Psychedelic: Difference between revisions

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[[File:Oversoul by Alex Grey.jpg|300px|thumb|right|''Oversoul'' by '''[http://alexgrey.com/art/paintings/soul/oversoul/ Alex Grey]''' - An example of [[psychedelic]] artwork created by the renowned visionary artist Alex Grey. This image is a representation of an experience report found in the 1901 book [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosmic_Consciousness ''Cosmic Consciousness''] ]]

'''Psychedelics''' (also known as '''[[serotonergic]] [[hallucinogens]]''') are a class of [[psychoactive substances]] that produce an altered state of consciousness marked by unusual changes in perception, mood, and cognitive processes.<ref name="nicholsPSY>Nichols, D. E. (2016). Psychedelics. Pharmacological Reviews, 68(2), 264-355. https://doi.org/10.1124/pr.115.011478</ref>

'''Psychedelics''' (also known as '''[[serotonergic]] [[hallucinogens]]''') are a class of [[psychoactive substances]] that produce an altered state of consciousness marked by unusual changes in perception, mood, and cognitive processes.<ref name="nicholsPSY>Nichols, D. E. (2016). Psychedelics. Pharmacological Reviews, 68(2), 264-355. https://doi.org/10.1124/pr.115.011478</ref> While their precise mechanism is not understood, psychedelics are thought to produce their characteristic effects by binding to [[serotonin]] [[receptors]] ('''5'''-'''h'''ydroxy'''t'''ryptamine or 5-HT), particularly the 5-HT<sub>2a</sub> subtype. Serotonin plays a number of critical roles throughout the human body and is a key [[neurotransmitter]] involved in the functioning and regulation of sensory perception, behavior, mood, cognition and memory.<ref name=nichols5HT>Nichols, D. E., & Nichols, C. D. (2008). Serotonin Receptors. Chemical Reviews, 108(5), 1614-1641. https://doi.org/10.1021/cr078224o</ref>

~~While their precise mechanism is not understood~~, ~~psychedelics are thought to produce their characteristic effects~~ by ~~binding to~~ and ~~[[agonist|activating]] the [[receptors]] for [[serotonin]] ('''5'''-'''h'''ydroxy'''t'''ryptamine or 5-HT), particularly the 5-HT<sub>2a~~</~~sub~~> ~~subtype. Serotonin plays~~ a ~~number~~ of ~~critical roles throughout~~ the ~~human body~~ and ~~is a key~~ [[~~neurotransmitter~~]] ~~involved in the functioning and regulation of sensory perception, behavior, mood, cognition and memory.<ref name=nichols5HT>Nichols, D. E., & Nichols, C. D~~. (~~2008)~~. ~~Serotonin Receptors~~. ~~Chemical Reviews, 108(5~~)~~, 1614~~-~~1641. https~~://~~doi~~.~~org~~/~~10.1021~~/~~cr078224o~~</ref>

The use of psychedelics predates written history, and they were employed by early cultures in many sociocultural and ritual contexts.<ref name="nicholsPSY /> In modern times, psychedelic substances are used in a range of contexts spanning from the shamanic, religious and "spiritual", or the [[transpersonal]]. They are sometimes referred to as [[entheogens]] (i.e. "generating the divine within")<ref>Dictionary - Entheogen | http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/entheogen</ref> by those who use them for these purposes, although they are also often used in purely [[recreational drug use|recreationally]].

