Evidence map›Paper›PMID 28918441›Full record

Trial reportPsychopharmacology2018

Long-lasting subjective effects of LSD in normal subjects.

Yasmin Schmid, Matthias E Liechti

Registry-linked trialOpen access · hybridAbstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in Psychopharmacology, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT01878942 (Psychological, Physiological, Endocrine, and Pharmacokinetic Effects of LSD in a Controlled Study), which is not on this map. Cited by 97 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
97citing papers in PubMed, 5 pooled it
16.1field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

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.

2 · The registry

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.

NCT01878942 early_phase1completednot on this map

Psychological, Physiological, Endocrine, and Pharmacokinetic Effects of LSD in a Controlled Study

TypeinterventionalSponsorUniversity Hospital, Basel, SwitzerlandRan2013 to 2014Enrolled16ConditionsHealthyArmsPlacebo, LSD
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

97 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 227 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. Pooled it
  5. Pooled it
  6. 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 · 2026
    Trial
  7. Trial
  8. A novel psychedelic 5-HTJournal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England) · 2026
    Trial
  9. Trial
  10. LSD-assisted therapy in patients with anxiety: open-label prospective 12-month follow-up.The British journal of psychiatry : the journal of mental science · 2024
    Trial
  11. Trial
  12. Trial
  13. Article
  14. Article
  15. Article
  16. Article
  17. Article
  18. Review
  19. Traumatic Psychedelic Experiences.Current topics in behavioral neurosciences · 2026
    Review
  20. Dissociable effects of LSD and MDMA on striato-cortical connectivity in healthy subjects.Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology · 2026
    Article

37 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

2 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Yasmin SchmidDivision of Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Department of Biomedicine, Department of Clinical Research, University Hospital Basel, University of Basel, Schanzenstrasse 55, 4056, Basel, Switzerland.
Matthias E LiechtiDivision of Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Department of Biomedicine, Department of Clinical Research, University Hospital Basel, University of Basel, Schanzenstrasse 55, 4056, Basel, Switzerland. matthias.liechti@usb.ch.
University Hospital of Basel · CHUniversity of Basel · CH

Funding

Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung 320030_1449493 and 320030_170249
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

rationaleLysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and other serotonergic hallucinogens can induce profound alterations of consciousness and mystical-type experiences, with reportedly long-lasting effects on subjective well-being and personality.

methodsWe investigated the lasting effects of a single dose of LSD (200 μg) that was administered in a laboratory setting in 16 healthy participants. The following outcome measures were assessed before and 1 and 12 months after LSD administration: Persisting Effects Questionnaire (PEQ), Mysticism Scale (MS), Death Transcendence Scale (DTS), NEO-Five Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI), and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI).

resultsOn the PEQ, positive attitudes about life and/or self, positive mood changes, altruistic/positive social effects, positive behavioral changes, and well-being/life satisfaction significantly increased at 1 and 12 months and were subjectively attributed by the subjects to the LSD experience. Five-Dimensions of Altered States of Consciousness (5D-ASC) total scores, reflecting acutely induced alterations in consciousness, and Mystical Experience Questionnaire (MEQ30) total scores correlated with changes in well-being/life satisfaction 12 months after LSD administration. No changes in negative attitudes, negative mood, antisocial/negative social effects, or negative behavior were attributed to the LSD experience. After 12 months, 10 of 14 participants rated their LSD experience as among the top 10 most meaningful experiences in their lives. Five participants rated the LSD experience among the five most spiritually meaningful experiences in their lives. On the MS and DTS, ratings of mystical experiences significantly increased 1 and 12 months after LSD administration compared with the pre-LSD screening. No relevant changes in personality measures were found.

conclusionsIn healthy research subjects, the administration of a single dose of LSD (200 μg) in a safe setting was subjectively considered a personally meaningful experience that had long-lasting subjective positive effects.

trial registrationRegistration identification number: NCT01878942.

Indexed as

AttitudeAdultAffectConsciousnessCross-Over StudiesDouble-Blind MethodFemaleHallucinogensHealthy VolunteersHumansLysergic Acid DiethylamideMaleMiddle AgedMysticismPersonalitySurveys and QuestionnairesHallucinogensLysergic Acid DiethylamideHallucinogenHumansLSDMystical experiencePersonality

Identifiers

PMID28918441
PMCPMC5813062
OpenAlexW2756069429

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

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 Socratic graph.