The Experience Of Getting High

[Smokin Moose]

What is it like to consume cannabis? Good question.

(Originally written for a display at the Hash-Marijuana-Hemp Museum of Amsterdam. Based in part on observations from the book, High Culture, by William Novak (The Cannabis Institute of America, Inc., 1980.)

The cannabis "marijuana" or hash high is different for each person, depending on the particular details of conditions, setting, timing, state of mind, and the variety of cannabis used. Although cannabis is generally pretty benign, nothing is always safe and fun for everyone in every situation. This includes cannabis. Comfortable surroundings and good judgement are advised.

Smoked or vaporized cannabis is felt within seconds of being inhaled. Its peak effect is from 15 minutes to a half hour in duration, followed by a steep decline that levels off and wears away in 2 to 4 hours. People can smoke it in hand-rolled cigarettes, called "joints" or "spliffs," a variety of pipes, or water pipes ("bongs"). A new technology in the form of "vaporizers" is enabling people to consume the resin containing THC through heating it short of burning the plant matter to eliminate harms that come with smoking material.

Eaten cannabis is not felt at first. It is a good idea to wait and see for an effect after a suggested dose, before eating more. In a half-hour to an hour, the initial effect is felt, and that can be abrupt and powerful. It maintains a relatively stable level and drops off in 4 to 6 hours. Intensity depends on dosage and metabolism. But if you don't know yours, be prepared to lie down and rest for a while, if necessary. Fresh air, fresh juice, and gentle reassurances are the best things if you consume too much.

THE ENHANCER

Cannabis use can increase focus and concentration, making a person's moods, sensations, and experience seem more intense. Your heart may feel like it's pounding, the music is fantastic, this is the best dessert you've ever eaten and, wow, get a load of how beautiful nature is. The problem is that if you're concentrating on something that's negative, you can intensify that feeling, as well. Fortunately, something else will come along and distract you with another thought to pursue, if you so choose. And if your fleeting idea feels like the answer to the world's problems, please write it down. It's profundity might escape you later, but it will feel good if it turns out you're right.

MEMORY

Marijuana does not appear to affect actual memory. You still remember your name and address, parents, childhood, and whatever you've learned along life's highways and byways. Cannabis can be a memory trigger, which means that the experience is likely to remind the user of things that s/he has associated with cannabis in the past. There is some historical evidence that it's even been helpful for some seniors to retain or recover memories and recognition.

A short-term memory interruption is common, however. A speaker may lose track of what he was saying just a moment ago. This effect is temporary while high and does not impact memory in general. It is really a fleeting distraction, and the description is misleading, because "short term memory" refers to thoughts that have not formed into memory yet. It's like the moment before you begin to type at your computer; you haven't hit the keys yet, so there is nothing to save. But if you reconstruct what led up to the idea, you will probably think of it again.

IS CANNABIS AN ESCAPE?

Most people consider cannabis to be an experience enhancer rather than an escape device. If you feel good, it may make everything seem even better. When some people feel down or depressed, smoking may be "inappropriate" and they might get more into their problems. But, many report that it may lead to a new understanding or perspective on a problem, helping to resolve it and lift one's mood. It has been extremely helpful to people with terminal illness, helping them shake off depression and live out their remaining time with dignity and relatively good cheer.

For some people it is definitely an escape, but whether that is good or bad depends on the way that it is used. If it allows perspective and insight, that is good; if it is an avoidance mechanism, that is not a good use of cannabis. This is where the concepts of sensible and responsible adult use apply.

INSIGHTS AND CREATIVITY

People often get a new perspective on a familiar scene or problem, a seemingly profound thought or burst of creativity. There is a sense of awe, revelation and realization. Stoned insights tend to fall into three categories: 1) A deeper recognition or understanding of an already known truth or perception; 2) A new way of looking at something; 3) Playful fantasies and ideas.

