Psychedelic Gaze

This study focuses primarily on the acute perceptual changes induced by psilocybin, particularly in the visual domain.

We used eye-tracking technology to quantitatively assess the effects of low and high doses of psilocybin on eye movements during exploration of complex visual stimuli. Our focus was on the aesthetic perception of paintings in a double-blind, placebo-controlled design in semi-naturalistic settings.

Our results show that higher doses of psilocybin lead to a more localized pattern of visual exploration, resulting in a less entropic fixation probability distribution. In addition, participants in the high-dose condition reported an enhanced emotional response and a heightened state of flow, consistent with the perception of altered low-level visual information such as textures, shapes, and colors.

The study’s conclusions support the notion that psilocybin significantly affects gaze fixation, mediated by changes in the perception of visual detail. In addition, our research highlights the potential of studying psychedelics by observing their effects on behavior in complex, naturalistic conditions. This approach not only maintains participant engagement, but also enhances the ecological validity of the results, providing valuable insights into the intricate relationship between psychedelic substances, visual perception, and aesthetic experience.