The waters are muddied because it's hard to know if people who are spiritual are seeing/hearing/witnessing real phenomena which others cannot detect or if their mind is conjuring these things out of nothing.

As someone who has worked since a young age on grounding in this reality and NOT seeing the bits of awareness i'm not supposed to, i would say that yes, it's possible that for some reason some people are seeing through this reality and onto others which taken as they are seen make no sense. I think some people are just more open to that. My experience was one which led me to know that it is easier to shut the door than to deal with what is on the other side of it. I don't feel it was a "gift" any more than having size 8 feet or being blonde is. The ability is there but i reject it.

Part of the problem with drug use is that if, in order to access a different plane of reality, you open a gate inside yourself, then using drugs to do the same basically blows the gate right out of its hinges. Then you have no gate you can shut over and whatever is on the new plane you accessed can come hassle you all the time.

As a child i had the tendency to leave my body so now i work on accessing the higher awarenesses physically with tantra, yoga, running and so on. Physical meditation, for ME, is a safer way. But i'll bet drugs are quicker and lots of people want the feelings without the work.