CHAPTER 12
Hallucinogen Misuse
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
After studying this chapter, students should be able to:
•
12.1: Understand the history of hallucinogens
•
12.3: Comprehend the pharmacology, methods of use, and subjective
effects of hallucinogens
•
12.5: Understand the DSM criteria for hallucinogen– related disorders
CHAPTER OUTLINE
A Short History of Hallucinogens
Scope of the Problem
Pharmacology of Hallucinogens
Methods of Misuse
The Pharmacology of LSD
The Subjective Effects of LSD
The “Bad Trip”
The LSD “Flashback”
Drug Interactions Involving LSD
Section Summary
Phencyclidine (PCP)
Complications of PCP Use
PCP Use as an Indirect Cause of Death
Ecstasy (MDMA)
Prevalence of PCP Use Compared to MDMA
A Short History of Ecstasy (MDMA)
Scope of MDMA Misuse
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Patterns of MDMA Misuse
Pharmacology of MDMA
Subjective and Objective Effects of MDMA Use
Complications of MDMA Misuse
MDMA-Related Cardiac Problems
MDMA-Related Neurological Problems
MDMA-Related Emotional Problems
MDMA-Related Gastrointestinal Problems
Other MDMA-Related Problems
Medication Interactions Involving MDMA
Salvia Divinorum
PCP and Hallucinogen Use and the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th
Edition)
CHAPTER OVERVIEW
The purpose of this chapter is to provide the student with a brief summary of the problem of
hallucinogen misuse in the United States. The effects of some of the more commonly misused
hallucinogens are reviewed, the potential for addiction to these compounds is discussed, and
the consequences of the misuse of these compounds on the individual are reviewed.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Break-Out Discussion #1
Hallucinogens and reality: One question that philosophers have debated for centuries is
whether it is possible for a person to really know external reality. Is there such a thing as an
independent external reality without an observer? This question remains unanswerable. How
would we prove such a thing, for in the act of observing that reality, even if only indirectly
through automated equipment such as video cameras, we change the conditions under which
that reality exists. . . If we were to leave to spend a night in our own bed, we would awaken to
the same reality, right? How do you know?
These questions sound silly on one level. However, these questions also focus on the issue of
knowing. How do we know that something exists? We are limited to our five senses, each of
which is itself limited in scope. We do not perceive ultraviolet light with our eyes for example,
unless we build special equipment to make up for our visual handicap. Without such equipment,
a person could not sense ultraviolet light. Does this mean that it does not exist, or, that we just
do not sense it? Are there realities beyond our senses?
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the room saw the same lights that you saw. Their nervous systems reacted to the pressure on
their eyes in the manner that their bodies would allow. Each person’s subjective experience was
just that, subjective, independent of the other participants in the study.
Questions
1. What do you think—do the realities experienced when a person consumes a hallucinogenic
compound have an independent existence, or are they subjective interpretations of biochemical
interactions within the brain?
2. Who has the right to establish that certain altered states of consciousness (a person who has
consumed coffee, for example) are acceptable, while other altered states of consciousness (such
as those experienced by those who have long-term hallucinogenic use histories) are
unacceptable? Does anyone? At what point might these regulations be taken as a form of “mind
control?”
3. What factors should be taken into account when making the above decisions?
Break-Out Discussion #2
Implications: In his science fiction novel The Lion of Comarre (1953), the late Arthur C. Clark
wrote of a fictional city in which biomechanical interface devices allowed people to enter into a
sleep state in which each could dream of his or her perfect alternate reality. These dreams were
so enticing that the dreamers would remain in this alternative world, forsaking the realities of
natural existence. For them, the world of their dreams was now “reality,” and they would stay
within this world for the rest of their natural lives.
As molecular biology proceeds and we become more adept at altering the neurotransmitter
transmission process to suit our needs, the initial application of this hard-earned knowledge will
“Why have you called me back? Who are you?”
Commented [CE1]: AU: Please list the reference in
reference list with complete details.
“I have just escaped from the thought projectors,” explained Peyton. “I want to release
all who can be saved.”
The other laughed bitterly.
“Saved! From what? It took me forty years to escape from the world, and now you
would drag me back to it! Go away, and leave me in peace.”
(Clark, 1953, p. 56)
Questions
1. Would we, as a society, have the right to keep people from seeking the reality that they
desired? Are we obligated to support people financially or biologically while they seek their
desired reality?
2. What other applications can you think of for the technology cited above (practical or
imaginative)? What about misapplications of this technology?
KEY CONCEPTS AND TERMS
Reticular activating system (RAS): A small region of the brain, possibly only 100 neurons in size,
which is responsible for the individual’s ability to focus attention on the task at hand.
As scientists have learned to identify the primary neurotransmitter(s) utilized by individual
Hyperthermia: Retention of body heat well above safe levels, which may prove fatal to the
individual if not corrected before the brain is damaged by the abnormally high body
temperature
Anxiolytic: A compound that reduces the individual’s subjective anxiety level. This term is
Glutamate: A major excitatory neurotransmitter that is found in much of the brain. It is also
involved in the process of learning and memory. Preliminary evidence also suggests that
glutamate might play a role in the development of schizophrenia and depression, as well as
posttraumatic stress disorder. Excessive amounts of glutamate can prove to be neurotoxic,
damaging or killing neurons in high doses
failure, cardiac arrhythmias, and even death
LO/STANDARDS CORRELATION CHART
A-head
LO
Standard – —CACREP
A Short History of
Hallucinogens
12.1: Understand the
history of
hallucinogens
3d: theories and etiology of addictions
and addictive behaviors
Scope of the Problem
12.2:
Understand
the scope of
the problem
of
hallucinogen
misuse
3d: theories and etiology of addictions
and addictive behaviors
3e: biological, neurological, and
physiological factors that affect human
development, functioning, and behavior
Pharmacology of the
Hallucinogens
Methods of Misuse
The Pharmacology of LSD
The Subjective Effects of
LSD
Phencyclidine (PCP)
Subjective and Objective
Effects of MDMA Use
Salvia Divinorum
12.3:
Comprehend
the
pharmacology,
methods of
use, and
subjective
effects of
hallucinogens
3d: theories and etiology of addictions
and addictive behaviors
3e: biological, neurological, and
physiological factors that affect human
development, functioning, and behavior
Complications of PCP Use
Ecstasy (MDMA)
Complications of MDMA
Misuse
12.4: Describe
the
complications
of
hallucinogen
use
3d: theories and etiology of addictions
and addictive behaviors
3e: biological, neurological, and
physiological factors that affect human
development, functioning, and behavior
PCP and Hallucinogen Use
and the Diagnostic and
Statistical Manual of
Mental Disorders (5th
Edition)
12.5:
Understand
the DSM
criteria for
hallucinogen–
related
disorders
3d: theories and etiology of addictions
and addictive behaviors
3e: biological, neurological, and
physiological factors that affect human
development, functioning, and behavior
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