I close my eyes and see more clearly!
: Wednesday 2nd June 98

by Iain J. Lewis

"Hallucinatory states can be induced by a variety of hallucinogens and dissociative anaesthetics, and by experiences like fasting and other ordeals. What makes the tryptamine family of compounds especially interesting is the intensity of the hallucinations and the concentration of activity in the visual cortex. There is an immense vividness to these interior landscapes - as if information were being presented three-dimensionally and yet deployed fourth-dimensionally, coded as light and as evolving surfaces. When one confronts these dimensions one becomes part of a dynamic relationship relating to the experience while trying to decode what it is saying. This phenomenon is not new - people have been talking to gods and demons for far more of human history than they have not." (TM 1983)

Tonight, I took a medium dose of Psilocybin Mushrooms, and they started to affect me around 1 hour later with the onset of a slight flashing effect in the corner of my vision, and a slight feeling of stomach heaviness and sickness.

I eventually rendered the room pitch black and, by closing my eyes, I was able to see the most intricate, complex, swirling, morphing images that I had even seen. TV and Computer paled miserably in comparison to these inner images - even with the best available skills and software. Also, these images were suggesting something to me; there was a common element to their nature.

Go see the organic art of Calx for a mere inkling of just some of the aspects seen...

With the recent scientific discovery of super-massive black holes at the centre of every galaxy (our own included), the tendency for strong-dosed iconic imagery to inwardly generate swirling vortices and tunnels becomes ever more symbolic!

I saw Future Sound Of London (Buggy G Riphead) style amoeba - with long tentacles slowly morphing into swirling vortices. *These visions or images --call them what you will-- were not driven or instigated by me but were being somehow generated onto the inside of my eyelids as though from an independently manned projector behind me:

One such vortex reminded me of a wishing well. This encouraged me to think of throwing a coin into the deep... and, as the thought occurred, a coin suddenly manifested and made its way into the far reaches of the tunnel. This I observed to be an exception to the above statement*.

Visions of Roman urns and Leonardo da Vinci's famous image of 'man' riding a computer generated 3D framework horse. Lots of tiny eyes everywhere - occasionally blinking. Crocodiles starring fixedly at me as thought waiting for something...

The dosage was only just strong enough to scratch the surface of what is called stage three 'iconic visions' - marked by the onset of tunnels and 'more real than real-looking' images, but I was unable, or perhaps uninvited, to travel through and along these tunnels.

I remember observing that outside noises were causing *waves and changes* in the stage 1 entoptic geometric patterns, and I wondered if there might be an overlap of visual and auditory wavelengths. This may explain a little more about synaesthesia.

Synchronicity: what should be posted through my letter box the very next morning? Notice of the arrival, after three weeks waiting, of the book I had to order from my local library: Food of the Gods by TM.


All images except mandelcomb captured from whitecap plugin for winamp...

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