Psychedelic drugs  or hallucinogens have been with us since ancient times, as mentioned above.  But it wasn't until the 1900's -- especially the 1960's -- that they became as popular as they have.  Here is a partial list:

Scopolamine, an anticholinergic drug, is found in Atropa belladonna (belladonna or deadly nightshade), Datura stramonium (jimsonweed), and Mandragora officinarum (mandrake).

A large number of modern drugs have catecholamine-like effects.  The oldest is peyote (from the Lophophora williamsii plant), used by Mexican Indians.  Mescaline is derived from peyote.  There are two drugs, myristin and elemicin, which are found in nutmeg and mace.  And there are the methamphetamines with their endless initials (DOM, MDA, DMA TMA, MDE, and MDMA -- the last best known as ecstasy).

Arguably the most famous hallucinogens are the serotonin-like drugs.  Some have ancient roots:  Psilocybin and psilocin are derived from the mushroom Psilocybe mexicana;  Ololiuqui was used by Central and South American Indians, and is better known as morning glory seeds;  Harmine comes from the Middle Eastern plant called Peganum harmala;  And bufotenine comes from the skin secretions of the South American bufo toad!

In 1938, however, all these begin to pale in comparison with the discovery by one Albert Hofman, a Swiss chemist, of a derivative of ergot (a rye fungus), which he called lysergic acid diethylamide -- LSD.

And finally, we have the very dangerous psychedelic anesthetic drugs such as phencyclidine, discovered in 1956, and better known as PCP or angeldust.

© Copyright 2001, C. George Boeree