Drugs like LSD, Ecstasy, and Psilocybin (also known as Magic Mushrooms) are all psychedelic drugs. Meaning they cause hallucinations, and cause the user to find themselves in a psychedelic state (states that resemble psychiatric disorders). These drugs are currently classified as Schedule 1 – that means that they are currently seen by the federal drug administration as drugs that have a very high potential for abuse and addiction, and currently they see no medical value in the use of these drugs. But what if they were useful? What if they were studied, and there were an array of dysfunctions that could be treated successfully with these particular drugs?

Biologically speaking, the effect on the human brain is simple, these drugs act as Serotonin stimulants, thus changing the brains perception of pain and anxiety. Currently – the effects psychologically are varied depending on the drug and usage level of the patient. There is a high coincidence however of euphoria, and a strong connection to others. Other symptoms that have been generally associated with the use of these drugs are: confusion, enhanced senses, mental clarity, inner peace, and a general experience that has been accepted as an “altered state of reality”.  These are currently all considered as positive effects of the drugs. Negative side effects that also seem common are short term panic attacks, and flashbacks to bad memories (which to the user seem as real as anything else they experience). But as research into these drugs is extremely limited at this time – most of the conclusions drawn currently are highly hypothetical and so little research has been performed, and thus even less data to formulate conclusions with.