MadDoc

I can't touch MJ. It makes my visuals intolerable and it gives me a very uneasy feeling. I can't say if it will be a problem for you. We're all different in how psychoactive substances effect us. All I can say is what I would do. I would remain sober for some period of time to see how I was doing. There is never "no risk" in life. I know quite a few people who have used psychedelics and consume MJ on a regular basis with no apparent hppd. Then again there are some that find MJ very unpleasant including auditory and visual hallucinations. It's something you need to decide. I'm probably not saying anything you don't already know and I'm no expert on hppd. I'm just an old guy who has had it for a long time. Dig through this site. There's a lot of information here. Knowledge is power! I hope everything works out for you.

Jdk, relax. Everything is going to be fine. It doesn't sound like you have hppd. Even if you do develop symptoms, which sounds unlikely if you stay clean, you can live a full and productive life. You say you work in an office so I'm assuming that you're working in a profession (forgive me if I assume incorrectly). I've had significant hppd since I was a kid and it hasn't hampered my ability to peruse a cerebral career. Tell yourself that everything is going to be just exactly perfect and keep moving forward. I apologize if I'm coming off as preachy. It's just in my nature. Please keep posting even if no symptoms are evident. There are a lot of bright and knowledgeable people in this forum. At least for me, the more I know, the less I worry.

Sounds like anxiety is you main issue. When I first had symptoms there was no question about it, I had hppd though it didn't have a name at the time. Also, it's not unusual to have some short term effects after taking psychedelics. The most sound advice in this thread is just stop taking hallucinogenic substances. You may never get hppd but why live with the constant anxiety that you might?

It depends what you mean by abnormal. I've definately altered my thinking process from taking psychedelics. To me, it's one of the benefits I've experienced. I don't see the world like most people so my thoughts and ideas tend to be "outside of the box" for lack of a better term. I can see something funny in most situations if I think about it. I don't care about image, what car I drive, what title I have because it doesn't matter. At work I often hear "how did you come up with that?" When I find a solution to whatever it is i'm working on. Is that abnormal? I guess I don't care. Being normal is highly over rated! Once in a while you get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right. Robert Hunter

That doctor is in Boston, right? I wonder if he needs a lab rat. What have I got to lose?

Yikes! I highly doubt that there is any surgery specific enough to stop hppd symptoms without causing other issues. My wife had brain surgery to have a tumor removed and it's serious business! While they supposedly "just" removed the tumor she wasn't the same person after she recovered. She's had a number of challenges. Even with all the science, research, and diagnostics I can't imagine that brain surgery would be an option. Just my opinion you understand.

I'm no doctor, just some guy with hppd but it sounds like you're under a huge amount of stress and that can do all kinds of things to the body and the mind. Also, it's not unusual to see "trails" after dosing. I used to call HBW seeds " trail seeds" because they would often produce trails for a few days. I don't know what it is about LSA but it takes some time to clear the system. I give the same advice to everyone. Stop taking drugs for a while and see how things are going. Above all, don't despair!

I've mentioned this before and here I go again. I had symptoms of hppd after the first time I used psychedelics. Granted, it was a big dose. I kept using psychedelics for six years. I ended up with visuals I see nearly all the time and I doubt they'll ever go away. Psychedelics have a lot to teach. However, powerful psychotropic drugs can cause unwanted effects in some. Myself included. Trust me, you don't want to be permanently altered by psychedelics. At least take some time away from tripping to see how you fare. A couple of years. I'm no anti-drug zealot but I've lived with hppd for a long time. While I've gotten used to it, I often wish I could see the world as "it is" instead of seeing the patterns my mind makes me see. My two cents, or pence if you prefer.

It could definately take longer. You're doing the right thing by abstaining from using psychoactive chemicals. I continued using heavily after the first symptoms started and they became permanent. ... sort of. Even with all the drugs I took the crazy mental images I would "see" in my mind went away. It took a long time but that aspect of my hppd healed. The brain is amazing. Don't underestimate yours!

