Chronic Users of LSD: The "Acidheads"
American Journal of Psychiatry – September 01, 1968
Source: OpenAlex
Summary
Chronic LSD users exhibit unique psychological traits, including a strong inclination towards magical-mystical beliefs and nonaggressive attitudes. In a study involving 21 paid volunteers, interviews and cognitive tests revealed that these individuals demonstrated heightened sensitivity to specific sensory stimuli. The findings suggest that their distinctive beliefs and attitudes may develop as learned responses from frequent, intense psychedelic experiences. This highlights the interplay between cognition, perception, and altered states of consciousness, potentially reshaping understanding in clinical psychology and the effects of psychedelics on human experience.
Abstract
Twenty-one paid volunteers who were chronic users of LSD were interviewed and participated in a series of cognitive and perceptual tests and EEG studies. Among other observations derived from both interviews and testing, the authors noted that the group shared a set of magical-mystical beliefs and profound nonaggressive attitudes, as well as a unique sensitivity to certain types of sensory stimulation. The authors suggest that the beliefs and attitudes of the group may have arisen as learned consequences of frequent, intense LSD experiences in susceptible individuals.