Natural hallucinogens and schizophrenia both cause hallucinations by affecting various regions of the brain. The variety of symptoms experienced by individuals with schizophrenia can be extremely debilitating. Treatments for the hallucinations and other symptoms have the potential to be ineffective (National Institute of Mental Health 2016). The hallucinations caused by schizophrenia are involuntary and can disrupt everyday life for patients. One of the more prominent symptoms of schizophrenia is the onset of hallucinations. People with schizophrenia often seem as though they have lost touch with reality (National Institute of Mental Health 2016). Schizophrenia is a chronic and severe mental disorder which affects how a person thinks, feels, and behaves. The natural hallucinogens found in these regions have shaped cultures within the Americas, such as the Aztecs and Native Americans, who used them primarily for religious purposes. Chief among these hallucinogenic compounds are the ayahuasca brew (active ingredient: dimethyltryptamine or DMT), peyote and related hallucinogenic cacti (active ingredient: mescaline), and a variety of hallucinogenic fungi (active ingredient: psilocybin) (Bell 2014:667). In the Americas, specifically the Amazon, hallucinogen use has become an integral part of native cultures due to the wide range of hallucinogenic compounds that can be found in the flora and fauna of the region. Hallucinations have played a role in human life for centuries, allowing shamans and priests to communicate with spiritual beings and gods.Ĭultures across the world have been known to use hallucinogens for religious, recreational, and medicinal purposes. Misperceptions and illusions both occur when there is a real stimulus, however, this stimulus is misinterpreted as something different (Sacks 2012:xi). Hallucinations can be defined as perceptions in the absence of external stimuli (Abad et al. Despite the research that has been done on hallucinations, a precise definition has not yet been decided due to the difficulty in separating hallucinations from misperceptions and illusions. These hallucinations can be visual, auditory, tactile, and olfactory in nature and occur without the stimulation of the respective organs. Hallucinations can arise from a variety of conditions ranging from drug use to neurological complications. Although some similarities exist, experiences are quite different. This analysis examines differences in the visual, auditory, olfactory, and tactile hallucinations experienced by both groups. These hallucinations are often negative and can lead patients into depression. Schizophrenia is a mental disorder that causes the manifestation of hallucinations. Natural hallucinogens commonly induce positive hallucinations that include feelings of euphoria and enlightenment. Shamans and priests have also used them for medicinal purposes (Schultes 1976). Natural hallucinogens have been used for centuries by different cultures as a way to communicate with the spirit world and ancestors. A large body of knowledge exists on the various causes of hallucinations but there is a lack of focus on the comparison between hallucinations induced by different conditions. Hallucinations have piqued the interest of mankind for generations.
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