Psychedelics & Psychoactive Research
Education and research information only. This library covers psychedelic and related psychoactive substances: the compounds, the plants and fungi they come from, traditional preparations, what research shows by condition, what clinical settings involve, risks and interactions, culture and conservation, and legal context. Synthetic substances such as LSD, MDMA, ketamine and esketamine are included for research context and are never described as natural.
It gives no dosing, sourcing, growing, extraction, synthesis or self-administration guidance and no treatment recommendations. Species profiles live in Mushrooms and Herbs & Botanicals. Legal status differs by country and changes.
Start here: What Are Psychedelics? Natural, Semisynthetic and Synthetic Substances
What would you like help understanding?
Safety first
- These topics can involve legal restrictions, medicine interactions and serious health risks. Laws differ by country and change.
- Do not stop a prescribed medicine or delay care for a serious condition to try any of these.
- If someone may be poisoned or in a crisis, call emergency services first. See urgent help.
Overview
What this library is
This is an education-only library about psychedelic and related psychoactive substances. The US National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) notes that many of these drugs derive from plants and fungi, that some have been used for thousands of years in traditional or religious rituals, and that some are synthetic, meaning lab-made. [1] The page address still says "natural psychedelics", and a clearly labeled Natural Psychedelics collection sits inside this larger library. We also cover semisynthetic and synthetic substances such as LSD, MDMA and ketamine, because they are studied and discussed together. Natural origin is never treated as a sign of safety.The 14 collections
- Science basics: What Are Psychedelics?, Classic Psychedelics and Why Different Substances Cannot Be Treated as Equivalent.
- Substance encyclopedia: compound guides such as psilocybin, DMT and mescaline.
- Mushrooms and truffles: psilocybin mushrooms and species profiles.
- Plants and cacti: peyote, iboga and others.
- Traditional preparations: traditional preparations vs isolated compounds.
- Related synthetic and clinical substances: MDMA and ketamine.
- Effects and experiences, clinical research by condition, therapy and treatment context: for example depression research and what psychedelic-assisted therapy is.
- Microdosing and popular claims: what microdosing is.
- Safety and interactions: adverse effects and contraindications.
- Culture, history and conservation: Indigenous traditions, ethics and conservation.
- Legal context: legal status by country.
- Comparisons and glossary: psychedelics glossary.
Where species and plant profiles live
Mushroom species are profiled once, in the Mushrooms section (for example Psilocybe cubensis). Plant and cactus profiles live once, in Herbs and Botanicals (for example Salvia divinorum). The library links to them rather than repeating them.Education only
These pages describe and explain. They do not give amounts for personal use, tell you how to find, grow, prepare or combine anything, help identify wild plants or mushrooms, or advise self-treatment. If you take any medicine or have a health condition, talk with a clinician first: talking with a health professional.Natural, semisynthetic and synthetic
Each substance is labeled by what its sources say. For example, psilocybin is described as coming from certain mushrooms, LSD as semisynthetic and MDMA as lab-made. [2][3][4] See Natural vs Synthetic Psychoactive Substances.Evidence labels
Each guide uses plain labels: approved medicine (a regulator has approved it for a stated use), established, promising but limited, mixed, insufficient evidence, preclinical (cells or animals only), no good evidence of benefit, evidence of harm and marketing claim. Where we looked and found nothing usable we write "Proper evidence not found" and say what we checked. Results in animals or cells are never presented as results in people.Safety and legal pointers
Psilocybin, psilocyn, mescaline, peyote, DMT, 5-MeO-DMT, LSD, MDMA and ibogaine are all named in the hallucinogenic substances list of US federal Schedule I (21 CFR 1308.11), which we read on 2026-10-22. [5] US federal rules also exempt the nondrug use of peyote in bona fide religious ceremonies of the Native American Church from that listing. [6] Laws differ by country and by US state, they change, and this is not legal advice.Several of these substances carry serious risks. For poisoning by a plant or mushroom, see poisoning: what to do first. In the US, Poison Help is 1-800-222-1222, 911 is the emergency number and 988 is the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
Explore Psychedelics & Psychoactive Research
Psychedelic Science Basics(13)What psychedelics and related substances are, how classes differ, and what mechanisms do and do not show.
- What Are Psychedelics? Natural, Semisynthetic and Synthetic Substances
What psychedelics are, how the words psychedelic, hallucinogen and entheogen are used, and which substances are natural, semisynthetic or synthetic, with where each is c…
- Psychedelics: History and What Neuroscience Shows
A short history of psychedelic plants and fungi in human cultures and the 20th century, and what brain research does and does not show about how they work.
