“Diversity makes the richness of humanity”: The emergence and persistence of mental imagery after self-reported psilocybin truffles intake in an autistic woman with “blind imagination” (aphantasia): A 33-month retrospective case report
Journal of Psychedelic Studies June 17, 2025 DOI: 10.1556/2054.2025.00320 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Case report Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 1 |
| Population | An autistic woman with aphantasia |
| Intervention | Psilocybin truffles |
| Duration | 33-month follow-up |
| Topics | Psilocybin |
| Keywords | Humanity Persistence discontinuity Mental image Diversity politics Species richness Developmental psychology Cognition Ecology Hallucinogen Anthropology |
| Key findings | After psilocybin truffle intake, a woman with congenital aphantasia reported enduring vivid mental imagery, with VVIQ scores rising from 16 to 80 post-intake and remaining elevated at 33 months. |
Abstract
Abstract This 33-month retrospective case report explores the impact of psilocybin truffle intake on the emergence (and persistence) of mental imagery in an autistic woman with aphantasia. Aphantasia refers to the inability to generate visual mental images, which can significantly affect individuals' experiences and cognitive processes. The case study focuses on a 34-year-old autistic woman who had been living with aphantasia since childhood. After consuming psilocybin truffles, she reported experiencing vivid mental imagery for the first time, with the ability to manipulate and explore images in her mind. The effects persisted even after the psychedelic effects of psilocybin subsided. To document this change, she completed the Vividness of Visual Imagery Questionnaire at several timepoints. Retrospectively, she reported a baseline score of 16 (pre-intake) and a post-intake score of 80. A contemporaneous follow-up conducted 12 months later revealed a score of 59, and a subsequent assessment at 33 months showed a further increase to 68, slightly above the population average. The findings align with previous research on the effects of psilocybin on brain connectivity, neuroplasticity, and visual processing. The case report highlights the potential of psilocybin to modulate mental imagery in individuals with (putatively congenital) aphantasia and suggests avenues for further research. Moreover, it raises questions about the classification and pathologization of aphantasia, encouraging a shift toward recognizing cognitive diversity rather than pathologizing neurocognitive differences.
Comparable studies
Other case reports and case series on psilocybin, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Psilocybin Mushroom (Psilocybe semilanceata) Intoxication with Myocardial Infarction 18-year-old man | 1998 | Case study | n = 1 |
| Relief from intractable phantom pain by combining psilocybin and mirror visual-feedback (MVF) Person with leg amputation and phantom-limb pain | 2018 | Case study | n = 1 |
| Hallucinogen persisting perception disorder after psilocybin consumption: a case study 18-year-old man with HPPD after mixed psilocybin and cannabis intoxication | 2005 | Case study | n = 1 |
| Microdosing psilocybin for chronic pain: a case series Individuals with chronic neuropathic pain | 2022 | Case series | n = 3 |
| Psilocybin and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Individual with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder | 2014 | Case study | n = 1 |
Citations in the library
Cites 28
- Neural correlates of the psychedelic state as determined by fMRI studies with psilocybin Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences January 23, 2012
- Psilocybin occasioned mystical-type experiences: immediate and persisting dose-related effects. Psychopharmacology December 1, 2011
- Homological scaffolds of brain functional networks Journal of the Royal Society, Interface October 29, 2014
- Psilocybin induces rapid and persistent growth of dendritic spines in frontal cortex in vivo Neuron July 5, 2021
- Psychedelics promote neuroplasticity through the activation of intracellular 5-HT2A receptors Science February 16, 2023
and 23 more in the library