LSD is widely understood to be benign when used in a controlled setting (even recreational aficionados' discussions of it focus heavily on the importance of establishing a safe context under the rubric of 'set and setting'). However I think it will take another 15-20 years to see it legalized; drug warriors will harp on the crazy-making potential while paranoids will dredge up fears of gubmint mind control - both of which have roots in reality, since LSD <i>is</i> a powerful hallucinogenic that can lead to confusion or injury if consumed in excess or carelessly, and since the CIA did experiment with psychedelic drugs on unwitting subjects back in the 1960s.<p>Even limited rescheduling allowing medical treatment would be a good thing IMHO, but the reality of the US medical system is such that that the <$5 dose of LSD is likely to be dwarfed by a $3,000+ bill for clinical oversight and additional fees for administrative compliance with drug scheduling protocols.
DMT is easily tolerated by the body and only lasts 10 minutes. There's no hangover type effect and it doesn't last hours. It's also infinitely more intense, with an overwhelming sense of love and comfort.<p>LSD is like riding a bicycle but DMT is more flying in a spaceship that actually travels through dimensions. There seems to be a much lower or non-existant risk of a bad trip. (Unlike the version you drink, which can take you to hell and back.)
A guy I served with credits weekly shroom trips with helping him deal with his PTS symptoms. He was not exactly a tree hugging hippie when we were both in uniform so it's good to see him being so open minded about solutions to his problems.<p>The utility of psychedelics in therapy has been a "known quantity" to the medical community since the 1950's at least, so it's good to see that mainstream acceptance of such is gaining ground.
Here is the full text (PDF):
<a href="http://cl.ly/YZzg/download/J%20Psychopharmacol-2014-Gasser-0269881114555249.pdf" rel="nofollow">http://cl.ly/YZzg/download/J%20Psychopharmacol-2014-Gasser-0...</a>
It's awesome that these kinds of studies are finally able to happen again.<p>Scientists had already determined the usefulness of LSD and other psychedelics in Psychotherapy of this sort back in 1950 (<a href="http://www.psymon.com/psychedelia/articles/busch.htm" rel="nofollow">http://www.psymon.com/psychedelia/articles/busch.htm</a>), but since the controlled substance act in 1970, it hasn't been possible to do any real science in this area. Good to see this finally starting to change.
Related topic: I just finished reading "Waking Up: A Guide to Spirituality Without Religion" by Sam Harris and it has become my book recommendation for people that don't understand psychedelics or meditation. Sam talks about both in the most lucid way possible. Highly recommended!