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Lysergic Acid Diethylamide
Also known as: LSD, d-Lysergic acid diethylamide
Facts (62)
Sources
Classification Schemes of Altered States of Consciousness - ORBi orbi.uliege.be 21 facts
referenceStanislav Grof detailed the theoretical and empirical basis of transpersonal psychology and psychotherapy based on LSD research in the Journal of Transpersonal Psychology in 1973.
referenceHolze et al. (2021) investigated the acute dose-dependent effects of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) in a double-blind, placebo-controlled study involving healthy subjects, published in Neuropsychopharmacology.
referenceHolze et al. (2024) conducted an open-label prospective 12-month follow-up study on LSD-assisted therapy in patients with anxiety, published in the British Journal of Psychiatry.
referenceHolze et al. (2023) performed a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase II study on lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD)-assisted therapy in patients with anxiety, both with and without life-threatening illnesses, published in Biological Psychiatry.
claimBecker et al. (2023) demonstrated that ketanserin reverses the acute response to LSD in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study with healthy participants.
claimAvram et al. (2022) characterized thalamocortical (dys)connectivity following the administration of d-amphetamine, LSD, and MDMA.
referenceJarvik et al. (1955) studied the effect of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD-25) on attention and concentration, published in The Journal of Psychology.
claimSchmid and Liechti (2018) studied the long-lasting subjective effects of LSD in normal subjects.
referenceT. Hirschfeld, J. Prugger, T. Majić, and T.T. Schmidt published a study in 2023 on the dose-response relationships of LSD-induced subjective experiences in humans.
claimSchartner et al. (2017) reported that psychoactive doses of ketamine, LSD, and psilocybin lead to increased spontaneous MEG (magnetoencephalography) signal diversity.
referenceKay and Martin (1978) studied the effects of LSD and tryptamine on sleep/wakefulness and electrocorticogram patterns in intact cats, published in Psychopharmacology.
referenceA 2018 study by Schmidt, A., Müller, F., Lenz, C., Dolder, P.C., Schmid, Y., Zanchi, D., Lang, U.E., Liechti, M.E., and Borgwardt, S. examined the acute effects of LSD on response inhibition neural networks.
referenceKaelen et al. (2015) found that LSD enhances the emotional response to music, as published in Psychopharmacology.
referenceLey et al. (2023) conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled cross-over study published in Neuropsychopharmacology comparing the acute effects of mescaline, LSD, and psilocybin in healthy participants.
referenceLebedev et al. (2016) published a study in Human Brain Mapping demonstrating that LSD-induced entropic brain activity can predict subsequent personality changes in humans.
referenceMcGlothlin, Cohen, and McGlothlin studied the long-lasting effects of LSD on normal subjects in a 1967 article published in the Archives of General Psychiatry.
claimAvram et al. (2024) studied the effective connectivity of thalamocortical interactions following the administration of d-amphetamine, LSD, and MDMA.
referenceHolze et al. (2022) conducted a double-blind, placebo-controlled study directly comparing the acute effects of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and psilocybin in healthy subjects, published in Neuropsychopharmacology.
referenceStanislav Grof published 'Realms of the human unconscious: Observations from LSD research' in 1976.
referenceStocker, K., Hartmann, M., Ley, L., Becker, A.M., Holze, F., and Liechti, M.E. (2024) revived the psychedelic experience scale to reveal the extended-mystical, visual, and distressing experiential spectrum associated with LSD and psilocybin.
referenceKlee (1963) published 'Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD-25) and ego functions' in the Archives of General Psychiatry.
