Serendip is an independent site partnering with faculty at multiple colleges and universities around the world. Happy exploring!

The Effects of Hallucinogenic Drugs on The Brain

SerendipUpdate's picture
Biology 202
1998 First Web Reports
On Serendip

The Effects of Hallucinogenic Drugs on The Brain

Alicia Ebbitt

Hallucinnogenic Drugs alter a person's perceptions of reality and may cause hallucinations and other alterations of the senses. Drugs classified as hallucinogens include: LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide), 2,5-dimethoxy-4-methylamphetime(DOM), N,N-dimethyltrptamine(DMT), psilocin, and mescaline. There are two aspects of these drugs that classify then as hallucinogens. They all have common side effects, including distortion of sensory perception, and other psychic and somatic effects. These drugs also exhibit cross-tolerance. This means that a user of hallucinogenic drugs develops a higher tolerance to hallucinogens, the more they are used and the shorter the time span is between the last usage.

Hallucinogenic drugs have been used throughout history for a number of reasons. They have been used as medicinal agents as well as having served religious purposes. Hallucinogens such as mescaline have been used in Native American ritual ceremonies. There was extensive usage of hallucinogens in the 60's and 70's as part of the counter- culture hippie movement. During the "acid tests" of this era, hallucinogenic drugs were used for mind exploration (B.L. Jacobs, "How Hallucinogenic Drugs Work").

Hallucinogenic drugs cause both physical and psychological effects on humans. The physical effects of these drugs include: dilated pupils, elevated body temperature, increased heart rate and blood pressure, appetite loss, sleeplessness, tremors, headaches, nausea, sweating, heart palpitations, blurring of vision, memory loss, trembling, and itching. A user of hallucinogenic drugs will also experience a number of psychological alterations in the brain. These drugs may cause hallucinations and illusions as well, as the amplification of sense, and the alterations of thinking and self-awareness. It is quite possible to have a bad reaction to hallucinogenic drugs. This is referred to as a "bad trip" and may cause panic, confusion, suspicion, anxiety, and loss of control. The long-term effects of these drugs can be quite dangerous. These long-term effects may include: flashbacks, mood swings, impaired thinking, unexpected outbursts of violence and eventually possibly depression that may lead to death or suicide.

Quite a lot of interest concerning hallucinogens has been generated by neurobiologists and other scientists. The effects that hallucinogenic drugs have on the brain are quite complicated and very interesting. Many users of hallucinogenic drugs have experienced whole personality changes which raises questions about the relationship between brain and behavior. Scientists are also curious as to how total alterations of the senses can occur as the result of hallucinogen usage. Many people that have used hallucinogens claim to have "seen sounds" or "heard colors". Scientists ask questions such as: How can a person under the influence of hallucinogenic drugs see things that aren't there? or How do flashbacks work? Another aspect of hallucinogenic drugs that interests scientists is that they are psychomimetic meaning that they mimic certain aspects of psychosis. Through the use of hallucinogenic drugs, one can induce temporary symptoms of psychosis.

As a result of the great interest in hallucinogens, many years of research have been done to try and determine exactly how the brain is affected by these drugs. Scientists have tried to determine if there is a specific site in the brain where hallucinogens act. This has been difficult to determine. Scientists still are unable to answer all questions about hallucinogenic drugs. However they have been able to determine certain areas of the brain that these drugs do act upon.

Early on in the reasearch on hallucinogens, it was determined that hallucinogenic drugs structurally resemble serotonin (5-HT) Serotonin is found in specific neurons in the brain that mediate chemical neurotransmission in the brain. Neurons containing serotonin can be found in the brain stem section of the brain. Axons of serotonergic neurons project to almost every part of the brain, affecting and communicating with all sections of the brain. Serotonin also acts at many receptor areas of neurons. Because hallucinogenic drugs are structurally similar to serotonin, it was theorized that hallucinogenic drugs may act upon serotonergic neurons (B.L. Jacobs, "How Hallucinogenic Drugs Work").

