Summary
Hallucinogens are mood-altering drugs that cause the user to experience hallucinations, dissociation from reality, or delirium. Hallucinogens such as psilocybin (mushrooms) and mescaline (peyote) are naturally occurring, while LSD, MDMA, PCP, and ketamine are synthetic substances. Abuse of hallucinogens can cause memory impairment, anxiety attacks, flashbacks, nausea, and vomiting. High doses of hallucinogens like PCP can cause convulsions, coma, and death. Hallucinogens, Third Edition provides updated information on the nature and chemistry of these drugs, their effects, abuse, and related social and legal issues.
About the Author(s)
M. Foster Olive is a Professor in the Behavioral Neuroscience division of the Department of Psychology at Arizona State University. He was previously a faculty member of the Department of Psychiatry at the Medical University of South Carolina. Dr. Olive's research focuses on the neurobiological basis of drug action and substance abuse. He has authored more than 150 research articles in peer-reviewed journals such as Nature Neuroscience, Neuropsychopharmacology, and the Journal of Neuroscience. He also is the author of numerous books in the Drugs: The Straight Facts, Understanding Drugs, and Psychological Disorders series. He lives in Scottsdale, Arizona and enjoys football, music, guitar, and coffee.
Thomas Santella is the author of two books in the Drugs: The Straight Facts series, Opium and Body Enhancement Products. He worked as a freelance food journalist and photographer. He enjoys cooking and travel and lives in Brooklyn, New York.