Psychedelics and Consciousness: Distinctions, Demarcations, and ... ouci.dntb.gov.ua 10 facts
measurementLSD induces significantly more inositol phosphate formation at the 5-HT2A receptor than DMT and psilocin.
measurementMedium and high doses of LSD yield significantly higher ratings of visionary restructuralisation than psilocybin on the 5-dimensional Altered States of Consciousness Scale.
referenceMüller identified increased thalamic resting-state connectivity as a core driver of LSD-induced hallucinations, published in Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica (Volume 136, page 648).
claimRoland Griffiths conducted a survey comparing naturally occurring 'God encounter experiences' with those occasioned by classic psychedelics including psilocybin, LSD, ayahuasca, or DMT.
claimKatrin Preller et al. found that changes in global and thalamic brain connectivity during LSD-induced altered states of consciousness are attributable to the 5-HT2A receptor, as published in eLife, volume 7, article e35082.
claimHolze conducted a double-blind placebo-controlled study on healthy subjects to determine the acute dose-dependent effects of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD).
claimKatrin Preller et al. investigated the role of the 5-HT2A receptor in self- and other-initiated social interaction during lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD)-induced states using pharmacological fMRI, published in the Journal of Neuroscience, volume 38, page 3603.
claimThe literature regarding neural fingerprints of DMT, LSD, and psilocybin is characterized by high heterogeneity and a risk of bias, creating an urgent need for standardized experimental procedures and analysis techniques.
claimMeta-analyses link DMT, LSD, and psilocybin to specific neural fingerprints at each level of analysis, revealing a highly non-linear relationship between these fingerprints.
claimKatrin Preller et al. studied effective connectivity changes in LSD-induced altered states of consciousness in humans, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, volume 116, page 2743.
Psychedelics, Sociality, and Human Evolution frontiersin.org 7 facts
claimDe Gregorio et al. (2021b) found that Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) promotes social behavior through mTORC1 in excitatory neurotransmission, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the U.S.A.
claimCini et al. (2019) asserted that d-Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) has major potential as a cognitive enhancer, according to a bioRxiv preprint.
referenceCarhart-Harris et al. (2016) documented the paradoxical psychological effects of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD).
referenceE. Tagliazucchi, L. Roseman, M. Kaelen, C. Orban, S. Muthukumaraswamy, and K. Murphy published research in Current Biology in 2016 finding that increased global functional connectivity correlates with LSD-induced ego dissolution.
referencePreller et al. (2019) published 'Effective connectivity changes in LSD-induced altered states of consciousness in humans' in PNAS, detailing how LSD impacts brain connectivity and consciousness.
claimA 2016 systematic review of clinical trials published in the previous 25 years found that ayahuasca, psilocybin, and lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) demonstrate antidepressive, anxiolytic, and antiaddictive effects.
claimPsychedelics such as psilocybin and lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) modify fundamental brain processes that constrain neural systems central to perception, emotion, cognition, and sense of self.
A virtual clinical trial of psychedelics to treat patients with disorders ... eurekalert.org Nov 24, 2025 5 facts
referenceAlnagger et al. published a study in the journal Advanced Science that utilized personalized computational models of patients' brains, constructed from individual functional MRI and diffusion-weighted imaging scans, to virtually simulate the effects of LSD and psilocybin on patients with disorders of consciousness.
claimThe simulation of LSD and psilocybin on patients with disorders of consciousness boosted the patients' responses to perturbations.
claimIn healthy volunteers, psychedelic drugs like psilocybin and LSD produce intense, consciousness-altering effects that are thought to be linked with increased dynamical complexity of brain activity.
claimResearchers from the University of Liège and international collaborators developed a virtual clinical trial to explore the use of psychedelic drugs, specifically psilocybin and lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), as a treatment for patients who do not fully regain consciousness after a coma.
claimThe virtual clinical trial conducted by Alnagger et al. demonstrated that LSD and psilocybin could shift brain activity in patients with disorders of consciousness towards healthier, more flexible, and complex dynamics.
