The short answer to that question is yes they are a myth. "Flashbacks" are one of those drug war lies just like "weed will make you go crazy." However, the long answer is more complicated than that. The propaganda is obviously not a reliable source of information and popular culture loves to perpetuate that myth (it lends itself to comedy particularly well). Despite what we may be told, those of us who have a history of use with these drugs will not suddenly find ourselves in to middle of an unexpected acid trip because we had a few hits five years back (its too bad too, because I would love a free, surprise, acid trip right about now). That being said, I do believe that it is possible slip into a somewhat psychedelic state of mind but I think their intensity is far overstated and I disagree as to what the cause is. While one does not have the sort of "flashbacks" that are depicted in bad anti-drug "educational" films, there is a little seed of truth hiding inside that big pile steaming of falsehood and I wanted to explore it and provide my thoughts on what I think is really going on.
The "flashback" myth seems to be rather persistent one and it makes psychedelics seem particularly scary to those who believe the anti-drug propaganda. "What kind of terrible drugs must these things be, if they can come back to haunt you after years of abstinence" those people must think. Not surprisingly, the propagandists ran with that lie because it seemed to capture people's attention. It later began to bleed into popular cultures and our collective imaginations until it was largely accepted as truth. I just read a recent article that mentioned flashbacks, in fact (that is part of the reason that I am writing this) but even positive portrayals of psychedelics can perpetuate this misconception.
While all the anti-drug propaganda about "flashbacks" is pretty much false, there are times in which I feel some effects that are reminiscent of my trips, despite not having taken anything. I like to imagine that some captured psychonaut reported this kind of phenomenon to an authority after being arrested for the "terrible crime" of eating a fungus or having a little piece of colorful paper and then the authority blew the idea out of proportion before going on to spread his or her exaggerations to the masses. Digressions aside, I do find that, at times, certain elements of what feels like a trip can show up in some situations. For example, if I am around a group of people who are tripping and I am not, I will start to "tune in" with them. Their weird conversations start to make sense and I will laugh along with them at all the absurd silliness that often comes along with psychedelics. Also, if I can reach a state of deep relaxation and I let my mind wonder freely, I occasionally feel as though I am sticking my toe across that psychedelic boundary. I don't trip, of course, but my thought process feels altered in a distinctly "trippy" way. I can get similar results when I am very tired or under an extreme amount of stress as well. Again, the sky doesn't open up before me but I get a wispier of a psychedelic state of mind.
While those things might sound "flashbackish," I think there may be more going on here than being struck by the lingering effects of an ancient trip. No drug is active for such a long period of time (psychedelics can take a while and a few after effects can stick around for a few days but not for years). These substances have also been shown to be pretty harmless (the traditional ones, anyway) which kind of rules out the possibility of "flashbacks" being the result of some lasting damage. That being the case, I am led to believe that "flashbacks-like" experiences are not actually "flashbacks." Instead, I think that they may be new and naturally occurring states of mind, which we all experience at various points in our lives (regardless of our history of drug use or lack thereof), that are recognized as psychedelic by users because they have a basis for comparison. If someone has never tripped, how would he or she know that he or she is feeling naturally trippy at a given moment? He or she wouldn't know is my answer. That person would think that he or she feels a little funny and move on with his or her day.
Now, let's take a look at the situations that cause my (kind of) "flashbacks," with the previously discussed idea in mind and we might be able to see what is going on. The causes all seem to be things that can naturally change a person's brain chemistry. A joyous social gathering and a lot of trippy deep thought when I am with some fellow users can affect the chemicals that are being pumped into the mix in my head. Relaxation, fatigue, and stress can do the same thing. Everyone feels a little different under those kinds of circumstances. That is perfectly normal. The only difference, I think, is that a psychonaut is able to recognize that those natural changes in consciousness are psychedelic in their character, while a non-user cannot.
How does a unaltered brain just make itself trip? That isn't a bad question but I think there is a good answer to it. There is reason to believe that DMT is produced in the human brain (it is definitely in other parts of our bodies and it is confirmed to exist in rat brains). That is a powerful (and nonsensically, considering we all have some inside us, illegal) psychedelic drug. A trace amount could be released under certain circumstances and I think that may account for some of our sudden and unexpected trippy feelings. Even if that is not the case, we know, for a fact, that other naturally occurring changes in brain chemistry can have a profound effect on consciousness. In a sense, a crazy person is "tripping" without any drugs at all. In my mind, this seems like it could be a plausible cause for the experiences that are reported, by some, as "flashbacks." That is, we all get a little taste of that "home brewed psychedelic juice" every now and then and some of us have caught on to what it feels like without realizing that our own minds are its source.
I know that this topic is not the most pressing issue that is facing humanity but I also feel like psychedelics and their image still need a little help in today's society. The broader population has not seen through the lies about that class of drugs in the same way that they have with weed. There is still a lot of misinformation floating around, even among users, and I think that it is important to address it and provide alternative views on the subject of psychedelics. These drugs have the potential to do a lot of good in this world and we shouldn't let questionable claims about "flashbacks" discourage us from taking advantage of that potential.
Peace.
All the images in this post are sourced from the free image website, unsplash.com.