Question

6. List three hallucinogens. What are hallucinations? What are the physical effects of hallucinogens?

Answer 1

Hallucinogens are drugs that alter the user’s thinking processes and perception in a manner that leads to significant distortions of reality 1. These drugs affect one’s perception far differently than many other types of drugs do. To many, the influence of these drugs represents experiences of new and even expanded consciousness and, indeed, some individuals experience synesthesia (mixed sensory experiences, such as seeing sounds or hearing colors). Other common effects produced by these drugs include hallucinations, an altered sense of time, and dissociative experiences (e.g., not feeling connected to one’s body or reality).

Most hallucinogens are classified by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) as Schedule I controlled substances, meaning they have no known medicinal uses and have a high potential for abuse and physical or psychological dependence 2. Hundreds of compounds are classified as hallucinogens.

Some of the more common hallucinogens include:

       LSD.

       Psilocybin (magic mushrooms).

       peyote (mescaline).

       DMT.

       Ketamine (Special K).

       PCP (phencyclidine).

Researchers believe that hallucinogens alter the perceptions of users by acting on neural circuits in the brain, particularly in the prefrontal cortex, a region of the brain involved in perception, mood, and cognition. Whereas dissociative drugs are thought to disrupt glutamate transmitters in the brain, hallucinogens are believed to affect the neurotransmitter serotonin.

Hallucinogens can also affect regions of the brain that deal with regulating arousal and physiological responses to stress and panic, according to National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) research.

Short-Term Effects

People who use hallucinogens can see things, hear things and feel sensations that seem to be very real, but do not in fact exist. These altered perceptions are known as hallucinations.

Typically, these effects can begin from 20 to 90 minutes after ingestion and can last up to 12 hours.

One problem for users of hallucinogens is the fact that the effects of the drug can be highly unpredictable. The amount ingested, plus the user's personality, mood, surroundings, and expectations can all play a role in how the "trip" will go.