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Medicine Science

Breakthrough Study Reveals How LSD Dissolves a Person's Sense of Self (newatlas.com) 119

Posted by BeauHD from the behind-the-scenes dept.
New submitter future guy shares a report from New Atlas: A fascinating study led by scientists at the University of Zurich has uncovered key insights into the mechanisms behind how our brain generates our sense of self. The researchers administered lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) to several participants in order to home in on where in the brain our sense of self is activated and what happens when a powerful psychedelic drug interferes with that process. The study administered 24 subjects either LSD, LSD in combination with ketanserin, or a placebo. Ketanserin is a compound that is known to inhibit many of the effects of LSD by blocking the serotonin 2A receptor (5-HT2A receptor). Each subject lay in an MRI scanner while undergoing a series of social interaction simulations with a virtual avatar. As well as the brain imaging, the subjects' eye movements were monitored to track when they were or were not following the gaze of the virtual avatar.

The study demonstrated LSD-altered brain activity in several regions previously identified as fundamental for developing coherent self-representation during social interaction, including the posterior cingulate cortex, medial prefrontal cortex and the angular gyrus. Most importantly though was the observation that ketanserin normalized the effects of LSD to the point where the group influenced by ketanserin and LSD displayed similar results to those under the effect of the placebo. These results strongly suggest that the 5-HT2A receptor plays a fundamental role in the development of self-awareness, and differentiation between the self and others. The value of this research is two-fold. As well as simply increasing our knowledge of how the brain functions under the influence of psychedelic drugs, it is suggested that different psychiatric conditions could be treated by manipulating the 5-HT2A receptor pathways. The study has been published in the journal JNeurosci.
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Breakthrough Study Reveals How LSD Dissolves a Person's Sense of Self More

Breakthrough Study Reveals How LSD Dissolves a Person's Sense of Self

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  • Bumer, man. (Score:5, Funny)

    by Bing Tsher E ( 943915 ) on Sunday March 25, 2018 @08:39PM (#56325613) Journal

    I can't imagine dropping acid and then just lying in an MRI scanner.

    • Having been down that path, yes, I would find it really uncomfortable laying in MRI machine. Tied down maybe or an exceptionally small dose?

      • Re:Bummer, man. (Score:4, Insightful)

        by iggymanz ( 596061 ) on Sunday March 25, 2018 @09:01PM (#56325679)

        When the MRI machine looks like its breathing, some find it funny, others panic.

        • One gets claustrophobic in there.Maybe the noise augments it but it's mainly the 'stuck in a tunnel' feeling.

          • Re:Bummer, man. (Score:4, Interesting)

            by Highdude702 ( 4456913 ) on Monday March 26, 2018 @07:48AM (#56327307)

            Yea, I personally would lose my shit if they had me strapped down inside of it. But if i was free to move, I would be able to overcome it, but thats even sober. when you do acid or mushrooms or really anything you may see shit on, you have to mentally prepare yourself ahead of time that, "Hey you might see some fucked up shit, its probably not real" and it helps keep your mind at ease. Ive done a ton of drugs in my life and any time i did psychedelics thats the mindset i went in with.. Never had a trip that was less than fantastic! But it sounds like they have found a drug that will help the weak minded people not kill their self on a bad trip. I wonder what it does to help the people that are permafried.

          • I've never been in an MRI machine, but somewhere online (maybe Slashdot?) I read someone describe the experience as like being stuffed into a 55 gallon oil drum while all the flying monkeys from the Wizard of Oz pound on the drum with ball-peen hammers. People I've talked to who have had the experience have nodded in agreement when I told them that description.

            Which sounds kind of trippy to begin with, and not in a good way.

            I suspect that actual tripping would not enhance the experience in a positive direc

            • The first time I was in a closed MRI all I could think about was how a toggle bolt works.

            • You left out the measures taken to keep you from moving. If stuffed into an oil drum, I could escape. People generally can't get out of an MRI machine by themselves, and there are reports of patients being left in them during a fire alarm or overnight. Other than that, you've pretty well got it right.

              It's really fortunate that I was into relaxation exercises before I went in for the first one. I tend to be claustrophobic.

