Psychedelic Illusions are Not Pathological, and May Even Help You See Better

Marcelo Leite

Annoyed by the endless conversation, a man in his sixties leaves the group, walks a short way down the dirt path and finds himself in the shade of a tree. Three hours ago, he took about 150 micrograms of LSD—a full, if not necessarily heroic, dose. His gaze is drawn upward, and he doubts what he sees. The tree is alive; too alive. Of course, every tree lives, he says to himself, but this is something else. There is no wind, yet a section of the trunk moves slowly and languidly, like a huge and decidedly feminine snake. The bark of the wood has geometric patterns of yellow, brown, and green. He recognizes it is a psychedelic vision, and rejoices at the chance to observe a tree as if seeing one for the first time... continue reading.