LSD profoundly alters consciousness by reorganizing brain networks in specific frequency bands. Analyzing MEG data from 14 healthy participants, the substance enhances high alpha (12.1, 13.3 Hz) activity across all conditions and high beta (25.3 Hz) in three conditions, while suppressing low beta (18.1, 19.3 Hz) and low alpha (8.5 Hz). LSD also shifts network spatial distributions: low alpha moves anteriorly toward the motor cortex, high alpha becomes more localized to the visual cortex, and low beta expands over temporal and occipital cortices. These frequency- and region-specific changes add nuance to theories of network disintegration under psychedelics.
Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) alters consciousness by affecting brain connectivity, particularly in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). Using fMRI and MEG data from healthy participants, the study found that ego dissolution—a hallmark of the psychedelic experience—was positively correlated with increased functional connectivity between the left and right DLPFC, thalamus, and fusiform face area. Emotional arousal was linked to stronger connectivity between the right DLPFC, intraparietal sulcus, and salience network. A confirmatory analysis supported these findings. MEG data showed that LSD increased directed information flow from the thalamus to the DLPFC in the theta band, suggesting disrupted thalamic gating contributes to ego dissolution. These results indicate a key role for the DLPFC in LSD-induced states of consciousness.