The term "psychedelic" was coined by the British psychiatrist Humphrey Osmond in 1956. It derives from the Greek words ''ψυχή'' (psyche, "soul, mind") and ''δηλείν'' (delein, "to manifest") which taken together mean "soul-manifesting," with the implication being that psychedelics can allow one to access the soul and develop unused potentials of the human mind.<ref>A. Weil, W. Rosen. (1993), ''From Chocolate To Morphine: Everything You Need To Know About Mind-Altering Drugs''.New York, Houghton Mifflin Company. p. 93</ref><ref>Erowid. (1998, August 9). Erowid Humphry Osmond Vault. Retrieved from https://erowid.org/culture/characters/osmond_humphry/osmond_humphry.shtml</ref>

Unlike other highly prohibited substances, psychedelics have not been shown to be physiologically toxic or addictive.<ref name="nicholsPSY />

Unlike ~~most~~ highly prohibited substances, psychedelics ~~are generally considered~~ to be physiologically ~~safe and non-~~addictive ~~by the scientific community~~.<ref name="nicholsPSY />

The use of psychedelics predates written history, and they were employed by early cultures in many sociocultural and ritual contexts.<ref name="nicholsPSY /> In modern times, psychedelic substances are used in a range of contexts spanning from the shamanic, religious and "spiritual", or the [[transpersonal]]. They are sometimes referred to as [[entheogens]] (i.e. "generating the divine within")<ref>Dictionary - Entheogen | http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/entheogen</ref> by those who use them for these purposes, although they are also often used in purely [[recreational drug use|recreationally]].

==Etymology==

The term "psychedelic" was ~~first~~ coined ~~in 1956~~ by psychiatrist Humphry Osmond as an alternative descriptor for [[hallucinogen|hallucinogenic substances]] in the context of psychedelic psychotherapy.<ref>Nicholas Murray, ''Aldous Huxley: A Biography'', 419.</ref> Seeking a name for the experience induced by [[LSD]], Osmond contacted [[Aldous Huxley]], a personal acquaintance and advocate for the therapeutic use of the substance. Huxley coined the term "phanerothyme," from the Greek terms for "manifest" (φανερός) and "spirit" (θύμος). In a letter to Osmond, he wrote:

The term "psychedelic" was coined by psychiatrist Humphry Osmond in 1956 as an alternative descriptor for [[hallucinogen|hallucinogenic substances]] in the context of psychedelic psychotherapy.<ref>Nicholas Murray, ''Aldous Huxley: A Biography'', 419.</ref> Seeking a name for the experience induced by [[LSD]], Osmond contacted [[Aldous Huxley]], a personal acquaintance and advocate for the therapeutic use of the substance. Huxley coined the term "phanerothyme," from the Greek terms for "manifest" (φανερός) and "spirit" (θύμος). In a letter to Osmond, he wrote:

{{quote|

To make this mundane world sublime,<br/>

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}}

It was on this term that Osmond eventually settled, because it was "clear, euphonious and uncontaminated by other associations."<ref>{{cite news |first= Douglas |last= Martin|coauthors= |title= Humphry Osmond, 86, Who Sought Medicinal Value in Psychedelic Drugs, Dies|url= https://www.nytimes.com/2004/02/22/us/humphry-osmond-86-who-sought-medicinal-value-in-psychedelic-drugs-dies.html?pagewanted=2|work= [[New York Times]]|publisher= |date= 2004-02-22|accessdate=4 December 2010 }}</ref> This mongrel spelling of the word 'psychedelic' was loathed by American ethnobotanist Richard Evans Schultes, but championed by Timothy Leary, who thought it sounded better.<ref>W. Davis (1996), ''One River: Explorations and Discoveries in the Amazon Rain Forest''. New York, [[Simon & Schuster]], Inc. p. 120</ref> Due to the expanded use of the term "psychedelic" in pop culture and a perceived incorrect verbal formulation, Carl A.P. Ruck, Jeremy Bigwood, Danny Staples, [[Jonathan Ott]], and [[R. Gordon Wasson]] proposed the term "[[entheogen]]" to describe the religious or spiritual experience produced by such substances.<ref>[[R. Gordon Wasson]], [[Albert Hofmann]], and Carl A.P. Ruck, ''The Road to Eleusis: Unveiling the Secret of the Mysteries'' (North Atlantic Books, 2008), pgs. 138-139</ref>

