The "Mind Opening" Effect (The World Out of Context)
Swim has been thinking a lot lately about the changes his trips have caused in him. More specifically he's been thinking about the whole "mind opening" effect that psychedelics are said to have. He had a sort of revelation while thinking about this and he would like to share it. he knows it holds true for him but perhaps not for others. His mind feels open because he's lost all context.
First off let me point out that while on a rather large dose of shrooms one of the scarier effects swim got was a total breakdown of the whole world in his mind. nothing existed or ever had. that is very important to this discovery.
To explain it better, Swim has a bit of minor PTSD that occasionally causes him some panic attacks, however it also occasionally causes his brain to suddenly switch into a different mode in which some mundane task such as taking out the garbage (actual experience) may seem completely absurd and pointless. this happens all the time to him, maybe while waiting in line for food, or while cleaning a fish tank. Its a feeling as though he suddenly sees it for what it is. if he doesn't like what he sees it leads to a panic attack. if he doesn't care or likes it then it just feels weird and he goes on living.
He always knew that what he was feeling wasn't really his mind being more open or sudden comprehension of life whether it felt like that or not. so he got to thinking about what it could be. While reliving one of his past bad experiences it suddenly hit him. He was seeing the world without any context. he had been seeing people places and action for exactly what they were, but in truth no different than he had ever seen them before. he had just lost the context to it. so for instance taking out the garbage makes total sense in a normal world, but without the context of the world to back it up such a mundane action has no purpose or reason beyond a human whim. the same applies to when he's waiting in line for food. Without the context of the world and the fact that others need food too waiting in line just seems like a waste.
This is not just a simple lack of realization about his current situation, for a moment swim loses the context of all human history, of all the world and all the universe. it is built back up in an instant, but whatever swim was doing or thinking or watching at the moment is then seen with nothing to relate to. it's seen without any of the reasons why its happening.
Swim knows that this is why his mind feels open. its just a form of his PTSD manifesting as a a part of his trip that was particularly frightening and damaging. Swim wonders if anyone else who has experienced this open minded feeling believes that this may explain them as well. if not then has anyone else figured out what causes theirs?
Re: The "mind opening" effect (the world out of context)
Quote:
Originally Posted by BloodyMuffin
He was seeing the world without any context. he had been seeing people places and action for exactly what they were, but in truth no different than he had ever seen them before. he had just lost the context to it.
Swim agrees, any everyday otherwise mundane moment can open up a wild range of emotions - excitement/awe/bafflement/terror (to name a few) in a tripper, things lose context and with that comes a sort of innocence (not necessarily naivete) and fresh perspective on things. Particularly when a tripper enters a state of complete bafflement and confusion (usually at larger doses) where virtually all of ones context as dictated by ones experiences from birth until that moment is gone, a temporary wiping off the hard drive so to speak.
My dog thinks things get really interesting when a random new situation arises and he gets to observes his mind/thought process at its most unbiased as it tries to piece this new data into context for the very first time, it can be quite revealing, or utter nonsense - either way its a fascinating opportunity.
25-09-2009, 20:59
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