LSD is one of the most potent, mood-changing chemicals. It is manufactured from lysergic acid, which is found in the ergot fungus that grows on rye and other grains.
While more than a thousand early studies linked psychedelic use with beneficial effects there was a 40-year pause on psychedelic research following the prohibition of these substances . Despite continued prohibition, modern research has revealed the promising potential of LSD and psilocybin for treating alcohol and tobacco dependence , depression and end-of-life anxiety , while related research on methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) has shown great promise for treating post-traumatic stress disorder . Psychedelics can also increase openness and occasion mystical-type experiences in healthy controls . As full-dose psychedelics appear to aide in the relief of severe, chronic psychiatric conditions (e.g. depression, anxiety, PTSD), milder mental health concerns may plausibly be treated by lower, recurring doses. This is especially worth considering if certain full-dose outcomes are found to rely on purely pharmacologic mechanisms rather than primarily on phenomenological experiences .