Psychedelic Information Theory
Shamanism in the Age of Reason
Notes
Notes on Psychedelic ADSR Envelopes and Purity
Figure 1 : Using an ADSR envelope we can model the intensity with which any hallucinogen interrupts multisensory frame perception.
The Control Interrupt Model of Psychedelic Action describes a method by which the tone and intensity of each hallucinogen may be modeled by the frequency of interrupt as well as the attack, decay, sustain, and release (ADSR) of the interrupt envelope. Using ADSR values to model the shape and intensity of a hallucinogen's effect on perception we can differentiate between psychedelic experiences which are intense, mild, jagged, smooth, fast, slow, and so on.
Using ADSR begs the qustion: Is the ADSR envelope of every hallucinogen the same for every person on every trip? The answer, of course, is no. ADSR envelopes will change slightly for any substance depending on dose and speed of absorption into the bloodstream, but beyond that they may also change depending on the purity of hallucinogen in question. For instance, if an LSD experience is described as "clean" or "kind" this means the hallucinogenic interrupt is so gentle that it is almost invisible; this also implies purity of the LSD molecule. In contrast, when an LSD experience is described as "dirty" or "jagged" this means the interrupt induces transitions in consciousness that are abrupt and unpleasant; this also implies the LSD is adulterated or has not been sufficiently purified in the synthesis process. Purity aside, it is widely accepted that if one batch of LSD induces a soft interrupt envelope with a wiggly and sensual attack and decay, that same LSD should produce similar interrupt envelope in each person who takes it at the proper dose range. The same would be true for LSD that produces a jagged and abrupt attack; everyone who tries that batch should feel a similar jagged and abrupt interrupt envelope at the same dose range.
If a pure sample set could be acquired, and groups of subjects could be properly dosed and asked to report on their subjective effects, it may be possible precise model interrupt frequencies and ADSR envelopes for every known psychoactive substance. Until that time using subjective reports from underground experimentation remains the only way model these subtle differences.