Hardy Western Australian wattle named for the raspberry-jam scent of its freshly cut wood. The bark contains exceptionally high concentrations of N,N-DMT.
Fast-growing tree native to Southeast Asia whose root bark and phyllodes are rich in N,N-DMT and other tryptamines.
Eastern Australian wattle whose phyllode and bark are among the richest known natural sources of N,N-DMT, with a chemical profile that also includes NMT and trace beta-carbolines.
Semi-aquatic perennial herb with intensely aromatic rhizomes containing α- and β-asarone. Distinguished from sweet flag's many lookalikes by the characteristic spicy-bitter scent. Among the most globally distributed sacred plants of antiquity, named in Egyptian, Greek, Vedic, and Chinese pharmacopoeias.
Iconic red-and-white spotted mushroom containing muscimol and ibotenic acid. Produces distinctly sedative, dream-like, and sometimes deliriant effects.
Close relative of the fly agaric whose tan-brown cap conceals a substantially higher concentration of ibotenic acid and muscimol — making it both more potent and more dangerous than A. muscaria.
South American tree whose seeds have been prepared into psychoactive snuff (vilca) and brews for at least three thousand years. Closely related to yopo but distributed further south, across the central Andes and the Gran Chaco.
Tree native to the Caribbean and northern South America whose seeds contain a powerful mix of bufotenine, DMT, and 5-MeO-DMT. The seeds are roasted and ground into the snuff known as yopo, used in shamanic ceremonies of the Orinoco basin.
Slender tropical palm cultivated across South and Southeast Asia for its seed (the areca nut, commonly called the "betel nut"). The seed contains the alkaloid arecoline. Chewed in combination with betel leaf (Piper betle) and slaked lime by an estimated several hundred million people worldwide, making it the world's fourth-most-widely-used psychoactive substance.
Yellow-flowered, prickly, latex-bearing annual poppy native to Mesoamerica and naturalised across much of the world's tropics. The Aztec pharmacopeia recorded multiple uses, and contemporary Mexican curanderos continue to use it. The seed oil contains the toxic alkaloid sanguinarine, the cause of epidemic dropsy when it has contaminated cooking-oil supplies.
Tropical climbing vine whose seeds contain significant amounts of LSA (ergine), a naturally occurring lysergamide.
Squat, rock-like cactus that sits nearly flush with the desert floor — a master of camouflage in its arid habitat. Contains hordenine, N-methyltyramine, and other phenethylamines but not mescaline at meaningful concentration. Variously identified by Huichol travellers as a "false peyote" or a related teaching plant.
European perennial whose glossy black berries and dull-green leaves contain a lethal cocktail of tropane alkaloids — long associated with witchcraft, flying ointments, and Atropos, the Greek Fate who cuts the thread of life.
The primary vine used in traditional ayahuasca brews. Contains powerful beta-carboline MAO inhibitors that allow DMT from other plants to become orally active.
Tree with enormous fragrant pendulous flowers, containing the tropane alkaloids scopolamine, atropine, and hyoscyamine. Produces a deeply deliriant, dissociative state that many traditional practitioners describe as fundamentally different from — and more dangerous than — the tryptamine entheogens.
Tropical shrub with showy flowers that open purple and fade to white. The bark is one of the canonical "plantas maestras" of Mestizo Amazonian curanderismo — taken in long dietas, it is said to teach the apprentice and clean the body.
Widespread Eurasian toad whose parotoid secretion contains bufotenine, bufotalin, and other bufadienolides at lower concentration than Rhinella marina. Of more historical and cultural than pharmacological interest — repeatedly named in early-modern European witch-trial confessions and herbals as an ingredient in flying ointments and brews.
Bitter-tasting Mexican shrub used by Chontal and other indigenous peoples of Oaxaca to clarify and intensify dreams — one of the few well-documented natural oneirogens.