Scientists began to carefully study the serotonin system and found out that hallucinogens do in fact have some kind of effect on serotonin. Hallucinogenic drugs cause an increase in the level of brain serotonin, but they inhibit the rapid firing of neurons containing serotonin. This is a negative feedback system in which as the serotonin level rises, the activity of serotonergic neurons decreases. It was originally theorized that this effect of hallucinogenic drugs directly caused sense alteration and hallucinations. Several observations however have shown this theory not to be true. These observations include the following: Low doses of LSD effect behavior, but do not depress firing of serotonergic neurons, The behavioral effects of LSD outlast the alteration of the firing of the serotonergic neurons, Repeated dosage of LSD results in a decrease of behavioral changes, but still effects neuron firing, Other hallucinogens do not affect serotonergic neurons, When serotonin levels are depleted, the effectiveness of LSD is not eliminated (Ian Leicht, "Postulated Mechanisms of LSD").

It has now been determined that the effects of hallucinogenic drugs are actually caused by the effects that hallucinogenic drugs have on the post-synaptic activity of serotonergic neurons. Hallucinogenic drugs directly affect the serotonin receptors(specifically the serotonin receptor subtype, 5-HT2), which is what eventually results in a complex pattern of action potentials and activity. This was proven by the fact that the depletion of serotonin levels in animals does not result in a decrease of behavioral effects caused by hallucinogenic drugs (B.L. Jacobs, "How Hallucinogenic Drugs Work").

Hallucinations and other effects of hallucinogens are however very complicated experiences. They are not simply a part of a cause and effect system in the brain, where hallucinogenic drugs act on serotonin and cause hallucinations. Instead, hallucinogenic drugs act initially on the serotonin system, which sends into motion, a pattern of complex action potentials and activity. Other neurotransmitters may be involved in these activities as well. The effects that inputs and outputs have on each other in this system as well as the pattern of action potentials mediated by hallucinogenic drugs help to cause many of the complex changes that allow hallucinations to happen. (B.L. Jacobs, "How Hallucinogenic Drugs Work") Scientists continue to do research to determine the exact effects that hallucinogens have on the serotonin receptors and to answer any questions that they cannot yet answer.

 

WWW Sources

1) NIDA (National Institution Drug Abuse: LSD(Lysergic Acid Diethylamide).

2) Hallucinogenic Drugs in Psychiatric Research and Treatment: Perspectives and Prospects.

3) Tryptamine Hallucinogens and Consciousness.

4) Hallucinogens (PCP, LSD, etc.).

5) Narcotics, Dangerous Drugs, and Marijuana.

6) Healthguide Online: Substance Abuse: Hallucinogens.

7) Hallucinogens.

8) Los Angeles Police Department Drug Recognition Expert Unit: Hallucinogens.

9) Postulated Mechanisms of LSD.

10) B.L. Jacobs. 1987. How Hallucinogenic Drugs Work. "American Scientist". 75:385-92.

11) M.C. Bindal, S.P. Gupta, and P. Singh. 1983. QSAR Studies on Hallucinogens. "Chemical Reviews". 83:633-49.

 

Comments made prior to 2007

When you list the drugs in the beginning of your article you list lsd psilocin and mescaline. But "psilocin" is not actually the active ingredient in hallucinogenic mushrooms. The correct term is "Psilocybin". Just thought I'd point that out ... Daniel, 19 February 2007

Comments

DIMITRIS's picture

MAN i WAS READING A LOT OF

MAN i WAS READING A LOT OF SHIT IN THIS SITE BUT BELIEVE ME....MAN YOURS IS THE WORST..HAHAHAH.pREVIOUSLY YOU WAS TALKING ABOUT THE MANIPULATION AND REINFORCEMENT OF THE TV AND THE GOVERMENT AND AT THE END YOU WAS "MANIPULATING" YOURSELF "TRY AT LEAST 2 TIMES LSD" SHIT MANNN.I FEEL SORRY FOR YOU.LAST BUT NOT LEAST STOP DRUGS AND FIND SOMETHING MORE PLEASANT AND LESS HARMFULL TO ENJOY. CHEERS

mike m's picture

hey its good to know that

hey its good to know that youve overcome all that and are doing good now. I completely agree with everything you say, some people get so sucked up into what the world is today that they never even take a step back and just admire it. L and weed help you to do that and you realize how special life is- i think some people can realize it without L or weed but for some, L and weed help. Hope your weekend trip went well and good luck to you in the rest of life :)

