Effects of Chemical Stimulation of Electrically-Induced Phosphenes on their Bandwidth, Shape, Number and Intensity

Abstract

The perception of patterns not resulting from viewing external objects but stimulated by cranial electrodes with pulse currents within the electroencephalographic frequency range (‘phosphenes’) has been investigated in earlier work. The experiments described in this paper were undertaken to observe in one subject effects of chemical stimulation (by mescaline, psilocybin and LSD) on electrically-induced phosphenes as to their bandwidth, shape, number and intensity. An increase of two electrically-induced ‘control’ patterns in intensity and bandwidth and the production of a great number of new phosphene patterns with large bandwidth and intensity have been observed. These new drug-induced phosphenes prevailed during simultaneous electrical and maximum chemical stimulation (Fig. 22). From the experimental results a cybernetic model of a pulse-driven phosphene resonator can be derived.

Psilocybin-induced contraction of nearby visual space

“…visual space, but have been observed in mental, imaginary or hallucinated space by the subjects of KNOLL et al [17]. Under the influence of the psychotomimetic drugs LSD, psilocybin or mescaline, all of which induce a state of ergotropic (central) arousal, they reported that nearby three-dimensional objects seen with mescaline, such as plastic forms or metallic machine parts, appear within a very close and shallow space.…”

“…space, and in particular the artificial landscapes (of roads, bridges, tunnels and other manmade constructions) receded far into space with seemingly endless perspectives [17]. According to taste and school of thought, one can stress either the similarities or differences between the psychotomimetic drug-induced acute and reversible experimental state (model psychosis [18]) and an acute schizophrenic episode.…”

A Arte da Cerâmica Marajoara: encontros entre o passado e o presente

“…O próprio pesquisador ingeriu a droga e viu as mesmas imagens, que identificou como sendo os "fosfenos de Knoll". Max Knoll (1963) identificou imagens mais ou menos padronizadas que se formam na retina do olho, produzidas por estímulos químicos e neurológicos, a que chamou de fosfenos. Essas imagens, por serem produzidas por substâncias químicas e processos fisiológicos, são vistas de maneira semelhante por todas as pessoas; por isso pensa-se que a ingestão de drogas alucinó-genas em rituais pode provocar a identificação de padrões culturais nessas visões e, a partir daí, reproduzi-las em objetos materiais, como a cerâmica.…”

“…Peça do acervo do Museu Nacional, aquarela de Manoel Pastana, acervo do Museu do Forte, Belém. nógeno, ou seja, quando está "vendo" em realidade os fosfenos identificados por Knoll (1963). Alguns dos animais mais freqüentemente representados não são animais dóceis ou que fazem parte da dieta, mas justamente animais venenosos e temidos, como cobras, jacarés e escorpiões.…”

9. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832)

“…However, anecdotal reports, such as by Aldous Huxley [27], shed some light on the nature of these subjective experiences. Experimental studies evaluating the effects of LSD, mescaline, and psilocybin showed that these drugs elicit experiences of nonspecific or geometric nature when applied in sufficiently small toxic doses, while larger doses lead to the experience of representational figures or scenes [28].…”