Comment · Sat, March 9, 2013 · Ceretropic
Microdosing LSD as a nootropic?
Original post in this thread
_julain · 37 points
I don't know if there have been threads about this in the past, but I couldn't find any so I figure it's worth asking. Has there been much research into using very small doses (<40ug or so) of LSD as a nootropic? Some users report an increase in creativity, mood, and memory. I'd love to hear the pros and cons, if such research has been done, and get peoples' personal experiences.
What they were answering
FuckImOnRedditAgain · 5 points
The serotonin psychedelics are known for enabling very creative thinking and looser mental associations (word association with somebody on LSD would be pretty entertaining, at least until the shtick wore thin) as noted above in discussing the problem solving experiment from the '50s. This post from /r/drugnerds and the links in the child comments do a pretty nice job of laying out each 5-ht receptor and its effects, but I'm not sure how accurate or accepted that is.
Everything after this point is psycho-babble, so you can stop reading here if you are only interested in hard science, to the extent we even have that understanding of these drugs
I think that the loosening of the mental bounds lasts much longer than the trip. People that have done "too much" have stretched the limits of categoric thinking to the point that even sober they no longer view the world in the cause-effect way the typical person does. This is seen in the increased magical thinking ("If we channel our positive energy we can bring about change!") and other counter-culture hallmarks. Some people will end up chanting over crystals and engaging in other pseudo-science quackery as a result of this. It can also emerge in paranoid and delusional thinking. If you are already playing with loosely defined relationships and boundar…
u/MisterYouAreSoDumb · Ceretropic
Right, I agree. However, I wonder what physical changes are happening in the brain to cause this. Perhaps strengthening of synaptic connections between neurons that should not have them? Perhaps formation of new dendrites that cause abstract thoughts to occur?