Question?

[LadyForCamus]

Amazing that a drug would recreate the experience of being out of my body, physically looking down on it with sharper visual acuity than while in body, with greater depth, stillness and space of internal thought.

What's the difference between a brain experiencing these things and one influenced by a chemical to believe it is? How would you recognise the difference, from the brain's perspective?

I knew this guy in college who took shrooms on Halloween once, and became utterly convinced that he was dead. It ruined his whole night.

[The Grand Nudger]

I tried to shove a cats head fully inside a twinkie...fucking shrooms.  I thought it liked the filling.  Turned out it was terrified into paralysis and semi-suffocating. Everytime I start to zone out and do something stupid my buddy lilts to me "kitty kitty want a twinkie" - which..apparently, I was repeating like I was casting a spell on the cat.

[Cyberman]

Mind if I borrow that for the horror movie I'm working on making? It's such a creepy image.

[Arkilogue]

Amazing that a drug would recreate the experience of being out of my body, physically looking down on it with sharper visual acuity than while in body, with greater depth, stillness and space of internal thought.

What's the difference between a brain experiencing these things and one influenced by a chemical to believe it is? How would you recognise the difference, from the brain's perspective?

Very easily and I'm glad you asked. This answer is also for everyone one else saying it was all a drug hallucination: It ended when I decided to reenter my body.

And it was literally like switching mediums: The OBE state was like mental air, everything was clear and I could see for miles. When I decided to stay on the planet and reenter my body, it was like slipping back under water (literally and figuratively) I slipped back into my life/personality/dream of being "me" and the clarity was gone.

What drug goes from full strength experience to zero, when you decided it does?

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What's the difference between a brain experiencing these things and one influenced by a chemical to believe it is? How would you recognise the difference, from the brain's perspective?

I knew this guy in college who took shrooms on Halloween once, and became utterly convinced that he was dead.  It ruined his whole night.

Did it end went he decided he was alive?

[Whateverist]

I tried to shove a cats head fully inside a twinkie...fucking shrooms.  I thought it liked the filling.  Turned out it was terrified into paralysis and semi-suffocating.  Everytime I start to zone out and do something stupid my buddy lilts to me "kitty kitty want a twinkie" - which..apparently, I was repeating like I was casting a spell on the cat.

You may be suffering from weirdness.

[Cyberman]

[The Grand Nudger]

Mind if I borrow that for the horror movie I'm working on making? It's such a creepy image.

Hahaha, go right ahead.  Hey, if it helps...I'm a 6 foot 220lb man with a shaved head and a full beard....who's habitually "less than dressed".  Cats fit in my palms.  Hows that for an image, lol.

It sure as hell stuck with my buddy....I'm never going to live it down.

@Whatevs, lol, yeah..you're probably right....I hear its manageable, but incurable.

[Angrboda]

What's the difference between a brain experiencing these things and one influenced by a chemical to believe it is? How would you recognise the difference, from the brain's perspective?

Very easily and I'm glad you asked. This answer is also for everyone one else saying it was all a drug hallucination:  It ended when I decided to reenter my body.

And it was literally like switching mediums: The OBE state was like mental air, everything was clear and I could see for miles.  When I decided to stay on the planet and reenter my body, it was like slipping back under water (literally and figuratively) I slipped back into my life/personality/dream of being "me" and the clarity was gone.

What drug goes from full strength experience to zero, when you decided it does?

Anyone who's ever been in a car accident and experienced the slowing of time that occurs when danger is detected knows that the brain can react with swift speed, altering the way we experience reality. To answer your question, the altered clarity might have just been one aspect of the experience and when the brain changed that aspect, the change to experience was global. You might still have been under the influence of altered brain state, only without the 'clarity epiphenomenon'. I'm not suggesting a drug that has global effects like alcohol; something more subtle, affecting different systems in predictable ways. (NDEs, whatever they are, appear to form some common core behavior of the brain that is shared by people undergoing life threatening experiences.) That it was compelling to you is part of the experience, that it's compelling. Who knows why the clarity ended at the moment you had a desire to return to your body; perhaps you've just confabulated that it did. You wouldn't know. Just as in dreams things can seem clear that are befuddling upon awakening, the NDE may imbue us with a false sense of clarity and coherence. Again, how would you know if it did?

[Whateverist]

Amen to that. I've been in two life threatening situations and in each of them I recall making many fine decisions in what would seem to have been too little time. Although, looking back on it, I'm not sure they should be called 'decisions'. It was more like realizing things and watching the compensating actions happen. It is hard to be sure if the realizing part was instrumental or not. In those situations, the last thing you want to do is brainstorm possible actions, weigh each ones merits and then make a call. It is more like: realize motorcycle is going down - leg must be out from under cycle - see leg move out from under cycle - realize traffic behind may not stop - immediately on feet - see that all is clear, others are interceding - check for damage. Frankly I think we have old systems which can handle these incidents better than methodical reason can; sometimes you're better off to get out of your own way.

[Whateverist]

Oh and all I remember about mushrooms is the same as what I remember about peyote - vomiting. The weird part was I didn't mind the barfing and I usually hate it. It was like feeling the pressure build up, open the nozzle and let it fly. Don't remember much more other than that I liked it. Would probably have been done out in nature in the evening and I would have done creatives stuff like draw or physical things like throwing frisbee. I can't imagine thinking I was dead or anything creepy. Never had a negative experience with any of it. But eventually the novelty wears off. Things are pretty cool with or without drugs.