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Unfortunately, certain psychedelics have the effect of imbuing everything with significance, which results in apparently "earth shattering" revelations during a
by bencollier49 8y ago
Unfortunately, certain psychedelics have the effect of imbuing everything with significance, which results in apparently "earth shattering" revelations during an experience which later turn out to be dross. Unfortunately in some cases people carry on believing the dross.
It's like hearing a song or a joke in a dream which seems really beautiful or funny, and turns out to be utterly dull when you wake up and replay it.
So sure, altered perceptions give the lie to some of our assumptions about the world, and can lead to some interesting insights, but they also add a lot of new assumptions which are not healthy, and certainly aren't adapted to functional life in the non-psychedelic world.
- cyberpip 8y agoI'd agree that it does make everything seem significant, at least for a period, but it's what comes after that has significance, after a period of integration. It creates an ability or a moment to come at a problem from a new angle, previously closed off to a person due to their established thinking patterns and past experiences. I think the important thing to consider here is that if a person goes into these experiences with a goal, it's likely they will gain new insight on that goal, at least from my experiences. Curious though, what kind of new assumptions do you consider unhealthy?
- bencollier49 8y agoI'd say persistent relations between unrelated ideas, magical thinking and schizotypal behaviour. Also potentially, fixation on "new perspectives" which might not actually be optimal. That said, I largely agree with your perspective as well: "The opposite is also true".