List of hallucinogens

This is a list of hallucinogens, or psychoactive drugs that produce majorly altered states of consciousness. ^[1]

Psychedelics

Main articles: Psychedelic drug, Serotonin 5-HT2A receptor agonist, and List of psychedelic drugs

Psychdedelics, also known as serotonergic psychedelics or classical hallucinogens, are serotonin 5-HT_2A receptor agonists and include the following:

• Tryptamines such as psilocybin, psilocin, dimethyltryptamine (DMT), 5-MeO-DMT, bufotenin, and α-methyltryptamine (AMT)
• Phenethylamines such as mescaline, DOM, 2C-B, 25I-NBOMe, and MDA
• Lysergamides such as LSD, ergine (LSA), ALD-52 (1A-LSD), ETH-LAD, and LSZ
• Others such as quipazine, MK-212, efavirenz, mefloquine (possibly), and RH-34

Dissociatives

Main articles: Dissociative and NMDA receptor antagonist

Dissociatives, also known as dissociative hallucinogens or dissociative anesthetics, are NMDA receptor antagonists and include the following: ^[2]

• Arylcyclohexylamines such as ketamine (K), phencyclidine (PCP), methoxetamine (MXE), and tiletamine
• Morphinans such as dextromethorphan (DXM), its active metabolite dextrorphan (DXO), and dextrallorphan (DXA)
• Adamantanes such as amantadine, memantine, and rimantadine
• Diarylethylamines such as diphenidine, ephenidine, fluorolintane, and methoxphenidine
• Inhalants such as nitrous oxide (N₂O) and xenon
• Others such as alkyl nitrites (poppers), aptiganel, dexoxadrol, dizocilpine (MK-801 or MK801), etoxadrol, and selfotel

Deliriants

See also: Deliriant, Muscarinic antagonist, and Deliriant § Classes of deliriants

Deliriants are muscarinic acetylcholine receptor antagonists, also known as antimuscarinics or anticholinergics, and include the following: ^{[3] [4]}

• Tropanes such as atropine, scopolamine (hyoscine), and hyoscyamine
• Others such as benztropine, biperidin, dimenhydrinate, diphenhydramine, procyclidine, trihexyphenidyl, and tropicamide

κ-Opioid receptor agonists

κ-Opioid receptor agonists with hallucinogenic effects include the following:

• Salvinoids like salvinorin A (found in Salvia divinorum ), 2-MMSB, 2-EMSB, and RB-64 (22-thiocyanatosalvinorin A) (possibly)
• Benzomorphans such as pentazocine, phenazocine, and alazocine
• Morphinans such as levorphanol, levomethorphan, and nalorphine
• Others such as spiradoline, enadoline, and HZ-2

GABAergics

GABA_A receptor agonists

Main article: GABAA receptor agonist

GABA_A receptor agonists with hallucinogenic effects include the following:

• Muscimol and ibotenic acid, the active constituents of Amanita muscaria mushrooms
• Gaboxadol (THIP), a synthetic analogue of muscimol

Indirect GABA_A receptor agonists

GABA_A receptor positive allosteric modulators

Main article: GABAA receptor positive allosteric modulator

• Nonbenzodiazepines or Z drugs such as eszopiclone, zaleplon, zolpidem, and zopiclone

GABA reuptake inhibitors

Main article: GABA reuptake inhibitor

• CI-966, a potent GABA transporter 1 (GAT-1) blocker

Oneirogens

Main article: Oneirogen

Oneirogens, also known as oneirophrenics, have an unknown mechanism of action and include the following:

• β-Carbolines and harmala alkaloids such as harmine, harmaline, tetrahydroharmine (THH), 6-methoxyharmalan, and 6-MeO-THH
• Iboga alkaloids such as ibogaine and noribogaine

Cannabinoids

Main articles: Cannabinoid and List of cannabinoids

Cannabinoids with hallucinogenic effects are cannabinoid CB₁ receptor agonists and include the following:

• Phytocannabinoids such as Δ⁹-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ⁹-THC or simply THC)
• Synthetic cannabinoids such as nabilone, JWH-018, JWH-073, and HU-210

