Hallucinogen
Hallucinogen, any one of a large number of natural or synthetic psychoactive drugs that produce marked distortions of the senses and changes in perception. Hallucinogens generally alter the way time is perceived, making it appear to slow down. As the name suggests, hallucinogens may produce hallucinations, which are shape- and color-shifts in the appearance of the outside world or, in extreme cases, the replacement of external reality with imaginary beings and landscapes. Hallucinogens may also lead to bizarre and antisocial thoughts as well as to disorientation and confusion. The physiological basis of such experiences is not clear, but evidence suggests that hallucinogens work by inhibiting the availability of serotonin, an important neurotransmitter in the brain.
The best-known and most potent hallucinogen is lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD). Other hallucinogens include psilocybin, which comes from certain species of mushrooms, and mescaline, which is derived from a cactus called peyote. These drugs are of medical interest because they produce effects similar to the symptoms of schizophrenia, a severe mental illness accompanied by distortions of reality. Some researchers believe that a hallucinogen-induced state can be used as a model to study schizophrenia.
Hallucinogens may be taken orally, injected, or, in the case of marijuana (a mild hallucinogen), smoked and inhaled. They usually take effect within an hour and cause increases in blood pressure, body temperature, and pulse rate as well as dilation, or enlargement, of the pupils of the eyes. These drugs may also cause nausea and numbness.
Individual reactions to hallucinogens are unpredictable, especially when these drugs are used recreationally—that is, for the pleasurable effects they produce and not for medical purposes. The experience of the drug may be pleasurable one day and highly disturbing the next, depending on the setting and circumstances in which the drug is taken and the individual’s personality and mood at the time. The effects of hallucinogenic drugs may last from a few hours to several days, and may recur months later in what are referred to as flashbacks.
Most hallucinogens do not cause physical dependence with chronic use, although tolerance of behavioral effects can develop, in which case more of the drug is needed to create the same mental states (see Drug Dependence).
The best-known and most potent hallucinogen is lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD). Other hallucinogens include psilocybin, which comes from certain species of mushrooms, and mescaline, which is derived from a cactus called peyote. These drugs are of medical interest because they produce effects similar to the symptoms of schizophrenia, a severe mental illness accompanied by distortions of reality. Some researchers believe that a hallucinogen-induced state can be used as a model to study schizophrenia.
Hallucinogens may be taken orally, injected, or, in the case of marijuana (a mild hallucinogen), smoked and inhaled. They usually take effect within an hour and cause increases in blood pressure, body temperature, and pulse rate as well as dilation, or enlargement, of the pupils of the eyes. These drugs may also cause nausea and numbness.
Individual reactions to hallucinogens are unpredictable, especially when these drugs are used recreationally—that is, for the pleasurable effects they produce and not for medical purposes. The experience of the drug may be pleasurable one day and highly disturbing the next, depending on the setting and circumstances in which the drug is taken and the individual’s personality and mood at the time. The effects of hallucinogenic drugs may last from a few hours to several days, and may recur months later in what are referred to as flashbacks.
Most hallucinogens do not cause physical dependence with chronic use, although tolerance of behavioral effects can develop, in which case more of the drug is needed to create the same mental states (see Drug Dependence).
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