What are hallucinogens?
Hallucinogens are a category of drugs that change one’s perception of reality, causing hallucinations. There are many different drugs that are considered hallucinogens such as:
- D-lysergic acid diathylamide (LSD) – LSD is a chemical that is found on a fungus that grows on grains. It is also known as Acid.
- Dimethyltryptamine (DMT) – DMT is a chemical that is found in many Amazonian plants.
- 4-phosphoryloxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine (psilocybin) – Psilocybin is another name for hallucinogenic mushrooms.
How are hallucinogens used?
It depends on the type of hallucinogens, but generally, they will be ingested orally or used to make tea.
How do hallucinogens affect people who have used them?
Different hallucinogens have different effects, and everyone experiences them in a slightly different way. People who use any of these hallucinogens may experience:
- changes in sense of time
- mixed senses (like being able to hear colors or see sounds)
- spiritual experiences
- feeling a sense of interconnectedness to others
- paranoia
- panic
- insomnia
- loss of appetite
What are the health effects of hallucinogens?
More research still needs to be conducted on the long-term use of hallucinogens. However, it is known that long-term use of hallucinogens can cause:
- persistent mental problems and psychosis
- flashbacks or recurrences of drug experiences
Hallucinogens are not considered to be addictive drugs in the ways that other drugs are addictive like cocaine or heroin. However, they are very unpredictable drugs and can be dangerous for that reason.