Altered states phenomena induced by visual flicker light stimulation
Marie Therese Bartossek, Johanna Kemmerer, Timo Torsten Schmidt
PLoS ONE July 1, 2021 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0253779 via OpenAlex
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractFlickering light with closed eyes temporarily alters consciousness, producing simple visual hallucinations like colors and geometric patterns. In 24 participants, 10 Hz stimulation caused stronger effects than 3 Hz, including vivid visual hallucinations. Participants' Absorption personality trait strongly correlated with the intensity of altered consciousness. The effects were rated similar in strength to those from psychedelic substances, supporting the study of shared brain mechanisms.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Within-subjects design Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 24 |
| Population | Human participants |
| Intervention | Flicker light stimulation |
| Keywords | Flicker Photic stimulation Mood Neuroscience Level of consciousness |
| Citations | 43 |
| Key finding | 10 Hz flicker light stimulation induced vivid visual hallucinations with intensity comparable to psychedelic substances, and the personality trait of Absorption correlated with the experienced alterations in consciousness. |
Abstract
Flicker light stimulation can induce short-term alterations in consciousness including hallucinatory color perception and geometric patterns. In the study at hand, the subjective experiences during 3 Hz and 10 Hz stroboscopic light stimulation of the closed eyes were assessed. In a within-subjects design (N = 24), we applied the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (mood state), time perception ratings, the Altered State of Consciousness Rating Scale, and the Phenomenology of Consciousness Inventory. Furthermore, we tested for effects of personality traits (NEO Five-Factor Inventory-2 and Tellegen Absorption Scale) on subjective experiences. Such systematic quantification improves replicability, facilitates comparisons between pharmacological and non-pharmacological techniques to induce altered states of consciousness, and is the prerequisite to study their underlying neuronal mechanisms. The resulting data showed that flicker light stimulation-induced states were characterized by vivid visual hallucinations of simple types, with effects strongest in the 10 Hz condition. Additionally, participants’ personality trait of Absorption scores highly correlated with the experienced alterations in consciousness. Our data demonstrate that flicker light stimulation is capable of inducing visual effects with an intensity rated to be similar in strength to effects induced by psychedelic substances and thereby support the investigation of potentially shared underlying neuronal mechanisms.