What are Psychedelics?

Psychedelics, or psychedelic drugs, are substances whose primary action is to alter the cognition and perception of people who take them. According to Princeton University, psychedelics are part of a wider class of drugs called hallucinogens, which also includes dissociatives and deliriants. These drugs affect the senses and how people see the world.

Salvia divinorum is a psychedelic drug that is smoked for its out-of-body effects.

Psychedelic drugs each have different effects, depending on which type is taken, but they all share certain qualities. According to Columbia University, the effects also vary depending on where a user is experiencing them, their mood, expectations, and level of experience with the drug. The drugs effects can be different, for example, if someone is in a noisy and stressful situation like at a concert or party rather than at home or in a quieter setting. The sense of doubt or uncertainty someone may feel, especially someone who has never taken the drugs, can also affect their experience. This doubt could magnify into extreme anxiety and can be dangerous for the user.

Generally speaking psychedelics alter a users perception of space and time, as well as their thoughts and feelings.

Some commonly reported psychedelic effects include:

Some people who take psychedelic substances end up having a very distressing time while under their influence. This is referred to as a bad trip and can be very dangerous due to the alarming effects it causes. Bad trips are often brought on by fear or doubt in the beginning of the drug experience, or an unexpected event while the drugs are being felt. While that is true, there are no exact known causes of bad trips. Bad trips are associated with the following feelings:

The effects of psychedelics are largely unpredictable, which makes them dangerous. Hallucinations have been known to lead people to do very serious things, such as jumping off of roofs or running into traffic. Some people, however, report religious, spiritual, and enlightening experiences while using psychedelic drugs.

All psychedelic drugs would also been found on a list of hallucinogens, although not all hallucinogens are psychedelics. Some of the more commonly heard of forms of psychedelic drugs include:

Most of these substances are ingested, while a few are smoked. DMT and salvia divinorum are two of the substances that are sometimes smoked.

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What are Psychedelics?