cal's picture

agreed, i haven't done lsd or

agreed, i haven't done lsd or shrooms but all the weed smoking and doing e has made me come to realize thats life is an interesting character. no one really understands the greatness of life and how fragile it is. no one gets that it'll have its good times and bad times regardless of your own decisions. i just wish that everyone could do ecstasy at least once because it brings out your true character. i have a personality that i realized now when im an asshole and ignorant to everybody that i'm on the inside not happy. doing ecstasy had me keep to myself and very quiet. i realized that when i was like that i was really happy. but now im not on it my heads all fucked up, my thoughts go back and forth of what i should be doing. but the point is that i know my place in society i know what makes me happy and thats all that should matter. i wish everyone else could understand it too

milkaXYZ's picture

Beautiful! I did LSD but not

Beautiful! I did LSD but not ex. Im in a panic now for allmost 2 years after my bad trip. Nevertheles I'd never leave out that experience. The knowledge i obtained is priceless and I would rather suffer than have no clue about the XYZ (truth). I think ex would help me allot!

Anonymous's picture

wow this is possibly the

wow this is possibly the stupidest thing I've ever heard. "My plan is to stick to weed and acid and maybe some shrooms or dmt, nothing addictive/life ruining." Doing either of those is life threatening and you are an idiot if you think they aren't. Both will effect you for the rest of your life, and could possibly kill you. From the sounds of it you are already pretty f***ed up though. Also you are absolutely wrong if you think that weed, acid, and shrooms aren't addictive. Good luck with that life plan.

Anonymous's picture

Just fort i would leave my view.

acid is not phisicaly addictive neither is weed nor is shrooms, weed is a herbal remedy and should not be illeagel =] iv had acid and it compaires nothing to weed. not at all their two completely different things, weed isnt really a drug it is really a herbal remedy, you dont get the same kind of trip and the feelings you get are completly different, although the same ingreediant thats in acid that makes you trip is in weed its no were near as strong, but like everything else, if u have to much of it and go over the top with it, its bound to lead to seriouse mental health problems, its all about having the right amount not having loads so u dont know what your doing, just enough so your happy in control and enjoying were you are with the people you are with, getting the energy you want and the fun that comes with all those wonderfully magic substances and that you trust every one around you and weed only brings out mental disorders that are underlyning and allready their :)

Anonymous's picture

actually its not called

actually its not called "addiction" in these cases. its just called tolerance. none of them have been proven to be addictive.

Anonymous's picture

My partially educated two cents

3rd year psych student, here. This is not even remotely in the same ballpark as medical or theriputic advice, but might help you if you ever seek counciling.

The way you describe your behavior before the drug use sounds very much like hypomania - it can seem very similar to ADHD, and could well be a severe version thereof. Describing yourself as a wreck also helps fuel this idea, as Bipolar II is a combination of hypomania (a non-psychotic, lesser brother of mania) and dysthymia (a lesser-yet-longer-lasting form of cronic depression). By using these kinds of drugs, you're supplying your brain with a drug or drugs that mimick the effects of serotonin (as is mentioned in the above article). While the actual effects of the drugs on the neuroreceptors is still up in the air, it seems logical that this increase in what your brain thinks is seritonin (a neurotransmitter linked to perception, and mood)is making you happier and more confident overall. (typically, those with a seritonin excess become more confident and alpha-like.) This would be taking the edge of the dysthymia which drags you down, and even alter the effects of hypomania, changing from irritation to mild euphoria.

Cool! you might say, and i agree. If it works, good on you. Only thing you need to know is that, chemically, these are not addictive drugs -yet they are addictive in a behavioural sense; people who use or abuse weed/lsd/shrooms/etc. tend to find slight-to-moderate anhedonia (inability to enjoy activities) setting into their lives, making them perfer to function high. Be careful of this. If you see it happenning, take a couple of weeks off. Remember - medication isn't a substitute for therapy. Also, with hallucinogens, people do become parapsychotic (not sure if that's a word, just describes the state pretty well) and can dillude themselves. A lot of paranoid 'the government is lying to us!' and 'big business/medicine/tabacco/the media is out to get us, man!! Propaganda!' thoughts are dillusive. Much of what you think of/experience while on psychodelics is a dillusion, so be sure to think about things, and determine, when you are sober, what is and isn't real.