- What Does Psychoactive Mean?
What the word psychoactive means, how it differs from psychedelic, hallucinogen, dissociative and entactogen, and why the word alone says nothing about safety or benefit.
- Classic Psychedelics: What the Term Covers
What scientists and regulators mean by classic psychedelics (psilocybin, LSD, DMT, mescaline), what they share, what they do not, and what is and is not proven about the…
- Dissociatives: How They Differ From Classic Psychedelics
What dissociative drugs such as ketamine, PCP and dextromethorphan are, how they act on glutamate rather than serotonin, and how that separates them from classic psyched…
- Entactogens: Why MDMA Is Not a Classic Psychedelic
What entactogens (or empathogens) are, why MDMA is grouped apart from classic psychedelics, and what sources say about its action, risks and research status.
- Other Hallucinogenic Substances: Atypical Agents and Others
Hallucinogenic substances outside the classic psychedelic and dissociative groups, including salvia, Amanita muscaria, ibogaine and anticholinergic plants, with how each…
- Natural vs Synthetic Psychoactive Substances
How natural, semisynthetic and synthetic psychoactive substances are labeled, with examples, and why natural origin does not mean a substance or product is safe.
- Serotonin Receptors in Plain Language: What 5-HT2A Does and Does Not Explain
A plain-language look at the serotonin 5-HT2A receptor, what it is reported to explain about classic psychedelics, and why it does not explain every substance or any ben…
- Proposed Mechanisms vs Proven Clinical Outcomes
The difference between a proposed brain mechanism, a measurable biomarker such as imaging, and a proven clinical outcome, with what is and is not established for psyched…
- Context and Expectancy in Psychedelic Research
How mindset, surroundings, expectations and unblinding can shape results in psychedelic research, what regulators and reviewers say, and why trial effect sizes may be ov…
- Clinical Research vs Recreational Use
How supervised clinical research with psychedelic and related drugs differs from nonmedical use, and why safety findings from trials cannot be applied to unsupervised us…
- Why Different Substances Cannot Be Treated as Equivalent
Why psilocybin, LSD, mescaline, DMT, MDMA, ketamine, ibogaine, salvia and Amanita compounds differ in origin, action, risks and regulatory status, and cannot be treated …
Plants & Fungi(6)Psilocybin mushrooms, cacti, ayahuasca and other documented plants and fungi, each in its cultural and botanical context.
- Psilocybin Mushrooms and Truffles: Psilocybin, Psilocin and What Is Known
What psilocybin and psilocin are, how Psilocybe mushrooms and magic truffles differ, what clinical trials show and do not show, and the health and legal risks.
- Peyote, San Pedro and Mescaline: Cultural Context, Research and Conservation
Peyote, San Pedro and mescaline: cultural context including the Native American Church, what research shows, conservation concerns, and the legal exemption for ceremonia…
- Ayahuasca and Amazonian Plants: Traditional Use, Botany and Safety
What ayahuasca is, the plants it is made from, its traditional use in the Amazon, what trials show, and the serious risk of serotonin syndrome when it meets other substa…
- Iboga and Ibogaine: Cultural History, Research and Cardiac Risks
Iboga and ibogaine: serious heart-rhythm risks and deaths first, then the Bwiti tradition of Central Africa, what limited research shows, and legal status.
- Salvia divinorum, Yopo, Ololiuqui, Morning Glory and Other Documented Plants
Salvia divinorum and salvinorin A, yopo, ololiuqui and morning glory seeds: traditional context, what the science shows, documented risks, and where the evidence is thin.
- Amanita muscaria, Muscimol and Ibotenic Acid: Toxicology and Poisoning Risks
Amanita muscaria (fly agaric), muscimol and ibotenic acid: poisoning symptoms, documented serious cases, FDA warnings on edibles, and why labels on gummies cannot be tru…
Substance Encyclopedia(10)One canonical page per compound, with natural, semisynthetic and synthetic origins kept accurate.
