Question 1

Why is LSD considered to be the most potent psychoactive agent known to man?

Accepted Answer

LSD is considered to be the most potent psychoactive agent known to man because it produces effects at very low dosages. Just 20 to 30 micrograms of LSD can produce significant psychedelic effects that can last for up to 12 hours. This is much lower than other psychoactive substances, such as psilocybin mushrooms which can require gram amounts to produce similar effects.

Question 2

Two frequent overall types of LSD "trips" are described in the text using what terms?

Accepted Answer

The text describes two frequent overall types of LSD "trips" as expansive and constricted.

Question 3

One name that has been used to describe hallucinogenic drugs is psychedelic. What does it mean?

Accepted Answer

The term "psychedelic" comes from the Greek words "psyche" meaning mind and "deloun" meaning to manifest or reveal. Therefore, it implies a beneficial, visionary effect on the mind.

Question 4

A close relative of LSD, d-lysergic acid amide, is found naturally in which two of the following plants?

Accepted Answer

D-lysergic acid amide is naturally found in the seeds of morning glories and Hawaiian baby woodrose.

Question 5

What was the profession/role of the first to report on the psychological effect of LSD?

Accepted Answer

The first to report on the psychological effects of LSD was Albert Hofmann, a Swiss chemist, who accidentally discovered its hallucinogenic effects in 1943.

Question 6

LSD was synthesized from alkaloids derived from which of the following?

Accepted Answer

LSD was synthesized from alkaloids derived from the Ergot fungus.

Question 7

LSD and psilocybin belong to which chemical grouping?

Accepted Answer

LSD and psilocybin both belong to the chemical grouping of indoles, which are organic compounds that contain a bicyclic heterocyclic ring system composed of a six-membered benzene ring fused to a five-membered nitrogen-containing pyrrole ring.

Question 8

Why was there an early interest in LSD research?

Accepted Answer

The early interest in LSD research was due to its supposed ability to access the subconscious mind.

Question 9

What are Psilocybe mexicana and Psilocybe cubensis?

Accepted Answer

Psilocybe mexicana and Psilocybe cubensis are hallucinogenic mushrooms commonly known as "magic mushrooms." They contain the psychoactive compound psilocybin, which can produce intense alterations in perception, mood, and thought.

Question 10

In rare cases, people who have used LSD experience similar symptoms weeks or months later. What term describes this experience?

Accepted Answer

The term that describes the experience of people who have used LSD and later experience similar symptoms weeks or months later is "flashbacks."

Question 11

Which early LSD researcher was fired from his academic job then later became a proponent of hallucinogenic drug use, and started a religion in which LSD was the sacrament?

Accepted Answer

Timothy Leary was fired from his job as a professor of psychology at Harvard University for his controversial research on LSD. He later became a prominent advocate for the use of hallucinogens and started the religion known as the "League for Spiritual Discovery," which made LSD the sacrament.

Question 12

During the 1950s and 60s the Canadian government funded the research of Dr. Donald Cameron who some have suggested used LSD with psychiatric patients, and often without their consent to investigate which of the following?

Accepted Answer

The answer of During the 1950s and 60s the Canadian...

Question 13

In which of the following would DMT, a short-acting hallucinogen that is usually ineffective when taken orally, be found?

Accepted Answer

DMT is commonly found in Cohoba snuff, which is used by indigenous tribes in South America. It is not typically found in the other options listed.

Question 14

Who was the first to report the psychological effect of LSD?

Accepted Answer

Albert Hofmann, a Swiss chemist, was the first to synthesize, ingest, and learn of the psychedelic effects of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) in 1943.

Question 15

Although LSD has complex effects in the brain, the best evidence indicates that its hallucinogenic properties are due to stimulating which of the following?

Accepted Answer

The best evidence suggests that LSD's hallucinogenic properties are due to its stimulation of serotonin 2A receptors in the brain.

Question 16

Which major grouping of hallucinogens typically allows the user to remain in some touch with the real world and to also remember much of what he or she experienced?

Accepted Answer

Phantastica are hallucinogens that allow users to remain in touch with reality and recall their experiences, unlike other hallucinogens that may cause a complete detachment from reality.

Question 17

In early societies, shaman or medicine man (or women) were specialists in the ways plants were harvested. They were important not only for understanding what we now call medicine, but also because he or she was which of the following?

Accepted Answer

Shaman or medicine men/women were often seen as spiritual or religious leaders in early societies. While they may have had some influence on the social and political realms of their communities, their main role was typically related to healing and spirituality. They were not necessarily wealthy or related to the chief, and while they may have provided guidance on moral issues, they were not typically responsible for deciding punishment for misbehavior.

Question 18

Which of the following describes the sensation of experiencing sounds as pictures, or of seeing movements produced by musical rhythms?

Accepted Answer

Synesthesia is a neurological phenomenon in which stimulation of one sensory or cognitive pathway leads to automatic, involuntary experiences in a second sensory or cognitive pathway. This can manifest as experiencing sounds as colors or seeing movements in response to musical rhythms.

Question 19

Which term might describe the following belief that if a plant contains a spirit, then eating the plant transfers that spirit to the person who eats it?

Accepted Answer

This belief is rooted in animism, which is the belief that all things, including plants and animals, have a soul or spirit.

Question 20

Which Quechuan name, describes the combination of two plants, one containing DMT and the other containing harmaline (an MAO inhibitor), that is used in the Amazon region?

Accepted Answer

Ayahuasca is a Quechuan name that describes the combination of two plants, one containing DMT and the other containing harmaline (an MAO inhibitor), that is used in the Amazon region. It is a potent plant medicine that has been used by indigenous people for centuries for spiritual and medicinal purposes.

Quiz 14: Hallucinogens