Will LSD ever be accepted as mainstream treatment?
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Some researchers believe psychedelic drugs could be used to treat a whole range of conditions. But will cultural stigmas stand in the way?
Mention LSD and you might think of the 1960s counterculture - kaftanned hippies in San Francisco, or the more adventurous end of the Beatles' back catalogue, or the tragedy of Pink Floyd singer Syd Barrett losing his grip on reality.
But for the first time, researchers say they have visualised how LSD alters the way the brain works.
A team at Imperial College London says they found it broke down barriers between areas that control functions like vision, hearing and movement. The study was with a small group - 20 subjects - but the researchers say it could lead to a revolution in the way addiction, anxiety and depression are treated.
For the past decade and a half, academics around the world have been studying whether psychedelic substances that cause hallucinations, changes in perception and mind-altering states could have medical benefits.
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