# Cognitive Shift



## LukeThinksTooMuch (Feb 28, 2015)

"A *cognitive shift* is a psychological phenomenon most often experienced by individuals when undergoing new experiences, including religious experiences, using psychedelic drugs, or suffering from mental disorders such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. During a cognitive shift, one experiences a change in how their conscious mind and unconscious mind communicate with each other. The result can be a wide range of feelings, from euphoria to panic." (wiki)

Would many people say they experienced a cognitive shift when they first depersonalised/derealised? Same for if anyone has suffered existential crises.


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## Ningen (Apr 16, 2015)

My life has become a fucking cognitive shift.....


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## ThoughtOnFire (Feb 10, 2015)

All this time I've had DP/DR I've always assumed, even from the very beginning, that my recovery depended on a cognitive shift back into reality.


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## Chicane (Oct 8, 2015)

My DP/DR came with a 24/7 spaced out feeling, cognitive impairment, and significant panic over what was happening to me. I developed an inability to recall certain things, started getting my days mixed up, had terrible focus and concentration, and became overwhelmed and indecisive with regards to the smallest of tasks. Everything felt (and feels) like a blur, as I still have all that to this day. I'm on meds to reduce the panic, and they've been pretty effective so far, but the impairment and spaciness remain. So if that constitutes a shift, then certainly.


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## Effect (Feb 6, 2016)

I would say this is entirely possible. I noticed my episodes of dp/dr when I first started experimenting with psychedelics as well as when I found out what spirituality. Always felt like these episodes were for me to learn something from and grow from it. But that is hard to swallow sometimes when things get especially tough.


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