HOW THE WORLD GETS HIGH Get the Book
Reference

The A–Z dictionary.

Every major psychedelic, and every other name it goes by.

A friend mentions huachuma. An article discusses peyote’s active chemical. A retreat advertises San Pedro. A news story covers Colorado’s mescaline provisions. Those are all the same thing. Now that can be very confusing.

Somebody talks about the toad. Somebody else says 5-MeO. A researcher says Bufo. A veteran says the God molecule. Same compound, four names, and a reader could easily believe they are four different substances. This dictionary exists to fix that. Once and for all.

A note on the street names. They are only included for recognition and education, not endorsement. Many are also unreliable, because what is sold under a name is frequently not what the name means. That’s why they call it the street! Facts first, always.

18 entries
#ADIKLMNPS
#

THE 2C FAMILY

Scientific: A family of phenethylamines, mostly designed by Alexander Shulgin.
Chapter: Eight.

5-MeO-DMT

Scientific: 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine.
Source: The Sonoran Desert toad (Incilius alvarius), Anadenanthera tree seeds, various grasses. Also synthesized.
Chapter: Four.
ALSO KNOWN ASThe toad · Toad medicine · Bufo (from the former genus name, extremely common though taxonomically outdated) · Bufo alvarius · Five-methoxy · 5-MeO · The God molecule · The Jaguar · Sapo (Spanish for toad, though see the warning below) · Yopo / Cohoba (referring to the Anadenanthera snuff, which also contains bufotenine)
A

AMANITA MUSCARIA

Scientific: Muscimol and ibotenic acid, from Amanita muscaria.
Chapter: Two.
ALSO KNOWN ASFly agaric · Fly amanita · The red mushroom · Soma (contested, see Chapter One) · Mukhomor (Russian) · Wapaq (Koryak) · Christmas mushroom · Santa's mushroom · Beni-tengu-take (Japanese)

AYAHUASCA

Scientific: A brew of Banisteriopsis caapi (containing harmine, harmaline, tetrahydroharmine) plus a DMT-containing plant, usually Psychotria viridis.
Chapter: Three.
ALSO KNOWN ASYagé / Yajé (Colombia, Ecuador) · Caapi · Natem (Shuar) · Hoasca (União do Vegetal) · Daime / Santo Daime (the Santo Daime church) · Vegetal (UDV) · Nixi pae (Huni Kuin) · Uni · Kamarampi (Asháninka) · La purga · The vine · Vine of the soul · Vine of the dead · The medicine · Grandmother · Mother Ayahuasca · Aya
D

DATURA AND BRUGMANSIA

Scientific: Scopolamine, atropine, hyoscyamine, from Datura and Brugmansia species.
Chapter: Three.
ALSO KNOWN ASJimsonweed · Jamestown weed · Devil's trumpet · Devil's snare · Thornapple · Moonflower · Angel's trumpet (Brugmansia) · Toloache (Nahuatl) · Locoweed · Borrachero (Colombia) · Burundanga / Devil's breath (referring to scopolamine)

DMT

Scientific: N,N-dimethyltryptamine.
Source: Hundreds of plant species, most notably Psychotria viridis and Mimosa tenuiflora. Also produced endogenously in mammals.
ALSO KNOWN ASThe spirit molecule · Dimitri · Businessman's trip · Businessman's lunch · Fantasia · The 45-minute psychosis (an old and unhelpful clinical term) · Changa (a smokable blend of DMT with an MAOI-containing herb) · Deems
I

IBOGAINE

Scientific: Ibogaine, from Tabernanthe iboga root bark.
Chapter: Three.
ALSO KNOWN ASIboga · Eboga · Eboka (Fang, Gabon) · Root bark · TA (total alkaloid extract) · Sacred wood · Bwiti medicine · The bitter root
K

KAMBO

Scientific: Peptide secretion of Phyllomedusa bicolor.
Chapter: Four.
ALSO KNOWN ASSapo · Vacina do sapo (frog vaccine) · Acate (Matsés) · Dow-kiet · Frog medicine · Giant monkey frog · Waxy monkey tree frog

KETAMINE

Scientific: Ketamine hydrochloride. Esketamine is the S-enantiomer.
Chapter: Eight.
ALSO KNOWN ASK · Special K · Ket · Vitamin K · Kit Kat · Cat valium · Cat tranquilizer · Horse tranquilizer · Jet · Super acid · Green · Purple · Donkey dustTRADEKetalar · Spravato (esketamine nasal spray) · Ketaset
L

