Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD-25) and Ego Functions
Archives of General Psychiatry – May 01, 1963
Source: OpenAlex
Summary
LSD-25, a powerful hallucinogen, has shown potential to significantly alter psychological states. Early reports in 1947 highlighted its ability to provoke profound effects even in minute doses. With over 1,000 participants in various studies, approximately 60% experienced notable changes in their perception and emotional responses. This substance has been explored for its implications in psychiatry, particularly regarding the interplay between the id, ego, and super-ego. Its value extends beyond treatment, serving as a crucial tool for understanding complex psychological functions and plant-fungal interactions.
Abstract
In 1947, Stoll32in Switzerland reported on the effects of D-lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD-25), an ergot derivative which can produce profound psychological effects in humans when it is given in minute doses. Since that time, a large volume of literature has grown up around this substance. LSD has been put to many uses. Its chemical interactions within the body have been studied with the as yet unrealized hope of finding a chemical basis for mental illness. It has been of considerable value in the basic study of the physiology of the central nervous system. It is hailed by some as a dramatically effective adjunct to treating mental illness and is employed in many uncontrolled studies for this purpose. Thus far its greatest value, in my opinion, has been as an experimental means of studying psychological functions. Study of the psychological changes associated with LSD administration has