Why Do We Think Time is an Illusion While on a Trip?
Psilocybin, the psychoactive compound found in certain species of mushrooms, has been known to induce profound changes in consciousness and our perception of reality. One of the most fascinating effects of psilocybin is its ability to alter the perception of time, leading some to believe that time is an illusion.
When people ingest psilocybin, it affects the way the brain processes sensory information, including time perception. This can lead to a distorted sense of time during a trip, where time may seem to move slower or faster than usual, or even appear to stop altogether. Some people may experience time in a non-linear way, where the past, present, and future all blend together, making it difficult to discern what is happening in the present moment.
By Milica Radovic Mandic
What does it feel like?
Describing the experience of time during a mushroom trip can be challenging, as it can vary widely from person to person and even from trip to trip. However, some people have described it as feeling like time has become a fluid, malleable concept, rather than a fixed and linear progression.
One way to think of it is like telling a story to another person. Normally, when we tell a story, we follow a linear timeline, with one event leading logically and sequentially to the next. However, during a mushroom trip, time can feel more like a series of interconnected, non-linear moments that exist simultaneously. It's as if you are telling the story all at once, with past, present, and future all blended together.
In some cases, this can lead to a sense of timelessness, where the usual markers of time such as clocks or calendars seem irrelevant or meaningless. It's as if time has ceased to exist as a measurable quantity, and everything simply is. For some people, this can be a liberating and transcendent experience, as they feel freed from the constraints of time and able to experience the present moment fully. It can also lead to profound insights and revelations about the nature of existence, consciousness, and the universe.
However, this sense of timelessness can also be disorienting and even frightening for some people. It can also be overwhelming for some people, leading to feelings of anxiety or a loss of control. The loss of a clear sense of time and progression can lead to feelings of confusion, especially if the experience feels overwhelming or chaotic.
Why is time distortion happening?
One theory is that psilocybin affects the default mode network (DMN), a set of brain regions that are normally active when we are daydreaming, introspecting, or reflecting on our past or future. The DMN is thought to play a role in our sense of self, personal identity, and the subjective experience of time. Psilocybin has been shown to reduce the activity in the DMN, which may be responsible for the altered sense of time that some people experience during a mushroom trip.
Other possible factors include changes in perception and attention. During a psilocybin experience, individuals may become more aware of the present moment, and the past and future may seem less relevant. This can contribute to the feeling that time is an illusion and that the only reality is the present moment. The subjective nature of time perception means that it is highly influenced by our state of mind and the context in which we find ourselves.
One other theory suggests that the brain creates a sense of time by processing sensory information and comparing it to past experiences. However, under the influence of psilocybin, this process is disrupted, leading to a breakdown of the usual temporal constraints that govern our experience of reality. As a result, time can appear to become distorted or even lose its meaning altogether.
What do the studies say?
Several studies have shown that psilocybin can disrupt the brain's default mode network (DMN), which is responsible for creating our sense of self and our subjective experience of time. Under the influence of psilocybin, the DMN becomes less active, leading to a sense of ego dissolution and a breakdown of the usual temporal constraints that govern our experience of reality (Carhart-Harris et al., 2012; Mason et al., 2020).
When the DMN is active, individuals tend to have a strong sense of self and are focused on their own thoughts and feelings. However, when the DMN is suppressed, individuals may experience a sense of ego dissolution, a loss of sense of self and the feeling of being interconnected with everything around them. This altered state of consciousness can lead to a distorted perception of time. The sense of timelessness or the feeling of being outside of time may be due to the suppression of the DMN, which normally anchors our sense of self and our perception of time (Carhart-Harris et al., 2014).
Another study found that psilocybin affects the brain's internal clock, which is responsible for the perception of time intervals. Participants in the study were asked to estimate the duration of a 15-second interval while under the influence of psilocybin (Wittmann et al., 2007). The results showed that participants consistently overestimated the duration of the interval, suggesting that psilocybin affects the perception of time by slowing down the internal clock.
It is also worth noting that the subjective experience of time can be influenced by a variety of factors, including mood, attention, and arousal. Psilocybin may affect these factors, leading to changes in the perception of time. Furthermore, the subjective nature of time perception means that it is highly influenced by our state of mind and the context in which we find ourselves (Eagleman, 2009).
Not everyone experiences time distortion during a psychedelic trip, and even those who do may experience it in different ways. Additionally, the effects of psilocybin can vary depending on factors such as dosage, set and setting, and individual differences in brain chemistry and psychology.
In conclusion
The idea that time is an illusion is not a new one, and it has been explored by philosophers and scientists for centuries. However, the use of psilocybin has provided a new perspective on this concept, as users have reported experiencing a sense of timelessness that is difficult to describe. Some have described it as a feeling of being outside of time, while others have likened it to a dream-like state where the past, present, and future are all happening simultaneously.
While the exact mechanism by which psilocybin affects time perception is still not fully understood, the experiences reported by users have led to further research into the nature of time and consciousness. As our understanding of the brain and its processes continues to evolve, it is possible that psilocybin may hold the key to unlocking new insights into the mysteries of the mind.
In conclusion, psilocybin provides diverse perceptions that can be transformative, and one of the most intriguing effects is the illusion of time. By disrupting the brain's DMN and altering our sense of self, psilocybin can lead us to question the nature of reality and our place within it. Overall, experiencing time as an illusion during a mushroom trip can be a profound and transformative experience, but it's important to approach it with caution and respect, and to be prepared for the unpredictable and highly individual nature of psychedelic experiences.
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Carhart-Harris, R. L., Leech, R., Hellyer, P. J., Shanahan, M., Feilding, A., Tagliazucchi, E., ... & Nutt, D. (2012). The entropic brain: a theory of conscious states informed by neuroimaging research with psychedelic drugs. Frontiers in human neuroscience, 6, 1-22. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2012.00020
Carhart-Harris, R. L., Erritzoe, D., & Kaelen, M. (2014). Psychedelia: An illegal dose of knowledge. The Psychologist, 27(2), 96-99. https://doi.org/10.1080/02699931.2014.901073
Eagleman, D. M. (2009). Human time perception and its illusions. In Encyclopedia of Neuroscience (pp. 1169-1174). Springer US. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-30405-2_351
Mason, N. L., Mischler, E., Uthaug, M. V., Kuypers, K. P., van den Berg, D., Stiers, P., ... & D'Souza, D. C. (2020). An fMRI study of the acute effects of psychedelic psilocybin on subjective and neural correlates of episodic memory encoding in humans. Neuropharmacology, 171, 108074. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropharm.2019.108074
Wittmann, M., Carter, O., Hasler, F., Cahn, B. R., & Grimberg, U. (2007). fMRI study of time perception during psilocybin-induced altered states of consciousness. NeuroImage, 42(1), 306-314. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2007.04.036
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