"Psychedelic" derives from the Greek words ''ψυχή'' (psyche, "soul, mind") and ''δηλείν'' (delein, "to manifest") which taken together mean "soul-manifesting," with the implication being that psychedelics can allow one to access the soul and develop unused potentials of the human mind.<ref>A. Weil, W. Rosen. (1993), ''From Chocolate To Morphine: Everything You Need To Know About Mind-Altering Drugs''.New York, Houghton Mifflin Company. p. 93</ref><ref>Erowid. (1998, August 9). Erowid Humphry Osmond Vault. Retrieved from https://erowid.org/culture/characters/osmond_humphry/osmond_humphry.shtml</ref> It was on this term that Osmond eventually settled, because it was "clear, euphonious and uncontaminated by other associations."<ref>{{cite news |first= Douglas |last= Martin|coauthors= |title= Humphry Osmond, 86, Who Sought Medicinal Value in Psychedelic Drugs, Dies|url= https://www.nytimes.com/2004/02/22/us/humphry-osmond-86-who-sought-medicinal-value-in-psychedelic-drugs-dies.html?pagewanted=2|work= [[New York Times]]|publisher= |date= 2004-02-22|accessdate=4 December 2010 }}</ref> This mongrel spelling of the word 'psychedelic' was loathed by American ethnobotanist Richard Evans Schultes, but championed by Timothy Leary, who thought it sounded better.<ref>W. Davis (1996), ''One River: Explorations and Discoveries in the Amazon Rain Forest''. New York, [[Simon & Schuster]], Inc. p. 120</ref>

Due to the expanded use of the term "psychedelic" in pop culture and a perceived incorrect verbal formulation, Carl A.P. Ruck, Jeremy Bigwood, Danny Staples, [[Jonathan Ott]], and [[R. Gordon Wasson]] later proposed the term "[[entheogen]]" to describe the religious or spiritual experience produced by such substances.<ref>[[R. Gordon Wasson]], [[Albert Hofmann]], and Carl A.P. Ruck, ''The Road to Eleusis: Unveiling the Secret of the Mysteries'' (North Atlantic Books, 2008), pgs. 138-139</ref>

