Hallucinogens

Hallucinogens

Hallucinogens are a drug that causes hallucinations that distorts an individual's perception of reality. Hallucinations may occur in any sensory mode: visual, auditory, olfactory, gustatory, tactile, or mixed.

Deliriants

• Special class of dissociative
• "True hallucinogens"
• Ex: atropine, benadryl
• block neurotransmitter
• cause vivid/horrific experiences
• very dangerous side effects

References

Peyote is the name of a plant knows as the spineless cactuss

• The principal drug which is found in peyote is known as Mescaline

Psychedelic Drugs

• The buttons part of peyote is chewed to consume the drug

Some Examples of Psychedelics

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hallucinogen
• http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=24170
• https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/research-reports/hallucinogens-dissociative-drugs/what-are-effects-common-dissociative-drugs-brain-body
• http://allaboutheaven.org/suppression/618/115/henbane
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psilocybin_mushroom
• https://drugs-forum.com/forum/showwiki.php?title=Category:Deliriants
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nutmeg
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychoactive_toad
• http://psychedelics.com/psychedelic-drug-abuse/psychedelic-drugs-and-the-brain/

• A hallucinogen
• Psychedelic drug is commonly applied to any drug with perception-altering effects

• LSD
• Peyote
• Henbane
• Psychedelic Mushrooms
• Psychoactive toad
• Nutmeg

LSD stands for Lysergic acid diethylamide

Processes of the brain that are altered by psychedelics?

• Perception, mood, or consciousness

• As little as 25 miligragms of LSD results in feeling its threshold effects

• Ability to process emotions and thoughts.

Heightened senses, perceptual distortions and synesthesia

• The effects generally last from 6 - 12 hours depending upon the dosage and tolerance of the user .

A drug whose primary action is to alter cognition and perception

• Some individuals may exprience "flashbacks"

• "Flashbacks" are a reported psychological phenomenon in which an individual experiences an episode of some of LSD's subjective effects after the drug has worn off, "persisting for months or years after hallucinogen use".

Dissociative Drugs

3 Class of Hallucinogens

Controlled phsosis was used to study psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia

• Another class of hallucinogens
• Ex: Ketamine, Dextromethorphan (DXM), Phencyclidine (PCP)
• Distort brain's chemical glutamate
• Glutamate is important to perception and understanding

• Psychedelic Drugs
• Dissociative Drugs
• Deliriants or anticholinergics

Side Effects

• Memory loss
• Visual/auditory disruptions
• Anxiety
• Confusion (disconnection from reality)
• Body tumors/ numbness
• Increase body temp, heart rate, blood pressure
• Nausea
• Side effects is dependent on the variable and dosage

• LSD was first made by Albert Hofmann in 1938 from ergotamine, a chemical from the fungus, ergot.

• Hofmann discovered its psychedelic properties in 1943.

Henbane

• Comes from word "hennbana" means "killer of hens"
• Common symptoms: out of body experiences, dilated pupils, restlessness, flushed skin
• Less common symptoms: vomiting, hypertension, convulsions

Psychedelic Mushrooms

• Contains psilocybin and psilocin
• Often called magic mushrooms

Effects

• Physical effects: addiction
• Sensory effects: Auditory, visual tactile senses more evident
• Emotional effects: the experience, "trip" is dependent on settings
• Intellectual effects; increased life satisfaction/well being, lowered anxiety/depression. Fear/paranoia

Nutmeg

Psychoactive toad

• Bufotoxins: name for the psychoactive substances produced by these toads
• Cane toad is the commonly used toad in extratcing the hallucinogen
• Toad Licking

• Nutmeg is the actual seed of of the tree Evergreen Tree
• Two chemical constituents responsible for the subtle hallucinogenic properties of nutmeg oil myristicin and elemicin

Side effects

Nutmeg is an Unpopular Hallucinogen

Ingesting 7.5 grams or more:

• visual distortions
• closed-eye visuals
• auditory hallucinations
• short-term memory may become impaired
• speech may become slightly slurred

• dizziness
• flushes
• dry mouth
• accelerated heartbeat
• temporary constipation
• difficulty in urination
• nausea
• panic

Peak effect can be within 2 hours and can be continuous up to 8 or more hours.

Ingesting 10 grams or more

• Same as ingesting 7.5 grams
• visual distortions and a mild euphoria