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Explore the history, effects, and cultural significance of hallucinogens like LSD and peyote. Learn about sensory distortions, psychotomimetic drugs, and the debate surrounding their use.
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Return Quiz Chapter on Hallucinogens Extra Credit Assignment, after those quiz scores agenda
Hallucinogens (Psychedelics) Instructor Ed Ramirez
A demon had invaded me, had taken possession of my body, mind, and soul. I jumped up and screamed, trying to free myself from him, but then sank down again and lay helpless on the sofa. The substance, with which I wanted to experiment, had vanquished me. It was the demon that scornfully triumphed over my will. Psychedelics https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QgyNjCPWQ8
The sensory and emotional distortions that can be caused using hallucinogens and/or psychedelics Hallucinogens/Psychedelics
The word “psychedelic” come from the Greek root meaning “mind-revealing” Hallucinogens
What are they? Substances that alter sensory processing in the brain, causing perceptual disturbances, changes in thought processing, and depersonalization Hallucinogens
Persons using hallucinogenic drugs often report seeing images, hearing sounds, and feeling sensations that seem real, but do not exist Hallucinogens
Substances that expand or heighten perception and consciousness Psychedelics
People have known and written about drug-related hallucinations for centuries Holy/sacred (receiving divine messages) Medicine Men Shamans Witches/oracles Mystic Priests History
Prior to the 1960s, mescaline (from the peyote cactus) could be obtained from chemical supply houses with no restrictions in the United States History But, society began to abuse hallucinogens
The 1960s Vietnam War Violent demonstrations “The establishment” Harvard psychology professor, Timothy Leary “LSD” What Changed?
Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD) (Pronounced- ly ser gic Acid Die ethel la mide) Psychosis-like schizophrenia Psychotomimetic- “Substances that cause psychosis like symptoms (psychosis mimicking) LSDWidespread Use
Drugs that induce mental states that impair an individual’s ability to recognize and respond appropriately to reality. Psychotomimetic
LSD • MDMA, (ecstasy) • PCP (phencyclidine) • Psilocybin (magic mushrooms) • Mescaline (peyote) Hallucinogens (which drugs?)
DMT Foxy Nutmeg Atropa Mandragora Henbane Jimsonweed Hallucinogens (which drugs?)
Ketamine Dextromethorphan Marijuana Salvia Hallucinogens (which drugs?)
Native Americans and the use of peyote First-Born Church of Christ “First peyote church,” 1914, Oklahoma. 1918, Native American Church of the United States 1965 Congress legislated against its use Native American Church
1978 American Indian Religious Freedom Act (attempted) to allow members of the Native American Church peyote use 1994, protected the use of peyote in Native American Church ceremonies Native American Church
How far should it go? Native American Jonathan Fowler His 4-year old son Case in PointPage 351
And his League of Spiritual Discovery 1966, 3 years after being fired by Harvard for controversial involvement with hallucinogens LSD as a sacrament of his religion Timothy Leary
Besides the traditional hallucinogens (such as LSD), high doses of anticholinergics, cocaine, amphetamines, and steroids can cause hallucinations The Nature ofHallucinogens
These drugs most certainly influence the complex inner workings of the human mind and have been described as psychedelic, or psychotogenic psychotogenic are described as substances that initiate psychotic behavior The Nature ofHallucinogens
In general, LSD is considered the prototype agent against which other hallucinogens are measured “A single trip,” or, more likely, will pass through only some. These states are as follows: • Heightened, exaggerated senses • Loss of control • Self-reflection • Loss of identity and a sense of cosmic merging Sensory and Psychological Effects
Altered senses • Loss of control • Self-reflection • Loss of identity and cosmic merging Sensory
(Experience of Solomon Snyder) After 30 minutes, some mild nausea Objects took on purplish ting and appeared to be vaguely outlined. Colors, textures, and lines achieved an unexpected richness Altered Senses
Synesthesia- a subjective sensation or image of a sense other than the one being stimulated, such as an auditory sensation caused by a visual stimulus Snyder Cont’d
User will cannot determine whether the psychedelic trip will be a pleasant, relaxing experience or a “bad trip” A bad trip can “replay” the frightening experiences at a later time. This is known as a “flashback” Loss of Control Flashback- recurrences of earlier drug-induces sensory experiences in the absence of the drug
User becomes aware of thoughts and feelings long hidden beneath the surface, forgotten and /or repressed Self Reflection
“I am no longer” One’s skin ceases to be a boundary between self and others Loss of Identity andCosmic Merging
Double-edged sword Positive versus negative responses Hallucinogens act at a common CNS site to exert their psychedelic effects. This has not been proven Mechanisms of Action
DOM • MDA • MDMA These agents vary in their hallucinogen or stimulant properties. MDA is more like amphetamines and MDMA is more like LSD Types of hallucinogenicagents
The third major group of hallucinogens comprises the anticholinergic drugs, which block some of the receptors for the neurotransmitter in the brain Third major group
Ergotism- poisoning by toxic substances from the ergot fungus • Ergot fungus • Ergot alkaloids 1938, Albert Hofmann, a Swiss scientist worked on ergot compounds in a search for medical value LSD He was trying to synthesize a drug to study psychosis
Synthesis and Administration, LSD is a complex molecule that requires about 1 week to be synthesized LSD
The typical dose today is 20 to 30 micrograms 1960s the dose was about 150 to 300 mg The effects of LSD begins within 30 to 90 minutes and can last up to 12 hours LSD
No typical pattern of response to LSD Experience varies for each user • Psychotic adverse reaction (freakout) • Non-psychotic adverse reaction Adverse Psychedelic Effects
Brain’s sensory processing is altered Many kinds of unusual illusions can occur Time distorted An experience can be incredibly beautiful and uplifting, or unpleasant Perceptual Effects
Body trip • Bad mind trip • Altered visual perception Negative LSD-relatedFlashbacks
Mescaline is one of approximately 30 psychoactive chemicals that have been isolated from the peyote cacus Used for centuries Francisco Hernandez King Philip II of Spain Mescaline (peyote) Mescaline is perhaps 1000 to 3000 times less potent than LSD and about 30 times less potent than other common hallucinogens such as psilocybin
Dilation of the pupils Increased body temp Anxiety Visual hallucinations Alteration of body image Users report losing all awareness of time Mescaline’s Effects
Within 30 to 120 minutes after ingestion, mescaline reaches a maximum concentration in the brain. Effect may persist for 9 to 10 hours Mescaline’s Effects
Psilocybin and psilocyn are the hallucinogenic principles contained in certain mushrooms. These “magic” mushrooms are generally grown in Mexico and Central America and have been used in native rituals for thousands of years Psilocybin
First used more than 2000 years ago by early natives of Central America However, Guatemala, statues of mushrooms that date back to 100 B.C. Can be eaten, or brewed Psilocybin
1958, Albert Hofmann extracted psilocybin during his experiment with LSD. During his research he ate 32 mushrooms to feel the effects Timothy Leary also carried out a series of experiments using psilocybin Psilocybin
Short acting hallucinogen found in the seeds of certain leguminous trees native to the West Indies and parts of South America Known as the “businessman’s lunch break drug DMT (Dimethyltryptamine)