Drugs and Their Effects – Hallucinogens (LSD, Mescaline, Mushrooms)

April 15th, 2011

In the realm of hallucinogens, there are three major contenders, LSD, Mescaline, and Psilocbin or Magic Mushrooms.

Collectively, these drugs are considered as some of the least harmful on the market, with LSD coming in 18th and mushrooms coming in 19th.  Drugs ranked more harmful include Alcohol, Tobacco, Marijuana, and Ecstasy, among others.

Also known as, LSD: Acid, blotter. Mescaline: peyote, cactus.  Mushrooms: Shrooms, magic mushrooms.

The use of any hallucinogen is often referred to as a “trip”, each trip’s effects registering as altered states of perception, though these altered states and the intensity wherein differ greatly from drug to drug.

For example, where LSD is known for vivid hallucinations, some involving patterns projected and “crawling” atop objects, morphing objects, loss of identity and full on hallucination (these effects vary greatly from person to person); Mescaline is known for hallucinations which are more consistent with actual experiences, objects being intensified alterations of existing stimuli.  Mushrooms are known for the paranoia which often accompanies their hallucinations.  A typical trip can last anywhere from 6 to 12 hours.

Unique to LSD are flashbacks, trips which occur well after the drug was taken, sometimes days after but months or years later is not unheard of.

Sources

http://www.drugabuse.gov/DrugPages/DrugsofAbuse.html

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11660210

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mescaline

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LSD

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_mushrooms

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S. Cody Barrus, Senior Managing Editor