Hallucinogens and dissociative drugs are frequently misused for their mind-altering effects, often leading to risky behaviors and health complications. Hallucinogens like LSD and psilocybin alter perception and feelings, while dissociative drugs like ketamine and PCP foster a sense of disconnection from reality.
Recent years have seen a growing interest in the therapeutic potential of hallucinogens and dissociative drugs to treat specific disorders. Meanwhile, increasing numbers of people report using these substances recreationally. Despite their therapeutic potential, the unregulated use of hallucinogen drugs carries significant risks, including psychological dependence.3
What Are Hallucinogens?
Hallucinogens are a type of drug that changes a person’s awareness of their surroundings, as well as their thoughts and feelings. Synthetic hallucinogens are man-made, while others come from naturally occurring compounds found in certain plants and fungi.1
Also known as psychedelics, hallucinogens are identified as Schedule 1 drugs by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.2 Schedule 1 is made up of the most strictly prohibited class of drugs.
As their name implies, hallucinogens can cause hallucinations in the user, which are sensations and images that might seem real but are not. Some hallucinogens have the potential to make people feel out of control or disconnected from their bodies or their environment.
Hallucinogens work by disrupting communication among the chemical networks in the brain. Some hallucinogens interfere with a neurotransmitter called serotonin, which regulates various functions in a person’s body, including sleep, hunger, and mood. Other hallucinogens interfere with the neurotransmitter glutamate, which regulates emotions and memory.1
Common Hallucinogens
Many commonly used hallucinogens were once used as medicines or during spiritual practices. These days, many people abuse hallucinogens to experience their psychedelic or mind-altering effects. The most common hallucinogens include:
- LSD. Commonly known as acid, LSD is a powerful synthetic hallucinogen with a high potential for abuse. Typically taken via sugar cubes, blotter paper, or liquid, the effects of LSD can be felt within an hour and last for 12 hours or longer.1,5
- Peyote. Peyote is a spineless cactus containing the hallucinogen mescaline. Consumed as fresh or dried “buttons,” powder, or liquid, peyote can cause vivid hallucinations as well as nausea, vomiting, and increased heart rate.1,11
- Psilocybin. Psilocybin is the psychoactive compound found in psychedelic or “magic” mushrooms. Consumed alone, in food, or as a tea, psilocybin causes euphoria and hallucinations in users while also posing risks like paranoia.1
- DMT. N,N-Dimethyltryptamine—DMT for short—is a powerful hallucinogen found naturally in Amazonian plants but can also be synthesized as a white powder. DMT is often consumed as Ayahuasca tea or smoked, inducing hallucinations and altered perception.1,3
What Are Dissociative Drugs?
One distinct subclass of hallucinogens is dissociative drugs. Whereas hallucinogens can cause visual alterations and other psychedelic experiences, dissociative drugs primarily affect how the brain processes glutamate, a chemical that plays a major role in learning and memory as well as emotion and pain perception.
As a result of using dissociative drugs, users feel disembodied or disconnected from their environment. Dissociative drugs are also known for producing other hallucinogenic effects like anesthesia, dream-like states, or a general decrease in sensory experience.6
Common Dissociative Drugs
Dissociative drugs are used less commonly than other substances, such as stimulants or opioids, though ketamine has seen increased recreational experimentation in recent years. Some common dissociative drugs include:
- Ketamine. Ketamine is a dissociative anesthetic that induces sedation, pain relief, and hallucinations, often making users feel detached from their surroundings. While prescribed medicinally for humans and animals, ketamine is also abused recreationally and has also been linked to facilitating sexual assault.4
- PCP. Also known as “angel dust,” PCP is an illegal dissociative that can be used in various forms, including smoking and snorting. Prolonged PCP use can lead to memory loss, speech issues, mood disorders, and an increased risk of suicide.5
- Nitrous oxide. Also known as “laughing gas,” nitrous oxide is a dissociative anesthetic that produces dissociation of the mind from the body, distorted perceptions, and, in some cases, visual hallucinations.7
- Salvia. Salvia is a plant native to southern Mexico and Central and South America. It is often ingested by chewing its leaves, drinking its juice, or smoking the leaves once they’re dried. Effects of salvia include hallucinations, sensory blending, and feelings of floating or time travel.1
Effects of Hallucinogens & Dissociatives
The effects of hallucinogens and dissociative drugs vary, depending on the specific drug being used and the user’s mood, expectations, and surroundings. The effects of hallucinogens and dissociative drugs typically can begin within minutes of ingestion and last for several hours, though some users report feeling the drug’s effects for days.
