psychology drug quiz; hallucinogens/psychedelics

What are hallucinogens?

Substances that alter perception, thoughts, and feelings, often causing hallucinations

What are the two hallucinogen classifications?

• Classic; LSD, DMT

  • visual/auditory hallucinations

• Dissociative hallucinogens; Ketamine, PCP

  • sense of detachment from reality

Hallucinogens are illegal in….

ALL 50 STATES

How are natural hallucinogens created?

• Produced by plants, fungi, animals, through biochemical processes

  • mushrooms, San Pedro cactus, Bufo Alvarius toad

How are synthetic hallucinogens created?

• In labs by chemical synthetics; made to mimic natural

  • LSD; lysergic acid diethylamide

  • PCP; phencyclidine

  • Ketamine

What are the short term psychological effects caused by hallucinogens?

• sensory effects

  • perceptual distortions that vary with dose, setting, and mood

• psychic effects

  • distortions of reality, time, and mental processing

What are the long term psychological effects caused by hallucinogens?

• Hallucinogen Persisting Perception Disorder; HPPD

  • where a person experiences apparent lasting/persistent visual hallucinations or perceptual distortions after using drugs

  • persistent/lasting psychosis

What effects do hallucinogens have on the brain?

• Cerebral cortex

  • decreases in oscillatory activity

• Thalamus

  • leads to increased passage of information across the cortex

• Hippocampus

  • some aspects of memory/learning altered

What are the physiological effects of hallucinogens?

• elevated heart rate, increased blood pressure, and dilated pupils

• can often induce nausea/vomiting

• severe overdoses of PCP; phenylcyclohexylpiperidine, or ketamine, can result in seizures, convulsions, comas, and death due to respiratory arrest

• overdose of LSD can lead to death

What effects do hallucinogens have on the body?

• dilated pupils

• nausea

• heart rate

• increased blood pressure