Natural hallucinogens may have evolved as ecological tools, not chemical accidents

Article excerpt

Natural hallucinogens, such as psilocybin, mescaline, N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) and related compounds, have generally received attention for their effects on human perception, emotion and cognition. Recently, interest in these compounds has expanded to include their potential roles in psychiatric treatment, neuroplasticity research and the study of consciousness.