[sev]

Looking at the definition of psychosis:

> a severe mental disorder in which thought and emotions are so impaired that contact is lost with external reality.

Based on my research, typical (and even greater than typical) recreational doses of LSD do not cause a “severe mental disorder” as described in the definition.

At “raves”, for example, lots of people are under the influence and yet they have not lost contact with external reality.

[shams93]

It only has that effect when they gave it to people in test trials in terrible settings like mental institution s and prisons which is why Dr Leary was adamant about set and setting

[mrd999]

If you consider the entirety of your consciousness and the structure of thought processes and sensory perceptions.. If LSD blurs all these things, mixes and merges them a bit with excessive neural activity.. It's clear to see your sensory input will have a significant effect on the experience. Even in this regard, we can consider all the possible associations a given external stimulus will trigger in the brain.

External stimuli may be one of the few contributors of the experience that has a significant temporal persistence, possibly giving it substantial influence.

[golergka]

> At “raves”, for example, lots of people are under the influence and yet they have not lost contact with external reality.

Taking LSD is a strange choice for a rave, IMO; you want less visual and audio stimulation under it's influence, not more.

MDMA, MDA, 2CB, amphetamines, mephedrone and other similar substances (and their mixes in ecstasy pills) are much more rave-friendly.

[cc81]

Not very strange in the psytrance scene.

[golergka]

True, but I would hardly call a trance open-air a "rave". But the use of the term probably depends on local music culture.

[pantalaimon]

It depends on the kind of rave.

The fast drumming beat of psytrance for example works quite well for 'carrying' the trip.

House or minimal on the other hand would be to irregular and 'cold' for LSD IMHO.

[blubb-fish]

> IMO; you want less visual and audio stimulation under it's influence, not more.

What one is going to feel overwhelming on a trip or what is going to synergize is in my experience extremely individual. I find crowds of people or mostly any strangers quite discomforting while music and movies are like pure bliss.

[datashaman]

Candy-flipping is not uncommon at raves - that's taking LSD with MDMA / Ecstasy.

[theVurt]

Its only a matter of dosage. If everyone at a rave have been ingesting over 800ug you would see a very different event. Typical blotter will have anywhere between 60ug - 150ug.

[Synaesthesia]

I’ve taken LSD maybe 100 times and the side effects can include paranoia, confusion (I’ve thought I was in a different century), gross distortion of time, seemingly “profound” revelations, loss of ego/self confidence and of course hallucinations, many of which are similar to people suffering a psychotic break.

My friend who had a psychotic break likened it to an LSD experience.

Of course I’m only listing negative effects here, it’s not all bad, please don’t get that impression. It can be transformative and a positive experience.

[kudu]

Right, that sounds more like a dissociative than a psychedelic.

[andrepd]

And what research is that, other than personal experiences and/or a hunch (not trying to be a jerk, just genuinely asking)?

[fapjacks]

Salvia does this. It causes powerful hallucinations and also is highly dissociative.

[mike_n]

i don't know, sensitivity varies. beyond-casual research at home with blindfold/stereo on resulting in hyper-real visuals and totally losing the plot on time and space and reality-vs-fantasy and knowing (or caring) who/what/where/when/why. definitely impaired thoughts and emotions and memory and logic and common sense and sensorimotor functions. fun and safe and interesting in private with a sitter. but wouldn't want to be like that alone in public, things get real weird at higher doses.