The word psychedelic (From Ancient Greek ψυχή (psychê)
mind, soul + δηλος (dêlos) manifest, reveal + -ic)
was coined to express the idea of a drug that makes
manifest a hidden but real aspect of the mind. It is
commonly applied to any drug with
perception-altering effects such as LSD, psilocybin,
DMT, 2C-B, mescaline, salvinorin, and DOM as well as
a panoply of other tryptamines, phenethylamines and
yet more exotic chemicals, all of which appear to
act mainly on the 5-HT2A receptor. Common herbal and
fungal sources of psychedelics include psilocybe
mushrooms, various ayahuasca preparations, Salvia
Divinorum, peyote, and San Pedro cactus.
Much debate exists not only about the nature and
causes, but even about the very description of the
effects of psychedelic drugs. One prominent
tradition involves the "reducing valve" concept,
first articulated in Aldous Huxley's book The Doors
of Perception.[2] In this view, the drugs disable
the brain's "filtering" ability to selectively
prevent certain perceptions, emotions, memories and
thoughts from ever reaching the conscious mind. This
effect has been described as mind expanding, or
consciousness expanding, for the drug "expands" the
realm of experience available to conscious
awareness. A large number of drugs, such as cannabis
and MDMA, produce effects that could be classified
as psychedelic (especially at higher doses) but are
not considered to be strictly psychedelic drugs due
to other effects that may be more (or equally)
prevalent, such as sedation or disinhibition.
Psychedelic effects can vary depending on the
precise drug and dosage, as well as the set and
setting. "Trips" range between the short but intense
effects of intravenous DMT to the protracted
ibogaine experience, which can last for days.
Appropriate dosage ranges from extremely low (LSD)
to rather high (mescaline). Some drugs, like the
auditory hallucinogen DiPT, act specifically to
distort a single sense, and others have more diffuse
effects on cognition generally. Some are more
conducive to solitary experiences, while others are
positively empathogenic.
Many psychedelics (LSD, psilocybin, mescaline, and
numerous others) are non-toxic in dosages typically
ingested, making it difficult to overdose on these
compounds.
History of use
Hallucinogenic substances are among the oldest drugs
used by humankind, as hallucinogenic substances
naturally occur in mushrooms, cacti and a variety of
other plants. Numerous cultures worldwide have
endorsed the use of hallucinogens in medicine,
religion and recreation, to varying extents, while
some cultures have regulated or outright prohibited
their use. In most developed countries today, the
possession of many hallucinogens, even those found
commonly in nature, is considered a crime punishable
by fines, imprisonment or even death. In some
countries, such as the United States and the
Netherlands, partial deference may be granted to
traditional religious use by members of indigenous
ethnic minorities such as the Native American Church
and the Santo Daime Church. Recently the União do
Vegetal, a Christian-based religious sect whose
composition is not primarily ethnicity-based, won a
United States Supreme Court decision authorizing its
use of ayahuasca.
Hallucinogenic
organisms
The following is a list of some organisms known to
contain hallucinogens
Plants
Psychedelics
- Ayahuasca (contains DMT and an MAOI, commonly Banisteriopsis caapi with
Psychotria viridis)
- Epená (Virola sp.) (contains 5-MeO-DMT and DMT)
- Hawaiian baby woodrose (Argyreia nervosa) (contains ergot alkaloids)
- Ololiuhqui/Coaxihuitl (Turbina/Rivea corymbosa) (contains ergot
alkaloids)
- Tlitliltzin/Badoh Negro (Ipomoea violacea) (contains ergot alkaloids)
- Cacti psychedelics
- Peruvian Torch cactus (Trichocereus peruvianus) (contains mescaline)
- Peyote cactus (Lophophora williamsii) (contains mescaline)
- San Pedro cactus (Trichocereus pachanoi) (contains mescaline)
- Quasi-psychedelics
Cannabis (contains THC)
-
Nutmeg (Myristica fragrans) (contains
myristicin)
-
Dissociatives
-
Iboga (Tabernanthe iboga) (contains
ibogaine)
-
Salvia divinorum (contains salvinorin
A)
-
Deliriants
-
Deadly nightshade (Atropa belladonna)
(contains tropane alkaloids)
-
Floripondio (Brugmansia sp.)
(contains tropane alkaloids)
-
Henbane (Hyoscyamus niger) (contains
tropane alkaloids)
-
Mandrake (Mandragora sp.) (contains
tropane alkaloids)
-
Thorn Apple/Jimson Weed (Datura sp.)
