Biology Talk

Guest

Hypotheses for the neurochemical basis of schizophrenia invariably
result from effects of the administration of psychoactive substances
in humans. Here are several samples of schizophrenic symptoms
correlated with reports found posted on Usenet of intoxication by
salvia divinorum, a kappa opioid agonist:

1) Thought Echo:

"what happened was i would go into this state where my body seemed to
be talking to me...but not in the sense that it really had anything to
say, actually it was just my thoughts echoing to themselves, but such
that it gave the impression that the echo was really saying
something...the echo which echoed off of my body..."

2) Hallucinatory voices giving a running commentary on the patient's
behaviour:

"...I was being pulled, very strongly, into 'something', and it was
_worrying_. The radio changed - it was loudly and clearly talking
about me, sounded like overhearing a walkie-talkie-talky communication
between two coppers..."

3) Thought broadcasting:

"Yeah same here. I had a strong sense that I somehow caused an
infinite repetition of the terrifying moments i experienced, like a
recording of my mindset being broadcast to everybody and everything
forever..."

A more comprehensive list, with links to there original sources and
some discussion with links to relevant journal articles has been
compiled at:

http://keykappa.blogspot.com

It is hoped that this will be of interest and use to those interested
in the neuropharmacology of schizophrenia.