Chapter 6.
LSD and Other Hallucinogens.
Chapter 6 - Objectives
After completing this chapter, you should know
the following:
 The classification of hallucinogenic drugs.
 The history of LSD.
 Facts and fiction about LSD effects.
 Prominent hallucinogens other than LSD.
 The special dangers of phencyclidine (PCP),
ketamine, and MDMA (ecstasy).
Hallucinogens
Hallucinogens are drug substances that change
thinking and perception. Other names :Acid, Trips,
Blotters, Microdot, Tabs, Purple Rain, California Sunrise, Blue
Star.

Hallucinogenic characteristics include:



Heightened awareness of sensory input
Unusual sensory experiences
Lessened capacity to distinguish self from the
environment
LSD…What is It?

LSD - d-lysergic acid diethylamide


schedule 1 drug - no legitimate therapeutic use.
derived from the parasitic fungus which grows
on rye.



usually sold as a square of blotting paper about a
quarter of the size of a postage stamp.
produced as a crystal, dissolved in alcohol
each 'brand' of acid has a different design on the
paper.
Affects of LSD.

One hour - trip the
effects start.



Disorientated.
Giggly, confused or
anxious.
Trip progresses.



Feelings are enhanced
colors & sounds more
vivid.
Everything appears to
flow.
Perceptual distortions or
hallucinations.
Affects of LSD.




It can affect perception to environment.
The nature of the trip will change.
Time becomes meaningless.
Total confusion;Tripper might taste colors
or see sounds.
Affects of LSD


Total confusion;Tripper might taste colors
or see sounds.
At peak, common to experience a sense of
depersonalization. (They don't feel like an
'I' anymore).
Affects of LSD

If someone doesn't like what they are
experiencing and tries to get away from
what is happening they are likely to move
into a state of extreme fear,anxious,
panicky or paranoid. Tripping is essentially
a trip into your own mind. Trips last for 8 12 hours.
*





Psychotic (fear, panic, paranoia)
Cognitive (varying thought processes)
Aesthetic (intense sight, sound, smell)
Psychodynamic (repressed feelings
experiences are emerged)
Mystical (meaningful and cosmic
insight)
What Does LSD Do to Your Body?
.



LSD - disrupt the way that seratonin is
used by the brain.
The physical changes due to LSD use
include a slight rise in temperature and
heart rate and dilated pupils.
May appear to be completely normal,
occasionally confused or unexpectedly
giggly.
What Does LSD Do to Your Body?
.




Unknown long-term physical effects.
Chromosomal damage have not been
proven.
Some people have suffered from long-term
mental health problems after using LSD.
It is not known whether LSD caused their
mental illness or uncovered a problem that
was already there.
LSD-risks of Using.


Become less aware of risks from the
environment - busy roads can become
impossible to navigate safely.
Activities that involve co-ordination like
swimming, driving or cycling will be
much more dangerous than usual.
LSD-risks of Using.


Often trippers re-experience early
memories, even pre-birth memories. ‘.
Bad' trips can be triggered by a painful
or difficult feeling that the user tries to
avoid by resisting the effects of the
drug.
Effects-chronic/heavy Use.

Research has shown.


Changes in the mental functions.
Sometimes develop signs of organic brain
damage, such as impaired memory and
attention span, mental confusion, and
difficulty with abstract thinking.
Effects-chronic/heavy Use.

These signs may be strong or they may be
subtle. It is not yet known whether such
mental changes are permanent or if they
disappear when LSD use is stopped.
PCP

PCP aka “angel dust.”

Developed as an anesthetic in the 1950s.
However, it was taken off the market for
human use because it sometimes caused
hallucinations.
•PCP

Available various forms.

It can be a pure, white crystal-like powder, or a
tablet or capsule. It can be swallowed, smoked,
sniffed, or injected. PCP is sometimes sprinkled
on marijuana or parsley and smoked.
Physical Effects of PCP.


Effects include increased heart rate and
blood pressure, flushing, sweating,
dizziness, and numbness.
Large doses’ effects include drowsiness,
convulsions, and coma.
PCP

Regular PCP use affects memory,
perception, concentration, and
judgment, signs of paranoia,
fearfulness, and anxiety.
Why Is PCP Dangerous?


PCP can produce violent or bizarre
behavior in normal people.
This behavior can lead to death from
drowning, burns, falls (sometimes from
high places), and automobile accidents.
PCP

Taking large amounts of PCP can also
cause death from repeated convulsions,
heart and lung failure, or ruptured
blood vessels in the brain.
Why Is PCP Dangerous?


Some users may become aggressive
while others may withdraw and have
difficulty communicating.
A temporary mental disturbance, or a
disturbance of the user's thought
processes (a PCP psychosis) may last
for days or weeks.
PCP

Long-term PCP users report memory
and speech difficulties, as well as
hearing voices or sounds which do not
exist.
PCP’s Effects on Users.


Users find it difficult to describe and
predict the effects of the drug.
For some users, PCP in small amounts
acts as a stimulant, speeding up body
functions.
PCP’s Effects on Users.


For many users, PCP changes how
users see their own bodies and things
around them.
Speech, muscle coordination, and vision
are affected; Senses of touch and pain
are dulled; And body movements are
slowed. Time seems to "space out."
Categories of Hallucinogens.





LSD - lysergic acid diethylamide –
(ergot fungus)
Peyote/mescaline (peyote cactus)
Psilocybin (psilocybe mushroom)
DMT (south American
shrub/Dimethyltryptamine)
PCP (phencyclidine) surgical
anesthetic
MDMA.



MDMA, or 'ecstasy' is a 'psychedelic
amphetamine' - gained popularity over
the past 20 years.
Has ability to produce strong feelings of
comfort, empathy, and connection to
others.
Comes in tablet capsules or powder
form.
MDMA.



It is most frequently used orally and
rarely snorted.
MDMA - closely tied to the underground
rave (and dance club) scene throughout
the world.
Widely used by therapists as an adjunct
to psychotherapy.
Use These…experience THIS!!!
Other Versions
of Psychedelics.




Morning glory seed (similar to LSD)
Nutmeg (confused state/euphoria)
MDA (“mellow drug of America” from plant oils)
MDMA (methylenedioxyamphetmine) aka
“ecstasy.”
Psychedelics - Other Chemical
Variations of Amphetamines.



Ketamine (a.K.A special K) used as an
animal anesthesia that produces
hallucinations
GHB (a.K.A. Liquid X) odorless and
tasteless results in memory loss; Has
replaced Rohypnol as the date rape drug
2C-B (a.K.A., Nexus) synthetic mixture
resembling MDMA resulting in visual
hallucinations
Physiological Effects
of Psychedelics.




Pupil dilation
Increase in body temperature
and blood pressure
Heart rate increase
Increased muscular reflexes
Psychological Hazards.



Bad trips result in terror, panic, confusion
Disorientation of time and space
“Flashbacks”- replay of a bad trip after
elimination of the drug from the body