Hallucinogenic Drug-Induced Behavior Under Sensory Attenuation
Archives of General Psychiatry – March 01, 1973
Source: OpenAlex
Summary
Individual differences in **cognitive processes** profoundly predict **hallucinogen** experience intensity. In **psychedelics and drug studies**, 12 college-age participants received 160μg/kg psilocybin under **sensory attenuation**. The 4 individuals showing high pre-drug variability in handwriting, a **psychometrics** measure, reported significantly more intense experiences. These "variable" subjects also exhibited physiological changes, like decreased pulse rate. This **psychology** finding suggests **sensory system** variability impacts **neurotransmitter receptor influence on behavior**, offering insights for potential **treatment** for **anxiety** and **depression**.
Abstract
Eight "stable" and four "variable" college-age subjects were given 160μg/kg psilocybin under conditions of sensory attenuation. Stability was defined by the magnitude of the standard deviation on handwriting area under predrug conditions. Only the variable subjects, our large-standard deviants, responded to the drug with a significant decrease in mean pulse rate and increase in handwriting area. They also reported consistently more intense experiences under psilocybin than the small-standard deviants. The degree of variability on perceptual-behavioral measures, such as the SD on handwriting area, is significantly related to, and therefore a predictor of, the intensity of the ensuing drug-induced experience.