Long Lasting Effects of LSD on Normals
Archives of General Psychiatry – November 01, 1967
Source: OpenAlex
Summary
A single 200μg dose of Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) can lead to notable changes in personality and attitudes. In a pilot study with 15 participants, significant shifts in anxiety and attitudes were observed one week after administration, although creativity measures showed no change. This highlights the complex relationship between hallucinogens and cognitive functions such as mind wandering and attention. The findings contribute to ongoing discussions about LSD’s potential impact on education and creativity in psychology and neuroscience contexts.
Abstract
THIS IS A report of a study designed to measure personality, attitude, value, interest, and performance changes resulting from the administration of LSD to normals. Several investigators using LSD with humans in nontherapy experiments have observed that some of their subjects report various lasting effects attributable to the drug experience. 1,2 In addition, the recent controversy over the nonmedical use of LSD has given rise to numerous claims and counterclaims in this regard. We have previously reported on a pilot study in which tests of anxiety, attitudes, and creativity were given to 15 subjects prior to, and one week following, a single 200μg LSD session. Some significant changes in the anxiety and attitude tests were observed, but none were found for the creativity measures. 3 The assessment of lasting effects of hallucinogens involves extradrug variables to a greater extent than do most drug studies.