    • Re:Bumer, man. (Score:5, Insightful)

      by bill_mcgonigle ( 4333 ) * on Sunday March 25, 2018 @09:02PM (#56325687) Homepage Journal

      I can't imagine dropping acid and then just lying in an MRI scanner.

      Only your body has to remain there.

      • problem is, my brain is inside my body and connected to it. as soon as the drugs realized I couldnt move... heart beat to infinity!

    • Re: (Score:1)

      by Anonymous Coward

      That's so funny. That is the exact same reaction I had as well. On acid, most of the trips I just wanted to move around. The last thing I'd have wanted to have done is be in an MRI machine! :-)

    • I can't imagine dropping acid and then just lying in an MRI scanner.

      Agreed. I always felt claustrophobic indoors on acid. Can't imagine the tube.

  • LSD acts on much more than 5-HT2A. Source:

    https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/20/LSDaffinities.GIF

    Interesting research, glad its being done. I wonder why they targetted just 5-HT2A as there is much more going on. Probably because getting approval is just so dang hard. Humanity should of invested far more in the scientific controlled research of psychedelics by now.

    Im glad I got to try LSD and other psychedelics a decade ago. I am fundamentally a different person from it. Its great to get to know "yo

    • "I wonder why they targetted just 5-HT2A as there is much more going on."

      I'm guessing this kind of hyperbole plays a part :

      "These results strongly suggest that the 5-HT2A receptor plays a fundamental role in the development of self-awareness"

      "The current results demonstrate that activity in areas of the ‘social brain' can be modulated via the 5-HT2AR thereby pointing towards this system as a potential target for the treatment of social impairments associated with psychiatric disorders."

  • Cheaper / easier option (Score:3)

    by fahrbot-bot ( 874524 ) on Sunday March 25, 2018 @09:21PM (#56325741)

    LSD Dissolves a Person's Sense of Self

    Post something too clever on /. and get modded down.

    • Re:Cheaper / easier option (Score:4, Funny)

      by fibonacci8 ( 260615 ) on Sunday March 25, 2018 @09:28PM (#56325771)
      The control group gets the placebo. They post what only they think is too clever, and also get modded down.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by rtb61 ( 674572 )

        Clever, I can think of just one change in a particular sentence, to more closely reflect reality, " it is suggested that different psychiatric conditions could be 'CREATED' by manipulating the 5-HT2A receptor pathways" and don't think anyone didn't think of that especially in conjunction with the US Military Industrial Complex and it's leading proponent the CIA. Let's all bet that, the reality of intentional abuses was funding this particular research project. Primary objective, get anyone to say what ever

    • Or, just use the "Post Anonymously" option!

  • Loss of ego (Score:3)

    by fred911 ( 83970 ) on Sunday March 25, 2018 @09:59PM (#56325857) Journal

    Other than the mechanism, this is pretty much old news.

    Originally published in '79 by Albert Hoffman: LSD, my problem child
    https://books.google.com/books... [google.com]

  • What's better?

    Lets just look at the current POTUS. Clear case of lots of Self and in a desperate need to adjust anything not agreeing with it so it agrees.

    Is this a way to live? Seems a pretty busy undertaking and in a larger amount of collisions with not agreeing Selfs and that following unhappiness with inner conflict because in such a big Self, unhappiness cannot be shown or tolerated.

    I'd say, lesser self is a wiser choice.
    • A billionaire who nails lots of hot chicks. Yeah, it must be so awful for him...

      • Re: (Score:3)

        by dj245 ( 732906 )

        A billionaire who nails lots of hot chicks. Yeah, it must be so awful for him...

        Based on his wife's behavior in public, and the multitudes of other women who seem to be involved, I would posit that the number of encounters with each woman approaches 1. That doesn't sound appealing to me, but maybe some people enjoy it.

      • A billionaire who nails lots of hot chicks. Yeah, it must be so awful for him...

        On the surface that sounds great- but never getting a genuine emotional connection from a woman, or repeat encounters doesn't sound great. Love making gets much better the more you get to know someone and you each learn to please the other better.

        A bunch of one time encounters with skanky adult film stars doesn't measure up and is like a lot of other things about his life- going for the shine and not the real substance.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by no-body ( 127863 )
        <quote>A billionaire who nails lots of hot chicks. Yeah, it must be so awful for him...</quote>

        Wow, absolutely respectful towards the other sex, seems something has not yet penetrated to here...

