Carbogen
(CO2 and O2 Mixture)
(CO2 and O2 Mixture)
Bits & Pieces
The "Bits & Pieces" section is intended for random snippets of information that don't fit
easily elsewhere and/or which have been newly added, but not yet carefully categorized.
easily elsewhere and/or which have been newly added, but not yet carefully categorized.
- Cave Art : Carbon dioxide hallucinations?There's an interesting reference in the book "Cave Art" by Jean Clottes, one of the world's foremost experts on Paleolithic art. He is sympathetic to Mircea Eliade's view that Paleolithic cave art sanctuaries in the Alps were primarily sites of shamanic initiation. In discussing the Lascaux cave complex, he notes that the density of cave art found in partially enclosed chambers may relate to their poor ventilation, which could cause a psychoactive accumulation of carbon dioxide. In reference to a specific chamber in Lascaux he writes: "Indeed, there may be a relationship between these [shamanic] concepts and the chosen location of the art - a place prone to extremely high rates of carbon dioxide, which may cause hallucinations and acute discomfort." (Clottes J. Cave Art, 2008, p. 121)