# Can psychedelic drugs "throw a switch" on some people and make them permanently mentally altered?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-psychedelic-drugs-throw-a-switch-on-some-people-and-make-them-permanently-mentally-altered/764995>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [September 4, 2016, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-psychedelic-drugs-throw-a-switch-on-some-people-and-make-them-permanently-mentally-altered/764995 "2016-09-04T04:36:28Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\
**Post date:** [September 6, 2016, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-psychedelic-drugs-throw-a-switch-on-some-people-and-make-them-permanently-mentally-altered/764995/21 "2016-09-06T17:38:57Z")

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> [@WordMan](#):
>
> **The Beatles** call Revolver their acid album, given John and George’s getting dosed surreptitiously by that swingin’ London dentist and feeling fundamentally transformed. George’s later acid trip in LA, and Peter Fonda’s reaction to it (and John anger at Peter\*) led to one of their best songs, She Said She Said.
> 
> \*worth a read if you don’t know it. Peter was telling the bad-tripping George “I know what it’s like to be dead.” Stupid acid argument ensues 😉

A recent article from Rolling Stone on Revolver, and the role of LSD in its creation:

> **[Beatles' Acid Test: How LSD Opened the Door to 'Revolver'](https://www.rollingstone.com/feature/beatles-acid-test-how-lsd-opened-the-door-to-revolver-251417/)**
>
> LSD opened the door to the Beatles' masterpiece 'Revolver' – but also opened wounds that never healed.

A quote from the article, referring back to the OP’s question:

> [@](#):
>
> McCartney, though, declined the suggestion {to try LSD}. “We’d heard that you’re never the same,” he said in Anthology. “It alters your life and you never think the same again. John was rather excited by that prospect. I was rather frightened by that prospect. . . never get back home again. I was seen to sort of stall. . .  because there was a lot of peer pressure.” Lennon and Harrison wouldn’t forget his refusal.

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