The “Gentle” Enticement of Hallucinogens

Until the 1960s, few young Americans had ever heard of hallucinogens. Alcohol was the most rampantly abused drug among teenagers. Then came a so-called cultural revolution on U.S. college campuses. Drug use was one of its trademarks.

Protests broadened against American military involvement in Southeast Asia, especially among teenagers and young adults of draft age. The rising counterculture embraced drugs as a way to escape reality, find peace, and—while they were at it—taunt those in authority. Widely publicized drug habits of popular rock musicians horrified parents but glamorized the phenomenon in the eyes of many young people. Curiosity about forbidden substances was—and remains—one of the main reasons why teenagers experiment with them.

Hallucinogens were among the most popular substances used by the new drug culture. Their popularity continues.

Why? Regular users and pushers insist that while these substances do not actually change the world, they can at least improve the looks of it. They can take you temporarily into a wonderful place of peace and happiness.

Users say they indulge in hallucinogens in order to feel good and to escape stress and unhappy situations. Studies show they also partake as an expression of rebellion against authority and in response to peer influence or the pressure to fit in. Many surveys have indicated that young people whose friends use illegal substances are more prone themselves to become users than are members of the non-drug crowd. Some teenagers are influenced by older brothers and sisters and even by parents who regularly use hallucinogens.

For years, researchers have investigated other possible reasons why young people use illicit substances. Studies have suggested that individuals with behavioral and emotional problems are more likely than others to use hallucinogens regularly. Personal circumstances—a dark home life, a broken relationship—can also play a role.

Whatever their reasons, all users arrive at the same result. When the moment of joy passes, the world is unchanged. The only aspect that might be new for them is a rude aftereffect—nausea, teeth clenching, chills, depression, or anxiety.