- Psilocybin: Compound Guide
What psilocybin is, how the body turns it into psilocin, what clinical trials show for depression and other conditions, its risks, and how it is regulated, without any u…
- Psilocin: Compound Guide
Psilocin is the active form the body makes from psilocybin. Learn how it differs from psilocybin, what is known about how it moves through the body, and how it is regula…
- DMT (N,N-Dimethyltryptamine): Compound Guide
What DMT (N,N-dimethyltryptamine) is, where it occurs in nature, how it differs from 5-MeO-DMT and ayahuasca, what early clinical studies show, and its risks and legal l…
- 5-MeO-DMT: Compound Guide
What 5-MeO-DMT is, how it differs from DMT, where it occurs in plants and one toad species, what limited research shows, and its risks and legal listing in the United St…
- Mescaline: Compound Guide
What mescaline is, which cacti contain it, how it differs from peyote and from psilocybin, what limited research shows, its risks, and its US legal listing and the peyot…
- Ibogaine: Compound Guide
Ibogaine is a plant-derived alkaloid with documented heart-rhythm dangers and deaths. This guide separates the compound from the iboga plant and Bwiti tradition and revi…
- Salvinorin A: Compound Guide
Salvinorin A is the main psychoactive compound of Salvia divinorum and works on kappa opioid receptors, not the serotonin pathway of classic psychedelics. Evidence, risk…
- Muscimol: Compound Guide
Muscimol is a GABA-acting compound from Amanita muscaria and related mushrooms. Learn how it differs from psilocybin and ibotenic acid, what is known, and the poisoning …
- Ibotenic Acid: Compound Guide
Ibotenic acid is a glutamate-acting toxin in Amanita muscaria and related mushrooms that partly turns into muscimol. Read what poisoning looks like, what is known, and t…
- Harmala Alkaloids and Other Compounds in Traditional Preparations
Harmine and harmaline (the MAOI part of ayahuasca), LSA in morning glory-type seeds and bufotenine are different compounds. Each is described by its source, evidence, ri…
Psychedelic Mushrooms & Truffles(17)Specialized view of psilocybin and Amanita fungi. Species profiles live in the Mushrooms section.
- Commercial Mushroom Names: Species vs Cultivar vs Brand Names
Why names like Golden Teacher or Penis Envy are labels, not species, and why a commercial name does not tell you what a mushroom product contains.
- Psilocybin Mushroom Chemistry and Research Limits
What laboratory studies show about the compounds in psilocybin mushrooms and sclerotia, why amounts vary widely, and why no typical strength exists.
- Species Identification and Naming: Why Photos and Names Are Not Safety Assurances
Why a photo, a common name or a resemblance cannot tell you whether a mushroom is safe, and how scientific names, synonyms and taxonomy changes work.
- Psilocybin Mushrooms: Overview of the Genus and Related Fungi
- Psilocybe Species Directory
- Psilocybin Truffles (Sclerotia): What They Are and How They Differ From Mushrooms
- Psilocybe cubensis
- Psilocybe semilanceata (Liberty Cap)
- Psilocybe cyanescens
- Psilocybe azurescens
- Psilocybe mexicana
- Psilocybe tampanensis
- Psilocybe natalensis and Related Naming Questions
- Panaeolus cyanescens
- Other Psilocybin-Containing Fungi Supported by Reliable Taxonomy and Sources
- Amanita muscaria (Fly Agaric)
- Amanita pantherina (Panther Cap)
Psychoactive Plants & Cacti(12)Specialized view of psychoactive plants. Botanical profiles live in Herbs & Botanicals.
- Peyote (Lophophora williamsii)
- San Pedro Cactus (Echinopsis pachanoi, Trichocereus pachanoi)
- Other Mescaline-Containing Cacti Supported by Sources
- Chacruna (Psychotria viridis)
- Chaliponga (Diplopterys cabrerana)
- Ayahuasca Vine (Banisteriopsis caapi)
- Iboga (Tabernanthe iboga)
- Salvia divinorum
- Other Psychoactive Plants: Yopo, Morning Glory Seeds and More
- Kava: Traditional Use, Research and Liver Safety
What kava is, its place in Pacific Island life, what trials show for anxiety, and why regulators and the NIH raise liver safety, sedative and pregnancy concerns.
- Kratom: What It Is, Regulation and Risks
What kratom is, how the FDA and NIH describe its risks (liver injury, seizures, dependence), its unapproved legal status in the US, and how little human research exists.
- Blue Lotus and Other Relevant Botanicals
What is and is not known about blue lotus (Nymphaea caerulea) and a few other mild psychoactive botanicals, with plain labels where proper human evidence was not found.
Traditional Preparations(7)Traditional preparations described respectfully, without recipes or ceremony manuals.