It can result in uncontrollable giggling about silly ideas, or a burst of complex insights, such as when Carl Sagan solved a physics equation while "under the influence." It can draw on the appreciation of a hitherto overlooked phenomenon, or reveal profound metaphoric relationships that apply to one's own life. It can separate the consumer from the immediacy of life and lead to a more balanced perspective of their own situation. The possibilities are limitless because each set and setting is unique, and therefore capable of new ways of looking at things. That's spontaneous mental generation.

JUDGMENT

Unlike alcohol intoxication, people who feel the effect of cannabis are aware of that fact and tend to moderate their behavior accordingly. For example, most people prefer not to drive when high since they know that their perceptions are somewhat altered even when not impaired. There is an effect wherein you may experience a feeling that you are simultaneously observing your own actions with an objective eye at the same time as you are doing the action, giving a new sense of perspective. At the same time, certain experiences may be infused with a new sensibility, such as "how can people go out and get drunk like that? I'm glad I chose cannabis instead." Just don't get judgmental about it. Many people report that cannabis makes them more open-minded and tolerant of diversity.

TIME

Your pulse speeds up a bit, so the count of heartbeats may give you the sense that more time has elapsed than actually has. The external measurement of time appears to pass more slowly, as well. For example: you may feel like an hour has gone by but when you look at a clock it might only have been ten minutes. You may look at a clock repeatedly and still not keep track of what time it is. Events seem to unfold more slowly, allowing more detailed observations and reactions. Several ideas may occupy the same moment, or thoughts may pass so rapidly that you don't even try to keep up, you just observe the passage. Wow, is that still the same song playing as a while ago? That's one long song. And if you're driving, you might find yourself driving below the speed limit and letting everyone else pass.

SEX

Most people who've experienced it think that cannabis makes sex better. Some even consider it a mild aphrodisiac. It tends to increase sexual pleasure as it may lower inhibitions, slow down time, induce relaxation, make people more aware of touch and senses, and help to focus on the present moment. Orgasms may not be more intense, but the experience may seem more sensual. There's a sense of deeper appreciation for the ambiance such as candlelight, visual aesthetics and music. More imaginative approaches may be explored, but that does not remove the individual's responsibility or judgement for practicing safe sex and proper use of condoms.

PHYSICAL EFFECTS

All these effects are temporary. Reddening of the eyes; slight temporary increase in the rate of heartbeat; cool fingers and toes; mouth gets dry -- "cotton mouth." Cannabis and the cannabinoids are all non-toxic. Smoke itself is an irritant, and bronchial irritation can occur but no direct link to cancers have been proven. Ironically, cannabis is also a vasodilator and bronchodilator, so it can actually help some asthmatics.

There are no deaths that have been attributed to cannabis overdose, but it is possible to have a very unpleasant experience, especially due to the one-hour delay in effect when large amounts of it are eaten. That would be extremely rare, but once you've eaten too much you may need to vomit or just wait it out. That is an advantage to smoked or vaporized cannabis; because the effect is felt almost immediately, it is a simple matter to stop when the desired subjective effect is achieved.

FOOD

Most people get "the munchies" (a strong desire to eat) and say that food tastes exceptionally good, and chocolates or desserts taste even better. Some people say they can taste the separate ingredients in food and distinguish new subtleties in olfactory sensations. A few people experience the opposite effect: a loss of appetite and would rather postpone eating and do something else. Sometimes that is accompanied by a very strong appetite a few hours later. If it kicks in late at night when you should be getting ready for bed, that is where spontaneity vs. personal responsibility and moderation comes into play.

THINKING/ CONSCIOUSNESS ALTERATION

Consumers may feel a slight euphoria, happiness, or sense of "well-being." Many mundane things suddenly seem more interesting; alive; rich in details. Problems seem less severe and pressing. Stoned thinking has been compared to the indirect move of the knight on a chessboard, as opposed to the direct linear moves of the rook or bishop; like switching between two or more frames of mind. It may take you off on tangents as you follow a train of thought. For some however, thinking may be "foggy;" less clear or focussed. Then there are the times when you just get the giggles and laugh about anything, no matter how silly or ridiculous. You may realize that something that has really been bothering you is actually not such a big deal after all, or that something you overlooked before could be the key to a problem you've been trying to solve. Some people become more observant or self-conscious, and talk less. Others become more spontaneous and sociable.

