Reconstructing the Visual Hallucinations Produced by LSD

Like many psychedelics, LSD can produce extremely vivid visions, often of a highly emotional nature. If researchers can illuminate the neurobiology behind this phenomenon, it may be possible for psychotherapists to channel and harness this powerfully visionary experience into their healing protocols. For this reason, the Beckley/Imperial Research Programme is currently conducting a unique study that aims to decipher the brain activity that gives rise to LSD visions.

Study participants will watch videos while their brain activity is monitored using fMRI, in order to obtain a picture of the neurological patterns associated with vision. Using this neuroimaging data, a sophisticated artificial intelligence model will then try to delineate what participants are seeing with their eyes closed after taking LSD, and will reconstruct a video of this psychedelic imagery.