==Method of action==

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 [[File:Oversoul by Alex Grey.jpg|300px|thumb|right|''Oversoul'' by '''[http://alexgrey.com/art/paintings/soul/oversoul/ Alex Grey]''' - An example of [[psychedelic]] artwork created by the renowned visionary artist Alex Grey. This image is a representation of an experience report found in the 1901 book [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosmic_Consciousness ''Cosmic Consciousness''] ]]
-'''Psychedelics''' (also known as '''[[serotonergic]] [[hallucinogens]]''') are a class of [[psychoactive substances]] that produce an altered state of consciousness marked by unusual changes in perception, mood, and cognitive processes.<ref name="nicholsPSY>Nichols, D. E. (2016). Psychedelics. Pharmacological Reviews, 68(2), 264-355. https://doi.org/10.1124/pr.115.011478</ref>
+'''Psychedelics''' (also known as '''[[serotonergic]] [[hallucinogens]]''') are a class of [[psychoactive substances]] that produce an altered state of consciousness marked by unusual changes in perception, mood, and cognitive processes.<ref name="nicholsPSY>Nichols, D. E. (2016). Psychedelics. Pharmacological Reviews, 68(2), 264-355. https://doi.org/10.1124/pr.115.011478</ref> While their precise mechanism is not understood, psychedelics are thought to produce their characteristic effects by binding to [[serotonin]] [[receptors]] ('''5'''-'''h'''ydroxy'''t'''ryptamine or 5-HT), particularly the 5-HT<sub>2a</sub> subtype. Serotonin plays a number of critical roles throughout the human body and is a key [[neurotransmitter]] involved in the functioning and regulation of sensory perception, behavior, mood, cognition and memory.<ref name=nichols5HT>Nichols, D. E., & Nichols, C. D. (2008). Serotonin Receptors. Chemical Reviews, 108(5), 1614-1641. https://doi.org/10.1021/cr078224o</ref>
-While their precise mechanism is not understood, psychedelics are thought to produce their characteristic effects by binding to and [[agonist|activating]] the [[receptors]] for [[serotonin]] ('''5'''-'''h'''ydroxy'''t'''ryptamine or 5-HT), particularly the 5-HT<sub>2a</sub> subtype. Serotonin plays a number of critical roles throughout the human body and is a key [[neurotransmitter]] involved in the functioning and regulation of sensory perception, behavior, mood, cognition and memory.<ref name=nichols5HT>Nichols, D. E., & Nichols, C. D. (2008). Serotonin Receptors. Chemical Reviews, 108(5), 1614-1641. https://doi.org/10.1021/cr078224o</ref>
+The use of psychedelics predates written history, and they were employed by early cultures in many sociocultural and ritual contexts.<ref name="nicholsPSY /> In modern times, psychedelic substances are used in a range of contexts spanning from the shamanic, religious and "spiritual", or the [[transpersonal]]. They are sometimes referred to as [[entheogens]] (i.e. "generating the divine within")<ref>Dictionary - Entheogen | http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/entheogen</ref> by those who use them for these purposes, although they are also often used in purely [[recreational drug use|recreationally]].
-The term "psychedelic" was coined by the British psychiatrist Humphrey Osmond in 1956. It derives from the Greek words ''ψυχή'' (psyche, "soul, mind") and ''δηλείν'' (delein, "to manifest") which taken together mean "soul-manifesting," with the implication being that psychedelics can allow one to access the soul and develop unused potentials of the human mind.<ref>A. Weil, W. Rosen. (1993), ''From Chocolate To Morphine: Everything You Need To Know About Mind-Altering Drugs''.New York, Houghton Mifflin Company. p. 93</ref><ref>Erowid. (1998, August 9). Erowid Humphry Osmond Vault. Retrieved from https://erowid.org/culture/characters/osmond_humphry/osmond_humphry.shtml</ref>
+Unlike other highly prohibited substances, psychedelics have not been shown to be physiologically toxic or addictive.<ref name="nicholsPSY />
-Unlike most highly prohibited substances, psychedelics are generally considered to be physiologically safe and non-addictive by the scientific community.<ref name="nicholsPSY />
-The use of psychedelics predates written history, and they were employed by early cultures in many sociocultural and ritual contexts.<ref name="nicholsPSY /> In modern times, psychedelic substances are used in a range of contexts spanning from the shamanic, religious and "spiritual", or the [[transpersonal]]. They are sometimes referred to as [[entheogens]] (i.e. "generating the divine within")<ref>Dictionary - Entheogen | http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/entheogen</ref> by those who use them for these purposes, although they are also often used in purely [[recreational drug use|recreationally]].