East Asian evergreen shrub whose leaves, processed in dozens of distinct ways, yield green, white, oolong, black, and pu-erh teas — the second most consumed beverage on Earth and the second great gift of caffeine to human culture.
Annual flowering plant whose resinous female inflorescences produce dozens of cannabinoids — chiefly Δ9-THC and CBD. One of humanity's oldest cultivated plants, with archaeological evidence of use stretching back at least five thousand years.
Evergreen shrub of the Horn of Africa and Arabian Peninsula whose fresh leaves are chewed for the stimulant alkaloid cathinone. The compound is highly unstable — leaves must be consumed within days of harvest, which has shaped a vast same-day distribution economy.
Parasitic fungus of grasses and cereals that replaces the seed with a dark, banana-shaped sclerotium packed with a complex pharmacopeia of ergoline alkaloids — the chemical lineage from which LSD itself was eventually derived.
Ethiopian highland shrub whose roasted seeds power the most widely consumed psychoactive beverage in human history — caffeine alone now exceeds every other drug in daily reach.
Showy ornamental shade plant of Southeast Asian origin, grown worldwide for its riotously coloured foliage. The Mazatec curanderos of Oaxaca include several Coleus cultivars in their botanical repertoire alongside Salvia divinorum — calling them el ahijado ("godchild") and la nene ("the child").
Small, fragile psilocybin-producing mushroom of well-watered grass and moss. Very easy to overlook and very easy to confuse with several deadly Conocybe and Galerina species — included here for taxonomic completeness rather than as a recommendation.
Cosmopolitan weedy annual whose spiny seed pods conceal an extremely dangerous mixture of tropane alkaloids — producing intense, fully formed hallucinations indistinguishable from reality, often followed by amnesia and lasting physical harm.
Hardy North American prairie legume whose root bark contains substantial N,N-DMT — making it a temperate ecological analog of the Amazonian DMT-rich Mimosas.
Amazonian vine whose leaves are a potent source of N,N-DMT, frequently used as an alternative or complement to Psychotria viridis in ayahuasca.
Fast-growing columnar cactus native to the Andes containing mescaline. Central to traditional Andean shamanism for thousands of years.
Tall, blue-green columnar cactus closely related to San Pedro and often substantially more potent — one of the major mescaline-bearing cacti of the central Andes.
Ancient gymnosperm shrub of the central-Asian steppe whose jointed green stems have been used in Chinese medicine for over 5000 years and which provide one of the oldest known plant-derived stimulants — ephedrine.
Andean shrub whose chewed leaves provide one of the world's most enduring stimulant traditions — sustaining high-altitude work, ritual, and medicine for at least 8000 years before its alkaloid cocaine was isolated and globally misused.
Wood-decaying rust-spored mushroom whose bright golden flesh contains psilocybin alongside an intensely bitter taste — a chemical combination that has prevented it from ever becoming popular for recreational use.
Slender willow-leaved Mesoamerican shrub used as a fermented infusion to produce a distinctive auditory shift — the world seems to grow quieter and slightly more golden, with sometimes pronounced changes in pitch perception.
Sticky, foul-smelling Eurasian biennial whose dusky cream-and-purple flowers conceal high levels of hyoscyamine and scopolamine — an ingredient of pre-Christian European ritual, classical antiquity's Oracle at Delphi (per some scholars), and the witches' Sabbath of medieval folklore.
Large toad native to the Sonoran Desert whose parotoid glands contain significant amounts of 5-MeO-DMT and bufotenine.
Small European fibrecap that, uniquely within an otherwise toxic genus, produces psilocybin, baeocystin, and the quaternary tryptamine aeruginascin — the latter discovered through accidental poisonings.
Ornamental climbing vine whose seeds contain lysergic acid amide (LSA) and related ergoline alkaloids. Used ritually by Zapotec and other Mesoamerican peoples as a divinatory complement to ololiuhqui.