Anyways, that was a hell of a padantic rant. Hope you can find some help in all this.

Peace.

Anonymous's picture

Hey man that's really

Hey man that's really interesting. Although I pose a question to you, what if hallucinogenics actually can help reveal what's really there, not delusions. Of course there will be times where it is delusions, but a lot of positive experiences I've heard and read seem to break down the walls of perception and allow a different glimpse at reality. If you look into quantum physics and theories such as the holographic universe, you realise that reality is a whole different thing than what we are programmed or conditioned to think. Maybe sometimes the drugs help individuals to experience higher consciousness or view reality as it really is, or rather from a different perspective? I don't think you can label every experience as delusional.

Serendip Visitor's picture

Acid the misrepresented drug

Unfortunately we as Americans are held captive by these crooked drug companies like pfizer and the alcohol industry. Our perception of so-called "drugs" like acid, shrooms, and saddest of all marijuana is convoluted and distorted in order to keep control of what type of drugs people can consume. Why is it that for so long you could by phen phen (a weight loss drug) when it was proven that it could kill you. Why is it I have to settle for alcohol instead of a tab of acid, which by the way isn't going to fry your brain anymore than alcohol or fucking prozac will.

People drugs are okay just use them in moderation. Too much of anything is bad for you, but do you really want the fat cats and politicians who are doing drugs anyways to try and put you in prison for using the same shit they are?

Look at that fat racist asshole rush limbaugh. That fat fucker was doing commercials for fucking oxycodone and hydrocodone, which are legal drugs for the rich who can afford them.

Obviously there is a lot to say, but my point is simply don't judge other people until you fully understand what it is they are doing. I am in a masters program and I smoke Marijuana everyday. I just don't smoke all day. At night I take a couple puffs from the pipe and that's it.

One day drugs will be legal and we can end this bullshit "war on drugs" which is really a war on people. Would good would it do to throw a drug addict in prison? Now when he gets out he can be an addict with a fucking record. I bet now it should be really easy for him to get a job :) .

Anonymous's picture

Agreed.

Agreed.

Anonymous's picture

I think you are totally right

I think you are totally right the government has no hard-proof that Marijuana has a health hazard while you can chemically get addicted to tobacco and alcohol there is no proof for marijuana. All i got to say is that its all industry and who can make money off of who tobacco manufacturers wouldn't like it if marijuana became legal they would go out of business... etc... its all about money

Serendip Visitor's picture

Drugs

My view on drugs is this. You can not just expect to understand them if you havent done them. They open the doors to the world around you, but not everyone is capable mentally to accept the truth in the world. Drugs makes you question reality. I wouldnt tell someone "Hey, do this drug", but if they asked me, I would tell them I love the drugs that I have done, the experiences I have. Most of all I love the fact that since the first day that I did acid, I found purpose and Happiness in my life. Acid cured my nine years of depression. I smoke pot everyday, Live my life like a dreamer from the 60's, hang out with my hippie parents, and live my life to the fullest, I have so much fun, and I still have a full time job, Im a college student, and I have goals. I would say, its a drug success story.

Drugs dont make people bad, its their reactions.

majorly bandaged's picture

i don't regret getting clean but .....

I find myself very alone w/no friends , because i say no to drugs. i'm from a drug riddled city.i've lived here all of my life and i don't want to move.i used to smoke weed and drink alcohol,that's when i had all of my friends by my side,but when i decided to get clean , my friends decided to "experiment " w/ more and more hardcore drugs.i don't regret getting clean but i do regret using drugs ,because i miss those friends who i used to hang out w/.i can't seem to find friends who don't use drugs to hang out w/.my heterosexuality seems to play a huge role in being alone ,seeing how sex coincides w/ drugs.

cheech's picture

Urgent

I think people should try this at least twice in their lives.

