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why said:
The real question is why does a lessening of the sense of 'self' sometimes cause a religous or mystical experience? and are such experiences real or delusion?

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susej said:
So what do mushrooms do to you physically? It's a poison, right? What actually happens? What makes you hallicinate? 

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You have neurons in your brain. These are the basic conduits for all brian activity; everything from sight, to thought, to emotion, to balance, etc. A chemical signal (neurotransmitter) enters one end of the nueron, is translated into an electrical signal, sent down the nueron, translated back into a chemical signal, and shot out into a "pool" of synaptic fluid known as the "synaptic gap". Millions of neurons draw from this pool, and turn them into messages for other neurons.

The reason you feel anything from drugs of most types is because they interfere with the way signals travel across your synaptic gaps.

"Typically, drugs imitate or alter neurotransmitters, the chemicals that carry messages between brain cells. Some drugs cause more neurotransmitters to be released, increasing the activity of brain cells. Ecstasy, amphetamine, and some antidepressants are examples of drugs that have this effect.  Other drugs slow the removal of neurotransmitters after they are released. Thsi prolongs the action of transmitter chemicals and typically has a stimulating effect (cocaine works in this way)." (Coon 10ed. p.268)

Hallucinogens confuse the neurotransmitters paths...causing them to sometimes slow while others are speeding up. Others bond where they shouldn't, and some don't bond where they should. This causes our senses, emotions, and general thought processes to be distorted to varying degrees.

Hope that helps! 

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they make your brain bleed. The blood seaping down the side of your skull then enters the hippocampus (sp?) and thats what gives you visuals. You can read more about it on erowid.org.

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