There's a distinction between loneliness and solitude. I've been looking at this from a perspective that is more relatable to psychonauts.
I think the "social connection" is just the superficial aspect of loneliness. I think more fundamentally, this is about alienation, of which loneliness is one of ways it comes out.
I have met people who created the appearance of social connections -- idealized lives on Facebook, instagram, etc. and they feel very much isolated and alone. They feel that way because they still feel alienated, that they cannot be who they truly feel.
As long as you choose to live within a society, you're going to run into a lot of trouble if you try to just ignore everyone else and only structure your life around your own imagination (double so if your imagination has been bastardized by drugs).
I think the "social connection" is just the superficial aspect of loneliness. I think more fundamentally, this is about alienation, of which loneliness is one of ways it comes out.
I have met people who created the appearance of social connections -- idealized lives on Facebook, instagram, etc. and they feel very much isolated and alone. They feel that way because they still feel alienated, that they cannot be who they truly feel.