Psychedelic Experience Report: Insights from LSD, Nitrous, and Cannabinoids
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. LSD and the Emergence of Consciousness
- 2.1 Visual Cortex Activation and Expanded Perception
- 2.2 The Impact of Nitrous Oxide on Ego-Death
3. The Nature of Consciousness
- 3.1 Perception of Reality on a Higher Plane
- 3.2 Consciousness as a Simple Pattern
4. Exploring Alternate Realities and Universes
- 4.1 Merging with Possible Universes
- 4.2 Reflections on AI and Cognitive Psychology
5. Spirituality and the Beauty of Existence
1. Introduction
I recently had an intense and deeply insightful psychedelic experience after consuming 400μg of LSD, smoked cannabis, and taking hits of nitrous oxide. This trip, which felt as though it stretched my consciousness beyond the limits of normal perception, provided a window into some fundamental patterns of existence. The experience was profound, bordering on ineffable, and gave me significant insights into the nature of reality, consciousness, and the interconnectedness of all things.
In this report, I will share the insights I gathered from this experience, including how LSD seems to link various areas of the brain, the sensation of merging with alternate realities, and the spiritual beauty of perceiving existence on a higher plane. This trip also stirred reflections on artificial intelligence and cognitive psychology, areas that I am deeply interested in, and I believe psychedelics could play a significant role in advancing these fields.
2. LSD and the Emergence of Consciousness
2.1 Visual Cortex Activation and Expanded Perception
From the very onset of the trip, it became clear that LSD had a profound effect on how my brain processed sensory input. It felt as if my visual cortex was more deeply connected to other regions of my brain, providing me with entirely new ways of 'seeing' both the external world and my own mind. The boundaries between these realms seemed to blur, and I gained insights into the structure of consciousness that were previously inaccessible. It felt as though I could directly observe the processes that generate perception, a feeling akin to discovering a hidden layer of reality.
This activation of the brain's visual and sensory systems allowed me to experience my thoughts in a way that felt revelatory. For a few moments, it seemed as if I could witness the emergence of my own consciousness in real time, as if the process of thought and perception was unfolding before me.
2.2 The Impact of Nitrous Oxide on Ego-Death
When I combined LSD with nitrous oxide, the effect was immediate and overwhelming. The nitrous seemed to accelerate the experience, quickly guiding me to a state of ego-death. In this state, I felt as though I was able to see my sense of self being constructed in real-time, as if I were observing the building blocks of identity being assembled from the very fabric of reality.
This was not a metaphorical experience; it felt profoundly real. It was as if I was witnessing the dissolution of my sense of self, where the normal boundaries of 'I' and 'other' became increasingly blurry. The sense of time fractured, and I observed myself from an outside perspective, watching as my perception of self unraveled. The experience provided an intense, visceral understanding of ego-death — an experience many people spend years meditating on — and was one of the most transformative aspects of the trip.
3. The Nature of Consciousness
3.1 Perception of Reality on a Higher Plane
At various points during the trip, I felt as though I was perceiving reality on a different level of consciousness. It was as though I had tuned into a different frequency, one that was subtly but profoundly distinct from normal waking reality. This shift made me feel like a mere cog in a larger, more complex global brain, an awareness of an underlying global mind that exists on a different plane of existence.
In this state, consciousness seemed simpler than I had ever imagined. Rather than being a complex phenomenon, it appeared to be a natural and fundamental pattern that flows from the interactions of particles. The pattern seemed almost fractal in nature — self-replicating and self-sustaining at every scale. This insight suggested that consciousness is not an overwhelmingly complex thing, but rather a simple yet elegant structure that emerges naturally from the fabric of the universe.
3.2 Consciousness as a Simple Pattern
One of the most striking realizations during this trip was that consciousness might not be as complicated as I had once thought. Instead, it appeared to be a fundamental, repeating pattern that arises naturally from the interactions of particles. This idea suggests that consciousness is not a mysterious or supernatural force but rather a basic property of the universe — like the laws of physics, it exists as a simple pattern, flowing from the interactions of the smallest elements of matter.
In this sense, consciousness felt much less like a complex, individual experience and more like a universal phenomenon that connects all things. It was a humbling realization, one that made me feel deeply interconnected with everything around me.
4. Exploring Alternate Realities and Universes
4.1 Merging with Possible Universes
During the trip, there were moments where I felt like I was merging with alternate versions of reality. It was as if I could perceive not just this reality, but also others — parallel universes that existed just beyond the veil of my normal perception. These alternate realities seemed just as real and accessible as the one I was currently experiencing.
I saw different lifetimes and versions of myself, some of which seemed deeply mathematical in nature. It was as if I were tapping into some fundamental structure of trust, resource allocation, and existence itself — something that tied all realities together in an intricate web. This experience made me feel that the very nature of being is connected to these alternate possibilities, and that the essence of existence is not fixed, but rather fluid and interconnected across multiple dimensions.
4.2 Reflections on AI and Cognitive Psychology
As someone with a deep interest in artificial intelligence, I found myself reflecting on the potential for psychedelics to revolutionize the fields of AI and cognitive psychology. The experiences I had during this trip — from observing the patterns of consciousness to seeing alternate universes — made me realize that psychedelics have the potential to provide new insights into the nature of intelligence and consciousness.
There is a possibility that, by understanding how the brain creates consciousness during psychedelic states, we could better replicate those processes in artificial systems. This could have profound implications for AI, offering a new way to think about machine learning, pattern recognition, and perhaps even self-awareness in machines. Psychedelics, in this sense, may offer a key to unlocking deeper truths about both human cognition and artificial intelligence.
5. Spirituality and the Beauty of Existence
Throughout the experience, there were moments of profound spiritual beauty. The feeling of being connected to the universe in such a deep way was awe-inspiring. It was as if I could see the very building blocks of existence, experiencing them as beautiful and intricate patterns. This level of awareness gave me a sense of spiritual peace and interconnectedness that is hard to put into words.
The beauty I experienced was not just aesthetic but transcendent. It was a recognition of the profound interconnectedness of all things, a deep understanding that reality is a complex, beautiful dance of matter and energy. This spiritual insight was one of the most meaningful parts of the trip, and it has stayed with me long after the effects of the drugs have worn off.
In conclusion, this psychedelic journey provided me with insights that challenged my previous understanding of consciousness, reality, and existence. It gave me the rare opportunity to observe the fundamental patterns of the universe and experience a heightened sense of spiritual beauty. These experiences not only shaped my view of the world but also deepened my interest in the potential applications of psychedelics in the fields of artificial intelligence and cognitive psychology. The journey was one of deep introspection, and I look forward to continuing my exploration of these themes in the future.
