In some circles, the powerful psychedelic N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) is known as the “spirit molecule” for its unique ability to transport people to another world. Those who ingest it typically experience bright colors, abstract geometric patterns, and even encounter elves and aliens, all of which feel completely real.
It may all sound far from the realm of empirical science, but to neuroscientists it’s not zeus tipad. His lab in Maastricht, Netherlands, is planning an unusual experiment in which he will monitor the brains of people given DMT while wearing virtual reality headsets. By observing what happens when we slip into another form of reality, the hope is that we can understand how our minds construct the reality we experience in everyday life. . “Our brains are easily fooled about what reality is,” Tipado says.
He has already discovered intriguing hints of new brain networks that he thinks may underlie our sense of immersion in the world, whether in real life, VR, or drug-induced travel. He wants to identify this hypothetical “immersion circuit” and perhaps learn how to control it. If he can do that, he could adjust how believable that experience is, develop more effective treatments for mental illness, or create more visceral training for surgeons and firefighters. Maybe we can create a world. Of course, that would be a major advance in neuroscience.
prediction machine
We don’t fully understand how our minds create seamless experiences.
Source: www.newscientist.com
