LSD (Lysergic acid diethylamide)
A long-acting classic psychedelic studied for anxiety, depression and addiction. Research interest in LSD-assisted therapy has grown alongside MAPS-era psychedelic science.
How it works
Activates serotonin 5-HT2A receptors (and others), changing perception, mood and the way brain networks communicate. Effects last much longer than most psychedelics.
Key facts
- Molecular weight: 323.43 g/mol
- Half-life: ~3-5 hours
- Bioavailability: Oral
- Storage: Research/clinical settings only.
Dosing overview
- Typical dose: 100-200 mcg in clinical trials
- Frequency: One to a few supervised sessions
- Duration: Acute effects last 8-12 hours
- Route: Oral, in a supervised therapeutic setting
Protocol notes
- Usually taken by mouth on a small square of blotter paper, a tab, or as a drop of liquid.
- In research settings it is given in a calm room with a guide, eyeshades and music, much like psilocybin sessions.
- Because it lasts 8-12 hours, people clear their whole day and avoid driving or responsibilities.
- Microdosing (a fraction of a normal dose every few days) is popular anecdotally but not well proven.
Reported benefits
- Studied for anxiety in serious illness
- Explored for depression and addiction
- Long duration allows deep therapeutic work
- Renewed clinical research interest
Possible side effects
- Long, intense experiences
- Anxiety or fear
- Raised heart rate and blood pressure
- Visual distortions lasting hours
- Risk of distressing experiences without support
Research
- LSD-assisted therapy for anxiety associated with life-threatening disease (2014): Reduced anxiety with benefits sustained at 12-month follow-up in a small controlled study.
- LSD treatment for anxiety disorder (Phase 2) (2023): Significant reduction in anxiety symptoms compared with placebo.
Community reviews of LSD
- vet945 rated it 5/5 - ten weeks, and my head finally stopped buzzing: i ran lsd for about 10 weeks, and for me it was the first time in ages my brain felt less like a never ending staff meeting, which is useful when you are juggling clients, training plans, and life in singapore where everything moves fast and loud, can. i went into it hoping for clearer thinking and a bit more emotional breathing room, and that is mostly what i got, not some movie style revelation, just steadier mood and better headspace after the sessions. i had to respect the duration, because you cannot be sloppy with your timing, but honestly it suited me. five stars from me, very strong re
- biohacker_derek rated it 3/5 - Helped me zoom out, then mostly just hung there: I tried LSD because I was in a stretch of grinding pharmacy shifts, coming home wired, and feeling stuck in my own head. Over about 8 weeks, it did give me one or two long, oddly useful nights where I could look at a problem sideways and stop fussing over every little thing. But most times it was just a long, restless ride with no big payoff. Mixed bag for me, honestly, 3 stars 🙂
- trains_experiment rated it 5/5 - Clearer head, less mental static: For me, the biggest change was how much quieter my head felt. As a powerlifter and PT in the South, I was always running hot, and over about 6 months LSD seemed to help me settle down and think cleaner. Couldve been placebo, but I liked who I was in that stretch.
- jordan_codes rated it 2/5 - LSD Was Interesting, But I Still Preferred Psilocybin: I tried LSD for about 6 weeks because I was chasing better mood and focus while juggling clinic work and Midwest winter brain fog. For me it felt too edgy and kept my mind racing past the useful part. I got more tension than insight, honestly. I had better luck with psilocybin before, which felt softer and gave me more real afterglow. LSD was kind of a miss for my goals, imo.
- nomad694 rated it 4/5 - Sharp thinking, but a bit too restless at times: I tried LSD over about 4 months while training for long races here in Ireland, mostly out of curiosity and a bit of longevity brain-rot, and for me it did seem to open up thinking in a class way. The downside was the tail end, I felt oddly jangly and mentally overclocked, which could just be me.
Compare LSD
Research and educational reference only. Not medical advice.