- Ayahuasca: Traditional Preparation, Research and Safety
What ayahuasca is as a traditional Amazonian preparation, what research and surveys show, why it can interact dangerously with other medicines, and how it differs from D…
- Peyote and Its Traditional Contexts
Peyote as a sacrament of the Native American Church and other Indigenous peoples, what community authors ask of outsiders, the conservation concern, and the US legal exe…
- Mescaline-Cactus Traditional Contexts: San Pedro and Related Traditions
What sources say about San Pedro, huachuma and related mescaline-containing cacti in Andean traditions, why names are unreliable, and why one sample cannot describe a wh…
- Iboga and Bwiti Traditions
Iboga in the Bwiti religious tradition of Central Africa, how that differs from isolated ibogaine, the conservation concerns, and the serious heart risks documented for …
- Salvia divinorum Traditional Contexts
What sources say about Salvia divinorum in Mazatec tradition, how that differs from salvinorin A and modern recreational use, and what is and is not known about its risk…
- Other Traditional Preparations Where Accurate, Respectful Coverage Is Possible
Where sources allow accurate coverage, a respectful look at yopo snuff, ololiuqui and other traditional plant and animal preparations, with limits, risks and what is not…
- Traditional Preparations vs Isolated Compounds and Clinical Products
Why a traditional plant preparation, an isolated compound and a clinical product are three different things, using ayahuasca, iboga, Salvia divinorum and San Pedro as ex…
Related Synthetic & Clinical Substances(7)LSD, MDMA, ketamine and esketamine: different substances with different pharmacology, included for research context.
- LSD (Lysergic Acid Diethylamide): Compound Guide
What LSD is, how it differs from natural psychedelics, what clinical trials have and have not shown, its legal category in the United States, and its main risks.
- MDMA: Compound Guide
What MDMA is, why it is not a classic psychedelic, what the FDA decided about MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD, what trials showed, and the main health risks.
- Ketamine: Compound Guide
What ketamine is, how it differs from esketamine and classic psychedelics, its approved anesthetic use, what trials show for depression, and its main risks.
- Esketamine (Spravato): Compound Guide
What esketamine (Spravato) is, how it differs from ketamine, what the regulator labels allow, what trials showed for treatment-resistant depression, and its safety progr…
- Other Investigational Psychoactive Substances Where Justified
A careful look at investigational DMT and 5-MeO-DMT products and other new psychedelic-type compounds, separating early safety studies and registered trials from proven …
- Why Synthetic and Clinical Substances Are Included in This Library
Why this library covers LSD, MDMA, ketamine and esketamine alongside natural psychedelics, and how we keep natural, semisynthetic and synthetic substances accurately lab…
- Clinical Formulations vs Nonmedical Products: Why They Are Not the Same
Why a medicine made and monitored under regulator rules is not the same as a product from an unregulated source, with examples from MDMA, ketamine, esketamine and LSD re…
Effects & Experiences(10)What research describes about experiences, and why intensity is not proof of benefit.
- Perceptual Changes and Time Perception
What research and regulator labels say about changes in vision, hearing and the sense of time with psychedelic and dissociative substances, and what those studies can an…
- Emotional Effects
How studies and regulators describe the emotional effects of psychedelic, dissociative and related substances, from joy and closeness to fear, and why lab findings are n…
- Altered Sense of Self and Ego Dissolution
What researchers mean by ego dissolution, how it is measured, what brain-imaging and clinical studies found, and why it is a measured experience and not a goal or a trea…
- Mystical-Type Experience Measures: What the Questionnaires Measure
What the Mystical Experience Questionnaire and similar scales measure, how scores relate to later well-being in studies, and why a high score is not the same as a clinic…
- Dissociation: Ketamine and Other Dissociative Experiences
What dissociation means in drug research, how ketamine and esketamine cause it, how it differs from a classic psychedelic experience, and what the FDA label and studies …
- Acute Anxiety and Distress During Experiences
Urgent-help pointers first, then what studies and surveys report about anxiety, panic and distress during psychedelic and related experiences, without any advice on usin…
- Nausea and Other Physical Effects
What studies, NIDA and the esketamine label report about nausea, headache, blood pressure, heart rate and other body effects of psychedelic, dissociative and related sub…
- Aftereffects: What Is Reported Afterward
What studies and reviews report in the hours, days and months after psychedelic and related experiences, from reported well-being to headache, flashbacks and rare persis…
- Why Experiences Vary and Why Intensity Is Not Proof of Benefit
Why people respond so differently to the same psychoactive substance in studies, and why a stronger or more dramatic experience has not been shown to mean a better healt…
- Time Course by Substance: Source-Verified Descriptions
Source-verified descriptions of how long the effects of psilocybin, LSD, MDMA, ayahuasca, DMT and esketamine lasted in research and label data, with limits, and no timin…
Clinical Research by Condition(11)Evidence by condition, substance and study design, with negative and mixed findings.
