One-liner
Andrés Gómez Emilsson and Josie Kins delve into the nuanced phenomenology of psychedelics, discussing how substances can distinctively alter perceptions, induce synesthesia, and influence the texture of subjective experience.
Key insights
A Casual Gathering of Minds
Andrés Gómez Emilsson and Josie Kins find an impromptu opportunity to chat in a hotel room during a psychedelic science conference in Denver. Their mutual recognition of each other's work underpins a decade of indirect interactions, prompting a deeper exploration into psychedelic phenomenology.
Blogging Origins and PsychonautWiki
Josie reveals the progression from running a Tumblr blog, Disregard Everything I Say, known for intricate phenomenological descriptions of substances, to founding PsychonautWiki. Andrés acknowledges the significant impact of her blog's phenomenological content and their shared interest in detailing the subjective effects of psychedelics.
Conference Observations
They highlight the repetitive marketing of similar products like mushroom supplements at the booths of the conference. Additionally, they touch on stroboscopic vision stimulation devices and the questionable claims surrounding their use, such as their alleged effects on the pineal gland.
Experiencing Stroboscopic Stimulation
Andrés introduces Josie to a stroboscopic device that produces visual patterns reminiscent of psychedelic experiences. He explains how different frequencies evoke different visual phenomena, potentially correlating with characteristic psychedelic frequencies outlined in his and others' research.
Understanding Visual Phenomenology
Josie distinguishes between different styles of psychedelic-induced patterns (e.g., sharp and angular for phenethylamines vs. soft and organic for tryptamines). They discuss the value of creating universal terms to describe psychedelic experiences for both public and academic use.
Algorithmic Reduction and Psychedelic Effects
Andrés advocates for an algorithmic approach to understanding psychedelic phenomena, positing that complex experiences may arise from interactions between a few fundamental processes, such as tracer effects and symmetrical texture repetitions.
A Theoretical Model of Psychedelic Thermodynamics
Psychedelic thermodynamics is introduced as a framework explaining the intensified and varied effects of psychedelics as a function of energy dynamics and its dissipation within the nervous system, akin to how physical systems, like soap bubbles, reach states of least energy via symmetric shapes.
Subjective Effects Across Different Substances
The conversation also elucidates how substances like MAOIs and MDMA can have distinct and interacting effects with other psychedelics, leading to unique alterations in visual and tactile sensations.
Telepathy, Identity, and Consciousness
They tap into the topic of telepathy and identity on psychedelics, proposing that the confusion of self and other during these experiences might arise from a synchronization of individual vibrational frequencies within the nervous system.
Key quotes
- "Disregard Everything I Say was essentially like I think probably like the best like phenomenology out there on the internet for substances."
- "A soap bubble will wobble until it cannot wobble anymore, and the state of minimum energy is going to be the perfect sphere."
- "All of the crazy psychedelic effects are actually the result of that Energy's dissipation process."
- "Everything in our experience is made of waves bouncing off each other."
- "MDMA shaking your experience and softening the sharp edges is actually one of the main things that makes experience so pleasant."
Make it stick
- "Psychedelic thermodynamics" connects the intensity and diversity of psychedelic experiences to how energy dissipates within our nervous system—like a soap bubble finding its spherical form, our mind's visuals seek symmetry.
- Stroboscopic vision devices can simulate the distinct frequencies and patterns reminiscent of specific psychedelics, offering new insights into the rhythmic underpinnings of altered states.
- "Algorithmic reduction" proposes we can decode the complexity of psychedelic visuals by understanding fundamental effects, such as tracers and symmetrification, and their combined interactions.
- Dissolving the Self: The experience of interconnectedness or "becoming one with the universe" on psychedelics suggests that boundaries between self and the environment become blurred as mental vibratory channels merge.
This summary contains AI-generated information and may have important inaccuracies or omissions.