How can hallucinogenic drugs change perception and feelings?

Hallucinogenic drugs, often utilized in drug cult rituals to induce spiritual or mystical experiences, significantly alter human perception and emotional states. These substances create gross distortions in perception without causing a loss of consciousness, often leading to vivid hallucinations.1234

Changes in Perception

Users frequently report being "flooded" with intense visual experiences, where colors appear vivid and glowing, and light is intensified. Perception of space may be enhanced or distorted, and individuals may experience synesthesia, such as "seeing" sounds or "hearing" light. Furthermore, time perception is often affected, with users frequently reporting that time seems to slow down significantly.43

Changes in Feelings and Self-Awareness

The psychological impact often involves a profound shift in self-identity, sometimes described as depersonalization or dissociation. Users may feel a fusion of subject and object, or a sense of being boundless or empty. Emotional states can fluctuate wildly, ranging from feelings of ecstasy, rapture, and beauty to "hellish" terror, gloom, and deep isolation. These experiences can also disrupt ego defenses, potentially bringing repressed thoughts or feelings into conscious awareness.43