Talk:Mental image enhancement

This effect, which is sometimes referred to as a mental picture or “mind’s eye visuals" can be described as experiencing a purely mental impression or representation in an individual's mind of a component in the physical world outside of that person. It is an effect that, on most occasions, significantly resembles the experience of perceiving a person, animal, object, event, or scenario, but when the relevant object, event, or scene is not actually present in the environment or to one’s immediate senses. Certain psychoactive substances, namely psychedelic compounds have been known to heighten or enhance the vividness of this perceivable mental imagery. There are sometimes episodes, particularly when falling asleep referred to has hypnagogic imagery which can occur during these enhanced states of perception but are not exclusive to them.

These psychological sequences are distinct from internal hallucinations as well in that they are more prone to variance, subjective manipulation, the depiction of real life events and memories, and are more psychologically grounded. These experiences can be triggered by either outside or subjective influences and are typically temporary and spontaneous in their nature. They can often be contingent upon not just perceived memories but periods of reverie and introspection as well. Although this particular enhancement can technically occur on any psychedelic it is usually most pronounced with the orally active tryptamines such as psilocybin mushrooms, ayahuasca and ibogaine and almost always occurs in the context of personal self-reflection or catharsis. Mental imaging enhancement however has been known to happen on psychedelic substances as mild as cannabis as well as subtly psychoactive substances such as Blue Lotus.