Climbing morning-glory vine whose dark seeds contain the ergoline alkaloid LSA (ergine). Known to the Aztecs under the Nahuatl name tlitliltzin and used in parallel to the seeds of Rivea corymbosa (ololiuqui). Modern horticultural cultivars sold as "Heavenly Blue", "Pearly Gates", and "Flying Saucers" all derive from this species.
Low aromatic herb of the lower Amazon basin and Caribbean. The dried leaves are added as an admixture to several Amazonian ceremonial preparations, especially yopo and parica snuffs prepared by Waika, Yanomami and other peoples, and occasionally to ayahuasca brews. The leaves themselves smell of new-mown hay (coumarin).
Tall European biennial whose stem and unripe seed-heads exude a bitter milky latex when cut. The dried latex (lactucarium) contains lactucin and lactucopicrin and was a recognised European materia medica from antiquity into the 19th century. Mildly sedative and analgesic.
Rare, endemic tree of southern Chile's temperate rainforest, the only member of its genus. Contains scopolamine and hyoscyamine. Used historically by Mapuche machis (shamans) in southern Chile — feared and revered as a tree of madness, vision, and witchcraft.
Southern African shrub with striking orange whorls of flowers whose dried leaves are smoked as a mild, calming euphoriant — sometimes described as a gentler, more grounded cousin of cannabis.
Close relative of true peyote (L. williamsii) but with a distinct alkaloid profile dominated by pellotine rather than mescaline — and a correspondingly sedative rather than visionary action. Endemic to a small area of Querétaro, Mexico.
Slow-growing, spineless cactus containing mescaline. One of the most ancient and culturally significant entheogens of the Americas.
Mediterranean perennial whose forked, vaguely human-shaped root has accumulated more folklore per gram than perhaps any plant in the European tradition — from the Hebrew Bible to Pythagoras, Pliny, and Harry Potter.
Shrub or small tree native to Brazil and Mexico whose root bark is rich in N,N-DMT. Used in traditional Jurema rituals.
African congener of the better-known Southeast Asian kratom (M. speciosa). Contains its own profile of mitragynine-class alkaloids but in different ratios and at lower concentration. Used in West and Central African folk medicine for fever, pain, and as a stimulant tonic.
Tropical tree of Southeast Asia whose leaves contain mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine — alkaloids with unusual pharmacology spanning opioid agonism and adrenergic modulation. Stimulating at low doses, sedating and analgesic at higher doses.
Pantropical climbing legume whose seeds are the richest known natural source of L-DOPA (typically 3–7% by dry weight). The seed-pod hairs (the "cowhage") cause intense skin itching from a serotonergic protein. Long-standing Ayurvedic use for Parkinsonian symptoms, libido, and convalescence.
The original tobacco species of the Americas — vastly more potent than the commercial Nicotiana tabacum, with nicotine content often exceeding 9% by dry weight. Central to many indigenous shamanic practices throughout the Americas.
Slender blue-petalled water lily of the Nile and tropical Africa whose flowers contain nuciferine and apomorphine — mild sedative, mood-lifting, and dream-enhancing alkaloids — and which is depicted constantly in ancient Egyptian art beside scenes of feasting and ritual.
Widely distributed, moderately potent psilocybin-containing mushroom — one of the most common temperate dung and compost species, and often the first encountered by accidental foragers.
Pantropical dung-loving mushroom widely regarded as one of the most potent natural sources of psilocybin and psilocin — often several times stronger by weight than Psilocybe cubensis.
Evergreen tree of West and Central African rainforests whose inner bark contains the indole alkaloid yohimbine. Brought into Western use in the late 19th century as an aphrodisiac, and now also sold over-the-counter for athletic performance. The clinical profile includes meaningful α2-adrenergic effects and interaction risks that justify caution.
Hardy Old-World shrub whose seeds are extraordinarily rich in the beta-carboline alkaloids harmine, harmaline, and tetrahydroharmine — the same MAO-inhibiting chemistry as Banisteriopsis caapi, making it the cornerstone of so-called 'ayahuasca analogs'.