Anonymous's picture

PEOPLE!!! DRUGS R STILL

PEOPLE!!! DRUGS R STILL ILLEGALL! I THINK ITS PRETTY DAMNED RIDICULOUS THAT U WOULD RISK YOUR LIFE AND YOUR HOME JUST TO GET A HIGH! REALYY!!!!!

Just say no to drugs's picture

Agreed

Very well put, what you said needed to be said.

Anonymous's picture

im not going to stop somthing

im not going to stop somthing just because a group of people say i shouldnt fuck that this is my life i will do what makes me happy and if people try to stop me for doing that they are no better than a crimanal

Anonymous's picture

youuuu really should smoke a

youuuu really should smoke a bowl. youd change your mindd :)

experience it first. then erase that ridiculous comment.

Serendip Visitor's picture

that doesn't mean that drugs

that doesn't mean that drugs SHOULD be illegal and it doesnt
mean that people who do enjoy altering their reality should feel they are doing something wrong - i do not feel that my government has the right to limit the thresholds i wish to experience in my life. When im high, the thought that, 'what i am doing (by societies standards)is illegal' never enters my mind. Don't live by societies standards..'risk your life and your home'..by life do you mean job? if your job and your home are what defines your life, then maybe you should spend some time questioning your direction in life, instead of questioning those who have made the choice to take their own direction......'REALLY!!!'

Anonymous's picture

reply

you have a very myopic grasp of the issue at hand. People aren't really outward bound in a singular fashion towards the singular ideology that they can "catch a buzz," in the sense of the use of hallucinogenics. The matter is far more complex. People use this class of drug for psychological purposes as well as for religious reasons be it cultural or spiritual and also for the expansion of the intellectual quest for greater understanding. In either event, this quest generally involves a deeper understanding of one's purpose, comprehension or place in the sector at hand. You can't really walk in ham-handed as a johnny-come-lately with this casual observer effect and think that you have an overstanding of the subject matter. Perhaps you should try to learn more about the topics on which you converse prior to attempting a place in the conversation.

Serendip Visitor's picture

i couldn't have stateded any

i couldn't have stateded any better than that.

Anonymous's picture

when i tried acid, i was at a

when i tried acid, i was at a rave and fort it would be fun, it went horrobly wrong both times, but thats because i havnt got the right mind for acid, my imagination is way to wild and i feel like i have no self control while im on it and i feel the whole world is conspiring against me and im seing things hapen more than once like their going round and round in circles, but i think that might be how i view my life at the moment, its going round in circles and nothing is changing or developing, nothing fun or interesting is going on, and i need to make new choices to do new and fun things.

Anonymous's picture

Hello, I've done a lot of

Hello, I've done a lot of research and am debating whether to try mushrooms. I do drink, and smoke pot occasionally though not often. I hear theres no seriouse effects except that you get flashbacks. Is there a chance of getting flashbacks and other seriouse effects from just trying it once or twice?

Anonymous's picture

trust me the long term

trust me the long term effects still get me now. im 16 and ive gotten high of stuff like than sinceabout 14.. i alomst died twice loosing to much oxygen to my brain and ive learned my lesson and thankful for my life.

Ian's picture

shrooms

dude, personally i geeked the fuck out, only did it once and only once.. I was, at first, really giggly in an uncontrolable way, then i started feeling real wavy..like everything was pulsating sort of, then i started seeing colors and began to feel really scared of everything and everyone..esp when it got dark, i could not be outside because it was to intense:car lights, street lights everything is just so different.. dude its like nothing ive ever expereinced..think of a crazy dream being live in front of you..i had a bad trip, it was like it was cool and not all at once.. ill never do it again but it felt like it was a good expereince to go through.. i felt like i was reborn again wen i sobered up. i got thoughts like the feeling that i was never going to be the same again, and suicide thoughts to sometimes, at the time you feel as if you will be like this forever.. but no nothing like alcohol or pot dude .. say more intense..you might have a different trip.. the whole time your trying to fugure out what the purpose and the meaning of life are and mean.. thas all u care about, along with feeling scared and geeked..

