Lucy Atmosphere
The Lucy Atmosphere is a class of **mildly psychoactive breathable atmospheres** found on lush, tropical Continuum worlds. It is named for its characteristic hallucinogenic vapor — trace concentrations of Lysergic Vapor, a psychoactive amine that interacts with conscious perception rather than neural chemistry alone. To breathe it is to drift between waking and dreaming.
Composition and Character
The air is physically stable and biologically habitable — primarily Nitrogen and Oxygen — but biogenic activity constantly releases trace amines and aromatic hydrocarbons. At parts-per-million concentrations, these vapors bind to cortical psionic receptors, generating vivid visual and emotional overlays that correlate strongly between individuals.
| Property | Value / Behavior |
|---|---|
| Psionic Resonance | Moderate (telepathic field coupling) |
| Hallucinatory Threshold | 0.0006% vapor concentration |
| Mean Dream Duration | 15–25 minutes per inhalation cycle |
| Cognitive Synchrony | 67% among exposed populations |
| Toxicity | Negligible at atmospheric levels |
Phenomena
- Shared Dreamfields: Localized psychic overlaps form persistent dreamscapes in the air itself; objects appear where consensus belief stabilizes them.
- Euphotic Twilight: Color perception amplifies into iridescent halos; skies appear to pulse in rhythm with observer heartbeat.
- Cognitive Mirrors: Reflective surfaces behave as temporal feedbacks, showing possible or remembered versions of the viewer.
- Somnial Rain: Water condenses into droplets charged with Lysergic Vapor; contact induces lucid-dream recall.
Biological and Cultural Aspects
Native species exhibit **synesthetic communication**, exchanging emotions and concepts as color or scent. Civilizations on Lucy worlds often integrate dreamstates into governance and education; decision-making is conducted communally during “public dreams.” Religions identify such air as *The Breath of the Imagined God* — the atmosphere that dreams creation into being each dawn.
Associated Gases
Lysergic Vapor • Oxygen • Methane • Water