There's a good chance you hallucinated this week without ever knowing it

Inverse ^ | October 11, 2019 | By Jack Barton on

[BenLurkin]

In the 1950s, researchers stumbled upon a new class of drugs that provided relief for those suffering from schizophrenia. These drugs were known as antipsychotics and, as the name suggests, they reduced symptoms like hallucinations and delusions — primarily by reducing the levels of dopamine in the brain. This led clinicians and scientists to argue that dopamine was linked to the experiences of psychotic symptoms, and a concerted research effort ensued, seeking to solve the puzzle of why excess dopamine might produce hallucinations.

Although it was later shown that increasing dopamine could produce hallucinations, establishing a consistent link between them, it has not been clear why.

They achieved this by taking advantage of a simple fact: Your brain is lazy. It makes shortcuts to understand the deluge of information that bombards it daily. If you’re presented with consistent information, consistently, your brain adjust its expectations of reality in turn. This is the basis of Bayesian theories of how we perceive the world – that is, the brain makes inferences about the world around us based on statistics and probabilities on what is likely to occur.

[I]ncreasing dopamine made it more difficult for participants to adjust their perception — an effect comparable to how the hallucinators had struggled. Moreover, the extent to which participants struggled was strongly associated with the severity of hallucinations — but not with any diagnosis of schizophrenia. In other words, the difficulty appeared to be associated with a symptom, not a diagnosis.

Using brain imaging, the researchers also showed that an increased capacity for dopamine release, from a part of the brain known as the striatum (an area involved in schizophrenia), was associated with the severity of hallucinations. Together, these experiments showed that excess dopamine was associated with difficulty in accurately predicting reality.

[Monkey Face]

Thanks, Moosie!! I printed it so I could read it again when the confusion starts. I hate that!

[ArGee]

Having an elected head of state is not for us...good grief, no...cough.

We're only supposed to have a chief administrator. People really, really, really seem to want a chief nanny.

[Tax-chick]

Reading completed with less trauma than usual, we will belay Current Environmental Issues in favor of a trip to Pestmart to get crickets for the lizards.

[NicknamedBob]

"... in favor of a trip to Pestmart to get crickets for the lizards."

I think I understand; the appellation is determined by the items sought.

[Tax-chick]

Quite so.

There were also catz, who told us they would love us if we took them home, but we know better.

[Silentgypsy]

“I haz purrfect balance.”

[Tax-chick]

Much better than mine!

[Silentgypsy]

Hi, y’all.

[Tax-chick]

It’s Thursday here, unless I’m hallucinating.

[NicknamedBob]

As we used to say back in the sixties, Greetings and Hallucinations!

(Note thread topic.)

[ArGee]

It’s Thursday here and I *am* hallucinating.

[Silentgypsy]

Here, too.

[Silentgypsy]

I am awake, I am awake.... (To the tune of “The Jury Sleeps Tonight.”)

[Tax-chick]

Afternoon, folks. Things are rather dim here, myself included.

[Darksheare]

Greetings

[Tax-chick]

And hallucinations.

[Darksheare]

With much trembling delerium for all.

[Silentgypsy]

Salutations

[Darksheare]

And if monsters are involved, “Salivations”

[Darksheare]

Cold and rainy here