Psychedelic drug
Psychedelic drugs are chemical substances that significantly alter perception, mood, and cognitive processes, often resulting in hallucinations and a changed state of consciousness. These substances can be naturally occurring, derived from plants, or synthesized in laboratories. The modern study of psychedelics began in 1938 with the synthesis of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) by Swiss chemist Albert Hofmann. Initially explored for therapeutic purposes, LSD gained popularity as a recreational drug, particularly in the 1960s, which led to controversial research initiatives by psychologists like Timothy Leary and Richard Alpert at Harvard University.
Psychedelic drugs are categorized into two main types: classic hallucinogens (such as LSD, psilocybin, and peyote) and dissociative drugs (like PCP and ketamine). While both induce vivid hallucinations, dissociative drugs can also create feelings of detachment from one's body. The effects of these drugs can vary widely and are influenced by factors such as dosage, mood, and environment, sometimes leading to euphoric experiences or, conversely, feelings of anxiety and despair. Recent interest has emerged in using psychedelics alongside psychotherapy to treat conditions like depression and PTSD, although concerns about the safety and effectiveness of such treatments persist in the psychological community.
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Psychedelic drug
Psychedelic drugs are chemical substances that produce hallucinations and altered patterns of thinking in users. Modern psychedelic research began in 1938 when Albert Hofmann created lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD). LSD was a powerful hallucinogenic drug. Experimental trials of the drug were carried out on Harvard University students by psychologists Timothy Leary and Richard Alpert. Following their dismissal from Harvard, LSD became a popular recreational narcotic.
Most modern psychedelic drugs are either a classic hallucinogen or a dissociative drug. Though both substances cause vivid hallucinations, dissociative drugs make users feel disconnected from their body. In some instances, ingesting psychedelic drugs can produce a euphoric state. In others, it can cause severe feelings of fear, dread, and anxiety. The effect produced by such drugs can be difficult to control.
Some psychologists believe that using psychedelic drugs in conjunction with psychotherapy can produce long-lasting positive results. They hope that such a combination will provide new treatments for depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and other illnesses. Some research has supported these hopes. However, other psychologists warn that such treatments are still poorly researched and may expose patients to unforeseen risks.
Background
Since ancient times, people have used the naturally occurring psychedelic drugs that grow in some plants. However, modern research into the drugs began when the Swiss chemist Albert Hofmann first synthesized lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) in 1938 while working at Sandoz Pharmaceuticals. At the time, Hofmann was attempting to develop a circulatory system stimulant. Though the new chemical excited his animal test subjects, it did not perform well enough for Hofmann to continue researching it.
Five years later, Hofmann returned to researching LSD. During this research, he accidentally absorbed a small dose of the chemical through his fingertips, causing him to experience vivid kaleidoscopic hallucinations, intense bouts of imagination, and a state comparable to alcohol intoxication. After this, he had to stop his experiments for the day and returned home. The scientist continued to experiment with LSD, ingesting doses orally and cataloging the results.
Hofmann continued experimenting with psychedelic substances and came to the conclusion that such drugs could be used for therapeutic purposes. He sent samples to other psychologists, many of whom continued Hofmann’s research. One such psychologist was the Harvard professor Timothy Leary, who began experimenting with LSD and other psychedelic substances in 1960.
At the time, LSD and other psychedelics were not legally controlled substances. Leary and his partner, Richard Alpert, began the Harvard Psilocybin Project, a program through which they began psychedelic experimentation at Harvard. However, other academics questioned the safety and methodology of the research. They were against the program’s non-random selection of test subjects. They were also strongly opposed to Leary and Alpert carrying out testing while they were under the influence of psychedelic substances. Many peers accused them of actively promoting psychedelic use beyond research and encouraging test subjects to use psychedelics recreationally.
Leary and Alpert compromised with the school administration and agreed to additional safety standards, promising to only use informed, volunteer graduate students in their research. However, after Alpert administered psychedelic drugs to an undergraduate student off-campus, they were both removed from Harvard. Much of their research was discredited, and their careers in academia ended. Despite most psychedelics becoming federally controlled substances, recreational psychedelic use continued across the world. During the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, some psychologists returned to the idea that psychedelics could be used with psychotherapy to treat psychological ailments.
Overview
Psychedelic drugs are psychoactive drugs that alter thought processes. Many produce a change in the user’s general state of consciousness. Some psychedelic drugs occur naturally in plants, while others are manufactured in laboratories. In many cases, doses of psychedelic drugs are thought to change sensory perceptions. They may cause audio or visual hallucinations or changes in information processing and thought patterns. In rare cases, users who have taken high doses of psychedelic report having spiritual experiences.
Modern psychedelic drugs are commonly divided into two categories: classic hallucinogens and dissociative drugs. Though both types of psychedelics can cause hallucinations that seem real, dissociative drugs may also cause users to feel disconnected from their body. Classic hallucinogens include the drugs LSD, psilocybin, DMT, and peyote. Dissociative drugs include PCP, ketamine, and salvia.
The effects of hallucinogens are often unpredictable. They can vary depending on the user’s dosage, mood, surroundings, and personality. In some cases, the drugs can induce a pleasant, euphoric state. However, in others, they can induce persistent feelings of despair, anxiety, and negative hallucinations. Most hallucinogens can also cause an increased heart rate, a distorted sense of time, paranoia, and nausea.
Some psychologists have argued that controlled doses of psychedelic drugs can be used for therapeutic purposes. They assert that when administered by a trained professional and used in a closely monitored setting, psychedelic drugs can safely result in profound, lasting, psychological changes and experiences. For this reason, some experts have used psychedelic drugs in conjunction with other treatments.
Many medical professionals hope that psychedelic drugs may improve treatments for various illnesses and disorders. These include narcotics dependencies, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, treatment-resistant depression, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Researchers note that some psychedelic drugs have a tendency to change users’ personalities, allowing them to alter some established patterns of thinking. However, other researchers warn that the use of psychedelic drugs in conjunction with therapy is still poorly researched, and potential results may not outweigh the risks of using psychedelics. Additionally, little research about the long-term effects of such treatments has been conducted.
In the early 2020s, some places began legally allowing the use of psilocybin. In 2023, Oregon became the first state in the US to legalize the production and administration of psilocybin. The following year, Australia began allowing the prescription of psilocybin and MDMA, or ecstasy, in the treatment of some mental health conditions.
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