BODY WEIGHT:

170 lb

I had an experience recently that helped shed some light (intended pun) on the origin (at least partly) of the visual disturbances experienced while under the influence of LSD; on 02/05 I went to an optometry appointment to have my pupils dilated (for the first time) . When I was dosed, I was instructed to keep my eyes closed for a minute--ostensibly to allow the drops to take effect--during which time, while 'looking' up at the overhead flourescents, I noticed the partly eye-lid shielded light amplify in brightness linearly as I approached second 60. While not overtly pleasant, this experience was interesting, despite being something I'd sort of expected. The real fun began when I opened my eyes and replaced my contacts.

On doing so, I first noticed what--at least--SEEMED like an enhanced visual acuity. This was transient, unfortunately/fortunately as this super-sight soon subsided sending soft halos from the periphery of my sight line centrally, so that only a tiny (in proportion) circumference was left out of which to see unobstructed. Here--I think--I'm describing tunnel vision: one much like that experienced--at least in my subjection--during an acid trip. The similarities stopped not there, in that--upon leaving the office to walk 1/8 mile down the very well-lit link of this very large metropolitan hospital back to my lab (in said institution[different building]) --I began to notice very evocative light tricks (this link is windowed and I spend all of my day deprived of natural light) with light registering (softly) peripherally and then exploding into sight as it approached the ever-tinier unobstructed circumference. While being fairly intense, this experience was thoroughly enjoyable, allowing me to experience some of the tricks of LSD with a lucid mentality.

I want to state-unequivocally--that these 'disturbances'--approached nowhere near the intricacy of acid-visuals and were more like the backdrop for visual meandering during same; it always seemed like I wouldn't hallucinate anything until my mind/drug was given novel enough visual inspiration from phenomena like these light tricks when I used to partake in such things, 10 years ago (several times over a year).

The above-mentioned similarities have led me to a unique (probably previously articulated) hypothesis: the 'visuals' I'd always credited to some neuro-involvement during a trip are at least partly--perhaps 50%--informed by pupil-dilation in same. Interesting.

Exp Year: 2010	ExpID: 83694
Gender: Male
Age at time of experience: 28
Published: May 28, 2020	Views: 881
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LSD (2), Endogenous (86) : Retrospective / Summary (11), General (1), Not Applicable (38)