# Notes on symbolic image psychedelic paper #refereeing - comments in relation to [[Symbolic Imagery Chapter Draft.docx]] ## transcript - OK, so I'll just try to get some notes down about some of my issues with this paper. And I think they can all be sort of centred around the fact that I don't really see any sort of an argument here. It doesn't seem like they're really a tempting one. But connected to that, they're quite vague on what symbolic imagery, how that works, as it were. Is it that the symbolic imagery is sort of an aspect of their mind that's undiscovered? That seems to be what it's saying. But that could be just maybe confabulation on the part of the person? I don't know. ## quick notes >One mechanism in particular has remained relatively underexplored: [[the role]] of symbolic imagery, which we define as internal or externally-driven visual experiences perceived to have significant symbolic meaning. - I have a few worries with this definition. - It is somewhat circular. "Symbolic imagery" is (partly) defined in terms of "symbolic meaning". - Also, 'perceived' is a bit vague. I don't think the intention is to say that it is part of perceptual content (even if this includes imaginative content). I take it is more like 'considered by the experiencer', but that also sounds a vague.. - Finally, I'm not sure if this is meant to be deliberately open-ended, but this definition potentially also includes non-psychedelic experiences. >However, the profound meaning of these experiences is not simply inherent but emerges through the symbols, visions, and imagery encountered during the psychedelic state. The interpretation of these images plays a central role in how they are understood and integrated, raising a [[key question]]: do the images themselves act as conduits for transformation, or does meaning emerge as a result of interpretation? - This passage ends with a really interesting question, and I wonder whether it could be explored in slightly more depth than it is at the moment. - To begin with, there is not an explicit answer given in the paragraphs that follow, although it seems fairly clear that interpretation is what is required. - The first possibility, [[the idea]] that these images are "conduits", is not really explored aside from a mention of "archetypes" and "transpersonal" meaning from shared symbolic structure. –I would have like to have seen more - Also, this part of the text would benefit from a stricter definition of what ‘interpretation’ is. I have an intuitive sense of the term, but making [[the concept]] explicit would sharpen the section considerably. - For example, although the following passage rightly emphasises the importance of set and setting in shaping [[psychedelic experience]], I am not convinced this is a form of interpretation—at least not immediately. - It would also be helpful to clarify whether the symbolic imagery under discussion differs in kind or merely in degree from symbolic imagery that occurs without psychedelics. >The mindset and environment of the user profoundly influence these symbolic scenes, which we might think of as emotional landscapes. Psychedelics heighten the perceived significance of experience, making even subtle symbols feel deeply relevant, with set and setting serving as the lens through which symbols are experienced (Carhart-Harris et al., 2018; Hartogsohn, 2016). Set refers to the individual's mindset, expectations, and psychological state, while setting encompasses the physical and sensory environment, including aesthetics, music, lighting, and social context (Borkel et al., 2024). A state of fear or resistance may turn neutral imagery into something foreboding, while trust and surrender can reveal deeper insight. - Sticking with this passage for a moment "making even subtle symbols feel deeply relevant" suggests another way at least some of the insights, meaning from psychedelic experiences can [[come from]]. Rather than novel symbolic imagery being what is interpreted, ordinary objects of [[perceptual experience]] are simply perceived but [[the experience]] also contains, simultaneously, this noetic halo: this tree/situation/sentence is *important* - Also, it is not uncommon for people to talk about how their [[psychedelic experience]] seemed meaningful in the moment, but realise in the cold light of day that their 'realisations' were nonsensical.