LSD Makes the Brain Function Like a Baby's Brain

For the first time, scientists have scanned the brains of individuals under the influence of LSD. They found that this psychedelic substance 'frees' the brain and causes adult brains to function 'like the brains of infants.' According to a report by Reuters, a research team led by scientists from Imperial College London states that different networks in the brain normally operate separately and independently. For instance, activities such as seeing, moving, and hearing occur through independent networks in the brain, but when LSD is consumed, this separation between networks disappears, and brain activity resembles a unified system. Robin Carhart-Harris, who led the research, says, 'In many ways, the brain on LSD acts like our brain when we are infants, that is, free and limitless. When we consider the very sensitive and imaginative nature of an infant, this finding makes sense.' The results of this research, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, show that in the brains of volunteers who underwent this experiment, many brain areas that normally have no relation to vision also participate in visual processing. Scientists say this could explain the complex visual hallucinations that individuals encounter when consuming LSD. Dr. Carhart-Harris believes this research could lead to the development of drugs that can be used in the treatment of mood and mental disorders. These drugs could be used to treat disorders associated with negative thoughts, such as depression or addiction. Dr. David Nutt, a specialist in neuropsychopharmacology, states, 'For the first time, we can really see what happens in the brain when using psychedelics. We can also understand why LSD (which stands for lysergic acid diethylamide) has such a profound effect on individuals' self-awareness. This could have a significant impact on the field of psychiatry.' All 20 volunteers had prior experience with psychedelics.