Would you like to see bright, vivid colors and objects without taking drugs? (Although Coffee could be an exception to this.) That could be possible. A new study suggests that just the power of suggestion will allow you to hallucinate.
Hallucination is described as a trance-like state characterized by heightened focus, concentration, and inner absorption, according to the Mayo Clinic.
The new study found that all the subjects who were easily hypnotized reported seeing a range of colors even while not under hypnosis, McGeown said.
The scientists didn't just take their word for it—MRI scans showed that the parts of the subjects' brains linked to color perception lit up when they saw the imaginary hues (Note picture).
"We can see changes in these color-sensitive regions of their brains, which they have no way of faking," said McGeown, who published the study with colleagues in the December issue of the journalConsciousness and Cognition.
It is hopeful that people could start experiencing less pain by conjuring up their own hallucinations. Hallucinations could also help those who have phobias. Let’s hope that these scientific experiments will serve humans in this capacity.
Source:
News/nationalgeographic.com/Christine Dell'Amore/National Geographic News/ Published December 7, 2011
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