Anonymous's picture

hey you had a bad trip if you

hey you had a bad trip if you do shrooms agin try doing less like 1.7 or 2.3 the way most people get bad trips is eating to much. you need to be in a good mood and clam or pumped if you are in a bad mood or down in the dumps dont do shrooms yuo will have a bad trip

Big Stoner's picture

Mushrooms

Mushrooms are posibbly the greatest drug in the world, and everyone should use them as a key to unlock their mind. You have more of a chance of dying from caffeine overdose than the all natural psilocybin in a shroom. All of you with your bad trips need to research before you take them. Never do it alone, but never with too many people, especially if your not comfortable with them. And most importantly you have to be comfortable with your inner self and your surroundings. You should know what species of shroom you are eating and how much phsycodelic chemicals are in them and how much you weigh, that plays a large part. More is often not better it will make it worse. Don't ever try to find your own in the wild unless you know what your doing. Some look alikes will kill you in a horrible and painful death. People have been using these forever, some of the first known cave drawings referenced the use of mushrooms. The Aztecs had "The Feast of Revelations" every year for their spiritual mind. And it is speculated that these mushrooms catalized our mental evolution, speech, self reflection, religion were all brought from hallucinogens. If you can't handle a trip, then you have a very weak mind and probably wouldn't survive if the world was how it should be.

Anonymous's picture

Yo i read your thing and i

Yo i read your thing and i had the same exact thing to happen to me. Do you feel like you did before you took them or do you sometimes feel like your kinda tripin again?

Serendip Visitor's picture

lsd

same 'bad trip' happened to me..... did it give you any long term problems?

Anonymous's picture

Yep The first time i did

Yep The first time i did shrooms i didnt have any bad trips but jus make sure ur in a good mood with people u like..

anayeli's picture

hallucinogens

hallucinogens can be very bad for your body because it effect your brain and it could effect your stomach,lungs,heart and it could even let u die for everything that u have so don't let hallucinogens get in the way .... u have a life one life on ENJOY IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!

BE HAPPY AND ENJOY YOUR LIFE TRUST ME ENJOY IT!!!!!!!!!!!

Ronaldo's picture

Long term effects of acid overdose

It is with interest that I read the article 'The Effects of Hallucinogenic Drugs on the Brain' by Alicia Ebbitt. The question I have is whether flashbacks will stay with you for life in the event of a major overdose. In my case I overdosed on acid/speed 31 years ago, was institutionalised for 6 months and regularly experienced flashbacks for 2 years, always enhanced by smoking cannabis or taking over the counter drugs. 24 months ago my GP prescrbed a certain tranquiliser for depression which led to a full blown flashback including hallucinations ater just taking 2 capsules and was brought under control with drugs surpressing excessive serotin levels. I have also suffered asymptiomatic congestive heart failure at the age of 49, can this be attributed to the acid overdose? Clinical opinions will be appreciated

discobiscuit's picture

MDMA

You all should just do some molly. honestly its the best damn thing. bout 20 a tenth, do a couple you'll love everyone and everything in the whole world. ive had my fair share of trips and smoking and coke and pills. i still am 100% down for DMT tho

Serendip Visitor's picture

DMT

me and my pal love the gange tried far too many things the best we have done but not experienced enough of is mescilin.
we have herd of DMT just recently but dont know wot it exactly is or is like please let us know if possible cheers

Anonymous's picture

DMT

DMT is crazy insane by far it is undescribable. MIND BLOWING. don't take unless you consider yourself a psychadelic warrior.

plenty of web forums devoted SOLELY to it so just google the stuff man.

Anonymous's picture

dmt

i have only done dmt twice in my life and it is easily the weirdest drug ive ever done. after you smoke it the feeling starts to build up inside you until you literally shoot off.
everything around you starts to swirl in a strange way and the feleling is like a really intese buzz. all in all it only lasts about ten minutes, so its hard to get a grasp on what happend and the best way to describe it is its just very strange

i would recomend trying it sometime if you can find deffinitly cool. and if you do get it, make shure your in a good setting. the best is at a lake during sunset or sunrise

Anonymous's picture

WTF

I have tried like...everything and im only 15, suree i do have weirde things goin on sometimes, like i have flash backs, my dreams are like super fucked up.
but it may like depend on your age, size, the way your body is etc.
but hey its just a theory.

