DrugInfo Clearinghouse

LSD/Hallucinogens

What are hallucinogens?

Hallucinogens, also known as ‘psychedelic’ drugs, are drugs that change the way a person perceives the world. Hallucinogens affect all the senses and cause hallucinations—seeing or hearing things that do not exist or are distorted. A person's thinking, sense of time and emotions can also be altered.

There are many different kinds of hallucinogens. Some occur naturally, in trees, vines, seeds, fungi and leaves, while others are manufactured in laboratories. Hallucinogens include LSD, ‘magic mushrooms’, mescaline, PCP (phencyclidine), cannabis (in high quantities) and ecstasy.

How are they used?

Naturally occurring hallucinogens have been used since ancient times by various cultures throughout the world, particularly by the indigenous peoples of North and South America, for their mystical and spiritual associations.

Hallucinogens became very fashionable in the United States and Europe in the 1960s, when many young people were pursuing greater personal freedom and questioning old values and ideas.

Very few people use hallucinogens today. Those who do usually don't take them on a regular basis, but on occasions that may be weeks or months apart. This may be because the effects require a long recovery time or because the pleasurable effects are unpredictable.

Some hallucinogens are currently used in clinical medicine including ketamine, an intravenous anaesthetic used in many surgical procedures when the use of an anaesthetic mask is undesirable.

LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide)

LSD ('acid' or 'trips') is one of the most commonly used hallucinogens in Australia. It was invented in 1938 and explored as a treatment for some mental illnesses. During the 1960s, LSD became the drug of choice of the ‘hippy’ culture. Since then its use has declined, but there is some recent evidence of increased popularity.

In its pure state, LSD is a white, odourless powder. It usually comes in the form of a liquid or as tablets or capsules, squares of gelatine or blotting paper. LSD is swallowed, sniffed, injected or smoked. It is very potent, with small amounts causing strong effects. For easier handling, LSD is often diluted with another substance, such as sugar, or soaked onto sheets of blotting paper.

Some other hallucinogens

PCP (‘angel dust’): As well as effects similar to LSD, the effects of PCP include euphoria and numbness. Heavy use can cause PCP psychosis, with aggression, paranoia and violent or suicidal behaviour.

Ecstasy (MDMA): Ecstasy is like both amphetamines and hallucinogens in chemical structure and effect. It is usually swallowed, but sometimes is also injected. Ecstasy can have hallucinogenic properties when used in high quantities.

Magic mushrooms (or ‘golden top’ mushrooms): are commonly found in Australia. They have the active ingredient psilocybin. They can be eaten fresh, cooked or brewed into a 'tea'. Small quantities cause relaxation and slight changes in mood, but larger quantities can cause stomach pain, nausea and vomiting, shivering, a numbing of the mouth and dizziness. People can mistake poisonous mushrooms for those containing psilocybin. Certain kinds of these poisonous mushrooms can cause death or permanent liver damage within hours of ingestion. A number of other mushrooms and plants that grow in Australia have hallucinogenic properties but also have dangerous, toxic side effects when sufficient quantities are used to give the psychedelic effect. These include datura (the belladonna plant) and fly agaric mushrooms.

Cannabis (marijuana): In small quantities, cannabis is a depressant drug that slows down the body's systems. Very strong cannabis preparations or larger quantities of cannabis can cause mild hallucinogenic effects. These can lead to anxiety or panic in the user.

Hallucinogen use in Australia

According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare’s 2001 National Drug Household Survey of Australians aged 14 and over:

  • 7.6 per cent had used hallucinogens at some stage in their life
  • Of those who had ever used hallucinogens, the average initiation age was 19.1 years.

Effects

The effects of any drug (including hallucinogens) vary from person to person. It depends on many factors, including:

  • the person’s size, weight and health
  • how much and how the drug is taken
  • whether the person is used to taking it
  • whether other drugs are taken
  • whether use is combined with drinking alcohol
  • the environment in which the drug is taken; for example, whether

the person is alone or with others, such as at a party.

More than with any other drug, the effects of hallucinogens vary greatly from person to person, and from occasion to occasion. It is hard to know how the hallucinogenic experience, or ‘tripping’, will affect the person.

Immediate effects

The effects of LSD usually begin within half an hour of taking the drug, are at their strongest in 3 to 5 hours, and last for up to 12 hours. Typical effects include:

  • intense sensory experiences (e.g. brighter colours, sharper sounds)
  • mixing of the senses (e.g. colours are heard or sounds seen)
  • distorted sense of time (e.g. minutes can seem as slow as hours;

reliving old events)

  • distorted sense of space
  • distorted body image (person feels as if they are floating or being

pulled down by gravity)

  • pupils of the eyes may dilate
  • rapid heart rate
  • increased blood pressure
  • sense of relaxation and wellbeing
  • nausea and loss of appetite
  • chills, flushing
  • shaking
  • paranoia
  • confusion
  • abnormal rapid breathing
  • acute panic (a 'bad trip')
  • abdominal discomfort
  • poor coordination.

Bad trips

While using LSD, or ‘tripping’, the person may experience strong feelings of anxiety or fear. The hallucinatory effects can be unpleasant, such as spiders crawling on the skin. Or they can be so intense that the person feels as though they are losing control and

‘going crazy’.

Panic can lead to risky behaviour, such as running across a busy street. Paranoia, intense fear of persecution and feelings of superiority can sometimes develop. This can cause people to injure themselves accidentally; for example, by diving into rough surf.

When negative feelings dominate the experience it is described as a 'bad trip’. The reasons for bad trips are not known. They are particularly common among first-time users. When a 'bad trip' occurs, the user needs to be reassured and calmed until the immediate effects have passed, although this can take many hours. Medical assistance is occasionally required if the user becomes violent toward themselves or others, or becomes excessively anxious.

