The Effects of Hallucinogenic Drugs on The Brain
Submitted by SerendipUpdate on Wed, 01/16/2008 - 4:34pm.
Biology 202
1998 First Web Reports
On Serendip
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.
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
Also; another hallucinogenic
Also; another hallucinogenic is when you chew the stem of a Marajunana leaf. But it also makes you uhh... die.
acid
my b/f chews the stem of the marajunana leaf and he is not dead so that is not true.
not true
I smoke marijuana all the time and always chew the stems, I guess you can choke on it and die, but marijuana has no poisoneus(sp) chemicals in it.
affects of hallucinogen in later years
I'm one who abused LSD in my high school years (1973 to 1975) and a little in my adult years. The last use of this drug was once in the latter part of 1976 then last time was once in 1985. The heaviest use was as a 15 to 16 year old teen where it was literally every other day, at 17 maybe three times a month. Now at 50 years old I have a form of vertigo mostly. It’s a continuous internal feeling of dizziness with an occasional feeling of LSD, or the beginning stages of the drug, without the hallucination.
I am going through test with my Doctor but they are not sure, as yet, what’s causing this.
I'm wondering if there any medical knowledge of this being a result of long term abuse later in the life of an abuser?
Flashbacks
Flashbacks occur even if you have been off the drug for years. As a long time user you may be having diluted flashback episodes and the confusion your body associates with LSD Vertigo and dizziness.
i gotta say, i havent done
i gotta say, i havent done acid near as much as you, im only on my 23rd trip. but i do believe your experiencing vertigo because your brain became slightly accustomed to the drug and now that its gone your body is working to produce a filler for the void where the drug once was. this is only a theory, but i beleive it has some basis to it because the body will produce what it lacks if necesary.. but one can never really know unless you can delve into the mind of another person....
Mark Huerta
I have heard of your case before, one of my friends did lsd constantly many hits a day and he is in the same state of mind as you.
Acid trips in younger life causing vertigo in later years
If you or anyone believes that vertigo is caused by many acid trips in your younger days, how would one explain the fact that there are people who tripped a lot in their younger years and do not experience vertigo in their later years (probably hundreds of thousands of people over the world).
How also would one explain that there are also many people who experience vertigo that have never touched a drug in their lives.
These two things are not correlated.
Believe what you want.
"If you or anyone believes
"If you or anyone believes that vertigo is caused by many acid trips in your younger days, how would one explain the fact that there are people who tripped a lot in their younger years and do not experience vertigo in their later years (probably hundreds of thousands of people over the world).
How also would one explain that there are also many people who experience vertigo that have never touched a drug in their lives."
I think the way to explain this is that everyone in the world is different.
QUESTION
okay so is it true acid makes your spinal chord bleed?
no
no not at all does it make your spine bleed
question
what is the effect that lsd has on the brain
what effect does marijuana,alcohol,heroin,inhalant,nicotine, and steroids have on the brain?
what part of the brain is effected by these drugs?
well basically i've done
well basically i've done acid a few times.. and let me tell you it was amazing.. i havent dropped in awhile but occasionally get awesome flashbacks.. ecspecially when i smoke the herb.
affects of hallucinogens in later years: REPLY
LSD is often trapped in certain cells in the brain/spinal cord having vertigo or flashbacks in later years could very eaisily be caused by these cells breaking down and releasing the drug back into your system
Trying it once
I want to try it for the first time on my birthday. I was wondering what are the most severe things that could happen because of this. Both short term, and long. I plan on marrying my girlfriend and I don't want this one trip to destroy what I have. It says it alters ones perception after the trip, like your experiencing a new thing you never have, and it has completley changed your life.
In There For Life
The unique thing about LSD as opposed to pretty much every other drug is that it stays in your body for your entire life. THC can be totally removed from even a chronic smoker in a week if he does the right things. Cocaine is untraceable in your body after 2 to 3 days, depending on metabolism. LSD on the other hand never leaves your body, and can be traced in your spine with a spinal tap after one dies and had used LSD earlier in life. Luckily for all you psychonauts out there, it is extremely difficult and expensive for any job to test for LSD :)
Be careful though.. drugs effect everyone differently. Some of my friends love the drug and are always up to do it... others say its too intense to do often and do it very rarely. A couple of my friends absolutely hated it and never want to do it again. Know what you're getting in to, because it will probably change you for life. Its good to do research like this; LSD is not a drug for anyone that just wants to have a good time, it can be a rollercoaster experience in every aspect.
To the people that commented and said you have vertigo like symptoms after chronic use..be lucky thats all you have. Syd Barrett from Pink Floyd went clinically insane from doing too much LSD. He was committed to a mental institution for the majority of his later life. People say his sentences made no sense when he talked and he habitually brushed his teeth. Also, Jerry Garcia, who its been said had a goal in life to always be tripping, pretty much makes no sense when he talks if you ever watch interviews with him in his later life. I used to work with an older guy at an animal hospital who used to be a major LSD user during the hippie era; he would actually have what he believed were real conversations with all the dogs, he was pretty creepy. I'd take vertigo over that any day.
u are all crazy
any of yall that do hallucinogens yalls crazy. i mean u could die frum that stuff so why do u do it?
