The potential risks of opening the mind’s eye with psychedelic therapies

Abstract

Psychedelic therapy is on the rise, as its legalisation is ongoing in multiple countries. Here, we write a note of warning regarding recent reports that people with aphantasia (a blind mind’s eye) have acquired visual mental imagery after using psychedelics. While the prospect of gaining, or indeed increasing, visual mental imagery is appealing to many, strong mental imagery has been associated with a range of mental conditions. How ‘switching on’ visual imagery in people with aphantasia or increasing its strength in neurotypical individuals might impact mental health remains unknown. We advocate for increased awareness of this issue and its ethical implications, particularly regarding informed consent.