from Hacker News

Low Doses of LSD Acutely Increase BDNF Blood Plasma Levels in Healthy Volunteers

by InInteraction on 9/6/20, 2:06 PM with 127 comments

  • by nicoffeine on 9/6/20, 4:28 PM

    Low doses may also prevent Alzheimers from progressing.[1][2] Ayahuasca/DMT[3] and psilocybin[4] may have similar effects.

    It's fascinating that a monthly visit to your local shaman may still be more safe and effective for depression, anxiety, and cognitive decline than anything western medicine has been able to produce.

    [1] https://www.forbes.com/sites/abbierosner/2020/02/21/microdos...

    [2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6463489/

    [3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6343205/

    [4] https://www.beingpatient.com/could-psychedelics-help-treat-a...

  • by kaikai on 9/6/20, 2:56 PM

    They don’t break it down in the abstract, but BDNF is brain-derived neurotrophic factor, which is associated with neuron growth and long term memory.

  • by dvduval on 9/6/20, 4:26 PM

    For me, I don't believe I really ever saw anything that was different than reality, but the attention to my senses was heightened. It was a new curiosity about everything I saw or heard. if you wave your hand in front of your face there's a trail behind it. This sort of thing is heightened. I remember going to a racquetball court and it seems like they were many balls in the court when there actually there was only one. I went on top of a mountain and looked down at the trees below and it was almost like the trees were vibrating with life. I remember the sound of super Mario jumping giving me the giggles because the sound was completely different and interesting and it reverberated through the room. So there is a certain curiosity that is derived from the senses. That was my experience

  • by alex_young on 9/6/20, 3:51 PM

    There must be some axiom here that mention of LSD in any story, however scientific in nature, turns into trip reports.

  • by BosunoB on 9/6/20, 11:04 PM

    For anybody looking to try psychedelics without the sketchiness of finding a dealer or buying online, you should know that you can discretely grow psilocybin mushrooms in your home for less than a hundred dollars initial investment, and with very little effort. It's legal to buy the spores in most states, and it only takes a couple of months to grow a nice canopy.

    The best guide is https://www.reddit.com/r/unclebens/ or https://www.reddit.com/r/shrooms/comments/8e7g6n/how_to_grow.... Expect to read a lot before you start growing.

  • by nullc on 9/6/20, 3:13 PM

    So does exercise.

  • by manishoo on 9/6/20, 3:34 PM

    Does this imply that high doses of LSD do not increase BDNF levels?

  • by iamgopal on 9/6/20, 2:49 PM

    Anyone with first hand experience of LSD ?

  • by justanargentine on 9/6/20, 3:09 PM

    For anybody interested in psychedelics (and medicine), this is a good watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Q0un2GPsSQ

  • by cma on 9/6/20, 3:36 PM

    Does recovery from brain damage increase the same growth factor?