When I use a word . . . The psychedelic mind’s eye
BMJ March 20, 2026 Jeffrey K Aronson 1 citation
Aldous Huxley, who had aphantasia (the absence of a mind's eye), described a disappointing experience with mescaline in his essay The Doors of Perception. His lack of visual imagery and non-hallucinogenic response suggests that people with aphantasia may not respond as dramatically to psychedelic drugs, which act as agonists at serotonin 5-HT2A receptors. However, anecdotal reports indicate that some aphantasiacs have developed mental imagery after recreational use. Whether psychedelics should be used in aphantasiacs could be tested in formal, controlled studies of their therapeutic actions.