 ==Etymology==
-The term "psychedelic" was first coined in 1956 by psychiatrist Humphry Osmond as an alternative descriptor for [[hallucinogen|hallucinogenic substances]] in the context of psychedelic psychotherapy.<ref>Nicholas Murray, ''Aldous Huxley: A Biography'', 419.</ref> Seeking a name for the experience induced by [[LSD]], Osmond contacted [[Aldous Huxley]], a personal acquaintance and advocate for the therapeutic use of the substance. Huxley coined the term "phanerothyme," from the Greek terms for "manifest" (φανερός) and "spirit" (θύμος). In a letter to Osmond, he wrote:
+The term "psychedelic" was coined by psychiatrist Humphry Osmond in 1956 as an alternative descriptor for [[hallucinogen|hallucinogenic substances]] in the context of psychedelic psychotherapy.<ref>Nicholas Murray, ''Aldous Huxley: A Biography'', 419.</ref> Seeking a name for the experience induced by [[LSD]], Osmond contacted [[Aldous Huxley]], a personal acquaintance and advocate for the therapeutic use of the substance. Huxley coined the term "phanerothyme," from the Greek terms for "manifest" (φανερός) and "spirit" (θύμος). In a letter to Osmond, he wrote:
 {{quote|
 To make this mundane world sublime,<br/>
@@ Line 24: / Line 20: @@
 }}
-It was on this term that Osmond eventually settled, because it was "clear, euphonious and uncontaminated by other associations."<ref>{{cite news |first= Douglas |last= Martin|coauthors= |title= Humphry Osmond, 86, Who Sought Medicinal Value in Psychedelic Drugs, Dies|url= https://www.nytimes.com/2004/02/22/us/humphry-osmond-86-who-sought-medicinal-value-in-psychedelic-drugs-dies.html?pagewanted=2|work= [[New York Times]]|publisher= |date= 2004-02-22|accessdate=4 December 2010 }}</ref> This mongrel spelling of the word 'psychedelic' was loathed by American ethnobotanist Richard Evans Schultes, but championed by Timothy Leary, who thought it sounded better.<ref>W. Davis (1996), ''One River: Explorations and Discoveries in the Amazon Rain Forest''. New York, [[Simon & Schuster]], Inc. p. 120</ref>  Due to the expanded use of the term "psychedelic" in pop culture and a perceived incorrect verbal formulation, Carl A.P. Ruck, Jeremy Bigwood, Danny Staples, [[Jonathan Ott]], and [[R. Gordon Wasson]] proposed the term "[[entheogen]]" to describe the religious or spiritual experience produced by such substances.<ref>[[R. Gordon Wasson]], [[Albert Hofmann]], and Carl A.P. Ruck, ''The Road to Eleusis: Unveiling the Secret of the Mysteries'' (North Atlantic Books, 2008), pgs. 138-139</ref>
+"Psychedelic" derives from the Greek words ''ψυχή'' (psyche, "soul, mind") and ''δηλείν'' (delein, "to manifest") which taken together mean "soul-manifesting," with the implication being that psychedelics can allow one to access the soul and develop unused potentials of the human mind.<ref>A. Weil, W. Rosen. (1993), ''From Chocolate To Morphine: Everything You Need To Know About Mind-Altering Drugs''.New York, Houghton Mifflin Company. p. 93</ref><ref>Erowid. (1998, August 9). Erowid Humphry Osmond Vault. Retrieved from https://erowid.org/culture/characters/osmond_humphry/osmond_humphry.shtml</ref> It was on this term that Osmond eventually settled, because it was "clear, euphonious and uncontaminated by other associations."<ref>{{cite news |first= Douglas |last= Martin|coauthors= |title= Humphry Osmond, 86, Who Sought Medicinal Value in Psychedelic Drugs, Dies|url= https://www.nytimes.com/2004/02/22/us/humphry-osmond-86-who-sought-medicinal-value-in-psychedelic-drugs-dies.html?pagewanted=2|work= [[New York Times]]|publisher= |date= 2004-02-22|accessdate=4 December 2010 }}</ref> This mongrel spelling of the word 'psychedelic' was loathed by American ethnobotanist Richard Evans Schultes, but championed by Timothy Leary, who thought it sounded better.<ref>W. Davis (1996), ''One River: Explorations and Discoveries in the Amazon Rain Forest''. New York, [[Simon & Schuster]], Inc. p. 120</ref>
+Due to the expanded use of the term "psychedelic" in pop culture and a perceived incorrect verbal formulation, Carl A.P. Ruck, Jeremy Bigwood, Danny Staples, [[Jonathan Ott]], and [[R. Gordon Wasson]] later proposed the term "[[entheogen]]" to describe the religious or spiritual experience produced by such substances.<ref>[[R. Gordon Wasson]], [[Albert Hofmann]], and Carl A.P. Ruck, ''The Road to Eleusis: Unveiling the Secret of the Mysteries'' (North Atlantic Books, 2008), pgs. 138-139</ref>
 ==Method of action==