loving art, science and creative kids

   Scotland through my camera's lens

           Scotland in my Mind's Eye 

Clear Visioning

Bright lights decorating our streets this holiday season bring me great cheer.  Even the gaudy houses I passed on my way to Port Townsend last weekend made me smile in thanks that it was they and not I who would have to disassemble the displays. A  whirlpool of colors blazed from reindeers to santa to cartoon children singing carols as we drove through the early evening. Seeing them reminded me of an event that took place forty years ago when brilliant shades of blue, green and red were first imprinted in my mind. 

Confession: It was during a July vacation that I tried LSD for the first time, and its experience lasted a lifetime, effecting how I view my surroundings. In the 70s, I was curious to know what Timothy Leary meant when he spoke of the psychological benefits of acid. In those days it was used in research and was not considered an illegal substance. And though it was used for pleasure, on the east coast most of my friends sought  spiritual enlightenment rather than psychedelic highs.  

One acquaintance advised that LSD can help understand the workings of the brain. “A trip,”  she said, “should be taken to provide insight into possibilities. Afterwards meditation must be practiced to sharpen the ability to trigger similar sensations at will.”  She instructed me to learn how to control my mind before trying the drug again.

When I eventually got around to trying it I gained several insights that were life altering. The drug heightened sensory awareness and particularly sharpened my vision. The surrounding woods not only brightened but each object became super sharp.  I noticed jagged edges, colors, and contours of each individual leaf I passed while walking in through wooded areas in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. I studied plump, perfectly round dew drops resting on waxy green surfaces magnifying and distorting images.  Twigs, tree bark and tiny red buds shined brilliantly against a lush background, promoting their importance with a chorus that shouted, “See me. Notice how special I am.”

Unfortunately, mosquitoes also were blown to gigantic sizes appearing as prehistoric creatures ten times larger than they actually were. My hands were busy slapping them while they continued fearlessly as an onrushing army attacking its prey. My friends had to talk me down by telling me not to pay attention  to them,  that their numbers and size were magnified by the drug. 

Odors drifted towards me when passing an indentation that had recently been made by a startled moose that plunged forward from its resting place.  The animal rose fearlessly while I jumped back in panic.  The creature’s musky/muddy smell was overwhelming and to this day I can conjure up the animal’s strong perfume.  It was difficult to make the odor go away even after an hour had passed and we were a mile from the site. 

Of all of the sensory tricks played on me that day, the one that looms the largest in my mind was the play of colors. Brilliant rainbow hues washed over every plant, bird, and animal that I saw.  Moving from the trees to the edge of Lake Superior, we climbed rock cliffs that hung over clear, sparkling blue waters.   Shelves of brown, grey and black slabs speckled with silver flecks formed our hand holds while we traversed long sections above sandy beaches. Red, yellow, green pebbles and shoots popped up suddenly, seemingly coming from nowhere.  Even a tourist boat that passed off shore, seemed like a floating jewel. Their guests yelled and shouted greetings as we continued  our naked climb.  Acting as native people might have, we did not care what the sightseers thought.

In sharing this story I also need to say that I am not a proponent of using drugs unless under medical supervision. During a later stint as a mental health counselor I did see patients who had become stuck in their hallucinatory experiences.  LSD can be dangerous and should be a controlled substance, but it also has beneficial uses when in the right hands.

Realizing that the brain has unexplored depths that have yet to be explored was an awakening moment.  Our minds can be trained to do what we westerners might think of as impossible.   Groundbreaking research has been conducted with Tibetan Buddhist monks who are able to create new neural connections that change the very structure of their brains to affect their perceptions. 

Through years of practice I have only inched a bit forward in mind control, but some of the effects I experienced while on acid I am able to pour into creative endeavors. I still remind myself to look closely at drops of water, to study the edges of flowers, to listen to the buzz of bees, and to put my nose close to each rose I pass.

To see, to smell to feel, to taste, to hear — these sensations are ones that I want to continue to enjoy to their fullest. Though it takes willpower, time, and dedication to do so, there are helpers in my environment that remind me to become engaged. Lighting Hanukah candles, basking in holiday colors, and listening carefully to joyful songs are intensified pleasures when I pay attention. 

This holiday season  I wish you best wishes as you enjoy a cacophony of sounds and kaleidoscope of colors. 

References:

1. Thames,E. 2014, First LSD Sudy in 40 Years who's Medical Uses. Huffpost. retrieved from: https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/06/lsd-anxiety-study-psychotherapy-_n_4906596.html

     2. Gregoire,C. 2017. How You Can Train Your Mind TO Do The Impossible. Huffpost.

retrieved from: https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/05/how-you-can-train-your-mi_n_3688660.html