Thanks! I learn something new in here every day. The strange thing with the auras I "see" is how my visuals incorporate into the aura. The patterns I tend to see on surfaces are part of the aura. I wonder what's going on in the brain to make that happen? Stranger and stranger!

Interesting article. My visuals are distracting but nothing like the what she has! Man, the brain is a strange device.

Jay hit the nail on the head. Just stop using psychoactive drugs. I first noticed mild symptoms after my first use of LSD. I continued using psychedelics for years and the visuals definitely got worse over time. Sobriety is your best option. Chances are, it won't get worse if you're clean. Hang in there, it's going to be ok. I've lived with visuals for some time and everything is fine.

When my auras (I think that's the right term) go away, that's it. Sometimes I feel queasy but it doesn't make my visuals "worse".

A few years back I started seeing "sawtooth" visuals with brilliant colors and complex shapes. I assumed this was part of my usual visuals but instead of just being on a surface I saw these patterns floating in the air. I finally looked into it more deeply and discovered it was a symptom of a migraine. I never feel any pain when this occurs. Very similar to this video except when I get them they include complex designs. More like a DMT visual. Fortunately it only lasts about 20 minutes.

Walking anywhere away from civilization. I like to identify birds and plants on each journey. I guess I'm a nerd wherever I go (:

I've never had visual snow, but apparently many people with hppd do. It's heartening to see someone doing research in that area. Thank you for posting.

I doubt my visuals are caused by retinal neurons. I see shapes, designs, patterns, etc. They can become quite complex if I stare at something long enough. Seems to me that if I'm seeing Aztec glyphs in the carpet something is happening deeper in the brain. However, it makes sense that after images (which I don't get) might be more immediate. If I understand it correctly, you're seeing a visual representation of something you just looked at. Thank you for looking into this. Interesting!

Welcome, I found this forum after having persistent visuals for all of my adult life. I hadn't realized that my condition had a name until recently and it was freeing to discover I wasn't the only person in the world who had residual symptoms from using psychedelics. I also took some very large doses when I was in my late teens but I think hppd had set in when I first started taking lsd in my early teens. Now I'm a late middle aged guy who has visual anomolies pretty much all the time. That being said, life has been wonderful even with hppd. As for coping, meditation practice has been a huge help. Also, staying focused makes my visuals far less prominent. There are a bunch of bright people who post here and a wealth of information. It took me a while to read just a fraction of the posts but it was time well spent.

Thank you for posting the article. Interesting! Is ketamin the "date rape" drug? I'd never heard that. I think anyone who has taken a significant dose would agree. I remember the insight into things. It was like seeing the world for the first time. Did I experience a higher level of conciousness or did I just perceive that I did? But perception is reality to the observer, so .... hmmmmm.

20 can be a wonder age. It can also be a stressful one. Do you think some of your anxiety has something to do with the life changing decisions that get shover at you? What I'm saying is your anxiety might not be caused from MJ and a few psychedelic experiences. Something to consider. The visual snow, I gather, is more of an indicator. I never had it myself. Instead, I had visuals from the get go. People have mentioned avoiding drugs and I realize that can be difficult. But if you stop for some period of time and focus your life the symptoms may moderate. Hang in there!

Cafeine, especially in the morning, makes my visuals a lot more noticeable. It also gives me a tripping feeling in the center of my body. If I consume caffeine in the afternoon it puts me to sleep. No explaining it, just is.

Do you think fatigue has anything with your symptoms turning on/off? When I'm tIred my visuals tend to be more prominent. Driving can be stressful so taking a long drive without anxiety sounds like a good sign.

Would you repost without the blue? Some of us have visual anomalies. Thanks.

I drank quite a bit for about 10 years in my life. It didn't make my visuals worse or better but it beat the he'll out of my body. It masks the causes of anxiety and depression which were all waiting for me when I stopped. It cures nothing and it's a nasty drug if you can't control it. Some can, some can't . Stopped long ago, never looked back.

Just to be clear, I'm not a doctor. When I was a kid I was called the "Mad Doctor" because I was pretty good at chemistry especially refining plant extractions. Like the way Bugs Bunny calls everyone "doc". I'm a lot more like Elmer Fudd.