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There is evidence that LSD, MDMA, and other hallucinogens can produce visual problems even in people who do not have HPPD. So far, experiments have not been conducted with drugs other than LSD. Dr. Henry Abraham, the leading researcher on the topic of HPPD (and the originator of the term), did two experiments on LSD-related visual disorders. In both experiments, he used three groups of subjects. The comparison or 'control' group had never taken LSD. The second group consisted of former LSD users who had never experienced visual problems and who said they hadn't taken LSD in a long time. The final group consisted of LSD users who reported HPPD symptoms.

The first test measured the ability of the groups to distinguish colors. The control group scored the best, the former LSD users fell in the middle, and the HPPD group scored the worst. The results were statistically significant with a P < 0.001, which theoretically means that there was less than 1 in 1000 chance that the measured differences were caused by random chance. [Abstract]

The second test measured the ability of each group to distinguish light flicker. A light was rapidly strobed on and off. Above a certain frequency subjects perceived the flashing light to be on continuously. Again, the control group performed best, the former LSD users fell in the middle, and the HPPD subjects scored the worst. The results were again statistically significant (P<0.001). [Abstract]

These experiments seem to show that even HPPD-free LSD users may be experiencing long-term changes in their vision. It is not known why these changes are so distracting to people with HPPD while not being bothersome to other LSD users. It is very important to note, however, that not much research has been done in this area and these results have not been confirmed by other research.

Speculation: These results are difficult to explain. They would seem to point to a slow degradation in perception caused by LSD. HPPD seems to have very rapid onset in many cases, often after very few LSD experiences. It would be interesting to see if the strength of distortions could be correlated to total LSD experiences. It would also be interesting to do longitudinal studies of current LSD users to see how their perceptions change. There is a PhD thesis in the making for somebody!

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Who cares though?

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I like your attitude.

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teeter said:
If I change the tires on your car, I haven't damaged it

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LSDreamer said:
HPPD is not necessarily damage. Everybody who uses psychedelics knows about HPPD. Few people ever develop it, and few of the people who do care that they do, meaning the number of people who have their lives disrupted by HPPD is vanishingly small. You have more of a chance being injured in a car wreck.

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Shad0w said:

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Who cares though?

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I like your attitude.

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I like it too!

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thunderfox said:
Ok, i was not talking about phisical damage. LSD people definitly cannot  process visual data as good as people who have not used LSD. The question is: Do the advantages top the disadvantages?

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teeter said:
If I change the tires on your car, I haven't damaged it

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If one of your weel always points a bit to the right, so that "the way your car drives is altered", it is damaged.

Thunderfox

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Shad0w said:
Short Answer : The answer varies from individual. Most of it is opinion.

Mine is that whatever negative effect it MIGHT have on my mind, Are most assuredly, trumped by the enormous positive effects it has had on my mind.

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TRUE DAT!

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Scudreloaded said:
sometimes i wish i had HPPD

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Its mad fun. When I'm bored I throw on The Universe (history channel) and listen to trippy particle physics and stuff like that while I make tracers with my laser pointer.

I'm not going to stop tripping mushrooms a couple times a year just because I wont be able to sit in a lab testing room and tell some PhD if the light in front of me is flashing fast enough.

A few things I don't like about the study:

-no estimates on the amount/frequency of LSD use

-doesn't explain why HPPD patients scored WORSE when both have ingested the same chemical
and (a little farther fetched...)

-we're comparing LSD users' vision to that of "regular," sober peoples vision to standardize "impairment." I agree with what some of what I've heard on this thread, perspective change. This is the same reason why younger children score proportionally higher on IQ tests; because their psychology is so much different than an adult's.

meh who gives a damn. I haven't noticed a THING. Literally, I haven't noticed any physical repercussions of my drug use other than some lag during times of heavy pot use.

I'm not the one to care if my vision is impaired to some obscure degree that I can't notice in everyday life. I see nature, it's still beautiful (if not more beautiful) as when I was a kid. I read books and my mind is doing just lovely.

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Shad0w said:
Short Answer : The answer varies from individual. Most of it is opinion.

Mine is that whatever negative effect it MIGHT have on my mind, Are most assuredly, trumped by the enormous positive effects it has had on my mind.

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