INCONSTANCY OF THE FORMAL STRUCTURE OF THE PERSONALITY

Abstract

The drug mescaline¹has a peculiar influence on the central nervous system of man.²Within a brief time after its introduction into the organism it causes a clearcut disorder. The most characteristic symptoms are visual phenomena. The subject sees, with closed eyes, with open eyes in a dark room or against the background of a screen, a wealth of visons characterized by lavish colors and more or less geometric forms, all of which are in perpetual movement. Among other symptoms, some of which are remarkably constant and occur in practically every case, are: a general passive attitude; a surprising disorientation as to the time that elapses during the experiment; a tendency to observe tiny details in the immediate environment, such as beginning fine cracks in the wall; an increased sensitiveness and attention to all colors in the environment; a feeling that the whole body is "lighter"; a pleasant