Anonymous's picture

To Put It All to Rest

I personally have tried several hallucinogens, and as many have already said, they are tools, very powerful tools. They do help gain understanding, but can have negative effects, which i think arises from fear conjured by people who have no or limited experience. Yes, there are those who are convinced the governemnt is after them or that aliens stole their mind, but these are cases where 100% of the time the vessel taken was for only recreational purposes i.e. "Lets see some crazy shit" and take way, WAY too much.

If you are curious and willing to try set up your journey beforehand with some nice music, a big bag of the diggity-dank, and most importantly A QUESTION. If you hear countless stories of insight, understanding, universal connection (you'll know what i mean), and glorious,beneficial insight do you think everyone is just making it up? Is it some kind of conspiracy? or are you being hypocritical, are you out of touch with the "real" world, and this doesnt extend to all these 15, 16, 18 year old kids looking for the next high, yeah they use drugs as an escape, but it doesnt mean all people do. They should really be more intelligent and wait for these kinds of things, the brain undergoes critical continuous development until around age 24, so even a 21 year old celebrating his birthday is destroying his brain, and which do you think happens more?

And as for the all-drugs-make-you-retarded-and-ruin-your-life terrorists, because by definiton thats what you are, using fear to manipulate and force aquiescence to your opinion, look at that way the arguments are formulated, the pro and anti hallucinogens all over this page, and tell me who looks more intelligent.

FYI I do not ever approve of cognitive destroying chemicals such as amphetamines(yes that includes extacy), cocaine, opiates, or alcohol and you can also see the negative effects of these on this page from confessors.
I hope you see truth in my words and take warnings and my respects to heart
Peace,and i do mean that with all my soul
Fiendpriest

Serendip Visitor's picture

ROFL????

Who sounds more intelligent? You just used the same labeling/judgment your proport to be against in your response that you accused everyone else. You called them 'terrorists' because they're telling someone not to do drugs...

I'm not into the idea that all of this is black & white, but I do take offense at people who may romanticize the use of LSD. And then you go ahead and say ooooohhhh you can't know until you try... I KNOW enough to know it ain't for me... I've seen it's effect on my friends - that was enough...

There's a level of snobbery in those who proport to believe it alters the mind to a point of 'mind-boggling' evolvement also... I've listened to people on LSD and I ain't impressed. "ooohh LSD is conscious raising for those who can 'handle it'" The problem is who are you to say when someone can handle it or not? The most intelligent portion of this whole thread was the initial article.

cheech's picture

totally agree

I kindda have the same point of view

Anonymous's picture

Who ever u are i absolutely

Who ever u are i absolutely agree with all ur words..

Rightbae's picture

Voices....

LSD is not the answer,
extreme sports are.
**** drugs, **** gambling, **** being a waster.
Simple.
Do martial arts, skate, surf, board, fire poi, motorbikes...
NATURAL ADRENALINE JUNKIES, the best people in the world
- its the only answer to get away from those circles, cos when you leave the circle and look in, ask yourself what your friendship really means with your junkie mates- set an example and help bail them out.

Serendip Visitor's picture

you're a hell of a lot more

you're a hell of a lot more likely to die on a motorcycle than you are on LSD.

hallucinogenic drugs, and extreme sports both have their benefits.. there are a lot of "answers" dude.

Anonymous's picture

theres an exception...

yes maybe those can be enjoyable but u cant use those activities to open Ur mind or have a great experience that u have never had before.
i say maybe there worth a shot. I'm only 15 and i smoke pot and drink and i think saliva cause this one experience changed my life.
but gave me extreme enlightenment on the world, universe and soul
there's so much to explore...
I've meditated many time for long periods prior to my strong life changing experience and i have a clear pleasant outlook on life and the universe and i also lost my fear of dying cause there's so much beyond this world so its up to u..

