How does Lysergic Acid Diethylamide or Acid affect the brain?
By: Sarah Fraley
Tags: Lsd, Science, Scientific Research, Lysergicaciddiethylamid, Drugs

How does Lysergic Acid Diethylamide or Acid affect the brain?

How does d-Lysergic Acid Diethylamide or LSD affect the brain? The drug is most commonly known as acid, blotter, or purple haze on the streets. Lysergic Acid Diethylamide is a hallucinogenic drug, mostly known from the seventies for its use as a recreational drug. Lysergic Acid Diethylamide has been in many studies discussing how it affects the brain, and if it has medical properties. Studies have been done to find properties of the drug to assist with problems in mood disorders as well as autism. There have been studies that prove it enhances mind control and suggestion. The studies and properties of this drug have always been an interest in the public's mind. Its medical properties alone have cause for medical professionals to research it.

D-Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD) or acid is a hallucinogenic drug synthetically made from a type of fungus, which is called ergot. This drug was used recreationally with the ability to buy it over the counter up until the late 70s when this drug along with many others were restricted gaining many laws against it and taking them out of pharmacies. A known symptom of Lysergic Acid Diethylamide is derealization and depersonalization. When on the drug individuals would State feeling less real or as if they were in a simulation. As a hallucinogen drug many times individuals reported seeing things that we're not actually there and even after being off the drug they still could not tell whether it was real or not. The scientific definition of Lysergic Acid Diethylamide is an “ergotamine derivative with a high affinity for and agonist properties at several different neurotransmitter receptors; however, signaling at the serotonin 2A receptor (5-[HT.sub.2A]R) is thought to be crucial for its psychedelic effects (Nichols 2004)” (Carhart-Harris, Kaelen). This symptom is what is known for an acid trip. This out of self-depersonalization is the symptom the medical world is looking to find whether it would help decrease anxiety or stress. “Many popular "illegal" drugs have plausible medical uses. Some of these come from studies that were conducted when they were legal. For instance, Lysergic Acid Diethylamide was tested in six clinical trials for alcoholism before it was banned in the 1960s” (Nutt). A lot of tests or research processes that wanted to be done before it was made illegal cannot be done now that the drug has been made legal. Governmental experimentation on the drug went for many years to find if it could be used for mind control properties.

While on the designated dose of Lysergic Acid Diethylamide, your brain is subjective to suggestion at a higher rate. In the article "Alterations of Conscious and Mystical Type Experiences after acute Lysergic Acid Diethylamide in Humans," there was a study done on 40 people. The study was equally split between female and male participants up a range of 25 to 60 years of age. Each participant was interviewed to see if they fit the criteria needed to be subjected to a hallucinogen drug. To be allowed to participate in the experiment, they also went through a screening visit and a psychiatric interview. “In the present study in healthy subjects, Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (200 [mu]g) significantly increased scores on all scales of the MEQ43 and MEQ30 compared with placebo”(Liechti), the MEQ or mystical experience questionnaire given at the end of the experiment showed with great significance that on the effects of Lysergic Acid Diethylamide the mystical or hallucinogen factors are more prominent. When hearing about acid or Lysergic Acid Diethylamide in the more recreational form, you hear statements like do not talk about the purple elephants. This notion is the suggestibility of telling someone while on the drug, but there is something there that they cannot see, for example, a purple elephant can cause induced fear and a greater notion of hallucinations. The test done in the article “Lysergic Acid Diethylamide Enhances Suggestibility in Healthy Volunteers”, the individuals performing the test would suggest actions or ideas to the test subjects causing the subjects to either see or do what is suggested, “Different forms of suggestibility have been proposed, e.g. primary, secondary and interrogative suggestibility” (Carhart-Harris, Kaelen). This can be as much as creating a situation or hallucination off of the basis of someone else telling you it is there or as little as suggesting to go do something. “The most generally feared side effect is experiencing a “bad trip” which is a frightening or anxiety-inducing state, or the experience of flashbacks, in response to substances. This can be potentially damaging to the mental state of those who experience it.” (Hyatt) this is yes, a potential factor and risk to the trip. When the d-Lysergic Acid Diethylamide puts you in a state of depersonalization or derealization and it is uncomfortable or scaring, this is normally the effect of taking too much or previously being in a dangerous mental state. “The present study focuses on primary suggestibility defined as the induction of thoughts and actions via suggestion” (Carhart-Harris, Kaelen) the form of suggestion was given in questions, would you like too or what does that look like. This study came to the conclusion that while on the drug d-Lysergic Acid Diethylamide your mind is more open to suggestions. Suggestions while on the drug can create a sense of comfort or fear. This is why I must study that I found each participant was brought into a psychiatric appointment before being administered into the first test. “A recent preliminary study in ten participants reported increased suggestibility on a cued mental imagery task after Lysergic Acid Diethylamide administration” (Duerler). This increased suggestibility can be noticeable if a person has greater interest in performing a task or in an induced hallucination.

