Deliriants are a class of hallucinogen. The term was introduced by David F. Duncan and Robert S. Gold to distinguish these drugs from psychedelics and dissociatives, such as LSD and ketamine respectively, due to their primary effect of causing delirium, as opposed to the more lucid states produced by such other hallucinogens as are represented by psychedelics and dissociatives. The term is generally used to refer toanticholinergic drugs which are substances that inhibit the function of the neurotransmitteracetylcholine. Typical or common examples of deliriants include Datura as well as higher than recommended dosages of Diphenhydramine.
Effects
The delirium produced, particularly by anticholinergics is characterized by stupor, agitation, confusion, confabulation, dysphoria, akathisia, realistic visual hallucinations or illusions and regression to "phantom" behaviors such as disrobing and plucking. Other commonly reported behaviors include holding full conversations with imagined people, finishing a complex, multi-stage action and then suddenly discovering one had not even begun yet, and being unable to recognize one's own reflection in a mirror. The effects have been likened to delirious fevers, sleepwalking, a fugue state or a psychotic episode. This is a notable departure from the effects of serotonergic psychedelics.
Deliriant substances
deliriants are found in plant species such as Atropabelladonna, various Brugmansia species, Datura stramonium, Hyoscyamus niger, and Mandragora officinarum in the form of tropane alkaloids. Synthetic compounds such as diphenhydramine and dimenhydrinate are also deliriants. Nutmeg is also considered a deliriant due to its propensity to cause anticholinergic-like symptoms when taken in large doses. These effects are caused by the compounds myristicin and elemicin which are found in nutmeg's essential oil and can last up to several days in their effects similarly to the aforementioned tropane alkaloids found in datura. Additionally, the mushroom referred to as fly agaric and its active principles ibotenic acid and muscimol may also be considered deliriants, albeit more hypnotic and with a unique mechanism of action.
Despite the fully legal status of several common deliriant plants and OTC medicines, deliriants are largely unpopular as recreational drugs due to the severe dysphoria, uncomfortable and generally damaging cognitive and physical effects as well as the sometimes unpleasant nature of the hallucinations produced. User reports of recreational deliriant usage on the Erowid website generally indicate a firm unwillingness to repeat the experience. In addition to their potentially dangerous mental effects some tropane alkaloids; such as those found in plants of the Datura genus are poisonous and can cause death due to tachycardia-induced heart failure, hypoventilation and hyperthermia even in small doses. Anticholinergics have also been shown to increase the risk of developing dementia with long-term use even at therapeutic doses, therefore they are presumed to carry an even greater risk when used at hallucinogenic dosages. Scopolamine in particular has been implemented in scientific models used to study the cholinergic hypothesis for Alzheimer's disease and other related dementias.
