By Prana Lite 
The Misconception About Psychedelic Brain Activity
People used to think that psychedelic substances, which create incredibly rich and powerful experiences, would make the brain much more active. The idea was that these experiences were like turning on a lot of lights in the brain at once, similar to a Christmas tree. However, new studies show that psychedelics actually reduce brain activity in many areas, rather than increase it. This surprising result has been found for several substances like psilocybin, LSD, and DMT using different imaging techniques, and by researchers from different countries. This new understanding challenges the long-held belief that the intensity of an experience is always linked to heightened brain activity. Instead, it opens up new questions about how these substances work and what they reveal about the nature of consciousness.
Challenging the Physicalist View of Consciousness
The common scientific view, called physicalism, suggests that all experiences are caused by the brain’s activity. If there is no brain activity—like in a dead person—there is no experience. Based on this idea, it makes sense to think that more intense experiences, like those caused by psychedelics, must be linked to more brain activity. But since studies show that brain activity doesn’t actually increase, scientists have been trying to explain what else might be happening in the brain. This has led to a re-evaluation of how we understand the connection between the brain and consciousness, and whether there could be other factors at play beyond simple brain activity levels.
The Entropic Brain Hypothesis
One popular theory suggests that while overall brain activity decreases, the remaining activity becomes more random or disorganized. This idea is called the “entropic brain hypothesis,” which says that this randomness or “brain noise” increases the richness of the psychedelic experience. The logic behind this is that more random activity contains more “information” in a technical sense, leading to a richer experience. Essentially, the brain becomes less predictable, allowing for new and different types of experiences to emerge that would not normally be accessible in a more structured state of consciousness.
Flaws in the Entropic Brain Hypothesis
But this argument is flawed. The kind of “information” they’re talking about here is based on randomness, like TV static. TV static might have a lot of complexity, but it doesn’t mean anything to us; it’s chaotic and unstructured. In contrast, psychedelic experiences are not random or meaningless. People describe them as deeply meaningful, full of vivid images, insights, and emotions—the complete opposite of TV static. The experiences often involve a sense of interconnectedness, profound realizations, and sometimes even spiritual insights, which suggests that there is an underlying order and depth to these states of mind.
Meaningful Patterns in Psychedelic Experiences
The richness of a psychedelic experience comes from the meaningful and recognizable patterns in the mind. It’s not about the brain being chaotic but about the connections and insights that are unlocked during the experience. The theory that increased brain randomness leads to deeper experiences is problematic because it confuses two types of information: one that refers to the randomness of signals, and one that refers to meaningful content. Psychedelic experiences are rich in meaning, not just random noise. The meaningful connections made during these experiences can often lead to lasting changes in perspective, behavior, and even emotional well-being, which further emphasizes that these experiences are anything but random.
A Broader View of Consciousness
This connects with a broader view of consciousness. The traditional scientific view is that consciousness is produced by the brain. If you follow this view, the psychedelic experience is difficult to explain because it doesn’t match the changes in brain activity that scientists expect. However, if you consider the idea that consciousness exists beyond just the brain, it makes more sense. From this perspective, the brain is not the source of consciousness but rather a filter or an appearance of a deeper reality. Psychedelic substances might alter the usual functioning of this filter, allowing more of that underlying consciousness to be experienced. This perspective suggests that the brain usually acts as a limiting mechanism, reducing the vastness of consciousness to something more manageable for everyday functioning.
Consciousness Beyond the Brain
In other words, consciousness might be fundamental, and what we see in brain scans is just the external appearance of what is happening in a deeper sense. When someone takes a psychedelic, the usual patterns of brain activity might become less active, allowing them to experience a broader and more profound reality of consciousness that is normally filtered out. This view aligns with the idea that our true nature is not limited to our thoughts or body, but is something much deeper and more connected. It implies that consciousness is not created by the brain but is something that the brain interacts with or channels. Psychedelics may help loosen the usual constraints of the brain, giving us a glimpse into a more expansive state of being that is always present but often hidden.
The Transformative Potential of Psychedelic Experiences
This broader view of consciousness challenges the materialistic understanding of the mind and suggests that our sense of self and awareness is not just a byproduct of brain processes. Instead, it points to a deeper, more interconnected reality where consciousness plays a fundamental role. Psychedelic experiences seem to reveal aspects of this deeper reality, offering insights that can be life-changing and transformative. These experiences often feel more real and significant than ordinary consciousness, leading many people to question the nature of reality itself. By reducing the brain’s filtering activity, psychedelics might allow individuals to tap into a greater consciousness that is usually obscured by everyday mental processes.
Personal Growth and Unity Through Psychedelics
This understanding also helps explain why people who undergo psychedelic experiences often report feeling more connected to the world around them, experiencing a sense of unity, and gaining insights into their own lives and the nature of existence. These experiences can lead to profound personal growth, helping individuals to overcome fears, heal emotional wounds, and gain a new sense of purpose. The idea that consciousness is more than just brain activity suggests that these experiences are not merely hallucinations but are glimpses into a deeper layer of reality that we all have access to, even if only temporarily.
Importantly, psychedelics are not the only way to access these deeper layers of consciousness. Many people have profound experiences of unity and connection through practices such as meditation, mindfulness, or deep contemplation, which are often associated with non-duality. Non-duality is the understanding that the sense of separation between ourselves and the world is an illusion, and that in reality, there is only one unified consciousness. People who have non-dual experiences often describe a similar sense of interconnectedness and profound insight, without the use of any substances. These experiences suggest that our natural state, when the usual filters of the mind are relaxed or bypassed, is one of deep connection, peace, and expanded awareness.
Whether accessed through psychedelics or through practices like meditation, these experiences point to the recognition that consciousness itself is ever-present, always fully available, and not divided into layers. The brain plays a role in filtering our conscious experience, and psychedelics may temporarily reduce this filtering, allowing us to perceive a broader aspect of consciousness. In contrast, meditative practices achieve similar outcomes by gently quieting the mind and loosening the brain’s habitual patterns. Psychedelics may provide a sudden and intense glimpse of this reality, while meditative practices offer a gentler, more sustainable path. Both approaches highlight the idea that our everyday perception is limited, and that by altering or quieting the usual patterns of the mind, we can experience a more profound, interconnected state of being.
*This article is inspired by an article Bernardo Kastrup wrote: [Brain Scans Tell Us Nothing About Consciousness](https://iai.tv/articles/brain-scans-tell-us-nothing-about-conciousness-auid-2514?_auid=2020)*