LSA / MORNING GLORY

Scientific: Lysergic acid amide, also called ergine.
Source: Turbina corymbosa, Ipomoea tricolor, Argyreia nervosa.
Chapter: Three.
ALSO KNOWN ASOloliuqui / Ololiuhqui (Nahuatl) · Badoh negro (Zapotec) · Morning glory seeds · Heavenly Blue · Pearly Gates · Flying Saucers (all cultivar names) · Hawaiian baby woodrose · HBWR · Baby woodrose · Elephant creeper · Woodrose

LSD

Scientific: Lysergic acid diethylamide. Also LSD-25.
Source: Semi-synthetic, derived from ergot alkaloids (Claviceps purpurea).
Chapter: Eight.
ALSO KNOWN ASAcid · Lucy · Lucy in the sky · L · Tabs · Blotter · Blotter acid · Doses · Hits · Trips · Dots · Microdots · Sugar cubes · Windowpane · Sunshine · California sunshine · Orange sunshine · Yellow sunshine · Purple haze · White lightning · Cid · Sid · Stamps · Papers · Zen · Electric Kool-AidTRADEDelysid (Sandoz, 1947 to mid-1960s)

Blotter paper sold as LSD is frequently something else, most dangerously the NBOMe family. See Chapter Eight.

M

MAD HONEY

Scientific: Grayanotoxins, from Rhododendron ponticum and R. luteum nectar.
Chapter: Six.
ALSO KNOWN ASDeli bal (Turkish, "mad honey") · Grayanotoxin honey · Red honey · Cliff honey · Himalayan mad honey · Pagal madhu · Rhododendron honey · Poisonous honey · Xenophon's honey

MDMA

Scientific: 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine.
Source: Entirely synthetic.
Chapter: Eight.
ALSO KNOWN ASEcstasy · E · X · XTC · Molly · Mandy (UK) · Beans · Rolls · Rolling · Adam (the original therapeutic name, 1970s and 80s) · Disco biscuits · Love drug · Hug drug · Vitamin E · Scooby snacks · Thizz · Pills · DovesCLINICALMidomafetamine (the official generic name used in FDA filings)

"Ecstasy" pills and "molly" powder frequently contain other substances entirely, including methamphetamine, cathinones and synthetic opioids. The name tells you nothing about the contents.

MESCALINE

Scientific: 3,4,5-trimethoxyphenethylamine.
Source: Peyote (Lophophora williamsii), San Pedro (Trichocereus pachanoi), Peruvian torch (Trichocereus peruvianus), Bolivian torch (Trichocereus bridgesii).
Chapter: Three.
N

NUTMEG

Scientific: Myristicin, elemicin and safrole, from Myristica fragrans.
Chapter: Three.
ALSO KNOWN ASJaifal (Hindi) · Pala (Indonesian) · Mace (the aril of the same seed, chemically similar) · Prison spice · Poor man's high · Nutmeg high
P

PSILOCYBIN

Scientific: Psilocybin (4-phosphoryloxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine). Converts in the body to psilocin, which is the active compound.
Source: Roughly 200 species of mushroom, principally the genus Psilocybe.
Chapter: Two.
ALSO KNOWN ASMagic mushrooms · Mushrooms · Shrooms · 'Shrooms · Boomers · Caps · Golden caps · Golden teachers (a specific P. cubensis variety, often used loosely) · Liberty caps (specifically P. semilanceata) · Blue meanies (specifically P. cyanescens and others) · Cubes (P. cubensis) · Philosopher's stones (specifically the sclerotia/truffles) · Truffles · Zoomers · Purple passion · Little smoke · Sacred mushrooms · Flesh of the gods · Teonanácatl (Nahuatl) · Los niños santos, the holy children (Mazatec, via Spanish) · Ndi xijtho (Mazatec)CLINICAL/TRADECOMP360 (Compass Pathways synthetic formulation) · CYB003 · Psilocybin analog
S

SALVIA

Scientific: Salvinorin A, from Salvia divinorum.
Chapter: Three.
ALSO KNOWN ASDiviner's sage · Sage of the seers · Seer's sage · Magic mint · Sally-D · Sally · Ska maría pastora (Mazatec, "leaves of Mary the Shepherdess") · Ska pastora · Yerba de María · Hierba de la Virgen · Purple sticky (a marketing name for concentrated extracts)

SYRIAN RUE

Scientific: Harmine and harmaline, from Peganum harmala.
Chapter: Three.
ALSO KNOWN ASEsfand / Espand (Persian) · Harmal · Üzerlik (Turkish) · Wild rue · African rue · Mountain rue · Hoama / Haoma (contested link to soma) · Anahuasca ingredient · Pharmahuasca ingredient