Experiences are hard to describe, partly because they vary, but also because they can differ from the normal way of perceiving things. Effects depend very much on the user's mood, where they are, who they are with as well as the dose taken. They often include intensified colours and distortion of vision and hearing, although true hallucinations, believing something is there when it's not, are rare, although they become more common on higher doses. Emotional reactions may include heightened self-awareness and mystical or ecstatic experiences. A feeling of being outside one's body is commonly reported.
Physical effects are generally insignificant.
Whether these effects are due to the user being unstable, anxious, depressed or in hostile or unsuitable surroundings is still uncertain. However, a bad trip is not predictable and may happen at any time when LSD is taken, although a bad trip is less likely than a pleasurable experience. Deaths due to suicide, although much publicised, are rare. There is only one known case of death attributed to LSD overdose. LSD is taken to experience its psychedelic effect and is normally used in a casual recreational fashion.