paranoia-extreme and unreasonable distrust of others.increased blood pressure, breathing rate, or body temperature.Specific short-term effects of some hallucinogens include: changes in sense of time (for example, the feeling that time is passing by slowly).intensified feelings and sensory experiences (such as seeing brighter colors).Hallucinogen users refer to the experiences brought on by these drugs as "trips." If the experience is unpleasant, users sometimes call it a "bad trip."Īlong with hallucinations, other short-term general effects include: The effects generally begin within 20 to 90 minutes and can last as long as 12 hours in some cases (LSD) or as short as 15 minutes in others (synthetic DMT). What are some other effects of hallucinogens? Classic HallucinogensĬlassic hallucinogens can cause users to see images, hear sounds, and feel sensations that seem real but do not exist. Some hallucinogens interfere with the action of the brain chemical serotonin, which regulates:ĭissociative hallucinogenic drugs interfere with the action of the brain chemical glutamate, which regulates: Research suggests that classic hallucinogens work at least partially by temporarily disrupting communication between brain chemical systems throughout the brain and spinal cord. People use hallucinogens in a wide variety of ways, as shown in the following chart: ModeĪbsorbing through the lining of the mouth using drug-soaked paper pieces The dried leaves of salvia can also be smoked or vaporized and inhaled. Salvia is typically ingested by chewing fresh leaves or by drinking their extracted juices. Salvia (Salvia divinorum) is a plant common to southern Mexico and Central and South America.Dextromethorphan (DXM) is a cough suppressant and mucus-clearing ingredient in some over-the-counter cold and cough medicines (syrups, tablets, and gel capsules).Ketamine is snorted or sometimes added to drinks as a date-rape drug. It mostly sells as a powder or as pills, but it also available as an injectable liquid. Much of the ketamine sold illegally come from veterinary offices. Ketamine is used as a surgery anesthetic for humans and animals.PCP can be found in a variety of forms, including tablets or capsules however, liquid and white crystal powder are the most common. PCP (Phencyclidine) was developed in the 1950s as a general anesthetic for surgery, but it is no longer used for this purpose due to serious side effects.Photo by © Wikimedia Commons/ Ketamine Ketamine Developed for use in brain research, when sold illegally it is sometimes called N Bomb or 251.Ĭommon examples of dissociative drugs include the following: 251-NBOMe is a synthetic hallucinogen with similarities both to LSD and MDMA (see DrugFacts: MDMA) but that is much more potent.Synthetic DMT usually takes the form of a white crystalline powder that is smoked. Ayahuasca is a tea made from such plants, and when taken in this form it is also known as hoasca, aya, and yagé. DMT (N,N-dimethyltryptamine) is a powerful chemical found naturally in some Amazonian plants.Peyote (mescaline) is a small, spineless cactus with mescaline as its main ingredient.Psilocybin (4-phosphoryloxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine) comes from certain types of mushrooms found in tropical and subtropical regions of South America, Mexico, and the United States.It is a clear or white odorless material made from lysergic acid, which is found in a fungus that grows on rye and other grains. LSD (D-lysergic acid diethylamide) is one of the most powerful mind-altering chemicals.Naturally occurring compounds are marked with a †.Photo by © Wikimedia Commons/ Salvia Salvia plantĬommon classic hallucinogens include the following:
Because of the vast amount of possible substitutions and chemical analogs of most psychedelic compounds, the total diversity of chemical compounds which produce psychedelic effects in humans is not fully reflected within this list, leaving room for many that have not yet been sufficiently investigated and others that have not yet been discovered.
Some of these compounds may be classified differently or under more than one category due to a unique structural classification, multiple mechanisms of action, or the fact that the precise pharmacodynamic actions of the compound are not yet completely understood.
Serotonergic psychedelics are usually considered the "classical" psychedelics, whereas the other classes are often seen as having only secondary psychedelic properties nonetheless all of the compounds listed here are considered psychoactive and hallucinogenic in humans to some degree. The following is a list of psychedelic drugs of various chemical classes, including both naturally occurring and synthetic compounds.