Posted by Drug Test Australia
Original;
http://www.livescience.com/16286-hallucinogens-lsd-mushrooms-ecstasy-history.html
Ayahuasca
Ayahuasca is a hallucinatory mixture of Amazonian infusions centred
around the Banisteriopsis caapi vine. The brew has long been
used by native South American tribes for spiritual rituals and healing, and
like other hallucinogens, ayahuasca often triggers very intense emotional
experiences (vomiting is also common). In 2006, National Geographic writer Kira
Salak described her experience with ayahuasca in Peru for the magazine.
"I will never forget what it was like. The overwhelming
misery. The certainty of never-ending suffering. No one to help you, no way to
escape. Everywhere I looked: darkness so thick that the idea of light seemed
inconceivable," Salak wrote. "Suddenly, I swirled down a tunnel
of fire, wailing figures calling out to me in agony, begging me to save them.
Others tried to terrorize me. 'You will never leave here,' they said. 'Never,
Never.'
Nonetheless, Salak wrote, when she broke free of her
hallucinations, her crippling depression was alleviated. Its anecdotal
experiences like this that have led researchers to investigate the uses of
hallucinogens as therapy for mental disorders such as anxiety, depression and
post-traumatic stress disorder.
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| Ayahuasca, made from the vine Banisteriopsis caapi |
Peyote
Peyote is a cactus that gets its hallucinatory power from
mescaline. Like most hallucinogens, mescaline binds to serotonin receptors in
the brain, producing heightened sensations and kaleidoscopic visions.
Native groups in Mexico have used peyote in ceremonies for
thousands of years, and other mescaline-producing cacti have long been used by
South American tribes for their rituals.
Peyote has been the subject of many a
court battle because of its role in religious practice; currently, Arizona,
Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada and Oregon allow some peyote possession, but only
if linked to religious ceremonies, according to Arizona's Peyote Way Church of
God.
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| Peyote Cactus |
'Magic' Mushrooms
The "magic" ingredient in hallucinogenic mushrooms is
psilocybin, a compound that breaks down into psilocin in the body. Psilocin
bonds to serotonin receptors all over the brain, and can cause hallucinations
as well as synesthesia, or the mixture of two senses. Under the influence, for
example, a person might feel that they can smell colours.
People have been ingesting psilocybin-continuing mushrooms for
thousands of years. Synthetic psilocybin is now under study as a potential
treatment for anxiety, depression and addiction.
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| 'Magic' Mushroom, containing Psilocybin |
PCP
Best known by its street name, "angel dust," PCP stands
for phencyclidine. The drug blocks receptors in the brain for the
neurotransmitter glutamate. It's more dangerous than other hallucinogens, with
schizophrenia-like symptoms and nasty side effects.
Those side effects are why PCP has no medical uses. The drug was
tested as an anaesthetic in the 1950s and used briefly to knock out animals
during veterinary surgeries.
But by the 1960s, PCP had hit the streets and was
being used as a recreation drug, famous for the feelings of euphoria and
invincibility it bestowed on the user. Unfortunately, a side effect of all that
euphoria is sometimes truly destructive behaviour, including users trying to
jump out of windows or otherwise self-mutilating. Not to mention that high
enough doses can cause convulsions.
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| PCP |
Ibogaine
Derived from the African iboga plant, ibogaine is another
hallucinogen with a long history of tribal use. More recently, the drug has
shown promise in treating addiction, although mostly in Mexico and Europe
where ibogaine treatment is not prohibited as it is in the U.S.
Using ibogaine as therapy is tricky, however. The drug can cause
heart rhythm problems, and vomiting is a common side effect. The
Massachusetts-based Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Research
(MAPS) reports that an estimated 1 in 300 ibogaine users die due to the drug.
The group is studying the long-term effects of ibogaine on patients in drug
treatment programs in New Zealand and Mexico.
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| Ibogaine |
Salvia divinorum
Salvia divinorum, also known as seer's or diviner's sage,
grows in the cloud forest of Oaxaca, Mexico. The native Mazatec people have
long used tea made out of the leaves in spiritual ceremonies, but the plant can
also be smoked or chewed for its hallucinogenic effects.
Salvia is not currently a controlled substance, according to the
National Institute on Drug Abuse, but it is under consideration to be made
illegal and placed in the same drug class as marijuana.
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| Salvia divinorum |
MDMA
Ecstasy, "E" or "X" are the street names for
MDMA, or (get ready for a long one) 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine. The drug
acts on serotonin in the brain, causing feelings of euphoria, energy and
distortions of perception. It can also nudge body temperatures up, raising the
risk of heat stroke. Animal studies suggest that MDMA causes long-term and
potentially dangerous changes in the brain, according to the National Institute
on Drug Abuse.
MDMA was first synthesized by a chemist looking for substances to
stop bleeding in 1912. No one paid the compound much mind for the next
half-decade, but by the 1970s, MDMA had hit the streets. It was popular at
raves and nightclubs and among those who liked their music psychedelic. Today,
ecstasy is still a common street drug, but researchers are investigating
whether MDMA could be used to treat post-traumatic stress disorder and cancer-related
anxiety.
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| MDMA |
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