A profound metaphor may reveal itself with rich implications for your life and destiny. This aspect has led to cannabis being used as a sacrament in many of the world's religions throughout history. There are a variety of Christian, Hindu, Islamic and other religious denominations that revere cannabis as a sacred plant. Bible scripture is cited to support its use.

PARANOIA / ANXIETY

Some people, especially novice smokers and people living under drug war marijuana prohibition, may feel uncomfortable with the changes they experience while stoned. They may become paranoid or self-conscious, or possibly experience a sense of panic (especially if they ate too much cannabis). This is often triggered by the sudden and often subliminal recognition that the cannabis consumer's heart is beating faster. Just reminding them that this is a normal effect will usually reduce their anxiety. Antidote: This discomfort is usually handled by changing the environment, getting some fresh air and trying to relax. One should lie down, breathe slowly and drink some orange juice. A reassuring friend is also helpful. Remember: No matter what, the effect will wear off in a few hours.

RELAXATION/TIREDNESS

On a physical level, cannabis helps relax muscles and reduce spasms, including those caused by spinal injury or MS. Many adults also often use cannabis to relax and unwind after work, to let go of the day's tensions and to adjust their mental attitude. Most people prefer not to smoke when they have a lot of things to get done, because smoking cannabis (especially indica) can sometimes make one tired, sleepy or feeling sluggish. Other people become energized or even "hyper" when they consume cannabis. Other people find that it gives them a lift and change of perspective to keep them alert.

OVERDOSE?

No one has ever died from consuming cannabis. There is no such thing as a fatal overdose. On the other hand, one can consume more than a comfortable amount, especially when eating or drinking it. Symptoms of overindulgence usually include unpleasant physical reactions or exaggerated psychological emphasis on annoying situations that can lead to paranoia or, rarely, panic. Since the effect of smoking is almost immediate, it is relatively easy to prevent this from occurring by stopping your intake while still at a comfortable level. Any negative effects wear off in a short time and you can often simply lie down and sleep them away. Generally, there is no hangover when you wake up.

SOCIALIZING

Some people enjoy smoking and interacting with others, and feel they enjoy a special communication, bond or connection with other smokers while high. Others may sometimes become quiet, introspective, self-conscious, uncomfortable or have difficulty making conversation and prefer not to be stoned in public or a social situation.

MUSIC

Most people say that music sounds "richer." They can hear sounds differently, more vividly and intensely. Some claim it enhances their ability to hear the distinct lines of several instruments at once and that they better grasp how the various instruments interact to produce the music.

READING

For some, reading seems impossible while high as they may forget the beginning of the sentence by the time they get to the end. Stoned readers may at times find themselves reading the same paragraph over again. Stoned readers may at times find themselves reading the same paragraph over and over again. Stoned readers may find themselves reading the exact same paragraph over and over and over again and again. On the other hand, others can focus on it and feel reading is even more enjoyable. When reading imaginative works, being high can increase the sense of empathy and help one to visualize situations.

By Mikki Norris with Chris Conrad

[EJMOZ]

Exactly. This is what people should say when they try to teach others about herb.

[xsmokinbudx]

its all so true and well written. lol at the last paragraph.

[ninjaturtle]

that reallly confused me lolol

[icclearly]

The best writing of the true nature of the effects I have ever read. I felt as though I was reading about myself in what I always thought was a very private state of mind.

It was refreshing to read this description in a mature, positive manner.

Thanks for posting this treasure.

[Smokin Moose]

This is essential follow up reading. UNDERSTANDING YOUR HIGH -The Effects Of Marijuana On Consciousness

[weedyMcBong]

I agree with icclearly. Good post Moose.

[luv2choke84]

I would like to commend Smoking Moose for writing such a beautifully and brilliantly way of conveying how it feels when u r high...i thought it was just me!!!!

