Opinions - observing process of lions mane mushroom

[rhodeye]

I thought it possible to observe the effects in the brain of the Lions mane mushrooms which are supposed to have the ability to grow brain neurons but maybe not. Perhaps LSD does that too and at such an intense level that one could not notice the mushrooms. Maybe if the mushrooms were laced with LSD and taken after a half day or longer fast an experienced user could notice something. Swim doesn't do illegal substances anymore but I suppose there are many out there that do and might find it interesting to try.

[Songcycle67]

I'm so confused about what this pertains to exactly...

From what I can gather SWIY wants to use LSD to tag the effects of Lions Mane Mushrooms on growing neurons within the brain? Why not use a carbon or some kind of dye? And additionally you believe that LSD may grow neurons as well and you want to test this in the presence of Lions Main Mushrooms? Which are apparently being tested for the same thing at the same time? How would someone who was on LSD know if neurons were being generated without advanced scientific equipment/studies being used both before and after the study?

I'm very lost here, but I'd love to try to answer if I knew what was being asked. Sounds like it has the makings of an interesting discussion.

If it helps any, I've never heard even a smidge of evidence that LSD grows or stimulates growth of neurons. It seems that if such a phenomenon was happening it would've been noticed fairly quickly during the myriad of tests done on the drug during its medical trials, and copious notes on the subject would be available. It also would have been a major deciding factor in a case for medical use of LSD and it was never alluded to in this capacity in any of the literature I've seen.

[rhodeye]

Thought maybe consciosness could possibly observe what the lions mane does at a that high of a perceptual level. Regarding LSD growing brain neurons, I heard of brain abreactions and/or the elimination of conditioning which I think the source said brought the brain back to a better functioning level. With all that energy in a brain area or areas I thought maybe the chemical or brain itself 'might' stimulate itself to do whats best for it given the proper set and setting whether it is to grow newrons(pun intended) or do something else to permanently alter itself to a better functioning. Its also been written that 'bad' trips can leave a long lasting negative effect (imprint) on a person. That could be due to bad set and setting or some other cause including bad acid. However, I thought its a possibility.

[Songcycle67]

I think it's safe to say that LSD does not grow neurons or anything miraculous like that. The way that it imprints information from bad trips or good trips is the same way that the brain imprints any information--memory.

And while there is a great deal of cross-chatter between different parts of the brain and somewhat of an "information" overload during an LSD session there isn't really much energy generated by the LSD, in the traditional sense of the word. As pertains to a better or higher functioning level of consciousness--it is true that there are many hypotheses floating around about what, if any, permanent changes are made in the way that the brain works after an LSD trip as opposed to before, but none of them have conclusively proven that its main effects last longer than the standard 16 hours. And, while during that time period a person may be in a "different" state, one would be hard pressed to argue that it is either a "higher" state or a "better" state. I believe what you're referring to is the belief that LSD induces a state of consciousness similar to that of a young child--before conditioning by society. That to some degree is definitely true and has been proven. It definitely breaks down social constructs, but that is a neutral effect of the drug--it is neither a positive or negative aspect of the experience.



So now that that is out of the way--I think, if anything, putting someone on an intensely psychedelic substance and asking them if they can feel things that are completely indetectable in normal consciousness would fuck up a study more than help to clarify the results.

Sensations are extremely intensified on LSD, but so are delusions and suggestibility. I think more often than not if you asked someone on a proper dose of LSD, if they could interpret and understand your question at all, the answer to such a question would most definitely invariably be "Oh. My. God. YES, that feels incredible!!!"

In short, it would not lend very much credibility to such a study.