{"id":17015,"date":"2021-02-11T19:58:07","date_gmt":"2021-02-11T19:58:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wholecelium.com\/?p=17015"},"modified":"2023-11-07T12:18:46","modified_gmt":"2023-11-07T11:18:46","slug":"gli-scienziati-scoprono-come-funziona-la-morte-dellego","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wholecelium.com\/it\/blog\/scientists-discover-how-ego-death-works\/","title":{"rendered":"Gli scienziati scoprono come funziona la morte dell'ego"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For those experienced psychonauts, ‘ego death’ is a common aspiration. Ego death refers to when your ego (or \u201csense of self\u201d)<\/em> dissolves completely during a psychedelic trip. We\u2019ve explored the concept of ego death\u2019s<\/a> previously, from its parallels with enlightenment, to its role in early Freudian psychoanalysis, to its Hippie rebirth during the 60\u2019s. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although the term \u2018ego death\u2019 smacks of deep spirituality, we still don\u2019t really know much about its physical<\/em> mechanism. What really goes on in the brain as it expands consciousness? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Scientists Discover How Ego Death Works <\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A new study<\/a><\/strong> using LSD may have cracked the code as to how the brain works during ego death. Apparently, LSD can split your brain (in a good way)<\/em> by allowing it to think beyond <\/em>its physical limits. Sounds mind-bending… <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Profoundly Altered State<\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Mr. Andrea Luppi<\/strong>, the study\u2019s first author and a researcher at Cambridge Neuroscience, explains:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe psychedelic compound LSD induces a profoundly altered state of consciousness. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"MRi
Imperial College London-The Beckley Foundation<\/mark><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCombining pharmaceutical [methods] with non-invasive brain imaging techniques such as functional MRI (fMRI) can provide insight into normal and abnormal brain function.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

(To clarify, \u201cabnormal brain function\u201d here means anything that strays outside of your brain\u2019s default state. Like tripping to the point of an out-of-body experience.)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the study, 20 healthy volunteers were split in two groups. The first 10 volunteers took a placebo (aka the \u201cfake one\u201d)<\/em> before going inside an fMRI brain scanner<\/strong>. The second half of the group took the same scan \u2014 only this time with an active dose of LSD.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFrom introspection, we know that the subjective stream of consciousness is a constant ebb and flow \u2013 so we explored the dynamic effects of LSD on human brain function, focusing on two key properties: integration and segregation of information in the brain.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Disobey Your Usual Program<\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Now, before we really<\/em> dig into the study\u2019s more science-y results, let\u2019s first imagine the brain as a carriage horse. The one with the leather \u201cblinkers\u201d on, which effectively covers the horse\u2019s view from the side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"horse
Photo by Randy Fath on Unsplash<\/mark><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Think of those blinkers as the limits of how brain cells are positioned inside your brain. The brain works in a very specific pattern, called integration & segregation. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

After you take in separate streams of info via sight, smell, hearing, taste, and touch, you begin to form a complete thought (integration<\/strong>).<\/em> At the same time, the brain separates these signals so they don\u2019t get mixed up with the wrong \u201cchannels\u201d (segregation<\/strong>)<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But taking LSD \u2014 and dissolving your ego as a result \u2014 allows the brain to take off those blinkers. In a way, LSD allows you to disobey your usual programming. You think of colours as sounds, and vice versa. Maybe even meet a spirit guide from an alien dimension. Brain functions are no longer simple; they\u2019ve gone deliciously complex. You\u2019re one with the universe. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"figure
Photo by Greg Rakozy on Unsplash<\/mark><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Ego death on LSD cranks up <\/strong>brain segregation<\/em><\/strong>, splitting your usual thought process. Separate streams of info (i.e. sight, smell, touch, taste, hearing) are no longer forced to \u201ccombine\u201d into a unified whole. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the study puts it: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c…the state of altered consciousness induced by LSD corresponds to an additional, <\/em>abnormal increase in functional complexity<\/em><\/strong> of the brain…\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not Just LSD <\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

After comparing the brain scans, the researchers saw that LSD can quite literally<\/em> free your mind by switching the \u201cusual patterns\u201d. Says Luppi:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe well-known feeling of \u2018ego dissolution\u2019 induced by LSD correlates with reorganisation of brain networks during a state of high global integration.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, LSD is not the only drug that can trigger ego death. The same thing happens with psilocybin, the active ingredient in shrooms! Natural psychedelics, such as magic mushrooms<\/strong> and magic truffles,<\/strong> can dissolve the ego just as well…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When taken to the point of \u2018ego death\u2019, psilocybin<\/strong> also changes our brain\u2019s rules of function. Luckily, brain imaging tech is on the rise. \u2018Ego death\u2019 can now be tracked as it happens, via shifting patterns in brain scans. It\u2019s no longer a mere metaphor, my dude! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beyond the Dictates of Anatomy<\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The study links \u2018ego death\u2019 to the brain cranking up its segregation<\/strong>. This splits up the brain\u2019s thought process, usually bound by rules and patterns. As the authors explained:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDue to the effects of LSD, the brain is free to explore a variety of functional connectivity patterns that go beyond those dictated by anatomy – presumably resulting in the unusual beliefs and experiences reported during the psychedelic state.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s a theory called \u201cDynamic Functional Connectivity\u201d<\/em>. It claims that the brain \u2014 in all its gooey goodness \u2014 can show physical changes <\/strong>in nerve connections to match<\/em> our actual thoughts. It may seem impossible at first. Has the new study on LSD & ego death proven this bonkers theory for sure?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where the Mind Meets the Brain<\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Major research on psychedelics has truly come far. Especially when it comes to potential therapeutic benefits<\/strong> for a host of conditions such as resistant depression and PTSD. There\u2019s a lot we don\u2019t yet understand about human physiology\u2026and how psychedelics such as LSD, magic mushrooms<\/strong> & magic truffles<\/strong> can bend the rules of reality, if only for a moment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThese results reveal a more nuanced, temporally-specific picture of altered brain connectivity and complexity under psychedelics than has previously been reported.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Indeed, a fog of mystery still lurks between consciousness and brain structure\u2014where the mind meets the brain. Will psychedelics reveal the secrets of the human soul next? <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\"...completa trascendenza - al di l\u00e0 delle parole, dello spazio-tempo, del s\u00e9. Non ci sono visioni, n\u00e9 senso del s\u00e9, n\u00e9 pensieri. C'\u00e8 solo pura consapevolezza e libert\u00e0 estatica\". (Timothy Leary)<\/p>","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":18185,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[68],"tags":[],"topics":[],"class_list":["post-17015","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-science-and-studies"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wholecelium.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17015","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wholecelium.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wholecelium.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wholecelium.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wholecelium.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17015"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.wholecelium.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17015\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":160488,"href":"https:\/\/www.wholecelium.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17015\/revisions\/160488"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wholecelium.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18185"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wholecelium.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17015"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wholecelium.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17015"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wholecelium.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17015"},{"taxonomy":"topics","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wholecelium.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/topics?post=17015"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}