Small, slow-growing Mexican cactus whose tuberculate ribs resemble a woodlouse (whence "aselliformis"). Contains low concentrations of mescaline and other phenethylamines. Sometimes called peyotillo and used by some Huichol bands as an addition to or substitute for true peyote.
Widespread temperate grass with extremely variable alkaloid chemistry — depending on the strain and growing conditions, it can produce N,N-DMT, 5-MeO-DMT, bufotenine, and the toxic gramine in differing ratios.
Small flowering shrub of the legume family, native to a broad sweep of tropical and subtropical Asia. Phytochemical surveys have repeatedly shown its leaves and roots to contain a striking combination of psychoactive tryptamines — N,N-DMT, 5-MeO-DMT, and bufotenine — alongside β-carboline alkaloids of the harmala family, making it one of the very few single plants to carry both halves of the ayahuasca formula in the same organism.
Large arboreal tree frog of the Amazon basin. The waxy skin secretion contains a remarkable peptide pharmacopeia — dermorphin and deltorphins (highly selective μ- and δ-opioid agonists), phyllocaerulein, sauvagine, and dozens of other bioactive peptides — collectively known in the practice as kambô or sapo.
Sterile, vegetatively propagated Pacific shrub whose roots are pounded and infused to produce a relaxing, sociable, and mildly euphoric beverage at the heart of Polynesian and Melanesian ceremonial life.
A pale-grey shield-cap mushroom that grows on rotting willow, beech, and other deciduous wood across Europe and North America. Contains psilocybin and psilocin at modest concentrations — one of the very few psilocybin-producing species outside the Psilocybe and Panaeolus genera.
One of the most potent psilocybin-containing mushrooms in the world. Produces exceptionally high levels of psilocybin and psilocin.
Wood-loving Pacific Northwest mushroom and the type species for the alkaloid baeocystin. Often dark, sticky, and prone to staining a deep indigo blue.
Small psilocybin-producing mushroom of deciduous hardwood forest east of the Mississippi. The species epithet "caerulipes" — "blue foot" — refers to the strong bluing reaction at the base of the stem when bruised.
One of the most widely cultivated and studied psilocybin-producing mushrooms. Cosmopolitan species with a distinctive golden cap and strong blue bruising reaction.
Highly potent wood-loving psilocybin mushroom famous for its wavy cap margin and intense blue bruising. One of the strongest naturally occurring species in temperate climates.
Small psilocybin mushroom historically used in sacred mushroom ceremonies by the Mazatec and other indigenous groups in Mexico.
Southern African dung-loving psilocybin mushroom morphologically similar to P. cubensis but adapted to subtropical grassland conditions.
Slender, conical-capped psilocybin mushroom of Pacific Northwest conifer forest. Lower in psilocybin than P. azurescens or P. cyanescens but far more abundant where it grows — long, narrow troops appearing on conifer debris and old logging tracks in autumn rain.
Small, potent, conical-capped mushroom that is among the most widespread psilocybin species in temperate regions.
Small to medium psilocybin-producing mushroom of the Pacific Northwest. Famously fond of well-watered urban lawns and wood-chip beds, which has given it the colloquial name "the lawnmower's mushroom". Caution: deadly Galerina marginata grows in the same habitat and is easily confused with it.
Rare wild mushroom famous for producing dense underground sclerotia — the so-called 'magic truffles' that have become the legal substrate for psilocybin retreats and microdosing in the Netherlands.
Robust, dark-spored mushroom of Mesoamerican cloud forests, used ceremonially by Zapotec, Chatino, and Mixe peoples and considered one of the sacred 'teonanácatl' species.
Small shrub whose leaves are the most common source of N,N-DMT in traditional ayahuasca brews.
Very large bufonid toad native to Central and South America, infamous worldwide as one of the most damaging invasive species after deliberate introduction to Australia, the Caribbean and many Pacific islands. The parotoid glands secrete a complex toxin cocktail including bufotenine, bufotalin, and cardiac glycosides.