Usually the negative feelings go away when the drug wears off. However, there have been reports of users experiencing hallucinations, bizarre behaviour and paranoia for several days after taking the drug. Occasionally, these effects can last weeks or months.

How to help someone through a bad trip

  • Make sure that the user, and all people around them, are safe.
  • Move and speak calmly in a confident manner.
  • Address them by name; remind them of who they are.
  • Tell them who you are.
  • If possible, don’t leave them alone. This may mean staying with them for several hours.

Long-term effects

Days, weeks or even years after using the drug, some people have a repeat experience of the effects (flashbacks). The user may see intense colours and other hallucinations. Flashbacks can be sparked by the use of other drugs, or by stress, fatigue or physical exercise. The flashback experience can range from being pleasant to producing severe feelings of anxiety. They are usually visual and last for a minute or two.

There is also some evidence that heavy use of LSD can impair a user's memory and concentration. Using LSD may increase the risk of certain people developing severe mental disturbances.

Tolerance and dependence

Tolerance to the hallucinatory effects of LSD and other hallucinogens develops rapidly. With repeated daily use over three to four days, the desired effects tend to cease irrespective of the amount used. Any tolerance developed quickly goes away once regular use is stopped.

Typically, LSD is not a drug that is used daily, or even regularly. LSD does not appear to cause any physical dependence. Some people may be psychologically dependent on using LSD for various events or occasions.

No physical withdrawal symptoms have been observed with use of LSD, even after long periods of use.

Hepatitis and HIV

Sharing needles, syringes and other injecting equipment can greatly increase the risk of contracting blood-borne viruses such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus—the virus that causes AIDS).

Pregnancy

The use of LSD and other hallucinogens seems to be linked to an increased risk of miscarriage. There may also be a higher incidence of birth defects among babies born to women using LSD.

Check with your doctor or other health professional if you are taking or planning to take any substance during pregnancy, including prescribed and over-the-counter medications.

Hallucinogens and other drugs

Hallucinogens can be dangerous when combined with drugs like alcohol or amphetamines ('speed') . This is because the effects of both drugs are often increased in unpredictable ways. Despite this, some users take benzodiazepines or cannabis to help them 'come down' after using hallucinogens.

Hallucinogens and driving

It is illegal to drive while under the influence of any drug, including hallucinogens. Breaking this law carries penalties including disqualification from driving, fines and/or imprisonment.

It is also extremely dangerous to drive after using hallucinogens.

Perception of space and time is distorted and the user may 'see' things that will cause erratic driving. The combination of drugs and alcohol can make driving significantly more dangerous.

Hallucinogens and the law

Hallucinogens are illegal in Australia. Federal, State and Territory laws provide penalties for possessing, using, making or selling hallucinogens. Drug laws in Australia distinguish between those who use drugs and those who supply or traffic drugs.

At present in Victoria, penalties range from a $2000 fine and/or one-year imprisonment for cultivation (if the Court is satisfied that the offence is not related to trafficking), $3000 and/or one-year imprisonment for possession/use (not relating to trafficking) to fines of up to $250 000 and/or 25 years’ imprisonment for commercial trafficking.

In Victoria, the Police and Courts have introduced a number of schemes in relation to drug offences. Some of these aim to divert people from the criminal justice system, others involve referring people with a drug problem to treatment programs.

Treatment options

A number of drug treatment options are available in Australia. While abstinence may be a suitable treatment aim for some people, many programs recognise that for others this may not be possible or realistic. Most programs adopt strategies that have an overall aim of reducing the harms and risks related to the person’s drug use.

Some treatment options include counselling, withdrawal (detoxification) and pharmacotherapy. Residential and ‘out-patient’ programs are available.

Reducing the risks

Australian drug policy is based on harm minimisation. This is about reducing drug-related harm to both the community and individual drug users.

Harm-minimisation strategies range from encouraging ‘non-use’ through to providing the means for drug users to use drugs with fewer risks.

For tips on how to reduce the risks of using hallucinogens, call the alcohol and drug information service ( in your State or Territory.

There is no safe level of drug use.

What to do in a crisis

If someone has an adverse reaction while using hallucinogens, it is very important that they receive professional help as soon as possible. Quick responses can save lives.

  • Call an ambulance. Dial 000. Don’t delay because you think you or your friend might get into trouble. Ambulance officers are not obliged to involve the police.
  • Stay with the person until the ambulance arrives. Find out if anyone at the scene knows mouth-to-mouth resuscitation or cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
  • Ensure adequate air by keeping crowds back and opening windows.
  • Loosen tight clothing.
  • If the person is unconscious, don't leave them on their back—they could choke. Turn them on their side and into the recovery position.
  • Gently tilt their head back so their tongue does not block the airway.
  • If breathing has stopped, give mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. If there is no pulse, apply CPR.
  • Provide the ambulance officers with as much information as you can—what hallucinogens were taken, how long ago, and any pre-existing medical conditions.
  • Before using hallucinogens, make sure you and your friends know what to do in a crisis.

Additional information

For further information try:

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) 2002, 2001 National

Drug Household Survey First Results, Canberra: AIHW

More drug statistics (

To find out where you can get clean needles and syringes go to ( or call the

alcohol and drug information service ( in your State/Territory.

For more on treatment try (

For pictures of LSD/hallucinogens go to

(Accessed 11 February, 2004)

Resource Kit for GP Trainers in Illicit Drug Issues

Part B4 Drugs: Ecstasy and Party Drugs