Users often refer to their experiences while on LSD or other hallucinogens as “trips,” with adverse or unpleasant experiences as “bad trips.” Bad trips can include terrifying thoughts, acute anxiety, and despair.6
Some of the most common short-term effects of hallucinogens include:6
- Intensified sensory experiences, such as brighter colors or sharper sounds
- Hallucinations, including hearing or seeing things in a distorted way or perceiving things that do not exist in reality
- Changes in time perception
- Increased body temperature, blood pressure, and heart rate
- Dizziness and nausea
- Fatigue or sleepiness
- Wild mood swings
- Paranoia
Some of the most common short-term effects of dissociative drugs include:6
- Feelings of detachment from self or environment
- Changes in sensory perceptions
- Numbness
- Loss of coordination
- Increased body temperature, blood pressure, and heart rate
- Dizziness, nausea, vomiting
Other Risks of Hallucinogens & Dissociatives
Use of hallucinogens and dissociative drugs come with their own set of risks. One of the major risks is the physical injury that can occur as a result of the impaired cognition and sensory perception of using these drugs.1,9
Also, there exist two significant long-term health risks of “classic” hallucinogens like LSD. The first long-term effect of hallucinogens is persistent psychosis, the symptoms of which include visual disturbances (such as seeing halos or trails attached to moving objects), disorganized thinking, paranoia, and mood swings.
The second is Hallucinogen Persisting Perception Disorder (HPPD), characterized by the experiencing of hallucinations when not taking the drug, visual disturbances, and symptoms that can be mistaken for neurological disorders, such as stroke or brain tumor.
As for additional risks related specifically to dissociative drugs, research indicates that the long-term use of PCP can result in drug tolerance and substance use disorder. This disorder can include intense withdrawal symptoms, including headaches and sweating, after the use of PCP is stopped. Long-term PCP use has also been associated with issues like speech difficulties, memory impairment, depression, suicidal ideation, anxiety, and social isolation.6
Can You Overdose on Hallucinogens or Dissociatives?
Yes, you can overdose on hallucinogens. However, in the vast majority of cases, overdose is not fatal. Deaths exclusively from the overdose of psychedelic drugs like LSD, magic mushrooms, and mescaline are extremely rare.3
However, the dangers of hallucinogens can include suicide, accidents, and dangerous behavior, or due to the person inadvertently eating poisonous plant material. Also, while not all hallucinogen overdoses are fatal, some non-fatal overdose cases may be serious enough to require medical attention.
It is also possible to overdose on dissociative substances. Among dissociative drugs, a severe overdose of PCP or ketamine can result in coma or death due to respiratory depression (slowed breathing). The risk of overdose is greatly increased in cases where the dissociative drug is laced with fentanyl or some other dangerous substance.
The signs of PCP overdose include:8
- Lack of coordination
- Catatonia
- Agitation or violent behavior
- Convulsions or seizures
- High blood pressure
- Uncontrolled movement
- Coma
Signs of ketamine overdose include:4,9
- Dizziness
- Hypertension
- Chest pain
- Nausea and vomiting
- Paranoia
- Anxiety
- Unconsciousness
- Respiratory depression (slowed breathing)
Are Hallucinogens & Dissociatives Addictive?
