Object alteration

An object alteration is the experience of perceiving objects and scenes to be progressively warping, moving, stretching, animating, and shifting in their 3-dimensional form. [1] [2] [3] [4] When the person double takes, the object returns to its original shape until it is looked at directly once again, whereafter it begins distorting again in a similar or different manner. The manner in which the alterations occur is not uniform and cannot be reliably predicted. The intensity of the effect is often linked to the intensity and progression of the mental state that precludes this effect.

For example, when staring at an object, such as a chair, its 3-dimensional shape may begin to drastically elongate or tilt into an exaggerated form while retaining its original colours and textures.

Another common manifestation of this effect is the perception of textures progressively extending and stretching outward from surfaces of objects in the form of a detailed 3-dimensional structure [4] somewhat similar to complex, opaque, and solidified smoke. These structures usually maintain a size consistent with the width of the texture it is extending from. They can also range from anywhere between several inches to several meters in length. For example, if one is staring at a painting on the wall, it may extend in one direction on a 2-dimensional plane until the observer looks away. [4] [5] [6] This is likely an indirect result of external hallucinations being applied to objects within the user's environment in a manner that does not introduce new data, but simply alters the perception of a 3-dimensional structure's content.

Object alterations are often accompanied by other coinciding effects, such as delirium and psychosis. [6] They are most commonly induced under the influence of heavy dosages of deliriant compounds, such as DPH and datura. However, they can also occur under the influence of stimulant psychosis and sleep deprivation.


References

  1. Kleinman, J. E., Gillin, J. C., & Wyatt, R. J. (1977). A comparison of the phenomenology of hallucinogens and schizophrenia from some autobiographical accounts. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 3(4), 567. | https://dx.doi.org/10.1093/schbul/3.4.560
  2. Obreshkova, D., Kandilarov, I., Angelova, V. T., Iliev, Y., Atanasov, P., & Fotev, P. S. (2017). Pharmaco-toxicological aspects and analysis of phenylalkylamine and indolylalkylamine hallucinogens. Pharmacia, 64(1), 32-47. (2) | http://bsphs.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Angelova.pdf
  3. Gallimore, A. R. (2015). Restructuring consciousness–the psychedelic state in light of integrated information theory. Frontiers in human neuroscience, 9, 346. | https://dx.doi.org/10.3389%2Ffnhum.2015.00346
  4. [1][2][3]
    Juszczak, G. R., & Swiergiel, A. H. (2013). Recreational use of D-lysergamide from the seeds of Argyreia nervosa, Ipomoea tricolor, Ipomoea violacea, and Ipomoea purpurea in Poland. Journal of psychoactive drugs, 45(1), 79-93. | https://doi.org/10.1080/02791072.2013.763570
  5. Espiard, M. L., Lecardeur, L., Abadie, P., Halbecq, I., & Dollfus, S. (2005). Hallucinogen persisting perception disorder after psilocybin consumption: a case study. European Psychiatry, 20(5), 458-460. | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eurpsy.2005.04.008
  6. [1][2]
    Mehta, U. M., Naveen Kumar, C., Venkatasubramanian, G., & Thirthalli, J. (2017). Multimodal sensory distortions in postpartum exacerbation of schizophrenia. Clinical schizophrenia & related psychoses, 10(4), 222-224. | https://doi.org/10.3371/CSRP.MEKU.112013

Tags

deliriant
distortion
sensory
visual

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