I've always wondered if one dose of LSD could have been responsible for a fundamental change in my mind. There were other things of course going on in those college years, but I can say wth certainty that I became a very different person at some point in those early to mid twenties.<p>It's such that I have wondered if those I know who suffer various emotional issues might not benefit from a hallucinogenic trip—perhaps a rewiring of the mind.
Unfortunately life isn’t a triple-bling placebo controlled study.<p>There isn’t a cohort consisting entirely of otherwise identical <i>yous</i> we can use to retrospectively assess the outcomes of single-changes.<p>And besides, it’s not like <i>one</i> or any number of psychedelic experiences, results in a perfect human experience free of suffering or what have you.
It may simply be that the intense disruption of a 5 hour long experience of chemically-induced novel pleasures - in people who'd long forgotten any form of enjoyment at all - while also being under special attention from caring professionals, is Very Nice Indeed. And that very nice experiences are the most direct salve that exists, when it comes to ameliorating a lifetime of unpleasant ones.<p>"I can say wth certainty that I became a very different person at some point in those early to mid twenties" - not to discount that, but I do suspect many developing adults (LSD or not) might make similar claims about distinct periods of mental change as they work their way into early adulthood.
> I can say wth certainty that I became a very different person at some point in those early to mid twenties<p>Let's be fair, most people do.