Patterns of Hallucinogenic Drug Abuse
JAMA January 11, 1965 DOI: 10.1001/jama.1965.03080020020006 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Hallucinogen Drug Substance abuse Poison control Medical emergency |
| Citations | 55 |
| Key findings | Newer hallucinogenic substances have far greater potency than older agents and have spurred speculation about their use in anthropology, medicine, education, and religion. |
Abstract
The use of hallucinogenic (psychotomimetic, dysleptic, psychedelic) substances to produce altered states of consciousness is not new,1-3but recently there has been increased interest and publicity given these agents. This renewed attention has been spurred by the discovery of several new substances, such as d-lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), psilocybin, and psilocin, which have potencies far greater than the older agents (peyote, mescaline, teonanacatl, ololiuqui). These drugs have captured the imagination of many people who have speculated on their application in many different areas. Anthropologists4, 5have described the socially sanctioned use of some of these agents in "primitive cultures"; novelists6have conceived of their role in utopian societies; and physicians have espoused their usefulness in treating mental illness7and for the production of "model psychoses." Others have proposed or described their use as educational tools3and for inducing religious "mystical" experiences.8-10Still others have commented on