Hallucinogenic drugs have played a role in human life for thousands of years. Cultures from the tropics to the arctic have used naturally occurring hallucinogens in plants to induce states of detachment from reality, to precipitate "visions" and thoughts to provide mystical insight, as medical agents, and were largely used during social and religious ritual. After the development of LSD, however abuse of hallucinogens became more widespread, and from the 1960s onward, it increased dramatically.
LSD and other hallucinogens became very fashionable in the United States and Europe in the 1960s, when many young people were pursuing greater personal freedom and questioning old values and ideas. Many of these individuals wanted to see into their own minds, and wanted to create spiritual or religious experiences.
There is no evidence that hallucinogens increase creativity, have therapeutic values or provide the user with spiritual insights. In general, very few people use hallucinogens today. Those who do usually don't take them on a regular basis, but weeks or months apart instead. This may be because the effects require a long recovery time or because the pleasurable effects are unpredictable.
