Recreational drug
A recreational drug is a psychoactive drug used to induce an altered state of consciousness by modifying the perceptions, feelings, and emotions of the user. In popular practice, recreational drug use generally is a tolerated social behaviour, rather than perceived as the medical condition of self-medication. However, heavy use of some drugs is socially stigmatized.
In 2015, it was estimated that about 5% of people worldwide aged 15 to 65 (158 million to 351 million) had used controlled drugs at least once.
When used in religious practice, psychedelic drugs, as well as other substances like tobacco or cocoa, are referred to as entheogens.
Categories
Generally, recreational drugs are divided into three categories:
- Depressants (drugs that induce a feeling of relaxation and calmness);
- Stimulants (drugs that induce a sense of energy and alertness);
- Hallucinogens (drugs that induce perceptual distortions such as hallucination).
Common types of drugs
Common legal recreational drugs include:
- Alcohol - found in beer, wine, and distilled spirits;
- Cannabis and hashish;
- Nicotine - found in tobacco;
- Caffeine - found in coffee, tea, soft drinks, and prescription drugs;
- Cocoa - found in chocolate.
Which controlled substances are considered unlawful to possess varies by country, but usually includes:
- Methamphetamine
- Heroin
- Cocaine
- LSD
- Psilocybin mushrooms
- MDMA
Hallucinogens
Hallucinogens can cause subjective changes in perception, thought, emotion and consciousness. Unlike other psychoactive drugs such as stimulants and opioids, hallucinogens do not merely amplify familiar states of mind but also induce experiences that differ from those of ordinary consciousness, often compared to non-ordinary forms of consciousness such as trance, meditation, conversion experiences, and dreams.
Psychedelics, dissociatives, and deliriants have a long worldwide history of use within medicinal and religious traditions. They are used in shamanic forms of ritual healing and divination, in initiation rites, and in the religious rituals of syncretistic movements such as União do Vegetal, Santo Daime, Temple of the True Inner Light, and the Native American Church.
The most popular, and at the same time most stigmatized, use of psychedelics in Western culture has been associated with the search for direct religious experience, enhanced creativity, personal development, and "mind expansion." The use of psychedelic drugs was a major element of the 1960s counterculture, where it became associated with various social movements and a general atmosphere of rebellion and strife between generations.
Psychosis
Hallucinogen-induced psychosis occurs when psychosis persists despite no longer being intoxicated with the drug. It is estimated that 26% of people with hallucinogen-induced psychosis will transition to a diagnosis of schizophrenia. This percentage is less than the psychosis transition rate for cannabis (34%) but higher than that of amphetamines (22%).
Therapeutic uses
Starting in the mid-20th century, psychedelic drugs have been the object of extensive attention in the Western world. They have been and are being explored as potential therapeutic agents in treating depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive–compulsive disorder, alcoholism, and opioid addiction.
Entheogen
Entheogens are psychoactive substances, including psychedelic drugs (such as magic mushrooms and magic plants), used in sacred contexts in religion for inducing spiritual development throughout history.
Entheogens have been used in various ways, including as part of established religious rituals and as aids for personal spiritual development. Anthropological study has established that entheogens are used for religious, magical, shamanic, or spiritual purposes in many parts of the world.
Most of the well-known modern examples of entheogens, such as Ayahuasca, peyote, psilocybin mushrooms, and morning glories are from the native cultures of the Americas.