Categorization and Terminology of "Hallucinogens"

[El Calico Loco]

Greetings all,

I'm putting this in Some for All because I'm not sure exactly where else it would fit. The Euphoric Mind seemed the obvious place, but none of the sub-fora seemed exactly right.

Many don't like the broad-based term "hallucinogen" (this author included) because it implies hallucinations, while most drugs lumped into this category produce illusions rather than true hallucinations.

Wikipedia divides the group into psychedelics, dissociatives, and deliriants; this division seems to be commonly accepted here on DF. However, there are some that seem to have properties from multiple categories and others that don't seem to fit any. Is salvia divinorum a psychedelic or a dissociative? What about 5-MeO-DMT - can something be a dissociative without being an anaesthetic? What about the difference between cholinergic (fly agaric) and anticholinergic (diphenhydramine) deliriants?

Has there been any work done on a better classification system? Perhaps something additive (ie, something could be psychedelic (ie "mind-manifesting") and dissociative (separating mind and body)) instead of the categorical approach above?

My thought is to have a list of common effects rather than categories. I'm thinking of something like this:

Visual: causes one to see things that aren't there without necessarily convincing the subject that said things are real. Examples: Many. Psylocybin, LSD, 2C-I, 2C-E...

Auditory: causes one to hear things that aren't there without necessarily convincing the subject that said things are real. Examples: LSD and DiPT.

Olfactory: causes one to smell or taste things that aren't there without necessarily convincing the subject that said things are real. Examples: ?

Kinesthetic: causes one to feel things that aren't there without convincing the subject that said things are real. Examples: LSD and 2C-E. Is there any chemical that is purely kinesthetic?

Cerebral: allows one to see the world and the self more objectively. Good for therapy and enlightenment. Examples: LSD and 2C-E. Could also be called "Introspective"?

Empathic: makes one feel empathic and connected to others. Good for treating things like PTSD and shyness. Examples: MDMA and 2C-I.

Dissociative: separates mind from body (i.e. blocks off cognition from sensory input). Examples: Ketamine and DXM. I believe 5-MeO-DMT and Salvia qualify as well.

Deliriant: causes a dreamlike state where the rules of logic don't seem applicable. The only psychoactive capable of producing true hallucinations. Examples: diphenhydramine and datura. Amanita muscaria may fit here or not; my test subject has no experience with cholinergics, but is told that they are in a class of there own. Perhaps we need another term for them? Would salvia fit? Does ego death fit in this category, or does it need it's own?

So, diphenhydramine would be visual, auditory, and deliriant. 2C-I would be visual and empathic. DXM would be visual, auditory, kinesthetic, and dissociative. Salvia would be visual, auditory, and dissociative (and perhaps deliriant? My test subject's experience with salvia is limited and he hasn't quite "broken through" yet.). Many chemicals would have different effects at different dosage levels (DXM, I'm looking in your direction). Then there's the fact that some chemicals have very different effects on different people (ethanol, I'm looking in your direction).

Does this make sense? Perhaps it makes more sense to just speak in terms of a particular chemical's effect on particular neurotransmitters, but I'm thinking of something for those who are not inclined toward neurobiology. Something based entirely on the perceptual and cognitive changes experienced by the user, regardless of what receptors are agonized or antagonized.

Should it be extended to include other psychoactive effects? Terms like "Joyful", "Uninhibited", and "Clumsy" might allow the inclusion of drugs like cocaine, meth, and ethanol. My main concern is with my test subjects favorite drugs (ie "hallucinogens"), but it might make sense to include others in any sort of classification scheme.

Thoughts? Please bear in mind that the above is a rough draft based only on amateur research and my test subject's personal experiences. It's meant to be a starting point, not a finished product.


ECL