New scan visualises LSD effects on your brain
Can you visualise how LSD can affect your brain? Now you can with this new research that recently revealed images of brain activity on LSD.
Taking a drug such as Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD) has been known to cause hallucinations or a heightened sense of self. Modern brain scans have recently revealed a visual showing the effects of this psychedelic drug on the brain.
Humans have long collected and ingested psychedelics such as mushrooms for centuries. Some scientists believe it is with this higher consciousness that we have managed to get to the top of the food chain.
Volunteers agreed to take the drug in the name of science and gave researchers unparalleled insight into the effects of this powerful drug.
This study was led by David Nutt, the UK government’s former drugs advisor, professor and senior researcher of neuropsychopharmacology at Imperial College London.
The substance known today as psilocybin is the ingredient which creates the psychedelic effect of mushrooms and similar hallucinogenics. A dose of LSD containing psilocybin was injected and not dropped by the volunteers. It unleashed a wave of changes that altered activity and connectivity across the brain. This has led scientists to new theories of visual hallucinations and the sense of oneness with the universe some users reported.
The brain scans showed that the people who were tripping drew information from many parts of their brain and not just the visual cortex at the back of the head. This is the part of the brain that normally processes visual information. Under the influence of the drug, regions that were once segregated “spoke” to one another.
The study could provide a breakthrough in using LSD or related chemicals to treat psychiatric disorders. It has potential to help the brain pull out of patterns seen in depression and addiction through its effect on brain networks.
Check out the video explaining how LSD can affect the brain:
