Neural correlates of the LSD experience revealed by multimodal neuroimaging

TLDR

LSD, a prototypical psychedelic, has produced profound, life‑changing experiences in microgram doses, influencing science, arts, and society. The study aimed to examine LSD’s effects on brain activity using complementary neuroimaging techniques. The authors employed cutting‑edge, complementary neuroimaging methods in the first modern neuroimaging study of LSD. Results showed marked changes in brain blood flow, electrical activity, and network communication that correlated with LSD’s hallucinatory properties, suggesting implications for consciousness neurobiology and potential research applications.

Abstract

Significance Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), the prototypical “psychedelic,” may be unique among psychoactive substances. In the decades that followed its discovery, the magnitude of its effect on science, the arts, and society was unprecedented. LSD produces profound, sometimes life-changing experiences in microgram doses, making it a particularly powerful scientific tool. Here we sought to examine its effects on brain activity, using cutting-edge and complementary neuroimaging techniques in the first modern neuroimaging study of LSD. Results revealed marked changes in brain blood flow, electrical activity, and network communication patterns that correlated strongly with the drug’s hallucinatory and other consciousness-altering properties. These results have implications for the neurobiology of consciousness and for potential applications of LSD in psychological research.