- Psychedelics for Major Depressive Disorder: Evidence Review
What randomized trials of psilocybin with psychological support have found for major depressive disorder, including sample sizes, comparators, side effects, limits and r…
- Treatment-Resistant Depression: Psilocybin, Ketamine and Esketamine Evidence
Treatment-resistant depression evidence for psilocybin (investigational), esketamine (FDA-approved nasal spray) and ketamine (off-label), kept separate, with trial sizes…
- PTSD Research: MDMA and Other Substances
Findings from MDMA-assisted therapy trials for PTSD, the 2024 FDA complete response letter and its trial-integrity concerns, and the small psilocybin evidence base.
- End-of-Life Distress Research
What small randomized trials and a 2024 Cochrane review found for psilocybin, LSD and MDMA in anxiety, depression and existential distress with life-threatening illness,…
- Alcohol Use Disorder Research
What trials show for psilocybin, ketamine and LSD in alcohol use disorder, including a 95-person psilocybin trial, a 96-person ketamine trial, and why the evidence is st…
- Tobacco Use Disorder Research
What small trials of psilocybin combined with quit-smoking therapy have found, how they compare with the nicotine patch, and why the evidence is still early and not an a…
- Other Substance Use Disorders: Research Overview
A research overview of ibogaine, psilocybin and ketamine for opioid, cocaine and other substance use disorders, with the heart and safety problems reported and what rema…
- OCD and Eating Disorders Research
What the few small studies of psilocybin in obsessive-compulsive disorder and anorexia nervosa show, what they cannot show, and why these remain early research questions.
- Pain and Headache-Related Research
What the small controlled studies of psilocybin and LSD in cluster headache, migraine and chronic pain show so far, including negative primary results, and why patient a…
- How to Read a Psychedelic Clinical Trial: Blinding, Expectancy, Support and Follow-Up
A plain guide to reading psychedelic trial news: feasibility versus efficacy, blinding and expectancy, therapy support, follow-up, protocols, preprints and repeat public…
- Psychedelic Clinical Trials and Mental Health Research: Findings and Limits
What clinical trials of psilocybin and MDMA-assisted therapy have found for depression and PTSD, why blinding and expectancy limit them, and what regulators have decided…
Therapy, Screening & Treatment Context(13)What clinical settings involve, how to evaluate claims, and how to find registered trials.
- What Is Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy?
What psychedelic-assisted therapy means in research and licensed settings: the parts of a treatment course, what two trials found, and why it is not the same as a retrea…
- What "Preparation" Means in Clinical Settings
What preparation sessions are in trials and licensed programs, what they cover, and what research has and has not shown about them. A description of protocols, not instr…
- What "Integration" Means
What "integration" means after a psychedelic experience, how trials and licensed programs use the word, what evidence exists, and why the term and the people offering it…
- Screening and Eligibility in Clinical Research
What psychedelic trials and licensed programs screen for or exclude, and why. A description of published criteria, not a way to check yourself.
- Informed Consent in Psychedelic Research and Care
What informed consent must cover in psychedelic research and care, why it is hard to do well, and what regulators and ethicists say about suggestibility, touch and unmas…
- Clinical Monitoring During Treatment Sessions
What monitoring during psychedelic and related treatment sessions involves in trials, FDA guidance, Oregon's program and an approved esketamine nasal spray, and what it …
- Therapist and Practitioner Qualifications
Who is trained and licensed to support psychedelic treatment sessions, based on FDA trial guidance and the rules of Oregon and Colorado, and how training programs differ…
- Professional Boundaries in Psychedelic Care
Why boundaries matter more in psychedelic-assisted care, what trials and ethics groups say about touch, consent and monitoring, and where the evidence is thin.
- Vulnerability, Suggestibility and Misconduct
Why people are more vulnerable and suggestible during psychedelic sessions, what is known about misconduct reports, and which reporting routes we could verify.
- Evaluating Clinic Claims
A plain checklist for reading psychedelic and ketamine clinic claims, with what studies of clinic advertising found and what FDA says about approved and unapproved produ…
- Evaluating Retreat Claims
How to read claims made by psychedelic retreats and ceremonies, what surveys report about adverse effects and misconduct, and the legal and safety questions to ask.
- Finding and Understanding Registered Clinical Trials
How to find a registered trial of a psychedelic or related drug, read the record's status and design fields, and avoid mistaking a plan or an enrollment notice for a res…
- Follow-Up and Ongoing Care
What follow-up after psychedelic or ketamine-related treatment means in research and labeling, what long-term studies report, and why aftercare questions belong in any s…
Microdosing & Popular Claims(9)What research shows about microdosing and other widely repeated claims.
- What Is Microdosing?