[Goddess Arlen]

This was a wonderful post! Can we reprint it please! I would like to share it with everyone I know!

<a href="http://s76.photobucket.com/albums/j5/ArleneFinke/?action=view&current=Blazin-4.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j5/ArleneFinke/Blazin-4.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

[Smokin Moose]

Keeping it fresh.

[Boss]

I think I will just have to see for myself :-) Wake n' bake time.

[Smokin Moose]

Start with the shimmer test Boss.

[Boss]

Opps, I'm still high from my 530am w&b :-)

Lets see if I can get it to move some more :-)

[Boss]

Moose, do you remember off hand where they explain exactly why those photos do that?

I wanna read it again.

[Smokin Moose]

This covers it in detail.

Originally Posted by Smokin Moose

UNDERSTANDING THE COLOURS OF YOUR HIGH

A marijuana high usually lasts two or three hours, during which a wide range of effects may occur, varying both in intensity and quality. The usual, most noticeable effect is intensification of sensation and increased clarity of perception. Visually, COLOURS are brighter, scenes have more depth, patterns are more evident, and figure-ground relations both more distinct and more easily reversible. Other sense modalities do not have the variety of visual stimuli, but all seem to be intensified. Sounds become more distinct, with the user aware of sounds he otherwise might not have noticed. Music, recorded and live, is heard with increased fidelity and dimension, as though there were less distance between the source and the listener. Taste and smell are also enhanced under marijuana. The spice rack is a treasure of sensation, and food develops a rich variety of tastes.

Skin receptors are also effected. Heat, cold, and pressure receptors become more sensitive. Pain produces paradoxical effects. If attention is not on the area of pain, there is a reduced sensitivity to the hurt. But awareness of pain from a lesion, such as a burn or cut, will often persist for a longer period than usual, even allowing for the changed perception of time under marijuana.

Awareness of proprioceptive responses is enhanced. The person using marijuana may become aware of usually automatic, non-conscious, muscle tensions, small movements, feedback and control processes, and feelings of physical comfort and discomfort. These can be perceived with great clarity and distinctness.

Such effects vary with the individual and the situation. Sometimes one modality will predominate; sometimes a sequence of effects will occur; sometimes nothing will seem to happen. The direction or modality of effect can be often manipulated by the individual if he deliberately exposes himself to the stimulus, such as music, or paintings. However, such setting may not affect the perception if the person is not otherwise ready to respond in that way. Effects more often call attention to themselves; the user observes what he is experiencing in the situation and realizes it is not how he usually experiences the stimuli. On the other hand, some sense modalities may function in a straight pedestrian manner, neither being enhanced nor diminished.

The person himself is the most important determinant of how the enhancement will appear. Some persons orient primarily to visual stimuli and visual thinking, others to sound, others to tactile impressions. Visual orientation seems to predominate among persons in our culture; audile and tactile thinking is less common. It seems likely that sensory enhancement of a marijuana high would be most noticed in the predominate sense modality of the user; it certainly should have a differential response in relation to less used ways of perceiving.

Another factor which affects the response is that persons unfamiliar with the marijuana state frequently must "learn" that they are perceiving experience in a different way. That is, someone makes them aware of changed perception by showing them objects, playing music, and calling their attention to the difference in sights and sounds. Then they become consciously aware of the perceptual changes. This initiation procedure has led sociologist H. S. Becker (Becker, I963; partially reproduced in Solomon, I966) to suggest that most of the effects of marijuana are learned, not spontaneous. He says (accurately, I am sure) that the user must learn to notice the effects, categorize them, and connect them to the total experience of using the drug. What is learned in most cases is not a new way of perceiving, but the awareness of a change in perception. Few persons observe what they are doing in the sense of observing their seeing, and it is not surprising that many should have to learn how to become aware of themselves experiencing by checking current perception against memory and expectations.

