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I've seen geometric patterns and it's very similar to tie-dye fractals that kind of pulse and move among itself. A friend and I had very similar experience of t
by meroes 6y ago
I've seen geometric patterns and it's very similar to tie-dye fractals that kind of pulse and move among itself. A friend and I had very similar experience of the patterns (no elves wasn't DMT). You'd see them only when looking close up at something, not your entire visual field. They conform to the object you are staring at. A cardboard box wilth all its micro texture and creases "generated" the patterns and your brain would interpret it moving, pulsing, distorting, adding color.
(I am not saying this as some kind of allure of the drug's effects, just interesting to think about why and how the perception change happens).
I think maybe it has to do with your brain trialing new pattern recognition algorithms.
warning more musing below
I mean what is to say how any signal from our perception should look or feel internally? Visually the input in just raw EM radiation. And our brain makes this vivid picture out of basically a field of numbers. In this case you could argue that the extra pulsing or moving is not from a signal in reality, but we also can easily be tricked with visual illusions into seeing a static image move while completely sober. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illusory_motion https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illusory_motion.
There is no "right" perception of reality, or at least ours is subjective to begin with. I think drugs just allow new patterns or patterns recognition "algorithms" a trial run. Our biology ended up as it is to keep us alive; it is not "poison" or wrong to try to re-jigger it temporarily to see what else is possible - as long as you are in a good situation to do so. (Or not, who am I to judge).
- adriand 6y agoYou may find that with enough experiences like this, you can perceive the same type (but not degree) of fluctuations when looking at any kind of textured or patterned material, such as asphalt or a woven rug. Try gazing at a surface in a slightly unfocused, highly “relaxed” manner. I expect that to your point, your brain filters or corrects for this type of perception.
- pea 6y agoI actually have this pretty much constantly, as well as after images on lights and what not.
- Jeff_Brown 6y agoHave you had it all your life?
- pengaru 6y agoI especially enjoy looking at "MagicEye" style autostereogram images for another completely sober psychedelic-like experience. The way the 3D view comes into perspective, that sensation of maintaining an altered mode engaging with the 3D image, with distractions or a decision to leave that view disengaging. It's very similar to how modal and deliberate interacting with hallucinations on psychedelics can be.
- mopierotti 6y agoTo chime in with my personal experience, I'm also able to see this kind of noise/distortion if I relax a bit and stare at something, although I suspect this is mostly a consequence of the rods/cones on the retina getting fatigued. When I felt sick as a child I would do this with the pattern on our wallpaper to distract myself from the discomfort. Edit: Or to help myself fall asleep by doing something similar with the "noise" you see when closing your eyes.