Psychedelics feel like stimulants

[Peo]

So i have triped now many times on shrooms and 2 times on LSD. I have notice they feel very similar to simulants, like for example caffeine. 

A drug is categorized as a stimulant if it mainly causes:

•  Increased central nervous system (CNS) activity (brain and spinal cord)
•  Heightened heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing rate
•  Increased mental alertness and focus
•  Reduced fatigue or sleepiness
•  Sometimes suppressed appetite
• Feeling more energetic

My source: Chat GPT. 

Many of these effects I feel when I trip on both LSD and shrooms, the only difference is the increased visual effects and the fluidity of consciousness. Also the racing thoughts are generally non-logical and just wired. 

Also when I trip on psychedelics I feel extremely awake and aware. It is almost impossible to fall asleep. Now I have only done ritalin and caffeine, so I don't have a lot of experience with stimulants. Maybe someone here have more experience with stimulants and pshychedelics can let me know what you think?

Is it just me or are psychedelics extremely similar to stimulants? 

[Carl-Richard]

1 hour ago, Peo said:

Is it just me or are psychedelics extremely similar to stimulants? 

LSD has direct dopamine agonist activity, which makes it stimulating and wakefulness-promoting. Serotonin 2a activity is coupled to cortisol activity, one of the hormones that spike in the morning, and is one of the main targets for classical psychedelics like LSD and shrooms. Serotonin in general is the "wakefulness" chemical. So yes, it's not surprising that they are more like stimulants than anything else.

[integration journey]

4 hours ago, Carl-Richard said:

LSD has direct dopamine agonist activity, which makes it stimulating and wakefulness-promoting. Serotonin 2a activity is coupled to cortisol activity, one of the hormones that spike in the morning, and is one of the main targets for classical psychedelics like LSD and shrooms. Serotonin in general is the "wakefulness" chemical. So yes, it's not surprising that they are more like stimulants than anything else.

Is that why when I take LSD I can hardly get any good sleep that day? 

Edited Monday at 03:14 AM by integration journey

[Carl-Richard]

36 minutes ago, integration journey said:

Is that why when I take LSD I can hardly get any good sleep that day? 

It's probably mostly because LSD lasts for a crazy amount of time. It literally gets stuck in the receptor in a way you wouldn't expect based on its purely chemical properties. And it gets stuck specifically in the serotonin 2a receptor, which would lead to effects like elevated cortisol for longer than the other effects. I wrote more about this here if you are especially interested:

 

Edited Monday at 03:53 AM by Carl-Richard

[Peo]

7 hours ago, integration journey said:

Is that why when I take LSD I can hardly get any good sleep that day? 

I just smoke some weed and will be able to get some sleep. Also best to take LSD early in the day. 

[samijiben]

LSD is my problem child.

It is my favorite substance.

In case you were interested in my perspective, LSD can act/feel like a large number of different substances -- from sedatives to stimulants, dissociatives and even depressants. 

The experience of LSD is malleable to a greater extent than other substances. God knows why. Or maybe the chemist next door does. 

Either way, I sometimes feel a desire to venerate the substance while muttering hymns to myself. lol. What a Godly Substance

[Hojo]

Its imagination stimulus somehow, must have to do with default mode network. Once default mode network turns off imagination somehow becomes stimulated.

Edited 8 hours ago by Hojo

[Vynce]

On 28/04/2025 at 5:14 AM, integration journey said:

Is that why when I take LSD I can hardly get any good sleep that day? 

Exactly.