What are psychedelics? The most well-known psychedelics are LSD, psilocybin-containing mushrooms (so-called 'magic' mushrooms), mescaline-containing cacti and DMT. Cannabis, ketamine and MDMA can induce psychedelic states as well, but these are usually not strictly classified as psychedelics, mostly because their use can also have just sedating, stimulating, dissociative or empathogenic qualities. There is no clear line of distinction, however.

What is the psychedelic experience? The word 'psychedelic' is derived from the Greek words for mind (psyche) and manifestation (delos), and it implies an altered state of consciousness and perception, in which parts of the mind that are normally obscured can manifest themselves. The psychedelic state is not clearly defined, and includes a whole range of different types of experiences. This makes it hard to characterize what a psychedelic experience constitutes exactly. Mystical experiences and even psychotic episodes have things in common with the psychedelic state.

Some of the most common effects of psychedelic drugs are: becoming aware of different lines of thought, of new points of view, and of new aspects of the mind manifesting. Various aspects of a changed perception can lead to new insights into the psyche of the user. How your perception changes depends largely on 'set' and 'setting'. 'Set' usually refers to the mental state of the subject: how does he feel, what is on his mind, how are his relationships with other people? 'Setting' refers to the situation external to the subject: the influence of (external) circumstances, the location, sounds, smells, the weather etc. can all influence the experience. In psychedelics experiences, sometimes boundaries between the self and the world dissolve, and it can occur that concepts like space, time and the ego obtain profoundly different meanings. Feelings, thoughts and memories can be altered, and magnified, as well. This also goes for the senses; the perception of e.g. smell, color or spatiality may change. Synaesthesia ('blending of the senses', e.g. seeing music, hearing colors) is another possible effect of most psychedelics.