←back to thread

Messages that can only be understood under the influence of psychedelics

(qri.org)
637 points robinhouston | 1 comments | 05 Jun 23 07:27 UTC | HN request time: 0.417s | source
Show context
codeflo ◴[06 Jun 23 10:39 UTC] No.36210706[source]▶
All the people in this thread who decoded it used long exposure or faster playback. Using the latter, for me, it starts to become readable at 2.5x and is essentially a clear static image at 4x. (I had to download the video and play it back using VLC.)

Which for me, makes this claim a bit absurd:

> At a theoretical level, this confirmation is significant because it is the first clear demonstration of a real perceptual computational advantage of psychedelic states of consciousness.

LSD fans might hate this conclusion, but there's no "computational advantage" to having a 2.5x to 4x slower processing speed, which his the only thing actually being shown here.

replies(19): >>36210873 #>>36210971 #>>36210993 #>>36210999 #>>36211120 #>>36211178 #>>36211258 #>>36211287 #>>36212135 #>>36212182 #>>36212720 #>>36212742 #>>36212981 #>>36213222 #>>36213716 #>>36214681 #>>36215612 #>>36216288 #>>36216510 #
thumbuddy ◴[06 Jun 23 11:18 UTC] No.36210999[source]▶
You know, according to people who have done buckets of psychedelics, there's an awful lot more to the psychedelic experience than 2.5-4x slower processing speed. I recall reading of numerous people who found they could collectively slow down a wall clock to the point were it didn't move any longer, and people who have experienced what they refer to as "eternity", "multiple life times", "thousands of years", etc.

Also what is being done here isn't simply slower processing speed. It's more like the information from old states persists into new ones. My understanding is that this would be considered low dose territory.

There's more to the story here, and I don't think this test, is even scratching the surface. It is neat though.

replies(4): >>36211075 #>>36211315 #>>36212155 #>>36212436 #
causi ◴[06 Jun 23 11:28 UTC] No.36211075[source]▶
people who have experienced what they refer to as "eternity", "multiple life times", "thousands of years", etc.

They didn't "experience an eternity". They experienced an emotional feeling they likened to an eternity. This is the difference between your computer running a program for a thousand years and you changing the date settings. These people did not go through an eternity of perception, processing, and thought; they had the label on their memories altered.

replies(5): >>36211174 #>>36211209 #>>36211236 #>>36212458 #>>36214227 #
thumbuddy[dead post] ◴[06 Jun 23 15:21 UTC] No.36214227[source]▶
[flagged]
mahathu ◴[06 Jun 23 16:33 UTC] No.36215361[source]▶
> if you have a clean bill of health, your mind is in the right place, no family history of severe mental illness, and have a trusted sober friend

And if you have all that you don't need to be doing mind altering drugs anymore.

replies(3): >>36216003 #>>36216152 #>>36216306 #
1. robrenaud ◴[06 Jun 23 17:13 UTC] No.36216003[source]▶
I highly recommend trying mushrooms or acid for someone in a good place mentally who wants to improve themselves. Obviously one should do their own research for responsible consumption, and find a good set and setting.

I went from drinking a consistent 1-2 alcoholic drinks a day (very rarely getting drunk tho, just loved homebrewing and craft beer), being nearly obese, with little cardiovascular/muscular fitness to being in a much better place. I now exercise regularly, have a resting heart rate of 54 bpm, lost 30 pounds, meditate every day, eat much more healthfully, rarely consume alcohol, and I am more patient and listen to my partner better.

The increased neuroplasticity caused by physcadelics when combined with a desire to improve habits is a very powerful combination.

There is also a legal, mushroom based therapy for anxiety and depression that has shown great results, available in Oregon.

I really do believe society is much too welcoming of alcohol consumption, and much too resistant to physcadelics. We got this one so wrong.