A plain definition of microdosing, which substances people mean by it, why there is no agreed scientific definition, and what research says so far, with no amounts or sc…
- Human Microdosing Research: What Controlled Studies Show
What placebo-controlled studies, self-blinding studies and surveys of microdosing psychedelics found in people, and why controlled trials and surveys point in different …
- Placebo and Expectancy in Microdosing
How placebo effects and expectations shape microdosing results, what self-blinding and double-blind studies found, and why "I felt better" is not proof that a substance …
- Microdosing Claims: Productivity, Creativity, Mood and Cognition
A claim-by-claim check of four popular microdosing promises, productivity, creativity, mood and cognition, against placebo-controlled studies, with plain evidence labels.
- Long-Term Safety Uncertainty in Microdosing
What is and is not known about the safety of repeated microdosing, including the heart-valve concern linked to the 5-HT2B receptor, short-term findings, and who needs ex…
- Self-Selection and Survey Limitations
Why surveys and other observational studies of microdosing cannot show that it works, what self-selection means, and how to weigh survey findings against placebo-control…
- "Neuroplasticity" Claims: What Has and Has Not Been Shown
What research does and does not show about psychedelics and neuroplasticity, separating cell and animal findings from human brain imaging, blood markers and clinical out…
- "One Session Cures Everything" Claims
A claim check on the idea that one psychedelic session can cure depression or anything else, comparing it with what trials found about benefits, relapse, side effects an…
- "Natural Is Safer" and Other Natural vs Synthetic Safety Claims
A claim check on "natural is safer" for psychoactive plants and fungi versus lab-made or clinical products, covering variability, contamination, toxic look-alikes and wh…
Safety & Interactions(19)Risks, interactions assessed substance by substance, and when to seek urgent help.
- Psychedelic Adverse Effects and Contraindications
A factual overview of reported psychedelic side effects, frightening experiences, persisting perception problems and who trials excluded, based on NIDA, Cochrane and cli…
- Psychedelic Drug Interactions and Toxicology
What systematic reviews and case reports say about psychedelics with antidepressants, lithium and MAOIs such as ayahuasca, plus toxicity limits, contamination and eviden…
- Acute Psychological Distress: Risks and Urgent Help
What research and regulators report about frightening or overwhelming psychedelic experiences, who is at higher risk, and where to turn for urgent help in the US.
- Impairment and Accidents
What NIDA, the esketamine label and driving studies say about impaired judgment, injuries and driving after psychedelic or dissociative substances, and where evidence is…
- Psychosis Vulnerability
What meta-analyses, a large Ontario cohort, NIDA and the esketamine label say about psychosis risk with psychedelics, who trials exclude, and what remains uncertain.
- Mania and Bipolar-Related Concerns
What a 2026 systematic review, trial exclusion rules, lithium reports and the esketamine label say about mania, bipolar disorder and psychedelic or dissociative substanc…
- Cardiovascular Risks
Heart and blood pressure effects of classic psychedelics, esketamine and DMT, with a closer look at ibogaine and its QT-interval and arrhythmia risk, from reviews, case …
- Substance-Specific Neurological Risks
A substance-by-substance look at reported seizure, cerebellar, bladder and perception risks for ibogaine, classic psychedelics, salvia and ketamine, with the evidence le…
- Persistent Perceptual Symptoms (HPPD)
What hallucinogen persisting perception disorder (HPPD) is, how often brief flashbacks occur in controlled studies, what treatment reports show, and why the evidence is …
- MAO-Inhibiting Preparations and Interactions
Why preparations that inhibit monoamine oxidase, such as ayahuasca, can interact dangerously with antidepressants and other medicines, based on reviews, a case report an…
- Serotonergic Medicines and Substance-Specific Evidence
How antidepressants and other serotonin-active medicines relate to psilocybin, MDMA, LSD and ayahuasca, assessed one substance at a time, and why trial exclusions are no…
- Lithium-Related Concerns
What online case reports, a systematic review and a scoping review say about seizures when lithium is combined with psychedelics, and what those reports cannot prove.
- Combining Psychoactive Substances, Alcohol and Other Sedatives
What NIDA, a drug label and published reviews say about the risks of mixing psychedelics and related drugs with alcohol, benzodiazepines, opioids and other substances.
- Pregnancy and Breastfeeding
What a 2026 scoping review, NIDA and animal studies say about psychedelics in pregnancy and breastfeeding, and why missing human data is not evidence of safety.
