Psychedelic drugs can be synthetic or natural, classical or non-classical, and legal or illegal. There are several different ways to categorize them, and in the following guide, we’ll look at all of them.
What Are The Classical Psychedelics?
One of the main ways of categorizing psychedelic drugs is as “classical” and “non-classical”.
Classical psychedelics are the most common psychedelics and have a long history of use. They deliver similar effects as one another and work in much the same way.
Classical psychedelics are also known as serotonergic psychedelic drugs, due to their effect on the brain chemical serotonin.
They include:
- Psilocybin and psilocin
- Mescaline
- LSD
- DMT
Non-classical psychedelics work on different receptors and produce different effects.
This category includes ketamine, which is used as an animal tranquilizer and rave drug, and cannabis, which has a long history of use and can produce both sedative and euphoric effects.
It also includes ibogaine, which is a strong hallucinogen that produces effects more closely related to DMT, LSD, and other hallucinogenic drugs. This is because the “non-classical psychedelics” category is also reserved for new and uncommon drugs.
Legal vs Illegal Psychedelic Drugs
This category is not clearly defined, as the laws change from country to country and even state to state.
However, the laws governing psilocybin mushrooms are usually more relaxed than those for LSD. Mescaline and DMT are also legal in parts of Central and South America, but only when consumed in their natural forms, such as ayahuasca, peyote cactus, and San Pedro cactus.
What Are The Three Principal Types Of Hallucinogens?
Hallucinogens affect the mind and body in different ways. The effects of psychedelic drugs like mescaline and LSD can vary greatly, but the differences are even more pronounced when compared to drugs like salvia and psilocybin or DXM and DMT.
As a result, hallucinogenic drugs are placed into three distinct categories: Psychedelic drugs, dissociative drugs, and deliriant drugs.
Psychedelic drugs produce feelings of euphoria, as well as changes in perception and consciousness. With very high doses, the user can feel like they have detached from reality, an experience known as “ego death”. But this detachment is generally not as severe as the one experienced with dissociative drugs.
Dissociative drugs include salvia, DXM, PCP, and ketamine. They are known to produce out-of-body experiences even with relatively small doses.
As for deliriant drugs, they can produce intense hallucinations along with hyperactivity. Bad trips are more common and these drugs can be very dangerous.
Which Psychedelics Are Tryptamines?
Tryptamines are psychedelics that are structurally similar to serotonin. They include the following:
- Psilocybin/psilocin: The principal psychoactive components in magic mushrooms.
- DMT: N,N-Dimethyltryptamine is found in small quantities in many plants and animals, including humans. It’s responsible for the effects of ayahuasca.
- 5-MeO-DMT: First synthesized in 1936, 5-MeO-DMT is one of the main psychoactive compounds in Anadenanthera peregrina seeds, which are used in Yopo snuff.
- Bufotenine: A DMT derivative found in some species of the Bufo genus of toad, also known as the psychedelic toad.
- Ibogaine: A naturally occurring psychedelic found in the Iboga shrub.
- DPT: N,N-Dipropyltryptamine has been around for several decades and is thought to produce effects very different from those of DMT.
- 4-HO-MET: Also known as methylcybin or “4-hydroxy-N-methyl-N-ethyltryptamine” to give it its full name, this little-known drug has effects similar to psilocin.
- 4-AcO-DMT: This novel psychedelic also goes by the names “psilacetin” and “synthetic mushrooms”. It was first synthesized by Albert Hofmann in 1963 and it has been suggested as an alternative to psilocybin.
Which Psychedelics Are Phenethylamines?
Phenethylamines are a class of drug related toepinephrine and norepinephrine. They are primarily known for their stimulant effects, but some drugs in this class can also trigger psychedelic effects:
- Mescaline: Found in peyote cactus and San Pedro, mescaline is one of the oldest psychedelic drugs and it was the first to be synthesized.
- MDMA: MDMA stands for “3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine”, but this drug is perhaps better known as “Ecstasy” or “Molly”. It’s a stimulant and empathogen commonly used as a party drug.
- MDA: A synthetic drug known to produce stimulant and psychedelic effects.
- DOM: Short for “2,5-Dimethoxy-4-methylamphetamine” DOM is a hallucinogen that first appeared in the late 1960s under the name “STP” which stands for “Serenity, Tranquility, and Peace”.
- Bromo-DragonFLY: First synthesized in 1998, this hallucinogenic drug is so named because its structure closely resembles a dragonfly.
- NBOMe: Commonly known as “N-Bomb”, this hallucinogen produces effects similar to LSD and is usually sold on blotter paper.
Which Psychedelics Are Ergolines?
Ergolines are compounds that were originally isolated from ergot, a fungus that infects grain and was once known as St. Anthony’s Fire:
- LSD: Lysergic acid diethylamide is a synthetic psychedelic first synthesized by Albert Hofmann in 1938. It is one of the most common psychedelic drugs.
- AL-LAD: An uncommon drug that has similar effects to LSD and seems to have originated in the United Kingdom.
- ALD-52: An analog of LSD that was discovered by Albert Hofmann in the late 1950s.
- Ergine: Also known as LSA (d-lysergic acid amide), this psychedelic compound is found in the seeds of morning glories.
- 1P-LSD: Not a lot is known about this drug, but it’s thought to be very similar to LSD. The full name is 1-propionyl-lysergic acid diethylamide.
Categories of Psychedelics Based on Duration
The onset and duration of effects can vary greatly across the aforementioned psychedelics.
When vaporized, DMT typically lasts for just 10 minutes, and rarely lasts for longer than 20 minutes. Salvia is also known for producing a very short-lived experience after being smoked.
Magic mushrooms and ayahuasca can last for between 4 and 6 hours, though it largely depends on the method of ingestion and dose.
LSD and mescaline can last for over 12 hours and ibogaine trumps everything, with effects that can linger for nearly 2 days. Some deliriant drugs also have a long duration.