ARE PSYCHEDELICS ADDICTIVE?

Psychedelics are trip drugs that let you experience the world differently from how you normally see and experience it. Everything your senses can perceive changes. This can go as far as hearing, seeing, smelling and feeling things differently. Also, objects sometimes seem to move, and you see colors more vividly. Even awareness of time and space can change. This is why psychedelics are often called trip aids or hallucinogens. Such a trip often provides extraordinary experiences, but are they also addictive?

Well-known psychedelic substances

The best-known examples of trip drugs are LSD, mescaline, DMT and psilocybin. Heroin, cannabis, MDMA (ecstasy) are not psychedelics.

Psilocybin: the active substance in magic truffles and magic mushrooms that makes you hallucinate.
LSD: usually sold in the form of small stamps with a colorful image.
Mescaline: has been used for centuries in various rituals and comes from the Peyote cactus, among others.
DMT: found among others in the well-known ayahuasca

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What do psychedelics do to you?

Tripping with psychedelics causes you to hallucinate. Everything you see and smell feels different from normal. Objects start moving, colors seem brighter, and the way you think changes. This is because psychedelics all have one thing in common: the active substance acts on the serotonin receptors in the brain. Serotonin is a substance that plays an important role in regulating our mood.

Trip drugs cause certain areas of your brain to go 'offline' for a while. Other areas actually start communicating more with each other as a result, which explains the strange sensations and surprising insights people often get under the influence of psychedelics. How long such a trip lasts depends on the drug you take. Sometimes you may also notice mild effects for a few days after your trip.

Mushrooms or truffles: 4-6 hours
LSD: 8-12 hours
Ayahuasca: 4-6 hours

What psychedelics are used for

Psychedelic drugs such as DMT, Mescaline, Psilocybin are often used for three different reasons:

Recreational use: for a fun night out or to have fun.
Spiritual experiences: to get closer to yourself. This has been done for centuries in various rituals, and in recent years, magic truffles and hallucinogenic herbs are very popular to gain new insights about yourself.
As an aid to therapy: besides being a spiritual insight and 'stimulant', psychedelics also work well to reduce psychological complaints. A lot of research has been done on this-and is still being done. Besides providing relief from psychological complaints, it also has a positive impact on your immune system and helps with autoimmune diseases.

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Are psychedelics addictive?

When we think of drugs, we quickly think of them as addictive. And it may surprise you, but psychedelics are not addictive. This is because they work very differently in our brains than other (addictive) drugs such as heroin. Trippers like truffles and LSD alter perceptions and make you experience certain situations differently. Drugs like cocaine and speed give you more energy. Drugs like alcohol and painkillers again have a narcotic effect. And it is precisely to these 'boost' or narcotic feelings that you can become addicted. With psychedelics, this does not work that way. In fact, psychedelic drugs might in the future play a major role in combating addictions. A lot of research is currently being done on this.

On top of that, tripping often brings a lot of new impressions and is generally an intense experience. Something users want to experience at most occasionally. Another reason why they are not addictive.

The possible risks

Trip drugs are not addictive, but they can carry other risks. For instance, you may end up in a bad trip, and this is not a pleasant experience. You may experience intense anxiety, become confused or experience gloomy feelings. Heart palpitations and nausea also sometimes occur.

Yet many horror stories also circulate around that are not based on facts. A bad trip does not only depend on the drug you are taking. The personality, the mood of the user and the context of use also play a role. Are you going to use magic truffles or magic mushrooms for the first time? Read these 9 tips in advance to avoid a bad trip.