Is this comparable to achieving a similar effect with caffeine?
I know whenever I get into the office, I don't feel nearly as productive or good at solving problems as I do whenever I drink an energy drink or a coffee. Strictly anecdotal, of course, but still. Lots of talk about placebo.
Caffeine is much more similar to Amphetamines–which actually aren't that dissimilar, chemically. That includes wakefulness and positive mood, but also nervousness, rapid heartbeat, irritability etc. Ever worked through a night drinking energy drinks (the sugar helps) and been wide awake the next day? That's how amphetamines feel.
LSD is actually a much more relaxed experience. It's like working on something you really enjoy, on a sunny afternoon with no deadlines in sight, listening to jazz and sipping an iced cappuccino.
After a certain point and I imagine any adult is years/decades past this, all you're doing is chasing away the withdrawal by taking caffeine. You're quite literally addicted to it.
I've been on/off it several times and now only drink green tea so I have a bit of experience here. I think ultimately it does nothing once I have a certain amount of tolerance. Worse, I do know it hurts my sleep quality significantly if taken anytime other than the morning or if too much is taken any time during the day. Sleep quality seems to be the elephant in the room for many white collar professionals, imo. So you may take caffeine to beat bad sleep but then caffeine may cause bad sleep, so its an ugly cycle while the whole time you're slowly becoming addicted to it.
That said, I've had good luck with ginseng as a morning 'pick me up.' Building tolerance to it seems slow as well.
I believe the idea of tolerance is somewhat overrated. It exists, but it's probably not much different than tolerance to alcohol–which most people are probably better at judging because the effects are more pronounced.
I can get a decent tolerance to alcohol no problem, but it doesn't make me feel like shit everyone morning until I have some nor does I get horrible headaches if I try to quit. In fact, withdrawal is so bad its now listed in the DSM-5:
Caffeine Withdrawal DSM-5 292.0 (F15.93)
Symptoms of caffeine withdrawal have been described since the early nineteenth century but have only recently been researched (Ozsungur, Brenn & El-Sohemy, 2009) . The DSM-5 explains that the most common symptom of caffeine withdrawal is headache. The headache is usually throbbing and sensitive to movement. Headache is the most persistent symptom of caffeine withdrawal and can last as long as three weeks. Changes in mood, such as depression and anxiety; difficulty concentrating and fatigue are also common and can occur without headache. Some patients experience flu-like symptoms such as nausea, vomiting and achiness (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Other symptoms include caffeine cravings and increased appetite (Juliano, et al., 2012) These symptoms begin within 12- 24 hours of caffeine cessation after prolonged daily caffeine ingestion (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). 96% of patients experience at least two symptoms during withdrawal (Juliana, et al., 2012) Symptoms often occur on weekends when individuals tend to sleep in and begin ingesting caffeine later in the day than normal. If caffeine cessation continues, symptoms can last as long as nine days, with headaches lasting as long as three weeks. Symptoms disappear almost instantly if caffeine consumption resumes. Because many people underestimate their caffeine consumption, symptoms are often unexpected and attributed to other causes, such as illness (American Psychiatric Association, 2013).
I know whenever I get into the office, I don't feel nearly as productive or good at solving problems as I do whenever I drink an energy drink or a coffee. Strictly anecdotal, of course, but still. Lots of talk about placebo.