The user's internal psychological needs will also influence his response. A fear of being overwhelmed by too much input will often reduce any changes to only those which the user can cope with or to changes only in certain modes. A fear of losing control over the perception of experience may suppress most of the effects and even shut down responses to below normal. On the other hand, emotional involvement with some part of the environment may enhance its perception. Internal physical needs also affect the response, e.g., hunger may be intensified so the person finds himself ravenous on getting high.

For a person using marijuana for the first few times sensory changes occur sequentially, rather than all at once. First he may notice increased brightness and clarity of colors, then sounds, then visual structures, such as paintings or designs. (Two dimensional photographs and motion pictures may be seen in three dimensions in the marijuana high, a perception which can be transferred to the normal state under certain conditions.) Then proprioceptive sensations may present themselves. Any order of the effects may occur during one high state or several. Often effects will develop to particular levels and then stabilize without further elaboration. I know some individuals who listen to music during a high, and this is their major use and apparently their only enhancement.

There are two states of awareness which relate to these sensory effects. The basic one can be called pure awareness. In this state the person is completely and vividly aware of his experience, but there are no processes of thinking, manipulating, or interpreting going on. The sensations fill the person's attention, which is passive but absorbed in what is occurring, which is usually experienced as intense and immediate. Pure awareness is experiencing without associations to what is there.

Test:THC in your system allows you to see shimmering and movement in this image. The higher you are, the more pronounced are the effects.


The other state of awareness is one which can be termed conscious awareness, in which the sensory experience is connected to meanings, plans, functions, decisions, and possible actions. This is our normal way of perceiving and how we usually go about our daily lives. We do not sense the world directly, but with the incorporation of our memories, meanings, and uses. In the state of pure awareness objects are experienced as sensory qualities, without the intrusion of interpretation. There are examples of this in normal life. The sensation of sexual orgasm may be (and hopefully is) experienced with pure awareness. Natural beauty, such as flowers, mountains, oceans, and sunsets, is sometimes experienced from a point of awareness without adding conscious thinking.

These two processes of awareness have been described by Charles Solley and Gardner Murphy (1960, Chapter 14) as non-reflective consciousness and reflective consciousness. Alan Watts compares the awareness state to a floodlight of attention, which shows a broad area and lights up anything that is there. Consciousness awareness he compares to a spotlight, which is focused and can be directed, though on a narrower area. This is a good analogy in pointing out that no deliberate directing is done in the awareness state, although it is sometimes the case that the area perceived in awareness may be a small one seen in great detail.

The awareness state can be called "choiceless" because choice is a part of consciousness functions. Decisions made outside of consciousness are not called "by choice" since choice implies conscious action. In a state of direct awareness there are no choices made and no decisions or actions occur. The stream of sensation flows and the person is aware of what is happening; if he acts he does so without consciously deciding to move. (That is, action is handled by some process other than the consciousness monitoring the awareness experience.) When complicated action becomes necessary conscious attention is activated and the sensation is used as stimuli, criteria, or information for the choices, plans, or action.

The awareness is not always experienced purely under marijuana, but often is mixed with some, though reduced, conscious attention. Consciousness, conscious awareness, or conscious attention involves a connecting function which observes experience in relation to past experience, memory images, memory recording, expectancies, plans, goals, etc. This type of consciousness may intrude on the awareness state at a low level. However, when awareness fills the attention there is a "becoming lost" in the experience, in which there is often not even a memory of what occurred. This seems to be a state in which consciousness functions are not present, and all experience is at the level of awareness. Consciousness, attention, and memory recording are apparently not active. (It is possible that attention was present and either was not remembered or the memory is not accessible to consciousness.) Such a state of pure awareness is at one end of a continuum of varying degrees of conscious activity, with the other end at a state in which the contents of awareness are used for decisions, plans, inferences, etc., and are not experienced for their primary sensory qualities; they are information rather than experiences.

This analysis suggests a reason for sensory enhancement under marijuana, a movement of attention from consciousness processes to awareness processes. We usually think of attention as synonymous with consciousness, but it is an uneasy synonymy. Consciousness seems to be more than attention, but we cannot describe a consciousness without attention. Perhaps it is possible for attention energy to move into sensory processes and operate less in the decisional, deliberative processes of consciousness. If this happens it would provide much more energy for attending to sense data, and we could expect the sensory experience to be more vivid and more detailed.

