Hallucinogens

Hallucinogens or 'psychedelics' are drugs that are capable of completely altering the way a person perceives his world. They can affect the senses; alter a person's thought processes and way of thinking, distort the sense of time, and change emotions.

There are different types of hallucinogens. Some are natural and occur in seeds, trees, fungi, vines and even leaves. Others are chemicals and are manufactured in laboratories. Some examples of hallucinogens are: LSD (Acid), Psilocybin (magic mushrooms), Peyote Cactus (Mescaline), Ketamine, Phencyclidine (PCP), MDMA and Ecstasy in very high doses, and even cannabis in large quantities.

Why are Hallucinogens taken?
Natural hallucinogens have been used, abused and revered by tribes and cultures all over the world for hundreds of years now, for their spiritual and mystical connections.

However, hallucinogens became a 'trend' in Europe and the United States in the hippie boom of the 60's, where the younger generation of that time believed in free love and personal freedom and tended to question all the old school beliefs and customs.

People who are open to using hallucinogens don't generally use them on a regular basis, but tend to use them on occasions that are weeks or maybe months apart. This could be because the effects of these drugs have a long recovery time and their effects are unpredictable, so its hard to say whether the effects will be pleasurable or not.

Medicinal uses of Hallucinogens:

• Ketamine is used in many veterinary and medical set-ups as an anesthetic.
• In the 50's and 60's, some countries experimented with LSD as a treatment for many different types of psychiatric disorders.

Some of the most common Hallucinogens and how they are taken

• Lysergic Acid Diethyl amide or LSD - LSD is made by processing ergot, which is that type of fungus that infects rye. It is an extremely potent drug, so it is advisable to take LSD in very small doses. In its purest form, LSD is an odorless, white powder that comes in the form of blotting paper or gelatin squares that have both been injected with the drug. It is also sold in a liquid form known as drops, or capsules and tablets. LSD can be swallowed, smoked, sniffed or injected. The street names for LSD are Acid, microdots, trips and dots.
• Phencyclidine or PCP - This is a dissociative anesthetic that was originally experimented on humans before it hit the racks as an anesthetic in veterinary medicine. In its purest form, it is a crystal white powder that comes in the form of powder, capsules or pills. It can be sniffed, swallowed or even injected and is sometimes rolled in joints and smoked. Street names for PCP are peace pill and angels dust.
• Mescaline - This naturally occurring hallucinogen is derived from the peyote cactus and can also be produced synthetically. It comes in a pure white powder form and dried and ground peyote buttons are also found in the capsule form. These buttons are chewed, smoked or ground into a powder form and swallowed.
• Magic Mushrooms - There are many varieties of mushrooms: from liberty caps to golden tops to blue meanies, magic mushrooms are highly potent hallucinogens. They look like your ordinary dried mushrooms or are powdered and put in capsules. They are cooked, eaten fresh or brewed in tea. They can also be smoked in joints and certain types of mushrooms are poisonous and can cause permanent liver damage or death. The street names are mushies, liberty caps, golden tops, blue meanies, shrooms and magic's.

Other Hallucinogens include Datura, morning glory seeds, ecstasy and cannabis.

Common Effects of Hallucinogens
The effects of hallucinogens vary from individual to individual depending on a number of factors that include the person's weight, size, and health, how the drug is taken, how much has been taken. Whether the drug is mixed with something else, and is the person used to taking it?

The effects also depend on the external environment, the mood of the person, and the expectations of the individual taking it. It depends on whether the person is in a good mood or whether he is feeling anxious, whether he or she is alone or whether he is at a party - all these factors make a big difference.

It is very hard to tell how the hallucinogenic experience or hallucinogenic 'trip' will turn out and if the person will go through a 'bad trip'. Effects can last for a few minutes up to several hours and vary depending on the type of hallucinogen ingested. Some of the common effects are: blurred vision, euphoria, hallucinations, distorted sensory perceptions, increased breathing rate, relaxed feeling, confusion, disorganized thoughts, difficulty thinking and concentrating, dizziness, agitation, anxiety, paranoia, nausea and vomiting, increased blood pressure and heart rate, impaired coordination, sweating, numbness and increased body temperature.

Some of the long-term effects of hallucinogens include: flashbacks, impaired memory, drug induced 'psychosis', or even permanent delusional behavior.

What are 'Bad Trips'?
Sometimes, some people experience negative or adverse effects from hallucinogens and these effects are called 'bad trips'.

They experience a number of negative effects that range from panic and fear to anxiety and paranoia. This could also lead to risky behavior like jumping out of a window or running across a busy street. Hallucinations can also be very unpleasant and many people have experienced the feeling of ants or insects crawling all over their bodies. Or, the trip could be so intense that the person might feel like he or she is going to lose control.

The reasons for people experiencing bad trips however are unknown. Generally, these negative effects disappear or fade away once the drug starts wearing off. However, reports show that there have been many cases in which people have continued to experience hallucinations, paranoia and even bizarre behavior days after taking the drug. In some cases, these effects can even last for weeks and months.

When taking into consideration the yawning abyss of speculation and ignorance that is prevalent out there with regards to hallucinogens and other types of drugs, the information given above should come of some use to those of you who carelessly indulge in such serious and deadly practices or who know someone who is actively engaged in it.