Within clinical, recreational, and ceremonial settings, many individuals have found positive benefits after using LSD. Whether these benefits are assessed with quantitative measures or through subjective trip reports, there’s a reason why LSD has such a strong cultural impact, from music and arts, to technological innovation and beyond. Steve Jobs, the Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, and numerous other cultural icons say they were inspired by their experiences with LSD.
Benefits of LSD
Things to Know
- LSD became popular in the 1950s for psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy
- In the counterculture movement of the 1960s, LSD was widely used to enhance creativity and for spiritual insights
- Albert Hofmann, the chemist who originally synthesized LSD, called it medicine for the soul
- LSD can be used for personal enhancement, a greater connection with nature, creativity, and spirituality
The therapeutic potential of LSD is significant. Research and anecdotal evidence suggests that it may be helpful in treating a host of maladaptive behaviors and mental health conditions including depression, PTSD, and substance dependence, particularly as part of a therapeutic process led by a trained practitioner. LSD may also elicit a spiritual or mystical experience1 that can be transformative and engender a sense of unity, interconnectedness, and expanded consciousness. These subjective effects of LSD may be measured through the Five Dimensional Altered States of Consciousness (5D-ASC) scale.2 Some have also found that LSD enhances creativity3 and introspection, allowing individuals to explore their thoughts, emotions, and perspectives from a different lens of perception, leading to new and fresh insights. LSD can also invoke a sense of bliss, joy, and euphoria.
As LSD became more widely used in the 1960s for its therapeutic benefits, it became increasingly popular among the counterculture. Individuals found that it helped them in terms of personal enhancement and creativity, connection to others, to nature and to the divine, and for the enjoyment of art and music. Even chemist Albert Hofman who originally discovered LSD called it “medicine for the soul,” noting its ability to help individuals arrive at a noetic, spiritual perspective.