Research indicates that psychedelic drugs like psilocybin and LSD generally have a low potential for addiction. This may be partly because the drugs often cause unpleasant side effects, such as headaches and nausea, which discourage repeated use. However, psychological dependence on hallucinogens presents a small but significant risk.
The risk of misuse and abuse of these drugs could contribute to the user developing a physical tolerance to specific kinds of hallucinogens, such as PCP or ketamine. This tolerance would require users to take more to reach the desired effect, resulting in cravings and withdrawal symptoms when not taking the drug. 3
How Is Hallucinogen & Dissociative Abuse Treated?
Problematic hallucinogen and dissociative abuse can be treated in a variety of settings including inpatient rehab, partial hospitalization programs (PHP), intensive outpatient programs (IOP), standard outpatient rehab, and more. The type of addiction treatment or level of care will depend on the person and their unique needs.
During treatment, patients typically receive addiction therapy to help them in their recovery as well as dual diagnosis treatment. Dual diagnosis treatment is a therapeutic approach that addresses the patient’s drug abuse alongside possible co-occurring mental health disorders such as anxiety or depression.
Substance Use Disorder Treatment in Atlanta
The staff of Empowered Recovery Center in Atlanta all know that recovery from long-term hallucinogen abuse can be challenging. Our treatment addiction programs in Atlanta are designed to help you make a lasting change in your life.
We offer a variety of rehab programs tailored to fit different needs and levels of intensity. We also offer one full year of recovery coaching at no cost to help you keep working toward the life you deserve.
If you have questions about the cost of rehab or paying for rehab with insurance, our admissions team is here to help. They can even verify your insurance benefits online and help you understand your coverage. If you’d like to learn more about our addiction treatment programs, contact us today and take that first step toward a better life.
References
- Cleveland Clinic. (2023). Hallucinogens. Cleveland Clinic’s Health Library. Retrieved January 9, 2025, from https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/6734-hallucinogens-lsd-peyote-psilocybin-and-pcp
- U.S. Department of Justice. (2024). Controlled Substances. U.S. Department of Justice. Retrieved January 14, 2025, from https://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/schedules/orangebook/c_cs_alpha.pdf
- National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2023). Psychedelic and Dissociative Drugs. National Institutes of Health. Retrieved January 9, 2025, from https://nida.nih.gov/research-topics/psychedelic-dissociative-drugs
- U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. (2020). Drug Fact Sheet: Ketamine. U.S. Department of Justice/U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. Retrieved January 9, 2025, from https://www.dea.gov/sites/default/files/2020-06/Ketamine-2020.pdf
- MedLine Plus. (2024). Substance use – phencyclidine (PCP). National Library of Medicine. Retrieved January 10, 2025, from https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000797.htm
- National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2014). Hallucinogens and Dissociative Drugs. National Institutes of Health. Retrieved January 13, 2025, from https://nida.nih.gov/sites/default/files/hallucinogensrrs.pdf
- Alcohol and Drug Foundation (2025). Dissociatives. Alcohol and Drug Foundation. Retrieved January 10, 2025, from https://adf.org.au/drug-facts/dissociatives/
- MedLine Plus. (2023). Phencyclidine overdose. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved January 13, 2025, from https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002526.htm
- U.S. National Library of Medicine. (2023). Ketamine Toxicity. National Institutes of Health. Retrieved January 13, 2025, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK541087/
- Alcohol and Drug Foundation (2025). Nitrous Oxide. Alcohol and Drug Foundation. Retrieved January 9, 2025, from https://adf.org.au/drug-facts/nitrous-oxide/
- U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. (2020). Drug Fact Sheet: Peyote & Mescaline. U.S. Department of Justice/U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. Retrieved February 14, 2025, from https://www.dea.gov/sites/default/files/2020-06/Peyote%20and%20Mescaline-2020_0.pdf
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