Self-perception and self-recognition while looking in the mirror on psilocybin

People who look in a mirror while under the influence of psilocybin rarely see their own face as a different entity, such as an animal or another person. They are equally likely to see themselves as they really are or in a distorted way. Overall, self-perception during the experience is significantly more positive than negative. The way the own-face is perceived varies widely from person to person.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Abstract Introduction It is not known how self-perception and self-recognition are influenced when one is highly self-focused under the influence of psilocybin. Here we examine self-reports of mirror self-recognition and self-perception during a psilocybin experience. Methods Reddit posts were examined in a systematic manner. Posts that were written by individuals that ingested psilocybin and subsequently looked in a mirror were examined. After both automatic and manual filtering, a total of 89 posts with 775 post excerpts were analyzed. Results It was found that it was rare to see one's own face as a different entity (e.g., an animal or other person) however people were equally likely to see themselves as they really are or distorted. People were significantly more positive than negative when perceiving their own face. Discussion We found wide variation in the perception of the own-face while under the influence of psilocybin. While generally positive, the self-face appears to be an experience that varies dramatically from person to person under the influence of psilocybin.