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  • LSD, also known as acid

  • is a psychedelic drug famous for altering your perception and creating hallucinations.

  • But how does it actually works and what is the effect on your body and more importantly, your brain?

  • Lysergic acid diethylamide was first synthesised in 1938 from the fungus that grew on rye.

  • In 1943, the inventor Albert Hofmann accidentally touched some to his mouth,

  • got high and became the first person in the world to learn about psychedelic properties of LSD.

  • Research on the drug took place in the 50s and 60s, but as recreational use began to spread,

  • psychedelic drugs were made an illegal Schedule I drug in the US and research programs were haulted.

  • While other drugs are dosed in grams, a single dose of LSD is measured in one 100,000th of a gram,

  • which is one 10th the mass of a grain of sand.

  • LSD affects multiple brain receptors such as the dopamine receptors, adrenergic receptors, and glutamate receptors.

  • But most research is on the stimulatory serotonin receptor 5H2TA

  • LSD hits the receptor at an unexpected angle causing it to fold over the LSD creating a lid.

  • The LSD is then trapped which makes this receptor continually fire, causing you to hallucinate.

  • Your body responds by sucking the 5TH2A receptor into the cell in order to degrade the LSD,

  • but this can take up to 12+ hours to happen which is why the high can last so long.

  • Recently, LSD research has seen a revival and using contemporary neural imaging techniques,

  • researchers found that the drug causes parts of your brain to communicate in unique ways, especially in the visual cortex

  • potentially explaining the vivid and complex hallucinations

  • There's also decreased blood flow in the default mode network, correlating to strong changes in consciousness, characterized as ego-dissolution,

  • described as a feeling where the boundary that separates you from the rest of the world dissolves.

  • Many people report this feeling brings a sense of reconnection with themselves, others, and the natural world. In fact,

  • a study on 20 healthy volunteers receiving 75 micrograms of LSD saw that 2 weeks after being dosed,

  • they scored higher for the traits of optimism and openness, with increased creativity and imagination.

  • This has lead researchers to consider LSD as a therapy for patients with death anxiety and life-threatening illnesses.

  • Researchers found that 12 months after treatment, patients reported a reduction in anxiety and rise

  • in quality of life, as the drug helped them restructure their habits and worldview.

  • It is also why the trend of microdosing is emerging,

  • where a person takes one 10th of a recreational dose of LSD, attempting to skip the

  • hallucinations and instead experience heightened alertness, energy, and creativity.

  • Although LSD is non-addictive and researchers rate it as significantly less dangerous than other drugs like

  • cocaine and heroine, there's still an extreme lack of scientific studies to the explain the widespread

  • microdosing trend and even experienced hallucinogen users sometimes experience bad trips producing

  • irrational fears, paranoia, and panic attacks. LSD can also cause flashbacks, where months after the drug has

  • worn off, it can feel as though you're experiencing the effects of the high all over again. In some extreme occasions,

  • people have developed Hallucinogen Persisting Perception Disorder, which is like a never-ending trip.

  • Thinking that LSD can lead to psychosis and the risk of suicide are overstated.

  • The 14% of participants in the US national survey who had done psychedelics in the life had no increased

  • risk of developing psychosis, depression, or suicide attempts, but the new research around LSD's

  • potential positive effects is also very young. So this might not be a trip you want to take.

  • Wanna learn more about your brain on drugs? Check out our playlist that covers many other substances

  • and how they affect you, and subscribe for more weekly science videos every Thursday.

LSD, also known as acid

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