Level V

[symbioidlj]

"After testing many candidate regions, the researchers localized the effects of hallucinogens to the pyramidal neurons in layer V of the somatosensory cortex, a relatively high-level region known to modulate the activity of other sections in the cortex and subcortical areas."

via: sciam

Comments

[vyoma.livejournal.com]

Probably a part of the mechanism, but not the whole thing. It is, in any case, just a chemical, so it's only a matter of time and resources before we can pin down how it works. When that happens, it will be interesting to see how the pathways involved in this interaction interplay with others... like those in schizophrenia, religious experience (god-center stuff), etc.

Understanding the precise mechanisms will eventually make for some much more targeted halluinogens and devices as well. In a few decades more, one will be able to choose one's hallucinations!