On the similarity between hypnotic and mescaline hallucinations

The paper argues that hallucinations induced by hypnosis and by the drug mescaline share a common underlying structure, despite their different causes. It describes how both types of hallucination involve similar perceptual distortions, such as changes in color, shape, and spatial relations, and suggests that these similarities point to a shared psychological mechanism. The author proposes that understanding this overlap can inform clinical approaches in psychiatry and psychology, particularly for conditions involving altered states of consciousness. The work is a theoretical and comparative analysis, not an empirical study, drawing on existing literature and clinical observations to support its claims.

Study at a glance

Abstract

(1961). On the similarity between hypnotic and mescaline hallucinations. International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis: Vol. 9, No. 3, pp. 139-149.