    • What's better? Lets just look at the current POTUS. Clear case of lots of Self and in a desperate need to adjust anything not agreeing with it so it agrees. Is this a way to live? Seems a pretty busy undertaking and in a larger amount of collisions with not agreeing Selfs and that following unhappiness with inner conflict because in such a big Self, unhappiness cannot be shown or tolerated. I'd say, lesser self is a wiser choice.

      Some med to dissolve your obsession with Trump would be nice, lol

      • Trump looks like a good example to illustrate what GP wanted to say, and he's well known. Why not use him as an example? If I wanted to talk about certain brain problems in a person in a position of authority, I'd probably mention Woodrow Wilson.

    • Welcome to the new Godwin's Law, only it's Trump instead of Hitler and trump supporters instead of nazis. There's one in every thread eventually.

  • "Melts in the Mind, NOT The Mouth!"

  • Anecdotally, at least, LSD helped me - as a socially-inept, outsider-type nerd - to develop an awareness of myself and my connectedness to the universe beyond the immediate world of ass-hole family and community mores. Further, actually finding an acid dealer exposed me to a bigger world than my background would otherwise provide. All-in-all a worthy experience for me.
    $.02
  • A study done by a universal consciousness that looks at itself though the eyes of every being in the universe conducted a study on itself and found that LSD removes all sense of self and other. This study was peer reviewed by a universal consciousness that looks at itself though the eyes of every being in the universe....

  • hard to have self when you are at one with the universe
    not that I ever took drugs,
    ok,
    but I never inhaled

  • Having personal experience with a few "brands", I can say that not once did I experience a dissolving of self. Like most "social experiments", the numbers are too small to extrapolate great insights from. I don't typically follow someone else's gaze unless there's a definite reason for me to, so I don't see any relevance to that.

    Last point, spacing out != dissolving of self.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Megol ( 3135005 )

      Brands?

      Not a social experiment.

      First you aren't the world - maybe you should take some LSD? Second you are most likely wrong.

      Again with the ego. Maybe others have other definition that is more generally accepted? Maybe this is a step towards defining "self"?

    • It's a not a social experiment and sample size of 27 is reasonable for something like this. These experiments are hard to organise and expensive to conduct. What is a "big" or "small" sample depends on what you're trying to measure, what you're seeking to demonstrate, and the sort of generalisations you want to make. You can't just say n=27 is too small to produce great insights. That makes no sense.
  • Sometimes a study pops out of the mass of studies as particularly important and to the point. This is one such study. Also, there is no such thing as a "virtual avatar." It is redundant.

  • Medical research is building a good body of evidence for therapeutic
    LSD in conditions such as PTSD and intractable depression.

    https://www.newscientist.com/a... [newscientist.com]
    http://psychedelicscience.org.... [psychedeli...nce.org.uk]

  • We can use this research to improve our chemtrail program. We need a way to ensure docility and compliance with The Party's rule in the general population. Less self interest and more emphasis on the needs of the masses. As defined by The Party, of course.

  • Neural basis of self [wikipedia.org]

    This is one of those Wikipedia articles which colour between the lines, yet miss the target entirely. Not a lick of biochemistry in the entire treatment.

    As an alien, you wouldn't even begin to suspect that body image or eating disorders was a human thing. The funny thing is, we only ever warn our children about the Wikipedia articles that hit the topic dead square, without colouring between the lines whatsoever.

    Of course, by the bitter-endive corollary of Godwin's law, no good deed suffi

  • Rich Haridy - Psychedelics On Film: An Illustrated Journey [youtube.com] — 9 March 2016

    I'm guessing this is the same Haridy.

    Who wouldn't want to know about The Tingler with Vincent Price? (3m15) or The Love Statue (5m20).

    Then he gets in the first serious contender, Chappaqua.

    Chappaqua is a 1967 American drama film, written and directed by Conrad Rooks.

    The film is based on Rooks' experiences with drug addiction and includes cameo appearances by William S. Burroughs, Swami Satchidananda, Allen Ginsberg, Moondog, Or

  • Naturalism and experts who think they can learn everything by judging by appearances dissolves one's sense of self.

    Agency is when you start taking command of your brain. Agency is not something your brain cooks up.

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