Intensity of sensory experience seems related to the total proportion or amount of attention which is involved in the process. If attention is used in conscious or unconscious processes in making decisions, remembering, evaluating, etc., then this much is removed from the awareness of the sense experience. Thus it may be that one of the causes of sensory enhancement under marijuana is that attention energy moves from consciousness processes into awareness processes, which amplifies the experience.

TIME DISTORTION
Besides sensory enhancement, the other most immediate effect of marijuana is a change in the perception of time: events take longer to occur. Bach's first Brandenburg Concerto lasts hours. An hour seems to have passed, but the dock records 25 minutes. The person's internal fantasies are long and involved, but only a few minutes have passed in government time. In this state the fantasies and music do not move at a faster pace---they move at their own usual rate, though often more fluently and more dearly. The impression is that external time must have slowed down, while the internal experience continues at the same rate. There is not the impression of speed or rapidity, but that the time available to the user is magnified.

There are similar effects in normal experience. Time spent at a boring talk seems to pass more slowly, and one thinks in dismay, "What, only five minutes have passed since I looked at my watch?"

A method used by Linn Cooper (1956) to induce time distortion under hypnosis is useful to note here. A metronome set at one beat per second is used. The hypnotized subject is told that the metronome is slowing down to one beat every two seconds, every five seconds, once a minute. Verbally or conceptually we can now say that the subject's internal rate has remained the same, but external time relative to the subject has slowed down. Has the subject's own pace actually speeded up? I do not know, and I can think of no reliable criteria for determining this. Brain wave research shows that the basic alpha rhythm can be speeded up by a flickering light (called photic driving), but not very much, and not even to twice its normal rhythm. Cooper's subjects report that they do mentally imagine the amount of thoughts appropriate to the expanded time available, including counting imagined objects. This may be a convenient hallucination or it may be an accurate description of what they do. (Even calculation of real problems would not be a valid test because calculating geniuses can answer complex mathematical problems almost instantaneously, and this ability may be available under hypnosis, though it has never been reported to my knowledge under marijuana or hypnosis.) In this procedure under hypnosis and also in marijuana the subjective experience of time is disconnected from the marking of social or government time.

The effect under marijuana is analogous to effects in visual and sound modalities. Visual scenes often have more depth, sounds are heard with more dimension; so too with time-there is an expansion of the fabric of time so there is a feeling of depth instead of the usual two dimensional flow.

The explanation of this sometimes given by marijuana users is that more is happening: they are thinking faster or more thoughts are occurring in the same time period. This could cause external time to be relatively slower. Although it need not be the case that internal processes change at a faster rate it is possible that a person is aware of more perceptions in a given amount of time as a result of the enhancement of sensory data. With visual enhancement more details of the movements of the self and others are attended to. This means that more information is perceived in the same amount of time. This is also true of proprioceptive and tactile responses. Time is somewhat conditioned to a normal rate of information input in particular contexts. One has a "standard rate of intake" and if the amount of information is increased for a unit of time, then one of the responses may be that time is going slower. To be conscious of any change in experience there must be a comparison with previous similar situations. Thus if the time experience while high is compared with a similar normal experience, or with a time pace constructed from normal experience, it may be perceived as slower.

A more important cause for time distortion under marijuana can be found by noting how persons normally judge the passage of time, then investigating the changes in these criteria caused by marijuana. This is rather difficult because no one knows how we judge time. Nevertheless there are some relevant observations which can be made.(1)

