | n = 60 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 174
- Quality of Acute Psychedelic Experience Predicts Therapeutic Efficacy of Psilocybin for Treatment-Resistant Depression Frontiers in Pharmacology January 17, 2018
- Global Street Food: la cocina de la calle Diseño interior 2009
- Psilocybin-occasioned mystical-type experience in combination with meditation and other spiritual practices produces enduring positive changes in psychological functioning and in trait measures of prosocial attitudes and behaviors Journal of Psychopharmacology October 11, 2017
- Classic psychedelics: An integrative review of epidemiology, therapeutics, mystical experience, and brain network function. Pharmacology & Therapeutics May 1, 2019
- Psychedelics, Meditation, and Self-Consciousness Frontiers in Psychology September 4, 2018
and 169 more in the library
Cites 44
- Psilocybin can occasion mystical-type experiences having substantial and sustained personal meaning and spiritual significance Psychopharmacology July 7, 2006
- Psilocybin with psychological support for treatment-resistant depression: an open-label feasibility study. The Lancet Psychiatry May 17, 2016
- Pilot Study of Psilocybin Treatment for Anxiety in Patients With Advanced-Stage Cancer Archives of General Psychiatry September 7, 2010
- Psilocybin-assisted treatment for alcohol dependence: A proof-of-concept study Journal of Psychopharmacology January 13, 2015
- Psilocybin occasioned mystical-type experiences: immediate and persisting dose-related effects. Psychopharmacology December 1, 2011
and 39 more in the library