MESCALINE HALLUCINATIONS IN ARTISTS
Archives of Neurology And Psychiatry January 1, 1941 W. S. Maclay 25 citations
Theories about the cause of hallucinations have been shaped by the specific material each researcher studied, such as phantom limbs, delirious states, or electrical brain stimulation. A major limitation is that research relies on verbal descriptions from patients whose ability to describe their experiences is often impaired. To overcome this, scientists turned to studying hallucinations experimentally induced in normal subjects using drugs like mescaline. Work by Mayer-Gross, Stein, Zucker, and others demonstrated the value of this approach, termed 'experimental psychosis.' Mescaline hallucinations are predominantly visual, so having subjects describe them through drawings and pictures could provide more impressive and realistic accounts.