LSD increases brain activity complexity and speed, study finds

A new neuroimaging study published in Communications Biology reveals that LSD alters human brain activity by speeding up brain rhythms and increasing signal complexity. Using magnetoencephalography (MEG) to capture millisecond-scale electrical activity, researchers found that the drug weakens regular brain waves while increasing Lempel-Ziv complexity and Higuchi fractal dimension.

These changes—characterized by less predictable neural activity—were most pronounced in brain networks associated with sensory processing, language, emotion, and mental imagery. Conversely, regions controlling physical movement remained largely unaffected. The study addressed a common methodological issue in psychedelic research by accounting for shifts in peak frequencies, ensuring that the perceived weakening of rhythms was not merely a result of waves speeding up.

While the data suggested that listening to music might dampen these drug-induced changes, this trend did not remain statistically robust after corrections. The findings contribute to the scientific understanding of how LSD interacts with serotonin 2A and dopamine receptors to alter conscious experience.