Notice the situations in which time seems to alter for many persons in everyday experience and out-of-the-ordinary experience. These are situations in which the experience itself is the focus of attention, they are not means to extrinsic goals. Persons totally involved in making love seem to have no awareness of how much time may pass. Persons in a state of anger do not become aware of time lapse until the emotion subsides or ego controls are invoked. Psychotherapy hours in which emotional material is covered seem to be out of time awareness. Mystics become unaware of the passage of time during meditation, as do persons having peak experiences (Maslow, I964). In dreams, daydreams, fantasies, ecstasy, and strong emotional states, the sense of time is absent or changed. And in the state of pure awareness, as I have used the term, there is no perception of the rate of time. These are all personal experiences in which conscious attention is not dominant, and immediate experience, rather than goals, expectancies, plans, and decisions, is predominant. Time perception is a socially reinforced response. The experiences and states I have described are not states which are socially conscious; they are not internally subordinated to social time or schedules. Anger cannot be paced with conscious control, nor can ecstasy. Feelings, fantasies, dreams, and awareness do not incorporate the sense of time which is built up by and maintained in the consciousness. Thus when one is experiencing such content there is no marking of the passage of time, and to the extent this material is the content of awareness, the less social time is noted. Immediate experience is always timeless; time is perceived in relation to the uses of experience in controlling or predicting the future or interpreting the past, the present being perceived in relation to past or future. This is one of the major functions of consciousness. In a normal conscious state when the internal or external input is to be changed or manipulated the time required is automatically projected, based on past experience. This imposes the knowledge of time on the consciousness. One of the effects of marijuana is to reduce the strength of expectancies and goals which are socially reinforced. Thus non-time experiences are increased in relative strength and time oriented associations are decreased, which creates the sense that time is expanded.

Some indication that this is what occurs may be seen in reports of marijuana users that time passes instantaneously. One girl reported that when high she suddenly discovered 45 minutes had passed without her realization of this. And there are reports of listening to music when the individual realizes the music had stopped, without his remembering hearing the selection as it was playing. What happens in these cases is that most of the person's attention is in non-time processes, so that time passage is not noted until the social consciousness returns. Then it seems that no time has passed, since there was no process noting its passage. Just as in sleep, amnesic hypnosis, or anaesthesia, there is no consciousness of the duration of the state, and the conscious time flow seems unbroken from the moment of falling asleep to the moment of waking.

When observing sensory stimuli, listening to music, fantasying, etc., there is the feeling of expanded time because the outside experiences are overwhelmed by the mental, internal experience which is not marking time and there is no way to gauge their pace. The quantity of the time change varies. If the user is almost totally involved with the awareness processes, with little conscious attention, then there will be little sense of duration, and long periods of clock time will go by quickly.

Events themselves are timeless, in that they are always in the present---they do not echo their past nor presage their future states; we alone do that to them, for ourselves. And we ourselves do not experience the past or the future; we experience memories or expectancies, which may be realistic or fantasies. So our experience of the passage of time is based on our comparison of present experience with our remembrance of the past, usually the immediate past, or our anticipation of the future and how we get there.

Marijuana decreases the strength of the automatic memory, expectancy, and anticipation processes; thus the perception of an experience is not surrounded by the usual multitude of past encounters, future possibilities, and potential uses. In contexts requiring action on the basis of expectations and plans, such as driving an automobile, they are available and often with more focused attention. Given a situation not requiring activity or decisions, the penumbra of response patterns, functions, and potentials surrounding experience decreases, and the immediate experience per se is perceived, rather than its position in a pattern of change. This decreases comparison of the present with the past, and again reduces the feeling of duration or passing of time. ("Passing of time" is a curious phrase, because time passing cannot be empirically observed. One may conclude the passage of time by observing changes in experience, but it is not really an inference either. What seems to be described is the mental reviewing of the preceding changes which led up to the present point. Re-running the succession in memory from some point up to the present gives the sensation of passing time. We are aware of events which are different from the ones we now experience but that are connected by physical changes in which we have participated (directly or through observation). This awareness may be "awareness of the passage of time."

In summary, under marijuana, the sense of time is distorted. First, because mental contents and awareness processes which are not connected to time needs or markers are strengthened. These include daydreams, fantasies, event memories, peak experiences, emotions, and the pure awareness state. Second, because goals, anticipations, and expectancies are decreased in prominence, reducing attention given to possible changes in the environment,