(contains tropane alkaloids)
Fungi
Psychedelics
- Psilocybe mushrooms (Psilocybe sp. and some Conocybe, Panaeolus and
Stropharia) (contain psilocybin and psilocin)
- Ergot fungus (Claviceps purpurea) (not hallucinogenic in itself, but
contains ergotamine, along with deadly poisons)
- Dissociatives
- Fly Agaric mushroom (Amanita muscaria) (contains muscimol)
Animals
Psychedelics
- Psychoactive
toads (Bufo alvarius) (contain 5-MeO-DMT and
bufotenine)
Traditional
religious and shamanic use
Historically, hallucinogens have not been most
commonly used in religious or shamanic rituals. In
this context they are often referred to as
entheogens, and they are used to facilitate healing,
divination, communication with spirits, and
coming-of-age ceremonies. Evidence exists for the
use of entheogens in prehistoric times, as well as
in numerous ancient cultures, including the Ancient
Egyptian, Mycenaean, Ancient Greek, Vedic, Maya,
Inca the and Aztec cultures. The Upper Amazon is
home to the strongest extant entheogenic tradition;
the Urarina of Peruvian Amazonia, for instance,
continue to practice an elaborate system of
ayahuasca shamanism, coupled with an animistic
belief system.
Urarina shaman, 1988The rise of the Abrahamic
religions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam) caused a
decline of entheogenic use of hallucinogens use in
its wake, as the authority of scripture and the
priesthood gradually reduced the role granted to
direct spiritual experience, especially by the
laity[citation needed]. Examples of this development
include the destruction of the Eleusinian Mysteries,
which are now widely assumed to have involved
entheogenic rituals, and the Great Witch Hunt of the
Early Modern Age, in which practitioners of
entheogenic rites in Western Europe were accused of
associating with the devil. The Spanish
conquistadores associated local entheogenic
traditions of South America with heresy and satanism,
and uprooted many of them, but nevertheless, some
cultures there and elsewhere have kept their
traditions alive to this day.
Hallucinogenic organisms
The following is a list of some organisms known to
contain hallucinogens
Plants
Psychedelics
- Ayahuasca (contains DMT and an MAOI, commonly Banisteriopsis caapi with
Psychotria viridis)
- Epená (Virola sp.) (contains 5-MeO-DMT and DMT)
- Hawaiian baby woodrose (Argyreia nervosa) (contains ergot alkaloids)
- Ololiuhqui/Coaxihuitl (Turbina/Rivea corymbosa) (contains ergot
alkaloids)
- Tlitliltzin/Badoh Negro (Ipomoea violacea) (contains ergot alkaloids)
- Cacti psychedelics
- Peruvian Torch cactus (Trichocereus peruvianus) (contains mescaline)
- Peyote cactus (Lophophora williamsii) (contains mescaline)
- San Pedro cactus (Trichocereus pachanoi) (contains mescaline)
- Quasi-psychedelics
Cannabis (contains THC)
-
Nutmeg (Myristica fragrans) (contains
myristicin)
-
Dissociatives
-
Iboga (Tabernanthe iboga) (contains
ibogaine)
-
Salvia divinorum (contains salvinorin
A)
-
Deliriants
-
Deadly nightshade (Atropa belladonna)
(contains tropane alkaloids)
-
Floripondio (Brugmansia sp.)
(contains tropane alkaloids)
-
Henbane (Hyoscyamus niger) (contains
tropane alkaloids)
-
Mandrake (Mandragora sp.) (contains
tropane alkaloids)
-
Thorn Apple/Jimson Weed (Datura sp.)
(contains tropane alkaloids)
Fungi
Psychedelics
- Psilocybe mushrooms (Psilocybe sp. and some Conocybe, Panaeolus and
Stropharia) (contain psilocybin and psilocin)
- Ergot fungus (Claviceps purpurea) (not hallucinogenic in itself, but
contains ergotamine, along with deadly poisons)
- Dissociatives
- Fly Agaric mushroom (Amanita muscaria) (contains muscimol)
Animals
Psychedelics
- Psychoactive
toads (Bufo alvarius) (contain 5-MeO-DMT and
bufotenine)
External links
-
Erowid is a web site dedicated entirely to providing information about psychoactive drugs, with an impressive collection of trip reports, materials collected from the web and usenet, and a bibliography of scientific literature
-
Evidence: Academic resources on hallucinogens- and MDMA research, relapse prevention and harm reduction.
-
The Shroomery has detailed information about magic mushrooms including identification, cultivation and spores, psychedelic images, trip reports and an active community.