- Adolescents, Older Adults and Multiple Medicines
What research and regulators say about psychedelic and related substances in teenagers and older adults, including heart and medicine-interaction concerns, and where the…
- Poisoning and Misidentification of Mushrooms and Plants
What to do first after eating a wild or unknown mushroom or plant, why look-alike mix-ups happen, and what poison centers and health agencies say, without any identifica…
- Contamination and Adulteration in Psychoactive Products
What NIDA, FDA and CDC reports say about unlabeled ingredients, fentanyl concerns and mislabeled psychoactive products, and what is still unknown about how often it happ…
- Unverified Mushroom Gummies and Similar Products
What US health agencies found when gummies, chocolates and cones marketed as mushroom products made people seriously ill, and why a label cannot be taken as proof of wha…
- When to Seek Urgent Help
Warning signs after taking a psychedelic, mushroom product or plant that mean calling 911 or Poison Help, plus mental health crisis support, using only numbers read from…
Culture, History & Conservation(7)Traditional contexts, stewardship, appropriation and conservation.
- Indigenous Traditions, Ethics and Conservation in Psychedelic Plant Use
Indigenous traditions, history, ethnobotany, conservation and ethics around psychedelic plants and fungi, using community, legal and academic sources and leaving sacred …
- Traditional and Ceremonial Contexts: Not Interchangeable
Peyote, ayahuasca, iboga, San Pedro and sacred mushrooms belong to different peoples and traditions, so this page names them separately and explains why they are not int…
- Commercialization and Appropriation
How patents, tourism, retreats and research have affected the peoples who first used these plants, what Indigenous-led groups are asking for, and where the facts are sti…
- Peyote Conservation
Peyote is a slow-growing cactus sacred to the Native American Church and other peoples, and sources describe wild populations in Texas and Mexico as under pressure from …
- Plant and Habitat Sustainability
What sources say about pressure on ayahuasca plants, iboga and San Pedro in the wild, where the evidence is thin, and why forests, farms and communities are all part of …
- Animal-Derived Sources and Sourcing Concerns
The Sonoran Desert toad is the only animal known to make 5-MeO-DMT, and sources raise concerns about wild harvest, poisoning risks and unclear claims about traditional u…
- Cultural Description vs Clinical Endorsement
Describing how a people use a plant is not the same as showing it works or is safe, and a single isolated compound in a clinic is not the same as the tradition it came f…
Legal & Regulatory Context(11)Frameworks and definitions, each statement with a jurisdiction, source and verification date.
- Psychedelic Legal Status: How Law Differs by Country and Clinical vs Nonmedical Use
How law treats psilocybin and related substances in the places we could verify (US federal, Oregon, Colorado, Canada), the difference between clinical and nonmedical use…
- Controlled-Substance Status: What Scheduling and Classification Mean
What "scheduling" means for psychedelic and related substances, with the United States federal listings read from the official regulation and why local law can differ.
- Decriminalization vs Legalization
Plain-language differences between decriminalization, legalization, regulated services and medical approval for psychedelic substances, with sourced examples.
- Medical Approval: What Is and Is Not Approved
Which psychedelic and related medicines the FDA has approved, which only hold a breakthrough designation, and which remain investigational, as read from the regulator an…
- Investigational Research and Clinical Trial Access
How investigational psychedelic and related drugs reach people legally in the United States: clinical trials, FDA expanded access and Right to Try, as read from FDA and …
- Supervised-Service Frameworks (Oregon, Colorado and Others)
How Oregon's licensed psilocybin services and Colorado's natural medicine program are set up, what New Mexico plans, and why none of this equals medical approval.
- Religious Exemptions
How religious exemptions for peyote and ayahuasca work in the United States and Brazil, what they cover, and why an exemption is not the same as general legality.
- Plant vs Compound and Mushroom vs Sclerotium Distinctions in Law
Why drug laws often control a compound but name a plant or fungus differently, and how mushrooms and sclerotia (truffles) can be treated differently. Not legal advice.
- Possession vs Supply Distinctions
Plain definitions of possession, supply, distribution and manufacture in drug law, with examples read from United States, Dutch and UN texts. Definitions only, not legal…
- Import, Export and Travel Questions
What official U.S. sources say about carrying controlled substances across borders and through airport screening, and why other countries need separate checks. Not legal…
- How We Verify and Date Legal Information
How this library reads, words and dates its psychedelic legal statements, what sources it uses, and what it will not say. Not legal advice.
Comparisons & Glossary(15)Side-by-side comparisons without equivalence tables, and a glossary.
- Psilocybin vs Psilocin
Psilocybin and psilocin are two linked substances. This page explains how the body turns one into the other, what each one is, and how they are listed under US federal l…
- Psilocybin Mushrooms vs Truffles
Psilocybin mushrooms and so-called magic truffles are different parts of related fungi. This page compares what they are, what is known about contents, and where evidenc…
- Psilocybin vs LSD
Psilocybin and LSD are both classic psychedelics, but one comes from fungi and one is lab-made. This page compares origin, effects in a direct trial, safety evidence and…
- DMT vs 5-MeO-DMT
DMT and 5-MeO-DMT have similar names but are different substances. This page compares sources, how they act, what trials show, and how US federal law lists each one.
