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LessWrong (30+ Karma)

“Estrogen: A trip report” by cube_flipper

51 min • 17 juni 2025

I'd like to say thanks to Anna Magpie – who offers literature review as a service – for her help reviewing the section on neuroendocrinology.

The following post discusses my personal experience of the phenomenology of feminising hormone therapy. It will also touch upon my own experience of gender dysphoria.

I wish to be clear that I do not believe that someone should have to demonstrate that they experience gender dysphoria – however one might even define that – as a prerequisite for taking hormones. At smoothbrains.net, we hold as self-evident the right to put whatever one likes inside one's body; and this of course includes hormones, be they androgens, estrogens, or exotic xenohormones as yet uninvented.

I have gender dysphoria. I find labels overly reifying; I feel reluctant to call myself transgender, per se: when prompted to state my gender identity or preferred pronouns, I fold my hands [...]

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Outline:

(03:56) What does estrogen do?

(12:34) What does estrogen feel like?

(13:38) Gustatory perception

(14:41) Olfactory perception

(15:24) Somatic perception

(16:41) Visual perception

(18:13) Motor output

(19:48) Emotional modulation

(21:24) Attentional modulation

(23:30) How does estrogen work?

(24:27) Estrogen is like the opposite of ketamine

(29:33) Estrogen is like being on a mild dose of psychedelics all the time

(32:10) Estrogen loosens the bodymind

(33:40) Estrogen downregulates autistic sensory sensitivity issues

(37:32) Estrogen can produce a psychological shift from autistic to schizotypal

(45:02) Commentary

(47:57) Phenomenology of gender dysphoria

(50:23) References

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First published:
June 15th, 2025

Source:
https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/mDMnyqt52CrFskXLc/estrogen-a-trip-report

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Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.

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Images from the article:

Illustration of a hormone receptor regulating gene expression, from Wikipedia.
Figure 1. A schematic diagram of distributions of estrogen receptor alpha and estrogen receptor beta in our brains. The receptors have a different predominance of expression in distinct regions. ERα is predominantly expressed in the amygdala and hypothalamus, whereas ERβ is predominantly expressed in the somatosensory cortex, hippocampus, thalamus, and cerebellum.
Table 1. Summary of the main findings on the role of estradiol on serotonin, glutamate, and dopamine systems.
Autoradiographs of <sup>3</sup>H-MK-801 binding in the hippocampus of female rats which received: (a) a sham surgery with no ovariectomy; (b) ovariectomy and injection with a control substance; (c) ovariectomy and 40 μg/kg estrogen; (d) ovariectomy and 0.5 mg/kg progesterone.
Regions where 5-HT2A receptor binding potential increased following hormone replacement therapy. Row A and Row B indicate estradiol and combined estradiol and progesterone treatment respectively, with a voxel threshold of P < 0.01. Row C indicates estradiol treatment, with a less strict voxel threshold of P < 0.05.
Illustration of amodal perception, by Steven Lehar. I found estrogen made objects feel less
Illustration of the visual field, by Steven Lehar. I found estrogen made it feel less
Static is used as a recurring motif in the anime Serial Experiments Lain, in which it is strongly hinted that the protagonist experiences sensory sensitivities.
The somatosensory cortex is a long thin section of cortex which wraps around the brain like a headband. It is located just posterior to the motor cortex, which follows a similar shape. Electrode studies on live humans have revealed the shape of their respective homunculi.
Estradiol transdermal patch box on red and white patterned fabric.

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