Psychedelics and Colorblindness

So I was thinking about this a little bit. I believe that one of the reasons I enjoy tripping so immensely is because I am more easily able to see/distinguish colors while in that state. There's a lot of evidence that states that when I close my eyes and watch the colors (as it were) that this could potentially be the only time I am able to properly see the full spectrum. The reason for this is that protanopia (or red-green colorblindness, which I suffer from) is a lack of certain retinal cones in the eye, which means that my brain is capable of comprehending any color, but my eyes do not recognize them. Since hallucinogenic visions are predominately a product of the mind, and not of the eye, it is only logical that I should be able to see every color, even if my prior experience (and fucked up state) leaves me incapable of understanding what I'm seeing. This is a brief article from the erowid experience vaults (which by the way is just about the BEST source of information if you wish to get a clear idea of the effects of various substances on the body, essentially a compilation of trip reports).

Colorblindness and Psychedelics
LSD, Mushrooms & AMT
by dk_trippy


DOSE : LSD
AMT
Mushrooms

BODY WEIGHT : 145 lb


I noticed there was some question on the effects of colorblind people and LSD. I am red green colorblind. I don't see in black and white but I cannot distinguish two colors of similar shades and I miss almost every number in the colorblindness test with the colored dots at the optometrist's (eye doctor).

Since I have done psychedelics, especially LSD and AMT, colors have become sharper and brighter and I can more easily distinguish similar shades in bright and pastel colors, but darker colors such as dark blue and purple, have become more difficult to distinguish because they seem to morph into each other. I do see all the colors and patterns very vividly when I trip and it seems I can more easily see them than can the people I trip with, most of the time I still see stuff after everyone else has come down. I can't tell you if the colors and patterns are the same as people with normal vision, because I don't know what normal vision is. Since I have tripped I have visited the optometrist once and got 8 of 15 numbers right in the colorblindness test when before I would only get 3 at the most.

taken from http://www.erowid.org/experiences/

Just thought this was interesting...
-Cottonmouth out