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Psilocybin desynchronizes the human brain

nature.com

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Re: Psilocybin desynchronizes the human brain

#241

Post by gorlilla »

bongodongobob wrote: post #141
nikkwong wrote: post #81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah, this is super interesting. The obvious follow up for me is what implication this desynchronization has on cognition. People who have done a lot of psilocybin tend to be quite a bit 'different' at least in my experience—they tend to be more reserved, maybe a bit more thoughtful, slower, introspective, etc. But what causes this change in personality? People who have done a lot of psilocybin seem to be a lot less…

I completely disagree with your anecdotal premise.

Why? I only ask because I didn't find your anecdotal disagreement as having added to the conversation in any constructive manner.

Re: Psilocybin desynchronizes the human brain

#242

Post by [deleted] »

nikkwong wrote: post #81
jkingsman wrote: post #6

This concerns Functional Connectivity[0], which is basically a measure of how temporally correlated regions are; those that fire in sync or in a strongly correlated pattern are functionally connected. Essentially, the TL;DR of this study is that psilocybin's 5-HT2A agonism seems to reduce synchronized FC activity not just in neurons but the whole brain: psilocybin makes parts of the brain overall that otherwise work…

Yeah, this is super interesting. The obvious follow up for me is what implication this desynchronization has on cognition. People who have done a lot of psilocybin tend to be quite a bit 'different' at least in my experience—they tend to be more reserved, maybe a bit more thoughtful, slower, introspective, etc. But what causes this change in personality? People who have done a lot of psilocybin seem to be a lot less…

[deleted]

Re: Psilocybin desynchronizes the human brain

#243

Post by gorlilla »

kjkjadksj wrote: post #66
empath75 wrote: post #49

I can't think of anything in the world I would enjoy doing less than completing "a simple auditory–visual matching task" while in an MRI scanner on shrooms.

The set and settings researchers typically use for usual psych studies are going to bias psychedelic results so much. Think that building you hated in undergrad's crusty unlit cinderblock basement with no windows but coated in cameras and microphones. Its so dystopian, you are literally a caged rat. I don't think you can perform this research in good faith without having experienced a proper trip yourself. It's just…

I've never had a good trip indoors. My brain has a knack for staying grounded by familiar settings, so I hardly even experience the trip. Put me outdoors in the dark and my brain can be stimulated by natural sounds which are not nearly as predictable as those I find indoors. I think it has to do with processing stimuli that I can't instantly attribute to something I know very well. I am also normally hypervigilant, which may come into play since I think familiar settings inhibit my ability to fall under the effects of intoxication somewhat. I am also much more likely to try and sleep off any overwhelming feelings if I'm in the aafety/comfort of a house vs the middle of the forest. Setting doesn't necessarily mean the 'safest' space for you since my own home negatively effects the overall experience.

Having someone who is experienced, sober and willing to guide you for hours (lots of trust) is crucial since the opti.al setting may not be the safest setting.

TL;DR - I struggle to trip or even enjoy a trip indoors. I have always felt shrooms work best when you let them help you attune to nature. Listening to the wind, trees, insects, etc... it's like washing your eyeballs with kittens.

Re: Psilocybin desynchronizes the human brain

#244

Post by gorlilla »

collyw wrote: post #199
empath75 wrote: post #49

I can't think of anything in the world I would enjoy doing less than completing "a simple auditory–visual matching task" while in an MRI scanner on shrooms.

Agreed. Being in an MRI sounds like you are in the middle of a warzone. With constant sounds that sounds somewhat like gunshots. That would be pretty terrifying on shrooms.

You also cannot move or else the resultant images will be blurry.

I have a pinched nerve in my back/shoulder that becomes very aggravated when laying flat on my back. It took 45 mins to do the MRI and we managed to not have to do any re-takes. I was so uncomfortable from eating the pain that I threw up as soon as I exited the machine. I simply couldn't imagine someone who is tripping trying to sit still that long (ignoring the auditory/spacial effects all together).

