Psychedelics may work by shutting down reality and unlocking memory

Psychedelics can shift perception by reducing visual input and increasing memory-driven processing, causing the brain to “fill in the blanks” with internally recalled fragments. Researchers propose a mechanism centered on serotonin 5-HT2A receptor activity: suppression of visual processing makes external imagery less accessible, so the brain recruits stored images and experiences to construct perception. In real-time experiments using fluorescent brain imaging in mice, psychedelics increased slow, rhythmic 5 Hz oscillations in visual areas and strengthened communication with the retrosplenial cortex, a hub for memory access. This coordinated neural shift weakens awareness of current external events while biasing perception toward internal recall, described as partial dreaming while awake. The findings are framed as potentially relevant for psychedelic-assisted therapy, offering a biological rationale for both hallucinations and how medically supervised use might help rebalance strongly negative learned thought patterns by selectively recalling more positive memory content.