Synesthetic hallucinations induced by psychedelic drugs in a congenitally blind man

Sara Dell'Erba, David J Brown, Michael J Proulx

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Abstract

This case report offers rare insights into crossmodal responses to psychedelic drug use in a congenitally blind (CB) individual as a form of synthetic synesthesia. BP's personal experience provides us with a unique report on the psychological and sensory alterations induced by hallucinogenic drugs, including an account of the absence of visual hallucinations, and a compelling look at the relationship between LSD induced synesthesia and crossmodal correspondences. The hallucinatory experiences reported by BP are of particular interest in light of the observation that rates of psychosis within the CB population are extremely low. The phenomenology of the induced hallucinations suggests that experiences acquired through other means, might not give rise to "visual" experiences in the phenomenological sense, but instead gives rise to novel experiences in the other functioning senses.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)127-132
Number of pages6
JournalConsciousness and Cognition
Volume60
Early online date15 Mar 2018
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Apr 2018

Keywords

  • Journal Article

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