What are Hallucinogens?

Hallucinogens are mind-altering drugs that act on the Central Nervous System (CNS), producing changes to the users perception and state of mind.

When you take hallucinogens like LSD. & ‘Acid trips’, the communication system that is linked to receptors in your brain, is disrupted. This results in a distortion of all 5 senses, changing the way you sense the world around you.

When you take hallucinogens you see, hear, smell taste and feel differently

These distortions in perception can be so radical as to make the user confused about what is actually real and what are hallucinations. i.e. They may see and hear things that aren’t even there.

Some types of hallucinogens include: 

• LSD (Lysergic Acid Diethylamide):  The most common hallucinogen. Sold in the form of ‘Acid trips’

• ‘Magic Mushrooms’

• Mescaline

• PCP (Phencyclidine) Also called ‘Angel Dust’

• What are the side effects of using hallucinogens?

• Dilated (large) pupils

• Rapid heart rate

• Loss of appetite, nausea & vomiting

• Cold chills, shivering & hot flushes

• Dizziness

• Tremor and shaking

• Paranoia & confusion

• Insomnia & restless, disturbed sleep

• Acute panic (usually called a ‘Bad Trip’)

• Changes in perception of sight, sound, touch, smell, taste and space. (i.e. a  distorted sense of distance along with a disorientated sense of direction)

• Stomach cramps & pain

• Numbness of the mouth

• Emotional instability & Sudden Mood Changes

• Hallucinations

• Body numbness

• Violent / aggressive behaviour

• Feeling similar to having a severe hangover 

• Psychosis

• Tolerance

A high level of tolerance develops rapidly with regular use of Hallucinogens. This means that it doesn’t take long before you need to take more and more of the drug in order to experience its effects.

LSD and Pregnancy

If you are pregnant and you take LSD, you are putting yourself at risk of miscarriage. Furthermore, the risk of your baby being born with a birth defect is very high.

Using hallucinogens with other drugs

Mixing Hallucinogens with other mind-altering substances is extremely dangerous as the effects can be both unpredictable and significantly intensified.

Driving on hallucinogens

Driving whilst under the effects of any mind-altering drug is very dangerous! Add hallucinations and a distorted perception of time, space, distance and traveling speed, (as experienced on LSD) and the results could be fatal!

What are the long term effects of using hallucinogens:

Physical dependence:

The user needs to continuously use hallucinogens to physically function from day to day.

Psychological Dependence:

The user places a greater importance on the drugs than other activities in their life, believing that they need the drug to get through the day.

Flashbacks:

This refers to sudden memory repetitions of experiences that occurred whilst ‘tripping’. Flash backs can occur for days, weeks, months or even years after the cessation of LSD.

Severe Depression:

Some types of Hallucinogens such as MDMA (ECSTASY) destroy the Serotonin producing neurons in the brain. SEROTONIN is one of the body’s naturally occurring endorphins and is essential for maintaining a stable mood. Normally our body produces the right quantity of Serotonin (i.e. when we are unaffected by drugs) and this prevents us from feeling depressed.