Climbing vine whose seeds contain LSA (ergine). One of the most important entheogens in ancient Mesoamerican cultures.
Rare perennial herb in the mint family containing salvinorin A, a unique kappa-opioid agonist with extremely potent and short-acting dissociative-psychedelic effects.
Mediterranean and East Atlantic seabream that, when its head or viscera are eaten under certain conditions, can produce 'ichthyoallyeinotoxism' — vivid auditory and visual hallucinations lasting up to 36 hours, almost certainly caused by algal toxins it accumulates rather than by anything the fish itself synthesizes.
Low-growing succulent of southern Africa whose fermented leaves and stems contain mesembrine — a serotonin reuptake inhibitor and mild mood-lifter. Used for at least three centuries by the Khoekhoe and San peoples.
Slender Xhosa medicinal plant whose root is used by traditional diviners (amagqirha) as a powerful oneirogen — producing vivid, prophetic dreams considered to be direct communications from the ancestors.
Mexican woody climber of the nightshade family with very large pale-yellow trumpet flowers. Contains the classic tropane alkaloids scopolamine and hyoscyamine at substantial concentration. Held sacred by the Huichol people, who call it kieli or kieri and treat it as a powerful, dangerous spirit.
Amazonian shrub from which the eye-drop preparation sananga is made. The root and inner bark are pressed and the resulting liquid is dripped into the eyes — a practice in active use among several Amazonian peoples including the Matsés, Yawanawá, and Kaxinawá, particularly as a hunter's eye-medicine. Pharmacologically related to Tabernanthe iboga: the genus contains numerous indole alkaloids including ibogaine analogues.
Shrub native to Central Africa containing ibogaine, a unique indole alkaloid with powerful anti-addictive and oneirogenic properties.
Aromatic perennial marigold native to the highlands of Mexico and Guatemala, with a strong anise-tarragon scent. Named yauhtli in the Aztec Florentine Codex, where it appears in ritual incense formulae alongside copal. Continues in contemporary Mazatec, Huichol and other Mexican ceremonial use.
Mesoamerican rainforest tree whose fermented and roasted seeds — once reserved for Maya and Aztec royalty as a frothy ritual drink — contain a gentle pharmacological orchestra of theobromine, caffeine, phenethylamine, and anandamide.
Fast-growing columnar cactus from Bolivia containing mescaline. Popular in both traditional and modern entheogenic use.
Massive columnar cactus of the northwestern Argentine Andes, reaching 10 m or more — one of the largest cacti outside Mexico. Contains mescaline at low concentrations alongside other phenethylamines. Less culturally prominent than San Pedro but used in some Andean curandero traditions.
Tall Amazonian rainforest tree whose red resin is processed into a powerful DMT-rich snuff used by Yanomami, Tukano, and several other northwest-Amazonian peoples.
West African tree closely related to iboga whose bark and seeds are exceptionally rich in voacangine — a chemical precursor and close analog of ibogaine — and which is used by some Bwiti initiates as a substitute for, or complement to, Tabernanthe iboga.
Potent 5-HT1A and 5-HT2A agonist. Produces an extremely intense, short-duration experience often described as complete ego dissolution or 'whiteout'.
Oxidized minor alkaloid and active metabolite of mitragynine. Substantially more potent at the mu-opioid receptor than mitragynine itself — believed responsible for much of kratom's analgesic and sedative effect at higher leaf doses.
Quaternary tryptamine analog of psilocybin found in Inocybe aeruginascens, Panaeolus cyanescens, and several Psilocybe species. The fixed positive charge limits its passage into the brain, and current evidence suggests it may modulate the subjective character of the experience rather than acting as a primary psychedelic.
Pyridine alkaloid acting as a partial muscarinic acetylcholine receptor agonist. The primary psychoactive constituent of betel/areca nut, producing mild stimulation, warmth, and a sense of well-being alongside well-documented carcinogenic risk to oral tissues with chronic use.