Certain monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL) inhibitors, which inhibit endocannabinoid metabolism and hence are indirect cannabinoid CB₁ receptor agonists, also produce partial or full cannabinoid-like discriminative stimulus effects in animal drug discrimination tests. ^[5] Conversely, fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) inhibitors, which inhibit endocannabinoid inactivation as well, do not substitute for cannabinoids, at least by themselves. ^[5]

Other hallucinogens

Other hallucinogens that are not known to fall into any of the above groups include the following:

• Aminochromes such as adrenochrome and adrenolutin (disputed/controversial) ^{[6] [7] [8] [9]}
• Carbogen, a mixture of carbon dioxide and oxygen gas ^{[10] [11]}
• Glaucine, an aporphine alkaloid known to act as a positive allosteric modulator of serotonin 5-HT₂ receptors among other actions ^{[12] [13] [14] [15]}
• Hallucinogenic bolete mushrooms such as Lanmaoa asiatica (unknown mechanism of action) ^[16]
• Kykeon, an ancient drink of the Eleusinian Mysteries of unknown identity with possible hallucinogenic effects
• Nutmeg, which contains the active constituents myristicin and elemicin (unknown mechanism of action) ^{[17] [18]}
• Soma (haoma), an ancient drink made from a plant of unknown identity with possible hallucinogenic effects

See also

• List of drugs
• List of designer drugs
• List of investigational hallucinogens and entactogens
• List of substances used in rituals

