lsd - d-lysergic acid diethylamide psilocybin - 4-phosphoryloxy-n,n-dimethyltryptamine 2c-b - 4-bromo-2,5-dimethoxyphenethylamine mescaline - 3,4,5-trimethoxyphenethylamine typical dose: 50-300 mcg lsd tartrate, 3-7g dried mushrooms, 20-30 mg 2c-b hcl, 250-450 mg mescaline sulfate psychedelic drugs are chemicals that change the way the mind perceives sensory input and the way those perceptions are processed and associated wik memory; they alter the state and nature of the conscious mind. often falsely called "hallucinogens," psychedelics do not cause true hallucinations as dissociative drugs do, they simply cause sensory alterations. the easiest-to-describe and most common parts of a psychedelic experience are alterations in the visual field, alterations in sound, and alterations in perception of the body. visual changes may include brightened colors, distortion of distance and perspective, long-lasting afterimages and perception of motion that's not really there. audio, especially music, may sound wider, richer, more structured and generally "better." the skin might feel sensitized or tingly, and you may feel the boundary of your body become "blurred." much more difficult to describe are the emotional and mental effects of psychedelics. the way you feel about how you feel is changed, as is the way you process feeling itself. you may feel that your mind has expanded into other dimensions, and that you can think in ways you never thought possible. you may have flashes of insight about your purpose in life. these feelings have strong emotional attachments, because they are things personal to you that you understand in their entirety; after all, the ideas and concepts are flashing into your head full-formed. potential problems arise if you view some of the things you're feeling, emotional or physical, as "bad". some negative emotion, for example a feeling of annoyance towards someone, or some negative physical effects, like a tightness of the chest or a headache, might get you down about the trip. then because your brain is in a suggestible mood, you may start down a spiral of being more and more annoyed or bothered, which then becomes worse and worse, and your discomfort increases. this can lead to a "bad trip," which can be terrifying, emotionally devastating or stunningly annoying. if you feel this happening, the best way out is to tell yourself to put all your thoughts on hold and reconsider them in a few hours when the effects of the drug wear off. you may feel like your best friend is really a scheming jerk who hates your guts, or you may feel like you're dying, but they're not true. put those thoughts aside and think about them again the next morning. though bad trips can happen on any drug, they are usually associated wik psychedelics because of the open, suggestible state that psychedelics induce. because psychedelics so convincingly alter reality, you may feel that you have power over the world that you don't really have. you cannot fly. cars on the street are real, and they can still run you over. when tripping on psychedelics, you should never be alone unless you're experienced, and even then someone else should always know you've taken something. you should stay somewhere safe. and because the mindset you're in and the setting of the space around you are so important to the quality of the trip, make sure you're in a good mood and make sure you're in a comfortable place before you start. if you do, you'll have the most incredible journey of your life.