Phenylpropanoid found in Acorus calamus and Asarum species. Mechanism remains incompletely understood; mild psychoactive, sedative, and tonic effects have been described historically. β-asarone, a related isomer, is classified as a probable carcinogen and is the reason calamus from Indian-strain plants is regulated as a food additive.
Racemic tropane alkaloid of the deadly nightshade family — a competitive antagonist of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors that produces dilated pupils, dry mouth, racing heart, and (at higher doses) a deliriant state of fully formed, often disturbing hallucinations.
Naturally occurring psilocybin analog found in many Psilocybe species. Thought to be a prodrug similar to psilocybin with potentially milder or distinct subjective character.
Isoquinoline alkaloid widespread in Berberis, Hydrastis, Argemone, Coptis and many other genera. Not classically psychoactive — included for completeness as a major alkaloid of several plants in the atlas. Active research target for metabolic and cardiovascular conditions.
Naturally occurring tryptamine found in certain toads, plants, and fungi. Has complex pharmacology with activity at serotonin receptors.
The most widely consumed psychoactive substance on Earth. Acts primarily as a competitive antagonist of adenosine receptors, indirectly raising dopamine, norepinephrine, and acetylcholine signaling — producing wakefulness, alertness, and mild euphoria.
Principal stimulant alkaloid of khat (Catha edulis). Closely related structurally to amphetamine, acting as a releaser of dopamine and norepinephrine. Unstable post-harvest — degrades to less potent cathine within days, which is why khat is chewed fresh.
Major non-intoxicating cannabinoid of Cannabis sativa. Acts at multiple targets — CB1 negative allosteric modulator, CB2 partial agonist, 5-HT1A, TRPV1, GPR55 — producing anxiolytic, anticonvulsant, and anti-inflammatory effects without the classical cannabis 'high'.
Tropane alkaloid of the coca leaf. Potent inhibitor of dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin reuptake, producing intense stimulation, euphoria, and local anaesthesia. Whole-leaf coca, with its many minor alkaloids and nutrients, has a profoundly milder profile than isolated cocaine.
Heptapeptide originally isolated from the skin of Phyllomedusa frogs, acting as a highly selective μ-opioid receptor agonist roughly 30–40× more potent than morphine. The active principle (alongside deltorphins, phyllocaerulein, and sauvagine) in the kambo secretion used by several Amazonian peoples.
Naturally occurring phenethylamine of Ephedra. Indirect sympathomimetic — releases norepinephrine and directly agonizes adrenergic receptors, producing stimulation, bronchodilation, and appetite suppression.
Beta-carboline alkaloid and potent MAO-A inhibitor found in Banisteriopsis caapi. Enables oral activity of DMT in ayahuasca.
The major beta-carboline alkaloid of Banisteriopsis caapi, and the primary MAO-A inhibitor responsible for making oral DMT active in ayahuasca. Acts as a reversible inhibitor of monoamine oxidase A and is itself mildly psychoactive at higher doses.
Pure L-isomer counterpart to atropine and substantially more potent at muscarinic receptors. The principal active tropane of henbane and a major component of belladonna, datura, and mandrake.
Complex pharmacology including NMDA antagonism, serotonin reuptake inhibition, and sigma receptor activity. Famous for interrupting opioid addiction and producing long, dream-like visionary states.
Excitotoxic glutamate-receptor agonist (NMDA and AMPA) found in Amanita muscaria and A. pantherina. Decarboxylates to the much less excitotoxic muscimol when the mushroom is dried, aged, or passed through a mammalian kidney — which is why dried muscaria (and reindeer-filtered urine) are traditionally preferred over fresh.
Best-characterized of the kavalactones of Piper methysticum. Modulates GABA-A receptors and inhibits voltage-gated sodium and calcium channels — producing a clear-headed, sociable anxiolytic effect quite distinct from alcohol or benzodiazepines.
