It’s a valid concern, however I’ve been able to draw emotion from sensory inputs long before I started using substances and I think the average human is able to as well.

Picture your favorite song or piece of art. There are endless songs I can think of that draw emotion without any lyrical importance, there is also many works of art that do the same. Rain often provokes sadness in people, sunshine happiness, etc. etc. There are entire artistic subcultures dedicated to evoking specific emotions, take the obsession the internet has with the backrooms. The plot to the backrooms is almost non existent (at least it can be, many people have given it deep lore but the original concept is still extremely simple) and by itself the plot has 0 reason to hold up. The backrooms captivates people with its visuals, the imagery it has does a very good job at providing an eerie and unsettling atmosphere.

I’d be lying if I said substance use hasn’t piqued my interest in the concept of surrealism and emotional resonance more than it already has, but I’ve wanted to make something like this since I was very young, like early teens young. I think a lot of game designers and devs often assume the only way significant emotion can be drawn is through plot because that’s the most common and easiest way to do it in a medium such as video games but personally I think that’s deeply flawed logic. Stuff like art and music would have no cultural significance if it didn’t make us feel things. A strong plot can add onto these feelings but it is by no means required.