Neuroimaging in psychedelic drug development: past, present, and ... nature.com Sep 27, 2023 5 facts
accountWide-spread clinical use of psychedelics began in the late 1940s following the synthesis of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD).
referenceR.L. Carhart-Harris, S. Muthukumaraswamy, L. Roseman, M. Kaelen, W. Droog, K. Murphy, et al. published 'Neural correlates of the LSD experience revealed by multimodal neuroimaging' in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in 2016.
claimClassic serotonergic psychedelics, such as psilocybin and lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), primarily act on the 5-HT2A receptor.
accountAlbert Hoffmann synthesized lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) for the first time in 1943.
referenceKaelen et al. (2016) published a study in European Neuropsychopharmacology finding that LSD modulates music-induced imagery via changes in parahippocampal connectivity.
The Mechanisms of Psychedelic Visionary Experiences - Frontiers frontiersin.org Sep 27, 2017 2 facts
claimM. Liechti, P. Dolder, and Y. Schmid (2016) studied the alterations of consciousness and mystical-type experiences in humans following the acute administration of LSD.
referencePassie, Halpern, Stichtenoth, Emrish, and Hintzen published a review in 2008 titled 'The pharmacology of lysergic acid diethylamide: a review', which details the pharmacological properties of LSD.
Altered States of Consciousness, Psychedelics - Academia.edu academia.edu 2 facts
Hallucinogens | Springer Nature Link link.springer.com 1 fact
referenceKrebs TS and Johansen PO (2012) performed a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials regarding the use of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) for alcoholism.
“Plants of the Gods” and their hallucinogenic powers in ... surgicalneurologyint.com Jul 19, 2021 1 fact
claimLSD (lysergic acid diethylamide) is a semi-synthetic hallucinogen that binds to 5-HT and dopamine receptors, acting as an agonist for both to mimic and amplify neurotransmitter properties in the central nervous system, which induces psychedelic effects.
Non-physicalist Theories of Consciousness cambridge.org Dec 20, 2023 1 fact
claimNeuroscience has identified that consciousness is affected by physical events and interventions, including brain tumors, syndromes like Alzheimer's, surgeries such as lobotomy or callosectomy, electromagnetic stimulation like electroshock therapy or transmagnetic stimulation, and drugs ranging from anesthetics to LSD and antidepressants.
Psychedelics Assessed In New Virtual Clinical Trial - EMJ emjreviews.com Nov 27, 2025 1 fact
claimIn patients with disorders of consciousness, the simulated use of LSD and psilocybin shifted brain activity towards more flexible and complex dynamics.
The Montreal model: an integrative biomedical-psychedelic ... frontiersin.org 1 fact
referenceThe paper 'D-lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) as a model of psychosis: mechanism of action and pharmacology' was published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences (IJMS) in 2016.
A Synergistic Workspace for Human Consciousness Revealed by ... elifesciences.org 1 fact
referenceLuppi et al. (2021) published a study in NeuroImage demonstrating that LSD alters dynamic integration and segregation in the human brain.
history Archives - UC Berkeley Center for the Science of Psychedelics psychedelics.berkeley.edu 1 fact
claimThe Swiss research chemist Albert Hofmann synthesized lysergic acid diethylamide, which catalyzed developments in hallucinogen research during the second half of the 20th century.
History and Current Status of Psychedelics and Entactogens ... - NCBI ncbi.nlm.nih.gov 1 fact
claimAlbert Hoffman discovered the psychoactive effects of the synthetic chemical lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) in the 1940s.
Published Studies — Johns Hopkins Center for Psychedelic and ... hopkinspsychedelic.org 1 fact
referenceSandbrink et al. published a study titled 'Perceived Risk of Trying Lysergic Acid Diethylamide in the United States from 2015 to 2019: Are Americans Assessing Lysergic Acid Diethylamide’s Risk Profile More Favorably?' in Psychedelic Medicine in 2024.
DRUGS, RITUALS AND ALTERED STATES OF CONSCIOUSNESS semanticscholar.org 1 fact
referenceThe 2022 publication Frontiers in Psychology discusses psychotherapy involving the use of psychedelic substances, specifically identifying psilocybin, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), and ketamine as examples.