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Related Concept Videos

Hallucinogens and Psychedelics01:27

Hallucinogens and Psychedelics

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Hallucinogens are psychoactive substances that profoundly alter perceptual experiences, generating unreal visual and sensory images. Often referred to as psychedelic drugs — a term derived from the Greek words "psyche" (mind) and "delos" (revealing) — these substances include marijuana and lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), among others. These drugs vary in intensity and effects.
Marijuana, derived from the dried leaves and flowers of the hemp plant, contains...
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CNS Stimulants: Psychedelic Agents01:22

CNS Stimulants: Psychedelic Agents

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Hallucinogens, also known as psychedelic drugs, are a class of substances known for their ability to alter perception, cognition, and emotions. Despite their profound effects on the mind, these drugs are non-addictive, setting them apart from many other abused substances. The mechanism of action of these drugs lies in their impact on the 5-HT2A receptor in the brain. Upon activation, this receptor couples to Gq-type G proteins, triggering a cascade that releases intracellular calcium. This...
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An Overview of Psychoactive Drugs01:28

An Overview of Psychoactive Drugs

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Psychoactive drugs impact brain function, influencing perception, mood, consciousness, cognition, and behavior. These substances are grouped based on their effects and the mechanisms by which they act.
Stimulants such as cocaine, amphetamines, and nicotine enhance brain activity, leading to increased alertness, attention, and energy. These drugs typically raise heart rate, blood pressure, and body temperature. While they can induce feelings of euphoria, their misuse can result in severe health...
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Altered States of Awareness01:06

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Altered states of consciousness represent significant deviations from one's normal mental state. These deviations can range from subtle changes in awareness to profound transformations in perception, thought processes, and sensory experiences. Altered states of consciousness can be triggered by various factors, including drug use, meditation, hypnosis, illness, or even intense fatigue.
The ingestion of substances like stimulants or hallucinogens leads to chemical alterations in the brain...
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Nov 9, 2025

Measuring Statistical Learning Across Modalities and Domains in School-Aged Children Via an Online Platform and Neuroimaging Techniques
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Psychonauts' psychedelics: A systematic, multilingual, web-crawling exercise.

Valeria Catalani1, John Martin Corkery1, Amira Guirguis2

  • 1Psychopharmacology, Drug Misuse & Novel Psychoactive Substances Research Unit, School of Life & Medical Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, United Kingdom.

European Neuropsychopharmacology : the Journal of the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology
|April 15, 2021
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

A study identified 1344 psychedelic novel psychoactive substances (NPS) online, ten times more than official databases. This highlights a significant discrepancy and growing interest in psychedelics among recreational drug users.

Keywords:
NPSfinder(Ⓡ)New Psychoactive SubstancesPsychonautsWeb Crawlerpsychedelics

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Area of Science:

  • Pharmacology
  • Forensic Chemistry
  • Computational Chemistry

Background:

  • Psychedelics, including phenethylamines, tryptamines, and lysergamides, interact with the 2A serotoninergic receptor.
  • These substances constitute a significant portion of the new psychoactive substances (NPS) landscape.
  • Official databases from UNODC and EMCDDA may not fully capture the rapidly evolving online NPS market.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify and categorize psychedelic molecules from psychonaut websites and online NPS resources.
  • To compare the findings with existing data from the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
  • To assess the online availability and trends of psychedelic NPS.

Main Methods:

  • Development and deployment of a 24/7 crawling software, NPSfinder®, to scan URLs for psychedelic compounds.
  • Extraction of chemical and street names, and chemical formulae of detected substances.
  • Manual analysis and comparison of collected data with EMCDDA and UNODC databases.

Main Results:

  • NPSfinder® detected 1344 psychedelic NPS between November 2017 and February 2020.
  • This number is nearly ten times higher than the combined total reported by UNODC and EMCDDA.
  • 994 previously unknown molecules were identified as potential novel psychedelics, indicating a significant gap between online and official records.

Conclusions:

  • There is a substantial discrepancy between the number of psychedelic NPS identified online and those documented by major international drug monitoring agencies.
  • The findings suggest a strong interest in psychedelics among psychonauts and recreational drug users.
  • Monitoring online platforms is crucial for understanding emerging drug trends and predicting future scenarios in the psychedelic NPS market.