[Solved] Are hallucinations real or pareidolia?

When someone uses psychedelics such as DMT, psilocybin, or LSD, a state of hyperconnectivity in the brain. Normally, the filters default mode network our sensory perception to maintain a stable worldview. But during a psychedelic state, this filter is partially switched off, causing more raw, unfiltered information enters and your brain starts interpreting what it sees more actively.

Combine that with pareidolia – the brain’s tendency to recognize meaningful patterns in random stimuli – and you get hallucinations that often appear visually coherent: faces in clouds, geometric patterns in tree bark, or even complex “codes” in beams of light.

The cross laser and “the matrix code”

The phenomenon whereby people on DMT or LSD in the light of a cross laser (usually 650 nm red) seemingly seeing a "code of reality" is a well-known phenomenon. In this type of experiment, people often experience:

• Moving geometric structures
• Patterns that look like symbols or alien-like signs
• A feeling that they are viewing 'the source code of reality'

This is partly explained scientifically by the speckle patterns of lasers falling on the retina, and how DMT completely opens up the processing of these stimuli. Because the brain attempts to interpret the world much more intensely under the influence of DMT, the illusion of a meaningful code arises. It is therefore partly pareidolia, but enhanced by psychedelic neurodynamics.

Is it all 'not real' then?

What we understand by “real” is partly a philosophical question. From a neurobiological standpoint, hallucinations are subjective experiences, generated in the brain without an external stimulus. But that does not necessarily make them less meaningful. In psychedelic therapy, these inner visions are often viewed as mirrors of the subconscious. What you see is therefore real in the sense that it reflects your interpretation of yourself, your traumas, your symbolism, or your spirituality. How true it is cannot be verified. You do, however, know that whatever you experience, see, or smell is your own interpretation of real stimuli or expectations of the brain.

During a psilocybin session or truffle ceremony can these experiences lead to lasting psychological insights – even if, from a neurological perspective, they constitute pareidolia.

Summary

Hallucinations under psychedelics are partly neurologically explainable (such as via pareidolia), but their meaning transcends the physical cause. When people perceive laser light as “code” during a psychedelic journey, they project inner symbolism onto a visual trigger – and that is precisely what often makes psychedelic therapy so powerful. They are visual metaphors for deeper layers of yourself.

Would you like to investigate this phenomenon yourself in a responsible manner? Then fill out the without obligation. intake for trip therapy in. We are happy to help you with the right preparation and guidance.

It often feels very real, but what you dream, hallucinate, or see in optical illusions is actually your own urge to search for patterns and meaning. It is logical that you see code, language, faces, animals, humanoids, or other things you interact with frequently. These are the beaten paths in the brain and, alongside geometry, feature prominently in trips. 

The funny thing about that laser and DMT is that many people believe in their own truth!