trees-are-imposing
Greenlighter
- Joined
- Oct 8, 2023
- Messages
- 2
Most people have two eyes, and can use them together for depth perception, forming a 3D image of the world around them. That's stereo vision, and it's very helpful in playing sports, driving a car, threading a needle, etc. About 7% of adults can't, though. Most of those people have okay vision in each eye alone; their brains just can't align and fuse the two images properly.
For a long time, scientists believed it was impossible for those people to ever see in 3D. Perhaps for that reason, most optometrists don't routinely test for this, and most patients are unaware that anything's wrong--one might know they're a nervous driver, but not the reason why. But about twenty years ago, a biology professor successfully recovered her own stereo vision. Since then, many other people have too, though there's still no reliable treatment. About a year ago, I did myself, in a surprising set of experiences involving LSD; see my post history on reddit (same username) for details.
I'm curious to know what role the drug might have played in my gain. I've found a few other anecdotes, but nothing beyond that. I therefore thought I'd post here.
Is there anyone else here who doesn't have stereo vision normally, but does have it on LSD or another drug? You can test your stereo vision in a few ways, including:
Take care that medical attempts to recover stereo vision (usually without drugs, using special eye exercises) have in rare cases caused permanent double vision, if the patient succeeded in using both eyes but failed to fuse the images together. Patients known to have amblyopia (lazy eye) or strabismus (eye turn, squint) are probably at higher risk. If you do experience double vision on LSD, then it will almost certainly wear off with the drug; I've seen many reports of temporary double vision there, but none of permanent. I'd still try to minimize any experience of double vision, to avoid reinforcing that unwanted perception through use. For example, you could try to find something else to look at that doesn't cause the double vision, or just close your eyes.
Thanks, stay safe, and good luck. I'm especially interested here in the potential for a legitimate medical use of psychedelics, with a more objective endpoint than the softer psychological conditions for which these drugs have also been proposed. A group at UC Irvine reports efficacy for ketamine against amblyopia deliberately induced in mice, and proposes a biochemical mechanism; so while this is definitely speculative, I don't think it's completely outlandish.
For a long time, scientists believed it was impossible for those people to ever see in 3D. Perhaps for that reason, most optometrists don't routinely test for this, and most patients are unaware that anything's wrong--one might know they're a nervous driver, but not the reason why. But about twenty years ago, a biology professor successfully recovered her own stereo vision. Since then, many other people have too, though there's still no reliable treatment. About a year ago, I did myself, in a surprising set of experiences involving LSD; see my post history on reddit (same username) for details.
I'm curious to know what role the drug might have played in my gain. I've found a few other anecdotes, but nothing beyond that. I therefore thought I'd post here.
Is there anyone else here who doesn't have stereo vision normally, but does have it on LSD or another drug? You can test your stereo vision in a few ways, including:
- View a 3D display, like a Nintendo 3DS, or any VR headset, or a 3D movie on a normal display with red-blue glasses. You should perceive the depth. Close one eye, and the depth should go away; if it doesn't, then it wasn't stereo vision. (This test is the best one, if you have the equipment.)
- Put a dot of colored tape on a plain white wall, and stand a few feet back. Hold one finger a couple inches from your nose, in line with the tape. Look at your finger, and you should see two tape dots. Look at the tape dot, and you should see two fingers. (This test proves that your two eyes are working together, but it doesn't prove you're seeing depth.)
- View an autostereogram, like a "magic eye" poster. (This test proves that you're seeing depth, and doesn't require special equipment. Even people with otherwise normal stereo vision may have trouble seeing autostereograms, though.)
Take care that medical attempts to recover stereo vision (usually without drugs, using special eye exercises) have in rare cases caused permanent double vision, if the patient succeeded in using both eyes but failed to fuse the images together. Patients known to have amblyopia (lazy eye) or strabismus (eye turn, squint) are probably at higher risk. If you do experience double vision on LSD, then it will almost certainly wear off with the drug; I've seen many reports of temporary double vision there, but none of permanent. I'd still try to minimize any experience of double vision, to avoid reinforcing that unwanted perception through use. For example, you could try to find something else to look at that doesn't cause the double vision, or just close your eyes.
Thanks, stay safe, and good luck. I'm especially interested here in the potential for a legitimate medical use of psychedelics, with a more objective endpoint than the softer psychological conditions for which these drugs have also been proposed. A group at UC Irvine reports efficacy for ketamine against amblyopia deliberately induced in mice, and proposes a biochemical mechanism; so while this is definitely speculative, I don't think it's completely outlandish.