The initial use of LSD in psychotherapy was not without good reason. While it is not yet widely understood how LSD causes the “trip,” it has demonstrated effectiveness in treating a small range of mental disorders. Experiments have been conducted on its applicability to alleviate addiction, namely alcohol and nicotine. Because of its longstanding status as a Schedule I drug, getting federal grants to conduct experiments is a long hurdle, as are small test groups allowed to participate in studies. However, across multiple studies involving 15 people, approximately 80% (12/15) of patients abstained from addictive behaviors for 3 months after the initial (and only) dose. The hypothesis behind this may be sceudoscientific as neurologists believe the LSD experience is so powerful, mystical and even spiritual; which allows the individual to reconnect with themselves, their goals and priorities. In doing so, an epiphany occurs which is considered the reason why there can be such rapid changes in personality or behavior. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay As neuroscience has developed, so has our understanding of the brain. It was initially thought that the brain ceases to develop further beyond the ages of 21-25. However we have recently discovered that neurons are generated continuously throughout life and, more importantly, the signals fired between these signals strengthen the strength of the connections. This is a concept known as neuroplasticity, where it is often said “neurons that fire together, wire together.” To further break this concept down into layman terms, imagine a dirt road in a forest; the more foot traffic the trail receives, the more visible and etched it becomes in the forest. The brain and neurons work remarkably similarly and are constantly changing due to all of life's thoughts, emotions, and experiences. The idea of ​​using LSD to induce neuroplasticity in patients is not as crazy as it might seem. Again, reiterating that the mechanism of the trip is not fully understood, however, what is known through FMRI is that LSD causes regions of the brain that do not or rarely communicate to have a free flow of information. One region that is stimulated is at the back of the brain, in the visual cortex. In this we see communications with normally unstimulated brain regions at the same time. A very interesting example of this is the new connection between the visual cortex and the somatosensory cortex. In this context there is the fusion of sight with the other senses; this leads to an experience known as synesthesia. This allows a person to experience things in ways never imagined before, where a person can taste the color blue or see the vibrations of music. The final hypothesis as to why one experiences hallucinations is due to global dysregulation of the brain, placing it in a state of chaos; and that the brain tries to make sense of the world by connecting patterns, which are hypothesized to be the kaleidoscopic hallucinations often referenced. To revisit the concept of neuroplasticity it might be useful to talk about the development of the brain from childhood to adulthood. In this process, the brain is initially a free-flowing connection of information. This is largely due to children experiencing the world with so many unknowns and a genuine curiosity. Experiencing our entire lives into adulthood begins to constrain the brain and compartmentalize our way of thinking..