When I was very young, I used to read “Little Lulu” comic books. Perhaps they were my preteen introduction to philosophy and psychology. In one episode the characters discovered that if they repeated a word often enough its meaning would disappear. They were rolling on the floor laughing because a rapid repetition of a word such as “foot” no longer evoked meaning. Try it. It works.
Also, my mother, a white witch, taught me mirror gazing. In a candlelit room, stare at your face in a hand mirror. Pick out a particular part of your face, such as your nose and stare at it. Try not to blink. What happens is that the image of your face disappears from the mirror. It is replaced by what seems to be pulsing clouds. Try it. It works.
In the 60s, John Lilly submerged himself in a sensory deprivation tank. He often did this experiment while high on LSD. What he experienced was that the mental narrative continued when the senses no longer applied. Results? Weird, cosmic, holistic narrations. See his web site.
So, what do these excursions into deprivations of sensory imput tell us about our modes of thinking and consciousness? Our human psychology? Do they actually open “doors of perception”? Do they indicate that senses show confinement in a mental box?
When I was in my teens, I had allergic epileptic siezures froom THC, Once I found out from my Dr. that THC was triggering these siezures I stopped.
The siezures were sensory deprivation. First My eyesight would go, then my hearing, then my equilibrium then my vocal chords would not work, all my muscles would sieze and contract to tense imobility, my body would essentially close down except for my organs, thank all the powers for that. and leave me all alone in the dark. but it wasn’t dark.Vivid dream like scenes flashed by I was living in each scene in a different place or body. I don’t remember any of them just vague memories of their clarity. Inside me, my senses were alive but, only within, no outward senses did I know. I can only say I was insane at that point because, what was going on trapped me, within and without control. My emotions ran the full spectrum without control by me, freaky and very frightening.
i remember hearing noises and voices that were not there, smells that were not there, sights, touch, everything but it did not happen outside. fast and furious but, insane no commonality, do I or did I recall.
Then as I came out of it a horrific pain engulfed my body, and sweat would flow freely this lasted 3 to 4 minutes the first part would last for 2 to 5 minutes. Then the pain and sweat would stop and I was stone cold sober and so very alert and wierdly refreshed and alive. And it freaked me out. So I quit. Nope don’t want to experience that again ever.
Does this give you another perspective?
LSD induced hallucination are the result of the LSD killing your brain. All of the colors and swirly images that come from its use are the result of your brain dying, much like the way a severe fever will induce strange dreams as your brain overheats.
Staring at one spot for any prolonged length of time will inundate the receptors in your eyes and the muscles, which aren’t very strong to begin with, will just relax and pass strange information instead. There’s also a trick you can do with a dot on a piece of paper to find blind spots in your normal field of vision (every human has them in the same approximate location).
As for words losing their context, repeating the word over and over reverts to an early, subconscious memory of a time when the word actually had no meaning attached to it. Its a flagged location in your memory that begins to overpower the meaning itself. It works much the same as writing a word over and over, which leads to you beginning to see the spelling as odd. It happens to me often. One word that I vividly remember doing it with in middle school was “blue”.
At least, those are just my speculations.
I realize you said you were speculating, but this is wholly inaccurate. In fact it’s basically the opposite of what happens.
Alcohol is a poison, it kills brain cells. LSD is not a poison.
Yes.
I mean keep in mind that we’re constantly OVERWHELMED by the data entering our system. To block out some of it opens up truths about how that data affects us. If we can get through the clouds and see what is actually making the smoke… and how it works, then… that’s good. 
Kriswest,
Aldous Huxley wrote two small books about drug experiences. In “The Doors of Perception” he relates his own contolled mescaline experiment. He saw the fibers of his rug as emotionally beautified patterns. His conclusion was that the mind usually acts as censor in order to allow us to function by editing out an infinite barrage of confusing, extraneous sensory imput. In “Heaven and Hell” he notes that minds, under drug influences, can travel into the hinterlands populated by imagined angels and demons. It all depended on the psychic disposition of the person taking the “trip”.
While I do agree with Ezrach that some hallucinogenic substances are toxic, I don’t believe all are. Along with Old Gobo, I believe that mescalin, psylosibic mushrooms and marijuana, which have an ancient history of use in American native religious traditions, are toxic only if the user’s mindset is toxic.
Willie Nelson just got arrested for possession of pot and shit mushrooms while so many who are self-destructive on alcohol, methamphetamines and crack cocaine populate the streets where I live with relative impunity.
The question arises. Are our heavens and hells within us before any mind-altering drug can make them palpable?
Ezrach,
I like your idea about reptitive symbols losing their evocation of meaning. The physics of mirror gazing, however, has not stopped many from believing that they can and do see, beyond the clouds, images of present and future happenings.
I would like to concure with that mentioned about repeating a word over and over until it becomes meaningless, I too stumbled on this as a child with the word: “towel.” I recall asking my mother if I was saying it correctly: “towel.” She of course did not understand my confusion. Also described in “Nausea.”
Gorgias,
Thanks! I’ll read “Nausea” for that info. Maybe word repetition has the same effect as the meditative mantram. If I say “OM” enough, I can get to a pre-verbal mental state where there is calm and serenity. I think anyone can arrive at that state, at the heaven within, at the I’m OK our physical chemistry can verify.
It is fascinating to look at this question from a anatomical and physiological point of view, especially the hallucinogens.
I did a bit of reading and it appears that LSD binds to several key receptors in the body. LSD affects all dopamine, all adrenergic, and most serotonin receptors.
These three receptor systems are the keys to the physiological and psychological changes we see with LSD usage. For example, the adrenergic receptors are responsible for the activities of the sympathetic nervous system. The sympathetic nervous system activates the so called fight or flight response. It is quite clear that many of the physical side effects of LSD are caused by sympathetic stimulation.
Dopamine is responsible in the brain for several key activities: movement control and smoothing, cognition and frontal cortex activity, and motivation and pleasure. The frontal cortex and cognition effects of dopamine will be the primary agent that is responsible for LSD’s ability to affect perceptions. LSD, in essence, changes the way your brain controls the flow of information.
Serotonin is thought to function in mood, sleep, the vomiting pathways, appetite, and sexuality. LSD can be shown to affect serotonin receptors because of the combined effects of LSD and anti-depressants like SSRIs (Prozac), MAOIs, and some tricyclic anti-depressants.
LSD does not have a toxic effect, any more than any other neurologically active drug, it simply stimulates certain neurological receptors that in turn affect neurological and physiological function. Whatever your opinion on drug use (and I’m not going to share mine) LSD does not work as a toxin.
It is not brain cells dying that create the feelings and experiences that come with LSD use.
cheers,
gemty
gemty,
Good research!!! I think we should also consider the brain’s endorphin receptors (See Candice Pert). They seem to allow any chemical into the brain that can mimic the natural endorphins. I find this disconcerting. The blood-brain-barrier will not admit outside sources of dopamine, needed for Parkinson’s patients, but will open its door to any good feel-good trickster–heroin, morphine, cocaine, etc.