Ever Trip Too Long on Acid? Here's What Happened in Your Brain

(trippy music)

[Narrator] LSD.

The hippy drug of choice.

Portal to other worlds of consciousness,

and one hell of a long ride.

Ask anyone who's done acid, and they'll tell you

it can be a bit of a commitment.

Think 12, 18, maybe 24 hours of tripping.

But until now, no one has really known

why LSD lasts so long.

Scientist just discovered that when LSD molecules

bind to serotonin receptors in the brain,

a lid closes over them and holds them tight.

The LSD can't easily escape, so it ends up

lingering in the brain for a surprisingly long time.

Advances like these could help turn LSD

into a legit therapy drug.

The better scientists understand the molecule structure,

the better they can understand how LSD acts on the brain.

People already experiment with so-called microdoses of acid

to treat depression and other disorders.

Maybe some day your doctor will prescribe

a derivative of LSD.

Without the portals to other worlds

of consciousness, of course.

(trippy music)