Psychedelic visuals in context

Psychedelic drugs produce well-known but poorly understood visual effects. This chapter connects psychedelic visual phenomenology to everyday visual perception. Three types of open-eye visuals—common changes in external visual appearances under psychedelics—are described, and the authors argue they arise from hypersensitivity to contextual cues. Evidence and analysis support the idea that psychedelics selectively affect contextual modulation processes at multiple levels of visual perception. The chapter then explains how these visual effects might relate to therapeutic benefits and explores practical implications for psychedelic therapy, cognitive neuroscience, and philosophy.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Abstract The visual effects of psychedelic drugs are well known but not well understood. This chapter aims to situate psychedelic visual phenomenology within the context of what we know about everyday visual perception. Three types of open-eye visuals—common alterations to external visual appearances under psychedelic drugs—are described, and it is argued that they are caused by hypersensitivity to contextual cues. Evidence and analysis is provided to support the notion that psychedelics selectively impact contextual modulation processes at multiple levels of visual perception. This idea is then applied to explain how visual effects might link to therapeutic benefits. Finally, the practical implications of these ideas for psychedelic therapy, cognitive neuroscience, and philosophy is explored.