>>13095747>native tribes who took DMT went absolutely batshit insane worshipping owl godsMost (all?) tribes worshipped some weird shit, think this might be a moot point - doesn't neccesarily negate the rest of what you're saying though.
>>13095924>>13096727So let's take a neuroscience approach then, shall we?
Substances like DMT disrupt the default mode network in your brain, EEG show that your brain signals become more 'complex', more erratic than at baseline. I could be wrong here but I believe that means that your trains of thought change more quickly and you think about things your mind wouldn't normally have wandered to in its default state.
From my understanding, the default mode network is where your brain processes the idea of the self, your ego (as well as other things such as your theory of mind, or the ability to conceptualise what other people may be thinking). The disruption to this network dissolves your sense of self, that's why many people end up feeling some sense of connectedness or collective consciousness, it sort of breaks down the system that your brain uses to separate itself from the world, the process which usually forms your ego.
Something interesting though, is that EEG scans taken of people prior to being under the influence of psychedelics, as well as during and after, have shown that yes the neural pathways are disrupted in this region, but after the recovery phase, once you've come down from the high, more neural connectivity can be observed in this region of the brain. Which could explain why people come out the other end feeling like they have a better understanding of themselves - and perhaps people who go insane never fully reform those connections.
Just something to think about. I studied half a cognitive science degree before switching to computer science so I'm no expert but I do know a little about this stuff, and I have had a few psychedelic experiences. I did personally experience that heightened awareness of self.
