Psychedelic drugs are substances that alter the user’s perception and can trigger hallucinations. The word is a combination of Greek words meaning “mind” and “manifest”, referencing the manifestations conjured by the mind when under the influence of these drugs.
What Is In A Psychedelic?
Most psychedelics come from fungi or cacti. They are produced by nature and either consumed whole, processed, or extracted.
Even LSD, which is often seen as a purely synthetic drug, has its origins in a weird, wonderful, and downright terrifying substance.
Magic Mushrooms = Psilocybin
There is no single “magic mushroom”. Most of the shrooms consumed in the United States are from the species Psilocybe cubensis, but the active compound, Psilocybin, is also present in Psilocybe semilanceata (Liberty Cap) and other species.
Psilocybe mushrooms aren’t the only hallucinogenic mushrooms, either. Amanita muscaria (fly agaric) don’t contain psilocybin, but they do have something known as muscimol, which is an entheogen.
These toadstools have large red caps with white spots and are the stereotypical “magic” mushrooms, due to their use in the Super Mario video games and The Smurfs comic franchise. They can also trigger intense hallucinogenic effects, but they don’t fall under the “magic mushroom” categorization, as it’s typically reserved for psilocybin mushrooms.
Peyote Cactus and San Pedro Cactus = Mescaline
Peyote, San Pedro, Peruvian Torch, Bolivian Torch, and several other species of cacti contain a psychedelic compound known as mescaline. The drug has been in use for thousands of years in its natural form and was the first psychedelic compound to be isolated and extracted.
Ayahuasca = DMT
DMT is a powerful drug often referred to as the “spirit molecule”, as some believe that it is responsible for out-of-body and near-death experiences. It’s present in very small quantities in the human brain and can also be found in many plants and animals.
DMT is the principal component of ayahuasca brews, along with a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) that prolongs the effects. Without an MAOI, it would last a matter of minutes; with it, the effects can last for hours.
LSD = Lysergic acid diethylamide
LSD stands for Lysergic Acid Diethylamide and is a synthetic drug that was synthesized from lysergic acid.
Lysergic acid is a precursor for many alkaloids produced by the ergot fungus, which means that LSD has a direct link to a condition once known as St. Anthony’s Fire (ergotism).
The ergot fungus grows on grain and can infect food supplies. Once consumed, it can lead to severe and terrifying delusions and hallucinations. Ergot outbreaks have been linked to many cases of mass hysteria and hallucinations, with some even suggesting that it was responsible for the Salem witch trials.
Of course, LSD and ergot are two different substances, but it means that the origin of this drug is as fascinating as its therapeutic potential.
What Are Psychedelic Drugs Used To Treat?
Speaking of therapeutic potential, many experts believe that psychedelic drugs like LSD and psilocybin could be used in the treatment of everything from drug abuse to post-traumatic stress disorder and major depressive disorder.
Clinical trials were first held in the 1950s and continued until the 1970s, only to fade away. In recent years, the spotlight has shone on psychedelic therapy once again.
Some of the most interesting studies concern the treatment of end-of-life anxiety, as well as alcohol addiction.
Typically, the methods for treating addiction are to manage withdrawal symptoms and plan a taper, allowing the user to gradually withdraw. But this doesn’t target the root of the problem, the reason they are used in the first place, and so it often leads to relapse.
With psychedelic drugs, it seems that individuals with drug addictions experience some kind of self-awakening that encourages them to withdraw and ensures they stay drug-free thereafter.
Another benefit of using psychedelic drugs in this manner is that they are non-addictive and have low abuse potential.
However, it should be noted that research into the therapeutic effects of psychedelic substances is still ongoing and they have not been approved for any treatments.
How Do Psychedelics Affect The Brain?
Psychoactive substances increase neural activity inside the parts of the brain responsible for memory and emotion. These substances also light up the visual cortex, which is how the brain receives and processes visual information.
Are Psychedelics Legal in the US?
The use, cultivation, and sale of most hallucinogenic drugs is illegal at the federal level in the United States. There has been some talk about legalizing or decriminalizing magic mushrooms and other drugs, but that has yet to happen.
The closest we have gotten to such a change is in the state of Oregon, where psilocybin has been legalized for therapeutic use and decriminalized for recreational use.
Are Psychedelic Drugs Dangerous?
To the average man and woman on the street, hallucinogens are dangerous drugs that need to be treated with extreme caution. After all, every town has its urban legends about the person who took LSD/mushrooms and jumped from a building because they thought they could fly.
In reality, however, psychedelics are not as dangerous as other illegal drugs. Unlike most sedatives and stimulants, there is no risk of physical dependence, and even the risk of psychological dependence is very low.
Bad trips are common in high doses, and all psychedelic drugs need to be used with care and caution, but the same could be said for alcohol.
To be on the safe side, you should refrain from using psychedelic drugs if you have a history of mental health problems or cardiovascular disease (psychedelics can lead to high blood pressure). But again, the same could be said for many other drugs.
How Popular are Psychedelic Drugs in the United States?
Psychedelics experienced a golden age during the 1960s and early 1970s. This was the era of free love and experimentation, the era of the counterculture movement.
The popularity of psychedelics was driven by people by Timothy Leary and Albert Hofmann, as well as rock stars, pop stars, artists, and poets.
Psychedelics took a backseat in the proceeding decades, as recreational drug users turned to crack, MDMA, methamphetamines, prescription pills, and “bath salts”, as well as the ever-popular marijuana.
But there has been a resurgence in the last few years.
Part of this recent popularity is down to people like Joe Rogan, who has spoken openly about psychedelics on his massively popular podcast. The studies concerning how LSD/mushrooms can be used to treat depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder have also given them a boost.
Summary: Psychedelic Drug Use
The next 10 years could be huge for the psychedelic community. It’s highly likely that we’ll see more studies on the potential therapeutic effects of these drugs, as well as more states and countries that decriminalize or legalize them.
We could even see a return of the psychedelic spirit that produced so much great music and art during the swinging sixties.