
Researchers use music and LSD to understand how we attribute meaning - emersonrsantos
https://www.researchgate.net/blog/post/lsd-unlocks-how-our-brains-impart-meaningfulness
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Obi_Juan_Kenobi
Psychedelics are an investigators dream. They are safe in reasonable contexts
and usage, while producing profound changes in consciousness that can be
readily studied. All in the relatively well-understood context of
neurotransmitters and receptor regulation.

Entire fields are based on chemicals that have specific physiological effects.
When combined with genetic work, great progress can be made. And here we have
a whole suite of compounds with both widely different and subtly different
effects.

The prohibition of their use in research has hamstrung research in this area
for decades.

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posterboy
one goal of such research could be stronger psychedelics (eg mk ultra), so
there's a good reason for regulation.

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Atlantium
All areas of brain research are vital to have a complete understanding of
humanity. The brain is clearly a major part of how we function.

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posterboy
But the _complete understanding_ isn't essential. Sure, surgens may be _vital_
, doesn't mean everyone may cut up people.

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tikwidd
>We demonstrate that the psychedelic effects of LSD can be fully blocked with
the selective serotonin 2A receptor ketanserin.

So taking a dose of ketanserin would make you stop tripping immediately?

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btmorex
People have used atypical antipsychotics for years to abort bad trips
(especially effective is Seroquel because it also has a sedatory effect). It
definitely works, but most people would take an oral form which is not
immediate (30-60 minutes depending on the drug). Presumably an injection would
be immediate or almost immediate.

Science is so funny sometimes. You could probably have a successful career by
reading erowid and "discovering" things about drugs.

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tudorw
Erowid or PiHKAL :)

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kneel
Somewhat related I can anecdotally confirm that small doses of LSD (20-30ug)
puts you in a high state of focus.

It's hard to get the measurement right. Halfway through my productive morning
(probably at my peak) I had to take a long break because I kept feeling
'earthquakes' and had to walk it off.

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fapjacks
I have also experimented with small, sub-recreational doses of LSD for the
same purpose. Just another point on a graph, I also had success with this
during work on my side projects.

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pizza
Interesting that they study the "meaningfulness" of previously meaningless
music - in a way I see a relationship to reinforcement learning, namely
retroactively assigning meaning to recorded but undiscovered information from
the environment.

" _Information is a difference which makes a difference!_ "

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Alex3917
What's interesting about the study is that they're not looking at whether LSD
actually helps to unlock deeper meaning, but rather they're looking at whether
LSD increases the subjective feeling of meaning having been unlocked. I think
it would be even more interesting to see how the former correlates with the
latter, both with and without LSD.

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pizza
Precisely; I feel there may be some insight as to why SSRIs appear to reduce
the sense of entropy pervasive in anxiety and depression. Or from a more Slate
star codex perspective, why antidepressants sort of seem to do more than they
seem to do.

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erikb
This is the smartest path of science, using government funds to buy drugs and
music. I think the search for meaning would be increased with adding easy
going, sparsely dressed, party minded, but well paid girls.

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gnu8
I think there's a political party for you:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8vC0h7bzQk](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8vC0h7bzQk)

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eruditely
My friends, by all means experiment with LSD, but explore the entire range,
our lives are so short, why not try to push our potential? The cognitive
lottery was decided for us, if we have reason to believe some <substance> is
safe, then well, let's go hard.