Anonymous's picture

To All

I have a brother who is loosing his mind from doing drugs as a kid, it may not effect you now, but it will later. He talks to himself, is paraniod about everything, and is now looking at time in the mental hospital. It will come back to haunt you. To those of you who are considering METH, I have a friend who was very attractive when she was young and got into meth, years later she lost her hair, teeth, mind, and looks like she is 50 and she is not even 40. I also have an ex-boyfriend that used to smoke meth and started having sezures all the time and would whip it out and piss in public and not even be aware of what he was doing, he was also using LSD and would call me to pick him up, because he was to high to drive. All drugs will effect you in the future whether or not you believe it will. Take it from me, it's not worth it. I get high off adrenaline, the natural way.

Big Stoner's picture

why

Not all drugs have those kinds of negative effects. And furthermore why does it matter. You are going to die, we will all die, nothing lasts forever. Do you really want to be 100 years old to go back into diapers and rape resources from the rest of the world just to hang on for one more year. Religion and society say leave nobody behind help everyone because it makes churches and politicians look good. Truth is some people have to expire for others to survive. You could learn more about yourself if you were brought through the facade and into reality from a trip as you call it.

Anonymous's picture

To let someone die is to kill

To let someone die is to kill them, throughout history sucessful civilizations have taken care of their old and weak. We religious people do not take care of the old and weak to make ourselves look good, we do it because it is what is right. Further more, "trips" are not real, they are not the way to live. I would call it living in a fantasty land, not real life.

It is a moral obligation, the command of God and the duty of people to honor and venerate the old. It may seem easy for you to say that you will not want to live at 100 years of age or that any who are of that age should die. Imagine that to be your mother or father, grandparents, friends, teachers or you. Then imagine some young druggy talking shit and saying you and your loved ones should be let to rot. You sicken me.

Trip's picture

you cannot comprehend...

has anyone ever thought about what actually happens in a trip?
i know noone here can completely remember the mind blowing orgasims of self realization that you go through when you take it
i believe when you do acid or mushrooms your unconsous mind blows you into non existance, your mind goes through and understands what the truth of the world, of everything, and what it is to existance is... what is existance? think of nothing existing, can you understand what it is to not exist? to not have any thoughts, to not be... anything... the human mind cannot comprehend non existance because it exists, when you do lsd or mushrooms your mind gots into a different state of mind, one where everything is possible and everything makes sense, you understand everything, the world, existance, it all blows into your mind... as you come down you remember less and less because you are coming back into reality...
this is my own theory... i could go on for days... i have never done acid or shrooms, i cannot get my hands on those... my experience comes from marijuana, as you would see when i say everything makes sense... i want to see a higher level, i want to trip, i am loosing my mind, noone i know understands or thinks of the world in the way i do, but when i tell them my thoughts their eyes open wide... when im high with my friends i take them to different worlds, i explain to them what they are experiencing and they understand... although when they sober up they go back to existance...
as you might tell i lothe to know the meaning of life, of existance, of everything... i would trade the ones i love most for the answer...

»

Serendip Visitor's picture

tradeing your loved 1s?!

what is love and hate my opinion of you..... what does it matter same as youres of me. ive done alot and im only 19 in the drug aspect. but why when and where i did it was just what it was. it was there and happening pre determine in one way shape or form. i have little control over evrery thing none the less my own self. when i took acid i saw the meaning of life. our existance and it was scary as fucking hell in hell surrounded by hell. why it was scary 4 me and not any one elses trapped in the same elavator i dont know, i figgure it to be some conspirice to control me or hurt me by the sidistic minds of my fellows. any wayz we are limmited obviously, by mind the body and what i dont completly understand the soul. language in its many shapes and forms still only amouts to a grain of sand in the ever repaditive and infinate cycle we are stuck in. i came to belive that i was god when i was on drugs, seriously. but where did the idea of god come from like you said you probably know or pondered all of this qite a while ago. for me it comes down to trust, who what and why. why do i trust these people why do i want to be accepted why am i me. will i always be me? we are limmited and can NOT comprehend it ALL. there is no all. its beyond us we are just a by product in a big picture that so small doing our job in a way that some one or things have complete control over. i was just surffing the web conjuring up the courage to even look up the word ACID on google. i was scared. thats my down fall. scared of some thing that is to be. any ways thanks for making this thing on the internet for me to tell you what i think it was therapudic and i hope, want to trust and love. easy to say. hard to do.