Kids & Teens
Hallucinogens cause people to experience - you guessed it - hallucinations, imagined experiences that seem real. The word "hallucinate" comes from Latin words meaning, "to wander in the mind." No wonder some people refer to hallucinating as tripping.
The "trips" caused by hallucinogens can last for hours. Parts of these trips can feel really good, and other parts can feel really terrible.
Hallucinogens powerfully affect the brain by:
People who use these drugs a lot may have a hard time concentrating, communicating, or telling the difference between reality and illusion.
Some hallucinogens can be found in plants. Mescaline comes from a cactus called peyote. And certain mushrooms, also known as magic mushrooms, are hallucinogens.
But many hallucinogens are chemicals that don't occur in nature. Some examples are:
LSD use can have many effects. These may include:
LSD users may feel several emotions at once (including extreme terror), and their senses may seem to get crossed -- giving the feeling of hearing colors and seeing sounds.
Even a tiny speck of LSD can trigger these effects. And LSD has an unusual "echo." Many users have flashbacks -- sudden repetitions of their LSD experiences -- days or months after they stop using the drug.
This drug's effects are very unpredictable. For example, it may make some people hallucinate and become aggressive, while others may become drowsy and passive. It is also addictive.