What are hallucinogens? Are these drugs addictive? Hallucinogenic drugs can include a number of different compounds that usually come from plants and fungi, including mushrooms. Some may be psychologically addictive while others are not. Some of the most common hallucinogens found today include:
- PCP- This drug is also called phencyclidine. It was first developed in the 1960s and used an an anesthetic that was given intravenously. PCP is no longer used in medicine due to the risks and dangers posed by the drug and it can have very serious, violent, and even fatal side effects.
- LSD- The technical name for LSD is lysergic acid diethylamide, and it is very potent and has a large effect on mood as well as causing hallucinations. LSD was first found in the year 1938 and it starts from a fungus called ergot that is found on certain grains including rye.
- Psilocybin- This hallucinogenic substance comes from a number of wild mushroom types that are typically found in warm or tropical climates. The mushrooms that contain this drug are similar to certain other varieties that are poisonous and can be fatal if consumed.
- Ketamine- Often called Special K on the street, this drug is sometimes used for human and animal medical purposes and it is a very powerful drug used as an anesthetic medication.
- Peyote- Peyote has been used for thousands of years in Native American cultures as part of spiritual ceremonies because of the hallucinations that it caused. Peyote is found in a small variety of cactus that has no spines, and mescaline is the substance that causes the hallucinogenic effects.