I think not
LSD being stored in the spine in an urban legend; it has a half life of 3 hours and the body processes it entirely. Anti-drug campaigners(?) made up the spinal myth because it's not easy to verify and sounds like serious business. LSD trips are certainly serious business and I have no doubts that you can really mess with your mind for life if you take it too often, but people need to stop propagating this spinal fluid silliness.
LSD
im 17 years old , and ive been droppin acid for about 4 months now at raves mostly, and im still normal. i drop acid at least 3 times a week sometimes more.
LSD is not dangerous.!
im 15 and im curious....ive
im 15 and im curious....ive been experimenting, and i wanted to know if i should try acid. A lot of people think drugs are good expieriences in life as long as you dont abuse them. I just want to try it once but i need a little more info. before i do it. I just want to if its true that you really hallucinate. i smoke weed and drink on the weekends with my friends and i like that feeling so does acid feel like that a kind of thc high or do you just trip balls and go insane??
Flashbacks
When I was 14 I went to these guys house with my step sister and smoked weed, a couple of second after that I felt weird, like I wasn't in my body and then as I was on my way to sleep I saw my self in front of me and jumped up, and told by sister, me and my stepsister were staying with, as I talked to them the feeling went away. I got up the next day and went to school; I started thinking about that day and the feeling came back, I left school and had to tell my parents, I thought I was going to lose it. My stepfather told me what he went through when he was younger and how he dealt with it and told me that I just have to forget about it and it will go away. I am 24 now and the feeling has came back between this time period and went away once I get my mind off it, but now its back and the thing about this is that I don't even be thinking about that and the feeling comes, why is it still affecting me and am I going to lose it?
Scared Mom
You are total idiots to be gambling with your brains. My son just came back from college and has schizoeffective symptoms from his experimentation with LSD and Mushrooms.He is constantly sufferin; we are trying to stailize him with anti-psychotic medicines. Seroquel and abilify did not work. It looks like rispideral
might be helping. He is in a 4-day a week dual diagnosos program and is facing the loss of what he once one.
I am scared to death. Any input?
To Scared Mom
I'm so sorry to hear about your son. I have myself done LSD a number of times, but not so much as these people (or, apparently, as much as your son). It is physically impossible to take LSD the next day-- it does absolutely nothing. Those of you dropping "every three days" are completely nuts for doing so, and honestly you deserve whatever comes to you. While it is not at all dangerous as a drug (in fact it is less physically disruptive than aspirin), the places it takes you are not entirely rational nor logical; hence, if you do too much, or do it too often, you'll absolutely fall out of touch with "the real world". This is an obvious side effect of being in such a grossly different level of reality for 8-10 hours.
From your comment, Scared Mom, it does seem that your son was a) already at risk for some psychological issues, as LSD can bring these to the fore even if they aren't known (not so much with mushrooms, which are pretty benign and not nearly as intense), and b) he likely did way, way, WAY too much. I sincerely hope that he finds some relief, as I can only imagine what you and your family are going through. I would be scared of using antipsychotics more than I'm scared of LSD, however. Antipsychotics cause permanent and very large changes to the brain and nervous system.
But seriously, guys:
LSD is a tool to profoundly alter your awareness and give you new insights. It is a way to see the world as if you've never seen it before. But it's stronger than you-- and if you overdose or overuse it, it will come back to bite you. Spiritual teachers throughout history have understood these risks, but the people taking these drugs seem to have no idea. Everything I've heard on this forum has reeked of abuse, neglect, and abject stupidity.
Please, for your own sake, listen to this mother and realize that YOU MUST BE RESPONSIBLE, RESPECTFUL, AND READY.
with LSD, the reason people
with LSD, the reason people continue to experience flashbacks of the drug is because LSD is siuch a strong drug, and very pure, it stores in body fat, instead of blood stream. by storing in the body fat it enables the drug to have to ability 're activate' whenever the body fat particles move around. so when the body fat particles shift, change or move there is a possibility of a secondary trip, or similar side affects of the drug. this is why some people experience life 'stuck in an acid trip' as the amount of acid consumed is enough to create constant and often 'secondary trips' even one tab of acid can cause this reaction, it is just more common with copious amounts of acid.
This is just for everyone
This is just for everyone that is stupid enough to think that LSD isnt dangerous:
Yes its true that not everyone will have the same effect from it, but I've done mushrooms once (and not lsd a 100 times like most of you of whom I'm surprised you're still alive) when i was 15 "for the experiment" and I had the biggest bad trip ever. Apparently i was really sensetive for it, and then it went on for 2 years of 24/7 psychosis, medication and therapy. You're all gonna say "i already had it in me" but the fact is that hallucinogenic drugs change things in your brain, even one little mushroom can do this! I know it's the most exciting and interesting thing to just trip away but I think anyone who wants to do it should really look things up about it first and make it a safe trip.
To the mom with the psychotic son: Tell him that i had it to and it gets better and goes away after time, I had risperdal as well and it really got me through it.
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