There are a multitude of drugs that count as hallucinogens. Even common street drugs, such as meth, can induce hallucinations in the right conditions. Usually, though, when people refer to hallucinogenic drugs, they are referring to naturally occurring hallucinogens like psilocybin (which are commonly called magic mushrooms) and peyote. While naturally occurring, most of these substances are on the controlled substance list in the United States, and are illegal to possess and consume.
Short term effects of hallucinogenic drugs
The primary short term effect of hallucinogenic drugs on a user is inherent: they cause hallucinations. They impair the user’s ability to comprehend their own reality, and manipulate the user’s senses in a way that creates artificial images, sounds, smells, touches, and thoughts. While these hallucinations are occurring, the body can have extreme reactions to things that aren’t there, which can cause a user’s heart rate to either slow down and increase. While under the influence of these drugs, a user’s sense of inhibition deteriorates, which leads to impulsiveness. This is how most fatalities occur from hallucinogenic drugs, as users will put themselves in harmful situations and make unsafe decisions.
Long term effects of hallucinogenic drugs
Continuous usage of hallucinogenic drugs over time can cause serious brain damage. Because of the chemical effects that hallucinogens have on the brain, emotional trauma is also common, and users frequently develop depression and anxiety. The result of going on a hallucinogenic trip so many times and then having it wear off can be harmful to the user’s psyche. Memory loss is also a common symptom of long-term hallucinogenic drug usage.
Misconceptions about hallucinogenic drugs
Today, there is a longstanding misconception about the way that people view hallucinogenic drugs. In particular, many people believe that since hallucinogenic drugs are often naturally occurring, such as psilocybin, that they are safer to use and don’t do devastating damage to abusers. However, just because something is natural, it does not mean that it is essentially safe. While most naturally occurring hallucinogens aren’t as physically harmful as hard drugs like meth, cocaine, or heroin, there are still immense dangers that come when they are abused.