PSYCHEDELIC DRUG

also called psychotomimetic drug, or hallucinogen, any of the so-called mind-expanding drugs that are able to induce states of altered perception and thought, frequently with heightened awareness of sensory input but with diminished control over what is being experienced, such as recognizing the boundaries that separate one object from another or the individual from the environment. These experiences are neither true hallucinations nor actual schizophrenic or psychotic episodes, however. One of the most common of these drugs is LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide). This drug may induce sympathomimetic effects, such as increased heart rate, but has not been shown to cause death directly. Chronic exposure, however, may lead to psychoses or difficulties with memory or abstract thinking. Such drugs have been proposed as treatment aids for psychotherapy, alcoholism, and mental disturbances, although their effectiveness has not been proved.