THC, the primary psychoactive component of cannabis, produces altered states of consciousness that share features with those induced by classical psychedelics. In 25 healthy, infrequent cannabis users, oral doses of 7.5 and 15 mg THC dose-dependently increased measures of altered states, including insightfulness, mindfulness, and mind-wandering, and increased language entropy, a pattern previously reported with LSD. The findings suggest overlapping neurophysiological mechanisms between THC and psychedelics, but future work must determine whether reported increases in mindfulness or insight reflect genuine enhancement of conscious awareness or a psychotomimetic state such as delusional thinking.
A preliminary investigation into altered states of consciousness (ASC) analyzed 300 narrative reports across 12 induction methods, including meditation, float tank, and several psychedelics. Most psychedelics (except LSD), along with salvia and ketamine, shared similar content with non-pharmacological methods. In qualitative analysis, most psychedelics except LSD were deemed both positive and authentic, with authenticity predicting positive sentiment across all methods. Latent themes charted a trajectory from baseline to metaphysical experience, and text-to-image AI illustrated the underlying structure. The findings suggest that some ASC induction methods, such as salvia, ketamine, or 5-MeO-DMT, may be characterized as 'mind-manifesting,' but not others like LSD, datura, or DPH.