Unspeakable horrors

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National Park by H.R Giger

Unspeakable horrors are defined as the experience of prolonged exposure to indescribable scenarios and hallucinatory content of a scary and disturbing nature which are often directly influenced by a person's fears. This can occur during high dose hallucinogenic experiences, particularly those in which the user is currently undergoing negative emotional stressors and personal problems of an introspective nature.

Although the content which comprises these states are generally ineffable and largely dependent upon the fears of those who experience them, certain themes and archetypes often manifest themselves. These are not limited to but may consist of:

  • Autonomous entities of an intrinsically sinister and threatening nature - This can include demons, deformed monstrosities, hooded figures, mocking entities and otherwise normal human beings deformed by severe injury or illness.
  • Geometry of an intrinsically sinister and threatening nature - The hallucinatory states listed above are commonly comprised of and embedded within standard hallucinogenic geometry. This often contains innately readable geometric representations of pure conceptual fear, horror, and suffering which can be felt through all of the senses as they are perceived.
  • Machinescapes of an intrinsically sinister and threatening nature - This can be described as functionally identical to the experience of machinescapes. It differs in that its comprising parts often almost exclusively consist of indescribably complex interlocking, ever-shifting biomechanical gore, organs, disembowelments, and body parts.
  • Scenarios and plots of an intrinsically sinister and threatening nature - This can include scenes of suffering directed towards oneself or other people such as being tortured, scenes in which one is being hunted as prey by "evil" creatures or forces and the direct experience of personal fears.
  • Settings, sceneries, and landscapes of an intrinsically sinister and threatening nature - This can include the visitation of hellish landscapes, ancient monolithic Lovecraftian architecture, and ruined civilizations.
  • Fearing for the fabric of one's sanity - This can be described as feeling that one's current perception is so horrific that they will surely be left permanently insane with severe psychological damage. The effect can leave people with an immediate sense that ordinary life is a thin shell over a comparatively horrifying reality which cannot be dismissed or escaped from. It is worth noting, however, that although stressful, this effect rarely actually leaves individuals with lasting psychological problems.

The experience of this component and how it is interpreted by those who undergo it seems to differ wildly between people. While most individuals can find this state to be traumatizing if unprepared, many people find that, although terrifying, it is potentially exhilarating and character building in equal measure. To ensure that one does not find themselves in this state unwittingly, heavy dosages of hallucinogens should be avoided without prior practice, and a person should always work their way up to the higher levels from lower dosages in small increments as they feel comfortable doing so.

Unspeakable horrors are often accompanied by other coinciding effects such as anxiety, psychosis, and memory suppression. They are most commonly induced under the influence of heavy dosages of psychedelic compounds, such as LSD, psilocybin, and 2C-P. They can also occur under the influence of deliriants such as DPH, datura, and benzydamine. It is also possible to experience unspeakable horrors while under the influence of dissociatives such as DXM and PCP, but particularly when combined with other psychedelic substances such as LSD or Deliriant substances such as Diphenhydramine.

Image examples

 Caption
Cathedral.jpgUntitled by Zdzisław Beksiński
8oqtLH8.jpgUntitled by Zdzisław Beksiński
1WjjBlc.jpgUntitled by Zdzisław Beksiński
Hr giger landschaft.jpgLandschaft by H.R. Giger
V58HTkt.jpgUntitled by Zdzisław Beksiński
Hatheg-Kla by MOracz.jpgHatheg-Kla by MOracz
Lovecraftsnightmare.jpgLovecraft's Nightmare by Michael Whelan
KV55lA4.jpgUntitled by Zdzisław Beksiński
U0owfdc.jpgUntitled by Zdzisław Beksiński
GnOfVv2.jpgUntitled by Zdzisław Beksiński
A merging to the boundless by Star Gazer.jpgA merging to the boundless by Star Gazer
4mhVhOl.jpgUntitled by Zdzisław Beksiński
9GWgoG7.jpgUntitled by Zdzisław Beksiński
Hr giger the spell iv.jpgThe spell by H.R. Giger
National Park by HR Giger.jpegNational park by H.R. Giger
0EvBcsq.jpgThe Nemesis by Adrian Grajdeanu
BgzR0Ns.jpgUntitled by Zdzisław Beksiński
Vigilant Jester by Tespia.jpgVigilant Jester by Tesper
FkpPwpX.jpgUntitled by Zdzisław Beksiński
King in yellow by Borja Pintado.jpgKing in Yellow by Borja Pintado
Abrogation by Chaos inception.jpgAbrogation by Chaos inception
LWC82Si.jpgUntitled by Zdzisław Beksiński
Paradise lost clean by emaydani.jpgParadise lost clean by emaydani


Psychoactive substances

Compounds within our psychoactive substance index which may cause this effect include:

Experience reports

Anecdotal reports which describe this effect within our experience index include:

See also

External links

Further reading