LSD Syndrome

Abstract

LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide) is a powerful bio-active substance related to serotonin in structure. Its actions generally affect autonomic, sensory and psychological functions. Autonomic stimulation is varied. Sensory responses are usually visual, involving heightened and distorted color perception and fusion of sensory impressions. Psychological responses include a feeling that a unique experience is occurring; feelings of depersonalization; pronounced fluctuation of mood; time and space distortions; autistic phenomena; fluctuation of aggressive drives (usually reduction); and spontaneous reoccurrence of the lsd experience.

The subjective responses can be related to three basic phenomena: (1) expectation; (2) loss of characteristic modes of perceptual and cognitive patterning; and (3) hypersuggestibility.

The major adverse reactions are: (1) chronic drug dependence including subsequent personality changes and depressive reactions; and (2) acute ego dissolution. These reactions usually occur in already emotionally ill people. Most of these users fall into two groups, those with unresolved identity problems and those with severe ego...