The trip or the period of time you are affected is known to have a side effect of worsening or bettering your mental state. At the end of each study, each individual was presented with a questionnaire to discuss how their experience went. "Four options were presented as radio buttons and subjects could only select one: 'definitely no', 'probably no', 'probably yes', and 'definitely yes'" (Carhart-Harris, Nutt). This article had a bar graph showing the outcome of the questionnaire responses. The bar graph showing responses to the question about whether it worsened the trip takers mental state significantly showed that after their experience with Lysergic Acid Diethylamide their mental state was either not affected at all or was better. Only a small number of individuals in the study responded that their mental state worsened.

The United Nations drug control conventions, held through the 60s and 70s, resulted in one of the greatest restrictions of medical and life scientific research. When The War on Drugs during Reagan's Administration came about many different scientific research was in the works focused on how heavier drugs could not only affect the brain and body but help with other medical issues. Most medical issues researchers were looking to find an assist through LSD was individual mood disorders as in bipolar Tendencies anxiety or depression. Before the War on Drugs and the laws were put in place against d-Lysergic Acid Diethylamide being used medically or recreationally, many studies were looking at the properties of d-Lysergic Acid Diethylamide in assisting in medical issues. One article I found was a study on how this drug could assist in helping autistic children or as a medication to help with symptoms of autism. “Between 1959 and 1974, several groups of researchers issued reports on the use of d-Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (Lysergic Acid Diethylamide) in the treatment of children with autism” (Sigafoos). This paper discusses how the scientists justified their methods as well as their studies. Most justifications for using Lysergic Acid Diethylamide are because of the failure for other treatments to work. “Lysergic acid diethylamide (Lysergic Acid Diethylamide) has a history of use as a psychotherapeutic aid in the treatment of mood disorders and addiction, and it was also explored as an enhancer of mind control” (Carhart-Harris, Kaelen). In the 1950′s, “Lysergic Acid Diethylamide’s potential suggestibility-enhancing effect was also the focus of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)’s MK Ultra project, testing Lysergic Acid Diethylamide for ‘mind control’ and chemically assisted interrogation. Despite these unethical experiments, the efficacy of Lysergic Acid Diethylamide for the purpose of ‘mind control’ has never been shown” (Duerler), while the brain is more open to suggestion a safe dosage of LSD will not cause an individual to be fully submissive. This means that while they are more open to the idea of following your suggestions or recommendations there is no way to tell whether they would follow it through depending on what the proposal consists of.

In conclusion, the Lysergic Acid Diethylamide has a greater effect on the brain than many other drugs. The effects of the drug are more positive than negative, although they are also very dangerous. As your ability to be open to suggestion is greatened, the dangers that come with that is what other people will suggest to you. As well as the negative effects going on this drug while in a bad mental state can worsen your mental state. Though there are medical pretenses that could help, it is a good thing that this drug is illegal due to how its misuse could cause definite harm to an individual. Too much use of the drug recreationally without a regulated dosage amount could cause issues in your brain’s neurotransmitters.

Annotated Bibliography



Carhart-Harris, Kaelen. “The Paradoxical Psychological Effects of Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD).” Psychological medicine 46.7 (2016): 1379–1390. Web.

Nutt, David. “Illegal Drugs Laws: Clearing a 50-Year-Old Obstacle to Research.” PLoS biology 13.1 (2015): e1002047–e1002047. Web.



Carhart-Harris, Nutt. “User Perceptions of the Benefits and Harms of Hallucinogenic Drug Use: A Web-Based Questionnaire Study.” Journal of Substance Use 15.4 (2010): 283–300. Web.



Sigafoos, Green. “Flashback to the 1960s: LSD in the Treatment of Autism.” Developmental neurorehabilitation 10.1 (2007): 75–81. Web.



Liechti, Dolder. “Alterations of Consciousness and Mystical-Type Experiences after Acute LSD in Humans.” Psychopharmacology (Berlin, Germany) 234.9-10 (2016): 1499–1510. Web.



Carhart-Harris, Kaelen. “LSD Enhances Suggestibility in Healthy Volunteers.” Psychopharmacology (Berlin, Germany) 232.4 (2014): 785–794. Web.



Hyatt, Autumn, et al. “Take a Trip: It’s for Your Mental Health.” Scribe.uccs.edu, 5 Nov. 2020, scribe.uccs.edu/take-a-trip-its-for-your-mental-health/.



Duerler, Patricia, et al. “LSD-Induced Increases in Social Adaptation to Opinions Similar to One’s Own Are Associated with Stimulation of Serotonin Receptors.” Nature News, Nature Publishing Group, 22 July 2020, www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-68899-y