Effect Categories - Visual Distortions
Visual distortions are defined as any subjective effect that alters the perception or appearance of pre-existing visual data without adding any entirely new content.
This page lists the various visual distortions that can occur under the influence of certain psychoactive compounds.
After images
After images (also known as palinopsia) are visual perceptions that continue to appear in one's vision after exposure to the original image has ceased. They are most commonly induced under the influence of moderate dosages of psychedelic compounds, such as LSD, psilocybin, and mescaline.
Brightness alteration
Brightness alteration is a distortion or change in the intensity of perceived brightness comprising a person's vision. It is most commonly induced under the influence of moderate dosages of hallucinogenic compounds, such as psychedelics, dissociatives, and cannabinoids.
Chromatic aberration
Chromatic aberration is when the colours reflected off of an object's surface become distinctly split into three overlapping offset layers. These split layers can potentially be any colour, but are most commonly reported to be red, green, and blue. It is most commonly induced under the influence of moderate dosages of psychedelic compounds, such as LSD, psilocybin, and mescaline.
Colour replacement
Colour replacement is the experience of a person's entire visual field or specific objects and sections within it becoming replaced with an alternative colour that differs from its original appearance. It is most commonly induced under the influence of moderate dosages of psychedelic compounds, such as LSD, psilocybin, and mescaline.
Colour shifting
Colour shifting is when objects within the environment fluidly change their colour through a continuously repeating cycle. It is most commonly induced under the influence of psychedelic compounds.
Depth perception distortions
Depth perception distortions are alterations in how a person perceives the distance of various objects within their visual field. They are most commonly induced under the influence of moderate dosages of psychedelic compounds, such as LSD, psilocybin, and mescaline.
Diffraction
Diffraction is the experience of seeing rainbows and spectrums of colour embedded within the brighter parts of a person's visual field. It is most commonly induced under the influence of mild dosages of psychedelic compounds, such as LSD, psilocybin, and mescaline.
Drifting
Drifting is the experience of the texture, shape, and general structure of objects and scenery appearing progressively warped, melted, and morphed across themselves. It is most commonly induced under the influence of moderate dosages of psychedelic compounds, such as LSD, psilocybin, and mescaline.
Environmental cubism
Environmental cubism is a visual segmentation of the external environment into squares and cubes of varying amounts and sizes. It is most commonly induced under the influence of heavy dosages of dissociative compounds, such as ketamine, PCP, and DXM.
Field of view alteration
Field of view alteration is the experience of a perceived change in the open observable area a person can visibly see. It is most commonly induced under the influence of moderate dosages of psychedelic compounds, such as LSD, psilocybin, and mescaline.
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. They are most commonly induced under the influence of heavy dosages of deliriant compounds, such as DPH and datura.
Perspective distortion
A perspective distortion is a subtle to extreme change in how a person perceives the size and distance attributed to their body, specific parts of the external environment, or the external environment as a whole. They are most commonly induced under the influence of moderate dosages of dissociative compounds, such as ketamine, PCP, MXE, and DXM.
Recursion
Recursion is a visual distortion that alters the appearance of one's external environment by repeating specific sections of itself across itself in a self-similar fashion. It is most commonly induced under the influence of moderate dosages of psychedelic compounds, such as LSD, psilocybin, and mescaline.
Scenery slicing
Scenery slicing is the experience of a person's visual field appearing to split into separate, cleanly cut sections. These individual slices then proceed to drift slowly away from their original position before disappearing and resetting to normal. It is most commonly induced under the influence of moderate dosages of dissociative compounds, such as ketamine, PCP, and DXM.
Symmetrical texture repetition
Symmetrical texture repetition is the perception of textures becoming mirrored repeatedly over their own surface in an intricate and symmetrical fashion that is consistent across itself. It is most commonly induced under the influence of mild dosages of psychedelic compounds, such as LSD, psilocybin, and mescaline.
Texture liquidation
Texture liquidation is the experience of the texture, shape, and general structure of objects and scenery appearing progressively simplified, smudged and stylized in such a way that one's external environment begins to take on the aesthetic of a painting or cartoon. It is most commonly induced under the influence of moderate dosages of psychedelic compounds, such as LSD, psilocybin, and mescaline.
Tracers
Tracers are the experience of visual trails of varying lengths and opacity being left behind moving objects. They are most commonly induced under the influence of mild dosages of psychedelic compounds.
Visual auras
Visual auras are the experience of glowing fields of translucent emanating colour which surround the edges of a person, an object, or any part of the environment. They are most commonly induced under the influence of moderate dosages of psychedelic compounds.
Visual flipping
Visual flipping distorts the surrounding environment to make it appear as if it has been rotated, mirrored, or flipped into an alternative orientation. For example, one's vision may suddenly be viewed as upside down or sideways. This effect is usually very fleeting in its occurrence, typically ranging from a few seconds to less than a minute.
Visual haze
Visual haze distorts the surrounding environment to make it appear as if the air is shrouded in an imaginary cloud of smoke, fog, or haze. It is most commonly induced under the influence of mild dosages of hallucinogenic compounds, such as psychedelics, deliriants, and cannabinoids.
Visual stretching
Visual stretching distorts a person's field of view to make it appear as if it is horizontally or vertically stretching in its size. It is most commonly induced under the influence of heavy dosages of sudden onset hallucinogenic compounds, such as nitrous oxide, DMT, and salvia divinorum. This holds particularly true in the moments immediately preceding ego death.
Visual strobing
Visual strobing is the experience of a fast-paced and bright flashing light which can occur within one's visual field in manner similar to that of a strobe light. It is most commonly induced under the influence of moderate dosages of psychedelic compounds, such as LSD, DMT, psilocybin, and mescaline.
Visual twisting
Visual twisting distorts a person's field of view to make it appear as if it curling into itself, similar to the shape of a spiral. It is most commonly induced under the influence of heavy dosages of hallucinogenic compounds, such as psychedelics, dissociatives, and deliriants.