A survey of chronic pain sufferers who have used classical psychedelics reports that both macrodoses and microdoses are associated with pain relief. Among respondents, 78% reported pain reduction after macrodosing, and 55% reported pain reduction after microdosing. The findings suggest that psychedelics may have analgesic potential in this population, though the survey design cannot establish causation.
People with persistent pain may find compassion-based meditation practices challenging as well as beneficial. In interviews with eight participants who completed the Mindfulness for Health program, five key themes emerged: turning away from the painful self, experiencing the painful self as shameful, facilitating change, turning toward the painful self, and accepting the self. Participants reported both positive changes and difficult emotional experiences linked to compassion in their past and present lives. Developing compassion is a valuable but sometimes difficult part of the program; mindfulness skills, group support, and modeling compassion help overcome personal barriers.
A single 15 μg dose of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) did not significantly alter pain perception in healthy volunteers compared to placebo in a randomized controlled trial. The study used a double-blind design to test whether a microdose of LSD would produce analgesic effects, but found no meaningful difference between the LSD and placebo conditions on measures of pain tolerance or threshold.