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Comment by motohagiography | Hacker News Reader

if you are interested in a rabbit hole, look up the appearance of the acacia shrub in the bible, a source of DMT, and how some people associate it with the burning bush. quite a trip.

I've said before that I think the geometric patterns in hallucinations resemble analog signal feedback, inside an analog signalling system (your brain) that has been impaired by a chemical. other dimensions and beings aren't necessary to the explanation. there are theraputic uses for breaking cycles of thought, but I'd argue a non-spiritual view of drugs based on signalling feedback and channel impairment is sufficient to describe their effects.

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I 100% agree with you on the "signal feedback inside an analog signalling system".

I've done a lot of tripping, and I've come to this same hypothesis independently. I believe this explains a great deal about the visual geometric and fractal patterns you can see on psychedelics and also that analogous things happen within the auditory processing system, memory, emotions, and so on when you trip.

So much of tripping comes down to turning up the gain on signalling in your brain, which causes feedback pathways to start resonating. This results in colour saturation, tracers, geometry, exaggerated patterns and edge detection, echoing, reverbs, increased impact of thoughts, and following thoughts down deep rabbit holes etc.

None of this is to reduce the experience, I love psychedelics and think they are super important. But that's whole other discussion.

If this topic lights you up, you have to watch this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mn0itlgBZAA. It dives deep into the geometry of hallucinations, the mechanics of feedback loops in the brain, and how altered states might just be us tuning into the signal of ourselves. It bridges neuroscience, pattern recognition, and philosophy in a way that makes the whole psychedelic experience feel less like “woo” and more like elegant system dynamics. Whether you’re team “signal feedback” or leaning toward the mystical—this video gives both sides something to chew on. I promise, it’s not just trippy visuals—it’s insightfully grounded.

It seems like you're thinking of acacia confusa but that bush is growing in south east Asia and not close to where the bible played out.

it was an internet rabbit hole and indeed it could be defused with some regional botany. there's some discussion about DMT content in other acacia species(?) and how it shows up in symbology.

i have the sense that one could construct a whole "ancient aliens" style ideology and paranormal theory of history around hallucinogens, but it would just be entertaining junk.

Maybe that’s a good start. But sometimes I am able to control my hallucinations, it doesnt seem to be simply analog modification

It's because your awareness and agency is part of the circuit.

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