# Section: Psychedelics as Enhancers of [[Aesthetic Experience]] Before going on to put forward our more full-blooded [[positive account]] of [[psychedelic aesthetics]], it is worth considering a conciliatory position: neither psychedelic substances, nor psychedelic states are aesthetically appreciated themselves; rather, they serve to enhance [[aesthetic appreciation]] of more typical [[aesthetic objects]] such as artworks or nature. This position has intuitive appeal, as it aligns with many first-person reports while avoiding the thornier questions about the direct [[aesthetic value]] of psychedelic substances themselves. This provides a clear answer to the 'what' question (although we will say a little more at the end of this section), but what about the 'how'? ### Vivacity and Detail The most straightforward way psychedelics might enhance [[aesthetic appreciation]] is through their well-documented effects on perception. Users consistently report: - Colours appearing more vibrant and saturated - Details becoming more noticeable or significant - Textures seeming more pronounced or meaningful - Visual patterns appearing more complex or intricate These perceptual enhancements might simply amplify the [[aesthetic properties]] already present in artworks or natural environments. A sunset becomes more beautiful not because psychedelics create beauty, but because they allow the viewer to engage more fully with [[the beauty]] that was already there. - [add a detail here about exactly how it would work, and a few references to the reports found in Letheby.] ## Environmental Unity and Aesthetic Immersion As well as straightforward perceptual enhancement, psychedelics often produce experiences of unity or connectedness with one's surroundings. Users describe: - "Becoming one with the music" - Feeling "at one with nature" - Boundaries between self and environment dissolving - A sense of direct participation in [[aesthetic objects]] [more quotes from letheby and maybe Lyon] This connects interestingly with Carlson's work on [[the aesthetics]] of natural environments. Carlson argues that proper appreciation of nature involves understanding oneself as *part of nature* rather than separate from it. Psychedelics might facilitate exactly this kind of immersive appreciation by temporarily dissolving the perceived boundaries between observer and environment. [[The unity]] experiences complicate the "what" question. When someone reports "becoming the music" or "feeling one with nature," the subject/object distinction implicit in the what question starts to get fuzzy.