Psychedelic synaesthesia: Evidence for a serotonergic role in synaesthesia
Seeing and Perceiving January 1, 2012 David Luke, Devin Terhune, Ross Friday 11 citations
Synaesthesia, a condition where stimulation of one sense triggers perception in another, is frequently induced by psychedelic substances that act on the serotonin system, such as LSD and psilocybin. A survey of recreational drug users found that these serotonergic agonists commonly cause synaesthetic experiences and can also intensify existing synaesthesia in those who have the congenital form. The findings suggest that the serotonergic system plays a key role in the neurobiology of synaesthesia, offering a pathway to understand broader questions about consciousness and how the brain binds sensory information.