Sesquiterpene lactone, the principal active component of the milky sap of Lactuca virosa and related wild lettuces. Mild sedative, analgesic, and anxiolytic effects documented in older European pharmacopoeias.
Aromatic amino acid, the immediate biosynthetic precursor to dopamine. Crosses the blood–brain barrier (unlike dopamine itself) and is the cornerstone treatment for Parkinson’s disease. Mucuna pruriens seeds are an exceptionally rich natural source.
Naturally occurring lysergamide found in certain morning glories and Hawaiian baby woodrose. Produces sedative, dreamy, and mild psychedelic effects.
One of the longest-known psychedelics in the Western world. Phenethylamine that produces rich, long-lasting visual and empathogenic effects.
Principal alkaloid of fermented Sceletium tortuosum. A selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor and PDE4 inhibitor with mild mood-elevating, anxiolytic, and pro-social effects.
Principal alkaloid of kratom leaves. Acts as a partial agonist at mu-opioid receptors and an antagonist at kappa and delta — an unusual profile that produces stimulation at low doses and opioid-like effects at higher doses. Also modulates adrenergic and serotonergic systems.
Potent GABA-A receptor agonist. Primary psychoactive compound in Amanita muscaria responsible for sedative, oneirogenic, and deliriant-like effects.
Extremely potent serotonergic psychedelic. Rapidly metabolized by MAO when taken orally, hence the need for MAO inhibitors in ayahuasca.
Active metabolite of ibogaine, formed by demethylation in the liver. Substantially longer half-life than the parent compound and a notable serotonin reuptake inhibitor — widely considered responsible for much of ibogaine's anti-addictive afterglow.
Aporphine alkaloid of sacred and blue lotus. Acts as a dopamine D2 antagonist and weak partial agonist at several serotonin receptors — producing mild sedation, calm, and a subtly dreamy mood-lift.
Tetrahydroisoquinoline alkaloid most abundant in Lophophora diffusa ("false peyote"), distinct from mescaline. Produces sedation rather than the classic mescaline visionary state, and was historically isolated as a candidate hypnotic.
The active dephosphorylated metabolite of psilocybin. Direct 5-HT2A agonist responsible for the classic psychedelic effects of magic mushrooms.
Prodrug that is rapidly dephosphorylated to psilocin in the body. Classic serotonergic psychedelic acting primarily at 5-HT2A receptors.
Unique non-nitrogenous diterpenoid. Highly selective kappa-opioid receptor agonist. Produces intense, short-lived dissociative and visionary states.
Tropane alkaloid found in Brugmansia, Datura, and other Solanaceae. Acts as a competitive muscarinic acetylcholine receptor antagonist, producing intense deliriant effects qualitatively distinct from classical psychedelics — including realistic hallucinations indistinguishable from reality.
Third major beta-carboline of Banisteriopsis caapi (alongside harmine and harmaline). A weaker MAO-A inhibitor but a serotonin reuptake inhibitor in its own right — believed to be a major contributor to the long, dreamy afterglow of an ayahuasca session.
The principal psychoactive cannabinoid in Cannabis sativa. Partial agonist at the CB1 receptor of the endocannabinoid system, with widespread effects on perception, appetite, time-sense, memory, and pain modulation.
Closely related methylxanthine to caffeine — also an adenosine antagonist, but milder, longer-acting, and with relatively more cardiovascular and less central-nervous-system effect. The dominant alkaloid in cacao.
Iboga-type alkaloid found in Voacanga africana and Tabernanthe iboga and used industrially as the precursor for ibogaine synthesis. Pharmacologically similar to ibogaine but somewhat weaker.
Indole alkaloid acting as a selective α2-adrenergic receptor antagonist, increasing noradrenergic tone. Used historically as a peripheral aphrodisiac and now studied for anxiety-related and metabolic effects. Significant interaction risk with MAOIs and many medications.