Synesthetic hallucinations induced by psychedelic drugs in a congenitally blind man.
Sara Dell'erba, David J Brown, Michael J Proulx
Consciousness and cognition April 1, 2018 Peer reviewed DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2018.02.008 via PubMed
Summary
A congenitally blind individual reported unique sensory experiences after using LSD, highlighting a form of synthetic synesthesia. The individual did not experience visual hallucinations, which is noteworthy given the low rates of psychosis in the congenitally blind population. Instead, the hallucinatory experiences involved novel sensations in other senses, suggesting that non-visual experiences can still lead to significant alterations in perception.
Study at a glance
| Design | case study |
|---|---|
| Population | one congenitally blind individual |
| Key finding | The congenitally blind individual experienced novel sensory alterations from LSD without visual hallucinations. |
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.