By Brooklyn-based artist Brian Blomerth, Bicycle Day documents the day LSD was discovered by Swiss chemist Albert Hofmann. As the story goes: he ingested the experimental compound and then set off on the first documented trip, which culminated in a peak while he was riding home on his bicycle. Hofmann’s book LSD: My Problem Child, affords only a few paragraphs about the first encounter. As …
For decades, numerous scientific studies have set out to determine the benefits of psychedelic trips. From stabilizing moods to boosting creativity, substantial findings support the positive impact of psilocybin. But, a slew of recent work—specifically a survey conducted by Johns Hopkins—suggests that trips could do even more: they can instill newfound purpose and a sense of connectedness that lasts a lifetime. Often, these come as …
University of California researchers have observed that psychedelics like LSD and MDMA can rewire the brain—and trigger the growth of new branches between brain cells—long after the drugs’ other effects have worn off. Dr David Olson, one of the study’s authors and lead researcher, notes that during cases of depression (as well as anxiety, PTSD and more) neurites in the prefrontal cortex of the brain …