References

1. Walker, Scott R.; Pullella, Glenn A.; Piggott, Matthew J.; Duggan, Peter J. (5 July 2023). "Introduction to the chemistry and pharmacology of psychedelic drugs". Australian Journal of Chemistry. 76 (5): 236–257. doi: 10.1071/CH23050 . ISSN   0004-9425.
2. Morris H, Wallach J (2014). "From PCP to MXE: a comprehensive review of the non-medical use of dissociative drugs". Drug Test Anal. 6 (7–8): 614–632. doi:10.1002/dta.1620. PMID   24678061.
3. Lakstygal AM, Kolesnikova TO, Khatsko SL, Zabegalov KN, Volgin AD, Demin KA, Shevyrin VA, Wappler-Guzzetta EA, Kalueff AV (May 2019). "DARK Classics in Chemical Neuroscience: Atropine, Scopolamine, and Other Anticholinergic Deliriant Hallucinogens". ACS Chem Neurosci. 10 (5): 2144–2159. doi:10.1021/acschemneuro.8b00615. PMID   30566832.
4. Nerush MO, Shevyrin VA, Golushko NI, Moskalenko AM, Rosemberg DB, De Abreu MS, Yang LE, Galstyan DS, Lim LW, Demin KA, Kalueff AV (November 2024). "Classics in Chemical Neuroscience: Deliriant Antihistaminic Drugs". ACS Chem Neurosci. 15 (21): 3848–3862. doi:10.1021/acschemneuro.4c00505. PMID   39404616.
5. Wiley JL, Owens RA, Lichtman AH (2018). "Discriminative Stimulus Properties of Phytocannabinoids, Endocannabinoids, and Synthetic Cannabinoids". The Behavioral Neuroscience of Drug Discrimination. Curr Top Behav Neurosci. Vol. 39. pp. 153–173. doi: 10.1007/7854_2016_24 . ISBN   978-3-319-98559-6. PMID   27278640.
6. Brimblecombe RW, Pinder RM (1975). "Phenylalkylamines and Their Derivatives". Hallucinogenic Agents. Bristol: Wright-Scientechnica. pp. 55–97.
7. Heacock RA, Powell WS (1972). "Adrenochrome and related compounds". Prog Med Chem. Progress in Medicinal Chemistry. 9 (2): 275–339. doi:10.1016/s0079-6468(08)70401-6. ISBN   978-0-7204-7409-1. PMID   4581204.
8. Hoffer, A.; Osmond, H. (1967). "Adrenochrome and Some of Its Derivatives". The Hallucinogens. Elsevier. pp. 267–442. doi:10.1016/b978-1-4832-3296-6.50007-0. ISBN   978-1-4832-3296-6.
9. Shulgin, Alexander; Shulgin, Ann (September 1991). PiHKAL: A Chemical Love Story. Berkeley, California: Transform Press. ISBN   0-9630096-0-5. OCLC   25627628. "Also there had been interest in reports that adrenalin that had become old and discolored seemed to elicit central effects in man. The oxidation products were identified as the deeply colored indolic compound adrenochrome and the colorless analogue adrenolutin. The controversy that these reports created just sort of died away, and the adrenochrome family has never been accepted as being psychedelic. No one in the scientific community today is looking in and about the area, and at present this is considered as an interesting historical footnote. But, in any case, they are not phenethylamines and so not part of this book."
10. Presti, David E. (12 April 2017). "Altered States of Consciousness: Drug-Induced States". The Blackwell Companion to Consciousness (PDF). Wiley. pp. 171–186. doi:10.1002/9781119132363.ch12. ISBN   978-0-470-67406-2. There are a number of substances that may be called psychedelic, but are not "classical psychedelics." Among these are methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), Salvia divinorum and salvinorin A, the Amanita muscaria mushroom, tropane alkaloids and the plants from which they come, Cannabis and delta‐9‐tetrahydrocannabinol, ketamine, nitrous oxide, and carbogen. Although these substances also have "mind‐ manifesting" characteristics, the experiences they produce are qualitatively different from those of the classical psychedelics, and their known interactions with the nervous system also differ from 5HT2A receptor agonism. [...] Inhalation of carbogen, another gas, can induce profound alterations of consciousness that may possess psychedelic qualities (James & Erowid 2007). The psychoactive component of carbogen is simply carbon dioxide, mixed with enough oxygen to not be a suffocation risk. 30% CO2 and 70% O2 is a standard combination (Meduna 1950). Effects on cerebral blood flow and on blood pH are likely factors in carbogen‐induced altered states of consciousness. Similar mechanisms may be at work in the induction of powerful altered states via hyperventilation, a process that has been explored for millennia, from ancient practices in pranayama yoga to contemporary breath‐work therapies (Grof & Grof 2010).
11. James B, Erowid E (June 2007). "Carbogen: An Introduction". Erowid Extracts (12): 12–17.
12. Rovinskiĭ VI (September 1989). "Sluchaĭ galliutsinopodovnogo deĭstviia glautsina" [A case of hallucinogen-like action of glaucine]. Klinicheskaia Meditsina. 67 (9): 107–108. PMID   2586025.
13. Rovinskiĭ VI (2006). "[Acute glaucine syndrome in the physician's practice: the clinical picture and potential danger]". Klinicheskaia Meditsina. 84 (11): 68–70. PMID   17243616.
14. Dargan PI, Button J, Hawkins L, Archer JR, Ovaska H, Lidder S, et al. (May 2008). "Detection of the pharmaceutical agent glaucine as a recreational drug". European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology. 64 (5): 553–554. doi:10.1007/s00228-007-0451-9. PMID   18204834. S2CID   21348503.
15. Heng HL, Chee CF, Thy CK, Tee JT, Chin SP, Herr DR, Buckle MJ, Paterson IC, Doughty SW, Abd Rahman N, Chung LY (February 2019). "In vitro functional evaluation of isolaureline, dicentrine and glaucine enantiomers at 5-HT2 and α1 receptors". Chem Biol Drug Des. 93 (2): 132–138. doi:10.1111/cbdd.13390. PMID   30216681.
16. Colin Domnauer (12 November 2025). "Experts Explore New Mushroom Which Causes Fairytale-Like Hallucinations". nhmu.utah.edu. Natural History Museum of Utah.
17. Alexander T. Shulgin; Thornton Sargent; Claudio Naranjo (1967). "The Chemistry and Psychopharmacology of Nutmeg and of Several Related Phenylisopropylamines". Ethnopharmacologic Search for Psychoactive Drugs. Raven Press. pp. 202–214. ISBN   978-0-89004-047-8.
18. Edward B. Truitt, Jr. (1967). "The Pharmacology of Myristicin and Nutmeg". Ethnopharmacologic Search for Psychoactive Drugs. Raven Press. pp. 215–229. ISBN   978-0-89004-047-8.