Hallucinogenic Quote by Michael Shermer
““In addition to localized neural networks, hallucinogenic drugs have been documented to trigger such preternatural experiences, such as the sense of floating and flying stimulated by atropine and other belladonna alkaloids. These can be found in mandrake and jimsonweed and were used by European witches and American Indian shamans, probably for this very purpose.32 Dissociative anesthetics such as the ketamines are also known to induce out-of-body experiences. Ingestion of methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA) may bring back long-forgotten memories and produce the feeling of age regression, while dimethyltryptamine (DMT)—also known as “the spirit molecule”—causes the dissociation of the mind from the body and is the hallucinogenic substance in ayahuasca, a drug taken by South American shamans. People who have taken DMT report “I no longer have a body,” and “I am falling,” “flying,” or “lifting up.””
About This Quote
Various psychoactive substances can cause altered states like floating, flying, or out‑of‑body experiences.
In simple terms: Drugs can create vivid, otherworldly sensations.
Key Takeaway
Recognize drug effects are chemically induced, not supernatural.
Themes
psychology
neuroscience
altered consciousness
substance use
Mood
cautious
inquisitive
Type
scientific
educational
When to use this quote
- research
- therapy
- spiritual exploration
Key Concepts
hallucinogens
dissociatives
cultural rituals
Questions to Reflect On
- How do cultural contexts shape drug experiences?
- Can safe settings mitigate risks?
A Different Perspective
These experiences may be misleading and carry health risks.
![“[DMT] raises all the questions in a hurry. It's so intense and so oriented toward the other and the visual and the hallucinogenic that it isn't really like a drug. It's more like an event that you ran into. You just came around a corner and there was the unspeakable.” quote by Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/cf1/terence-mckenna-287_corners_dmt-raises-all-the-questions-in-a-hurry_1007718.jpg)
