Effects - Hallucinations: Just a Side Effect?

[tool420]

I know that many believe that taking enethogeons actually puts part of you into another world. I was curious as to what some of you think hallucinations are. Are they simply what could be called side effects? Or are they part of the whole experience of this other world?

[OneDiaDem]

I personally believe that hallucinogens are a key that open up a door to another dimention. Whether it is the key that unlocks the part of the brain that we as humans do not use, (The average person only uses 15% of their brain) or a door to another plain, I couldnt say. They do open the door to enlightenment.

[Alfa]

The ratio & your brain sorts reality in ideas, forms and shapes, which arecomprehendable & create percievability in a world which is practicly utter chaos. Science shows that there are no straight lines, nothing is really solid, everything moves (in fact there is no still point in the universe, maybe except for black holes). Simply said; nothing is what it seems and reality is at least closer to what one percieves during hallucination, than to that which most of the people percieve it to be. I personally believe that the filters that your psyche has for obvious reasons ( how would you feel if you would hear every little noise that your ears can hear, which is amazingly much and far, and surplus that with all your senses?), are lifted to some degree, while on psychedelics. So in that regard you are closer to reality, to what some call nature or god.


At the same time psychedelic effects seem to have many simularities to dreaming. Especially when the dose is so high, that the world is not only different, but hallucinations occur that have very little to do with what you would call real. You could consider it a form of daydreaming. In this context I have found that hallucinations can be usefull in the same way that dreams are. Like the meaning of dreams, which can be easely(most of the cases)extracted from the dreamcontent, I believe hallucinations have meaning to. Messages from your subconscious can be very practical in analysing what you really want in life, in important or complicated issues. Many times I have heard people say very appriciating words about the most amazing horror trips. Placed into context and comprehended by the person, these trips seem to be the most vallueable trips to some.

[icemaster]

well put

[OneDiaDem]

I agree Alfa, sometimes walkingthru our worst fears enlightenment isfound. No matter how good/bad the trip is, I always come away with something I can apply to life.

[Jester]

I actually just posted something about hallucenations as a side effect


It is my firm belief that many if not mostpeople who take LSD and mushrooms believe that the visual and auditory hallucenations are what the experience is about, and it is my opinion that they won't ever get very much out of it (I see posts with stuff like "...how much would i have to take to see cartoons..." and stuff like that). Also, many people don't quite seem to understand exactly what a hallucenation even is (in one erowid mushroomexperienceI read, this guy writes about how he smoked and the smoke curls looked like jesters and how his bruce lee poster grew wooden legs and started to walk towards him, then a paragraph later says "Still no hallucenations yet, though", if you're interested in reading it: http://www.erowid.org/experiences/exp.php?ID=28573) Anyway, I firmly believe that the visual, auditory and tactile hallucenations are more secondary to the mental effects of the drugs that truly allow you to see things differently (figuratively rather than literally, perhaps this figure of speech is responsible for the confusion)


Also, I would like to reiterate what Alfa said because he said it so well. And a special focus on what he said about the goodness of horror trips. I've had 2 horror trips that I wouldn't call "bad" because of what i got out of them. I find that the more unpleasant trips are the most rewarding ones because you're not blinded by euphoria. Also because in an uncomfortable/unpleasant trip, the experience tends to envelop you more allowing you to see more within it.


Also, tool, thanks for using the word "entheogens".

Correction. Its not that the average person only uses %15 of their brain. Nobody knows what the other %85 does but it could be doing something.

[freak]

In terms of brain usage it really isnt important about % of brain usage. What you should be considering is that we have conscious & sub-conscious. Our conscious brain makes up 10% of what we think, do, say etc. What is really important to know is that our sub-conscious makes up the other 90% of our thought processes. These are things that we are not aware of on a conscious level. Our sub-conscious is like a database that begins to be filled with information from the day we are born. Here we store all of our experiences both positive & negative. The thing that you all need to be aware of is that without us even being consciously aware these data bases affect us significantly even if we don't realise.


That is why hallucinogens are so dangerous. Over the years I have dabbled & regularly used many substances. With hallucinogens it's all good fun when it goes well, but if you have a bad trip or are with someone who does it can have dire consequences.


What people don't realise is that hallucinations are a direct result of what we are exposed to at the time & our individual response & interpretation of this. If there is no stimuli, or the person has many emotional issues burried away in the sub-conscious that they are not aware of this can trigger memories, & make the user re-live past experiences that may be detrimental or extremely painful.


The problem with this is that if the person is not emotionally strong enough to deal with this ( and lets face it you have issues if you are using any substances) then it can trigger psychotic episodes, depression and emotional & psychological regression. These responses occur because it is the only way the brain can cope with the mental trauma.


At the end of the day, be very careful. You need to REALLY understand the way the brain works, the chemicals it produces & thier functions & the potential effects of these type of substances. At the end of the day chosing this recreation is not going to get rid of the deep rooted reasons that you feel the need to use such substances.


Before dabbling in such things why not try looking at yourself and the reason for why you feel the need to escape your emotions and the pain you carry with you. If you still want to go ahead then go for it and have a blast. Just be informed with as much info as you can first.


Many people putting entries on this site seem to think that this is all a big joke with no potential for real consequences. Do your own research, at the end of the day if people need to brag about their recreational activites I don't honestly believe that they know anything about what they are saying & are just trying to be cool for their peers. Some of the information posted on here by the computer users around theworld don't have your individual interests atheart.


JUST BE VERY CAREFUL. DO IT FOR YOURSELF ONLY. DON'T USE TO SOLVE YOUR PROBLEMS and then you can't go wrong!!!!!!!!!!!!

[laura890]

i thought everyone had issues, really


just a part of life