Psilocybin Visual and Sensory Therapy

Visual Psilocybin Therapy is a project about the visual effects of psilocybin and its therapeutic power.Psilocybin is an alkaloid found in fungi of the genus Psilocybe sp. and it works by mimicking the effects of serotonin and occurs in the attainment of altered states of consciousness in the search for the divine and self-knowledge.

Currently, spiritualists and scientists have been studying in psilocybin an experience on the deepest areas of the psyche, never reached in ordinary states of consciousness. Promising studies report the therapeutic potential of psilocybin in the treatment of refractory depression and other disorders of the mind and show a great relationship with conventional neuropharmacology – psilocybin is capable of performing changes in nerve conductions, opening a spectrum of possibilities in psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy. What was once just spirituality, today, is allied to science.

The visual effects of psilocybin include profound perceptual-cognitive changes such as visual and sensory hallucinations, auditory distortions, synesthesia, well-being, ego death (complete loss of subjective sense of identity) and suggest learnings as the entheogen acts as a psychic guide. This project suggests that we can expand the cognitive studies of psilocybin, reproducing the visual effects and creating visual, sensory and auditory neurostimuli, based on applied studies, which suggest an alteration of consciousness as a therapeutic end.With the increasing and popularization of treatment against depression and anxiety, technology becomes a tool in the creation of alternative therapies in order to minimize the effects caused by such diseases, and can create a safe place for a creative journey in your self-knowledge.

A black and white close-up photo of an elderly woman with long hair, wearing a beaded necklace, holding a cluster of grapes and a leaf in her hand, with a serious expression.

Psilocybin Diary - 2022 - actual

Psilocybin Visual and Sensory Therapy emerged from a self-experiment, as a patient (autistic and highly qualified) using different types of magic mushrooms in different quantities. During these experiments I recorded my reactions and also created a diary as the process progressed.

In the photo below, the painting made during this process, below some making off videos recorded during the paintings and finally the diaries in 3 languages ​​(Portuguese, Spanish and English)

This project started in 2022, specifically the painting.

Abstract colorful painting featuring a snake, a large eye, and vibrant shapes and patterns.
A colorful abstract painting with swirling shapes, a large dark circle, and fantastical creatures, hanging on a wall. Below the painting, various colorful fabric art pieces and a fabric sculpture resembling a snake or dragon are displayed on the floor.

Visual & Sensorial Experiment

This experiment is developed using some sensory topics. The idea is a complete immersion in all senses, inducing an alternation of consciousness. It is to create a welcoming environment of spiritual and creative expansion. This immersion will cover:

Gases and smells / Sound / Vibrations / Light / Mapping, Visuals / Food and drinks

The idea behind the project is to create a therapeutic immersion that simulates the visual and sensory effects of psilocybin, using smells, lights and sounds to stimulate the visitor in all their senses. This environment is designed to help create an expansion of consciousness or provide a state of calm, using advanced knowledge of neuroscience and sensory psychology.

This project works from three specific perspectives:

Mechanisms of Action of Psilocybin
When ingested, psilocybin is converted into psilocin in the body, which acts mainly on serotonin receptors (5-HT2A) in the brain. This mechanism is responsible for its hallucinogenic properties, altering sensory, cognitive and emotional perception. Psilocin increases neural connectivity, allowing communication between regions of the brain that normally do not interact so intensely.

Effects on the Default Mode Network (DMN)
Psilocybin is known to decrease activity in the Default Mode Network (DMN), a brain network associated with ego, introspection, and self-reference. This reduction in DMN activity can lead to a sense of ego dissolution, promoting greater connection with the environment and an expanded perspective on one's own existence.

Sensory Stimulation and Neuroplasticity
Multisensory stimulation, such as the combination of lights, sounds, and smells, can influence neuroplasticity—the brain's ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections. The proposed therapeutic immersion aims to take advantage of these principles to safely and controlled replicate the sensory and emotional effects of psilocybin, without the need for the use of the substance.

Holy Supper - Performance

As this is a research and experiment where all the senses must be engaged, a welcoming atmosphere is created for a performance, where dishes are created based on figures from the history of psilocybin and symbologies. The visual aspect of the performance refers to alchemy, the forest and the chemical laboratory.

Surreal digital artwork of a cosmic landscape with mountains, moons, and planets. Large mushrooms tower over a decorated tablecloth-covered surface with various smaller mushrooms and abstract shapes, set against a starry sky with a bright yellow sun or planet in the background.
A glowing, misty blue table with an underwater scene featuring fish and a plant centerpiece, illuminated by blue light.
A cake decorated with chocolate mushrooms and topped with glass-like candles, surrounded by blue glowing leaves.
A scene of archaeological excavation with scattered shells and artifacts on sandy ground illuminated by blue and orange lighting.
Deconstructed gourmet dessert with ice cream, caramelized toppings, and chocolate garnishes on a rock with smoky blue mist in the background.
A science experiment setup with colorful glowing liquids in beakers and glasses, emitting smoke and illuminated by blue, purple, and orange LED lights on a table.
Luminous artificial mushrooms and decorative glass orbs on a science-themed display with glowing and fog effects.
Elegant dining table set with a central decorative display of flowers, branches, and candles. The table surface is covered with crushed ice and scattered flower petals, illuminated by blue lighting.
A night scene with a table illuminated by blue lighting, featuring glasses, bowls, and a tray of glowing orange cubes, suggesting a stylish or modern setting.

First Public Experiment

The first public experiment was carried out during the SP-Arte Circuit of studios in downtown São Paulo, where my studio, Mice, was open. I immersed myself in one of the rooms and had the collaboration of  VJ Spetto to create the mapping of the room, Celio Barros with his independent music label based in Norway, PMC - Produção de Música Contemporânea, and 3D and motion artist Guilherme Todorov, who is part of a collective with me, called Mutualism, and works between Brazil and Germany, specifically São Paulo and Berlin.

In this room I placed a gas machine with liquid glycerin and lavender essence. I also placed isufilm on the floor, some crumpled paper on the black background and several fabrics of different colors and textures.

Room with a window covered by a dark curtain, colorful projected light patterns on the ceiling, and reflective metallic fabric on the floor creating an abstract, futuristic ambiance.
Dark room with a ceiling projection creating swirling light patterns on the walls and ceiling, with some objects, possibly structures or art installations, on the floor reflecting light.
Dark room with reflective metallic crumpled foil surfaces on the floor and walls, illuminated by purple and yellow lights, creating a futuristic, abstract space.

Overall, nothing seems static—even fixed objects seem to dance or breathe. Shapes in this context smoothly transform into one another (morphing). And they seem to melt together as if the eye were inside a liquid dream. The biological value of highlighting was taken into account—associating shapes, patterns, and movement with life, the body, and fluidity. Visual perception under psilocybin has also been found to regress to more primitive states of visuality—as if you were seeing as a child, or as if you were dreaming. Areas of the occipital and parietal lobes, which normally filter and interpret the world, are more open to the raw flow of information—hence the intense, shifting, and symbolic-laden forms.

Black and white photo of two people in a room with decorative lighting on the wall and a large window showing a cityscape at night.
Two people sitting on the floor in an art gallery with a projection of abstract light patterns on the wall behind them.

Sound

This sound specifically is a non-cadenced progression of 4 notes (voices) always changing by half a step one at a time. The file is duplicated and both have slow pitch oscillation in different cycles. Each synthesizer sounds in an audio track (right/left). The final mix has an eventide compressor/expander (Omnipressor) after the stereo phaser, so that the compression enhances small distortions and harmonics resulting from the phaser.