Re: Psilocybin desynchronizes the human brain

#245

Post by renewiltord »

LocalH wrote: post #221
renewiltord wrote: post #128

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Haha I wouldn't. People have made such a big deal out of this drug requiring set and setting but I've swum in the ocean, played soccer, watched movies and TV, played board games and all with great fun. Indoors and outdoors. It's fantastic.

Then your trips did indeed have good set and setting.

Aye, but I didn't try. Folks made it sound like the world would implode if I didn't have a trip sitter.

Re: Psilocybin desynchronizes the human brain

#246

Post by red-iron-pine »

collyw wrote: post #199
empath75 wrote: post #49

I can't think of anything in the world I would enjoy doing less than completing "a simple auditory–visual matching task" while in an MRI scanner on shrooms.

Agreed. Being in an MRI sounds like you are in the middle of a warzone. With constant sounds that sounds somewhat like gunshots. That would be pretty terrifying on shrooms.

warzone? have you been in an MRI? or shot guns?

it sounds like being on an airplane next to one of the engines. constant woosh. nothing at all like a warzone, or even a moderately busy range.

would be disconcerting as hell on drugs, but that's cuz it is even 100% sober -- it's a weird experience being in an MRI.

Re: Psilocybin desynchronizes the human brain

#247

Post by tambourine_man »

mrguyorama wrote: post #229
tambourine_man wrote: post #208

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The amount of antivax shit that floats around in a supposedly well informed community such as this is nauseating. Makes me lose my faith in humanity a bit every time I read it.

Believing HN to be a "supposedly well informed community" is irrational. I didn't have to fill out any test to join. It's just orange reddit

I like to think there’s better self-selection and moderation here, but I’ve been prone to self-delusion before.

Re: Psilocybin desynchronizes the human brain

#248

Post by tambourine_man »

mike_ivanov wrote: post #230
tambourine_man wrote: post #208

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The amount of antivax shit that floats around in a supposedly well informed community such as this is nauseating. Makes me lose my faith in humanity a bit every time I read it.

I'm being asked on a regular basis by various health practitioners (pretty much on every visit) if I ever had uneven or elevated heart rate after my covid shots (I had), then they take note which specific vaccine brand I had. So - adjust your priors ;-)

I have, one of the few positives side effects of the pandemic is realizing how terrible most health professionals are.

“They are a doctor” comes with a whole different set of priors to me now.

Re: Psilocybin desynchronizes the human brain

#249

Post by snapcaster »

RoyalHenOil wrote: post #225
snapcaster wrote: post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not really, have you ever tried to articulate one of your "big epiphanies" while on hallucinogens? In my experience (and experience of people I'm with) it inevitably comes out as babble. Maybe that's just because the insight is too profound to capture with language but somehow I doubt it

It sounds almost like a kind of dream state. I have never taken hallucinogens, but I suspect I have undiagnosed narcolepsy, which causes me to occasionally experience normally unconscious sleep states in more conscious way: lucid dreams, sleep paralysis, and (the weirdest of all) being conscious of falling asleep. My experience with the latter sounds a lot like what some people are reporting in this thread. When I am…

Yeah, I think you hit upon what I was trying to describe. It's also so crazy because when you're in this mindstate you truly feel that not only are ovals a primary color but also that this is a deeply profound idea

That being said, i'm a fan of this category of drugs and do feel like they can be very useful tools for introspection and other mental exercises (and they're fun lol).

I just think "drug people" take this stuff too far and often I find my reaction to things they're saying be eye rolling or thinking "it's just drugs man relax"

Re: Psilocybin desynchronizes the human brain

#250

Post by BobaFloutist »

ikekkdcjkfke wrote: post #228
ipaddr wrote: post #203

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Psychedelics weaken your emotional associations. Which can be helpful and/or unhelpful. It's not a matter of more work. Whatever feeling you had about this chair has changed. It use to represent a memory or a feeling from childhood. That's changed or is gone for better or worse. That's how to perceive how it works. If you are 'fucked' because you can't move on it will help. If you feel a lack of connections to things…

These negative emotions helped us survive before, but in this artificial world there needs to be artificial solutions

Evolution isn't "intelligent design, the natural process".

There are plenty of traits that provide us with no advantage, and some that never have.

Just because our bodies and our brains do something, doesn't mean it's useful.

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