- DMT vs Ayahuasca
DMT is one chemical; ayahuasca is a traditional Amazonian brew that contains DMT and other alkaloids. This page explains the difference, the key interaction risk, and wh…
- Mescaline vs Psilocybin
Mescaline comes from certain cacti and psilocybin from fungi. A direct trial compared them with LSD in healthy adults. Here is what differs, what is similar, and what is…
- Peyote vs San Pedro: Botanical and Cultural Distinctions
Peyote and San Pedro are two different mescaline-containing cacti with different botany, regions, names and cultural contexts. This page sets out the distinctions withou…
- Iboga vs Ibogaine
Iboga is a Central African shrub with deep cultural roots; ibogaine is one chemical from it. This page explains the difference, what research shows, and the heart risks.
- MDMA vs Classic Psychedelics
MDMA is a lab-made entactogen with stimulant-like effects, not a classic psychedelic. See how it differs from psilocybin, LSD and mescaline in action, research and regul…
- Ketamine vs Esketamine
Ketamine is an anesthetic used off-label for depression; esketamine (Spravato) is its derivative, approved as a nasal spray under supervision. Compare uses, evidence and…
- Ketamine vs Classic Psychedelics
Ketamine is a dissociative that blocks NMDA receptors; classic psychedelics such as psilocybin act mainly on serotonin 5-HT2A receptors. Compare action, research, approv…
- Psilocybin Mushrooms vs Amanita
Psilocybin mushrooms and Amanita muscaria (fly agaric) are different fungi with different compounds, effects, research and risks. This guide explains the difference and …
- Microdosing vs Clinical Treatment
Microdosing is self-directed repeated use of very small psychedelic amounts; clinical treatment is supervised, protocol-based and studied in trials. Compare evidence, sa…
- Natural vs Synthetic Compounds
Psychoactive compounds can be natural, semisynthetic or fully lab-made. This guide shows how to classify them, why origin does not rank safety, and what that means for r…
- Psychedelics and Psychoactive Research Glossary
Plain-language definitions of about 60 terms used in psychedelic and psychoactive substance research, with technical notes and links to the guide that explains each one.
Related comparisons
Related Wellness Goals
Research connections
Our pages cite the studies and official sources behind each statement. For the underlying records, see the evidence page for this goal and the Research Library.
Specialty Topics Research and Evidence: How Much Research Exists and How to Read It Research Library Wellness Goals
Frequently asked questions
Are natural psychedelics safe because they come from plants or fungi?
Not automatically. NIDA says effects are hard to predict, can include fear and anxiety, and that some substances, such as ibogaine, have been associated with deaths. [1]
Can psychedelics treat depression or anxiety?
Research is active, but the only product NIDA lists as FDA approved for therapeutic use to date is esketamine, a ketamine derivative, for treatment-resistant depression. Breakthrough Therapy designations for psilocybin and MDMA research are not approvals. [7] See PTSD research.
Are they legal?
It depends on the substance, the country and the state. In the US, several are named on the federal Schedule I list. [5] This site states law only where we read the official source.
Is traditional or ceremonial use the same as recreational use?
No. Many traditions have their own rules, teachers and meanings, and some plants are sacred to specific peoples. See Traditional and Ceremonial Contexts.
What is the difference between a psychedelic, a dissociative and MDMA?
NIDA groups classic psychedelics (serotonin 5-HT2A), dissociatives such as ketamine (glutamate NMDA) and an "other" group that includes MDMA. [1] See Dissociatives and Entactogens.
Do you recommend any of these?
No. This is education, not medical advice, and we do not recommend using any of them.
References
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, Psychedelic and Dissociative Drugs. Read 2026-10-22.
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, Psilocybin (Magic Mushrooms). Read 2026-10-22.
- Liester MB. A review of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) in the treatment of addictions: historical perspectives and future prospects. Curr Drug Abuse Rev. 2014;7(3):146-56. Read 2026-10-22 (abstract on PubMed).
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, MDMA (Ecstasy/Molly). Read 2026-10-22.
- US Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, 21 CFR 1308.11 Schedule I. Read 2026-10-22.
- US Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, 21 CFR 1307.31 Native American Church. Read 2026-10-22.
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, Psychedelic and Dissociative Drugs as Medicines. Read 2026-10-22.
Content last updated . This section has not been medically reviewed.