ArticlePsychopharmacology2017
Alterations of consciousness and mystical-type experiences after acute LSD in humans.
Article in Psychopharmacology, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 91 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
91 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 201 citations in OpenAlex.
- Psychedelics as an intervention for psychological, existential distress in terminally ill patients: A systematic review and network meta-analysis.Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England) · 2026Pooled it
- Psychedelic-assisted therapy for treating anxiety, depression, and existential distress in people with life-threatening diseases.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2024Pooled it
- Keeping the promise: a critique of the current state of microdosing research.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2024Pooled it
- The effects of Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD) on the Positive Valence Systems: A Research Domain Criteria (RDoC)-Informed Systematic Review.CNS drugs · 2023Pooled it
- Psychedelics, Mystical Experience, and Therapeutic Efficacy: A Systematic Review.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2022Pooled it
- Acute and post-acute neurobehavioral responses to lysergic acid diethylamide in healthy subjects: a randomized controlled study.Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology · 2026Trial
- Acute dose-dependent effects of 4-bromo-2,5-dimethoxyphenethylamine (2C-B) compared with 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) and psilocybin in a double-blind, placebo-controlled study in healthy participants.Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology · 2026Trial
- The 3D-ASCr scale: A revalidation of the core dimensions of the Altered States of Consciousness Rating Scale 5D(11)-ASC for psychedelic research.Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England) · 2026Trial
- Absolute Oral Bioavailability and Bioequivalence of LSD Base and Tartrate in a Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Crossover Study.Clinical pharmacology and therapeutics · 2025Trial
- Acute dose-dependent effects and self-guided titration of continuous N,N-dimethyltryptamine infusions in a double-blind placebo-controlled study in healthy participants.Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology · 2025Trial
- Enhanced visual contrast suppression during peak psilocybin effects: Psychophysical results from a pilot randomized controlled trial.Journal of vision · 2024Trial
- Naturalistic psychedelic therapy: The role of relaxation and subjective drug effects in antidepressant response.Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England) · 2024Trial
- Acute dose-dependent effects of mescaline in a double-blind placebo-controlled study in healthy subjects.Translational psychiatry · 2024Trial
- Acute effects of MDMA and LSD co-administration in a double-blind placebo-controlled study in healthy participants.Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology · 2023Trial
- Comparative acute effects of mescaline, lysergic acid diethylamide, and psilocybin in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled cross-over study in healthy participants.Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology · 2023Trial
- Acute effects of intravenous DMT in a randomized placebo-controlled study in healthy participants.Translational psychiatry · 2023Trial
- Ketanserin Reverses the Acute Response to LSD in a Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Crossover Study in Healthy Participants.The international journal of neuropsychopharmacology · 2023Trial
- Safety pharmacology of acute LSD administration in healthy subjects.Psychopharmacology · 2022Trial
- Direct comparison of the acute effects of lysergic acid diethylamide and psilocybin in a double-blind placebo-controlled study in healthy subjects.Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology · 2022Trial
- Acute Effects of Psilocybin After Escitalopram or Placebo Pretreatment in a Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Crossover Study in Healthy Subjects.Clinical pharmacology and therapeutics · 2022Trial
31 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
rationaleLysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) is used recreationally and in clinical research. Acute mystical-type experiences that are acutely induced by hallucinogens are thought to contribute to their potential therapeutic effects. However, no data have been reported on LSD-induced mystical experiences and their relationship to alterations of consciousness. Additionally, LSD dose- and concentration-response functions with regard to alterations of consciousness are lacking.
methodsWe conducted two placebo-controlled, double-blind, cross-over studies using oral administration of 100 and 200 μg LSD in 24 and 16 subjects, respectively. Acute effects of LSD were assessed using the 5 Dimensions of Altered States of Consciousness (5D-ASC) scale after both doses and the Mystical Experience Questionnaire (MEQ) after 200 μg.
resultsOn the MEQ, 200 μg LSD induced mystical experiences that were comparable to those in patients who underwent LSD-assisted psychotherapy but were fewer than those reported for psilocybin in healthy subjects or patients. On the 5D-ASC scale, LSD produced higher ratings of blissful state, insightfulness, and changed meaning of percepts after 200 μg compared with 100 μg. Plasma levels of LSD were not positively correlated with its effects, with the exception of ego dissolution at 100 μg.
conclusionsMystical-type experiences were infrequent after LSD, possibly because of the set and setting used in the present study. LSD may produce greater or different alterations of consciousness at 200 μg (i.e., a dose that is currently used in psychotherapy in Switzerland) compared with 100 μg (i.e., a dose used in imaging studies). Ego dissolution may reflect plasma levels of LSD, whereas more robustly induced effects of LSD may not result in such associations.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.