loss of self
Artist - Mario G Salinero Artstation.com
Loss of self is a condition of the mind. It is the separation of the spirit, and the body. Experienced at the height of a hallucinogenic experience brought on by the substance known as Kobocha Ink. It is said that the spirit leaves the body to enter the realm of the gods, and experience divine cosmic truth. Loss of self is when the the spirit refuses to return to the body, leaving the living, but lifeless, vegetative body behind.
What happens to the body is a subject that is hotly debated. Will the spirit ever return to the body? If it does, when will it return? Who takes care of the body in the mean time? If there is no one to care for the body, what happens to the body? What if a body is not taken care of, and the spirit tries to return? Is that murder?
Subjects describe the Realm of the gods to be unknowable, and beautiful beyond compare. The archetecture is said to be constantly morphing into new geometric orientations. A bright light appears in the center, and then you are in the presence of a god, and if your soul is clean, you will be given cosmic divine truth. What you do with this is up to you.
Depiction of the realm of the gods.
Artist - Markus Kosel - Artstation.com
Causes
Ingestion of large amounts of the hallucinogen known as Kabocha Ink.
Symptoms
The subject experiences extremely potent hallucinations that cause them to not be able to interact with the physical world.
The subject retreats into their innerself, closing their eyes and lying down, sometimes they are restrained in order to prevent any damage they may do to themselves, or others.
The subject experiences a separation between what they percieve to be their body, and their soul. The soul leaves the body and enters the realm of the gods.
Treatment
There is no treatment for the loss of self. The subject either recovers, or doesn't.
Prevention
The only prevention is to not ingest Kobocha Ink, but it is a commonly used substance in both shamanistic rituals and recreational mind expansion, so that is difficult to regulate.
Artist - Ramos Sumka - Artstation.com
Kobocha Mushroom -
Sapient species from the forests of Valsgard. When threatened, the Kabocha secret a black ink like fluid. This fluid has toxic properties, and as well as having an ascerbic taste, induces extremely vivid hallucinations.
The hallucinogenic properties have lead to the Kobocha Mushroom people to be hunted in order to retrieve their ink. They have set up diplomatic relations with some of the forest peoples and reached a trade agreement to exchange their ink for other goods. However there are those who still attempt to illicitly harvest their ink.
Type
Neurological
Origin
Natural
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Ohhh the ethical questions about this are so interesting re. the care of the body. I would love to see some expansion on that idea in the future!