Reply to “Ayahuasca turned on my mind’s eye”: A case of acquired versus congenital aphantasia, as evidenced with DMT use?
Journal of Psychedelic Studies December 1, 2018 DOI: 10.1556/2054.2018.014 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Case study Case report Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 1 |
| Population | Individual with apparent congenital aphantasia |
| Intervention | N |
| Topics | Ayahuasca DMT |
| Keywords | Psychoanalysis Cognitive science |
| Citations | 20 |
| Key findings | An individual with apparent congenital aphantasia reported no visual imagery after smoking N,N-dimethyltryptamine, supporting the distinction between acquired and congenital aphantasia. |
Abstract
In a recent article in this journal, Dos Santos et al. (2018) report a case of ayahuasca use by a man with aphantasia. This account is the first such report of the use of a psychedelic agent by someone with aphantasia. Surprisingly, the case, SE, reported an improvement in their visual imagery following one particular instance of ayahuasca use. In support of Dos Santos et al.’s (2018) favored psychological explanation for improvement and their suggestion that SE’s aphantasia was acquired rather than congenital, this letter reports on a case study of an individual with apparent congenital aphantasia who has experienced no visual imagery, despite reported having excessively smoked N,Ndimethyltryptamine. It is proposed that the theoretical distinction between acquired and congenital aphantasia be further explored with regard to the use of psychedelics. In addition, further research with psychedelics should include self-report measures that can index aphantasia, such as the Vividness of Visual Imagery Questionnaire, as well as behavioral tasks, such as those measuring binocular rivalry.
Comparable studies
Other case reports and case series on DMT, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| A fatal intoxication following the ingestion of 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine in an ayahuasca preparation. 25-year-old white male | 2005 | Case study | n = 1 |
| A case report SPECT study and theoretical rationale for the sequential administration of ibogaine and 5-MeO-DMT in the treatment of alcohol use disorder. 31-year-old male military veteran with moderate alcohol use disorder | 2018 | Case study | n = 1 |
| Acute Intoxication following Dimethyltryptamine Ingestion Patient with history of schizophrenia who ingested ayahuasca tea | 2018 | Case study | n = 1 |
| A Physician’s Attempt to Self-Medicate Bipolar Depression with N,N-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT) A physician with refractory bipolar depression | 2017 | Case study | n = 1 |
| This is your brain on death: a comparative analysis of a near-death experience and subsequent 5-Methoxy-DMT experience. An individual who had a near-death experience during a coma caused by bacterial... | 2023 | Case study | n = 1 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 12
- Apophenia, absorption and anxiety: Evidence for individual differences in positive and negative experiences of Hallucinogen Persisting Perceptual Disorder Journal of Psychedelic Studies August 8, 2022
- Psychedelic Experience October 26, 2023
- Attention Psychedelic Experience October 26, 2023
- Well-Being Psychedelic Experience October 26, 2023
- “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
and 7 more in the library
Cites 4
- Dose-Response Study of N,N-Dimethyltryptamine in Humans Archives of General Psychiatry February 1, 1994
- Clinical investigations of the therapeutic potential of ayahuasca: rationale and regulatory challenges. Pharmacology & Therapeutics May 1, 2004
- DMT Models the Near-Death Experience Frontiers in Psychology August 15, 2018
- “Ayahuasca turned on my mind’s eye”: Enhanced visual imagery after ayahuasca intake in a man with “blind imagination” (aphantasia) Journal of Psychedelic Studies July 25, 2018