The process of assimilating knowledge, new concepts, ideas, and modes of thought are what define learning. Although the overall well-being of an individual is critical to the process of learning, the health of the brain is the most crucial aspect. The assimilation, processing, decoding, and cognitive processes of learning are all dependent on the functioning of the brain. In fact, the brain is the center of all conscious and subliminal functions undertaken in the body. Due to the importance of the brain in the process of learning, its normal functioning should not be altered in any way. However, due to intentional or unintentional reasons, this can happen. Hallucinogens have a significant effect on learning and cognition.
Hallucinogens are a group of substances that when consumed have the psychological effect of altering someone’s perception, feelings, thoughts, emotions, and perspective. In addition, they cause their consumers to have a distorted understanding or view of reality. Rudimentarily, these substances cause hallucinations. When an individual consumes hallucinogens, the brain is the organ that is primarily affected. Scientifically, the brain is the most complex part of a human being. Until today, scientists are still struggling to understand some of its functioning aspects (Mehling & Triggle, 2009). This therefore shows that the brain is a vital and sensitive organ whose role cannot be substituted. Exposing the brain to hallucinogens, therefore, puts its normal mode of functioning at jeopardy. Specific examples of hallucinogens include ketamine (special K), peyote (mescaline), phencyclidine (PCD), LSD, and psilocybin (magic mushrooms).
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Learning is an involving process and therefore to understand the effects of hallucinogens on learning and memory, it is important to look at what learning and memory processes entail. First, learning and memory are all centered in the brain and thus anything that affects the brain impacts them as well. Since the success of a learning process or session is often evaluated through memory, a person’s ability to remember something (cognitive skills) forms an assessment basis for the success or failure of a specific learning process (Stillman & Willette, 2013). It is also important to point out that hallucinogens have negative consequences on a person’s mental health even though most of these effects are temporary.
Effects of Hallucinogens in Class
The learning process mainly takes place in class. Indeed, it is in a class where teachers and students interact productively to relay knowledge and education. It is thus crucial to understand that the learning process is often complementary to teaching practice. To this end, the factors that affect a teacher or the instruction process also impact the students. In class, hallucinogens can either affect the teacher or a student. Either way, the effects and impacts are imposed on the learning process. According to Nelson (2014), one of the ways through which the consumption or use of hallucinogens manifests itself is through hallucinations whereby someone hears, feels, and sees things that do not exist. Indeed, hallucination is a mental phenomenon that has various implications whether theoretical, clinical or empirical. In fact, in psychopathology, hallucinations are perceived as severe and puzzling with most of them being found in individuals with mental problems. While the exact cause of hallucination is still a mystery, there is enough evidence that links this phenomenon to various etiological factors
From the perspective of a teacher, the learning process can be significantly impacted by hallucinogens. In instances where a teacher consumes hallucinogens, they will experience the consequential medical implications, hallucinations, and subsequently disturb the learning process. Since the instructor is the primary facilitator of the learning process, it would be impossible to expedite learning if one is seeing or hearing things that do not exist. In this regard, the learning process will be severely impacted. For instance, a teacher who is under the influence of hallucinogens may go to class and during the learning process, he or she may start seeing buildings outside the classroom burning. In the same line of thought, the instructor may begin hearing individuals screaming ‘fire! Fire!’ In such a scenario, it would be unimaginable to see how the teacher would react. If not rushing out of the classroom and joining in the chaos, then it would be to evacuate the class. This is just one instance of a classroom situation where a teacher might be experiencing hallucinations and ultimately alter the learning process. Many scenarios can be simulated regarding a hallucinating teacher in a classroom setup and whichever dimension one explores, it all breaks down to one thing, hindering the learning process. Also, a hallucinating instructor can have problems with memory and cognition (Goldberg, 2009). If this is the case, such a teacher might end up relaying erroneous information to the students. Giving wrong information to students implies that the students will end up performing poorly in their learning endeavors.
Due to the strict government rules regarding the teaching practice, it is a rare occurrence to have a teacher under hallucinogens facilitating the teaching and learning processes. Students, on the other hand, are at a higher predisposition to consuming hallucinogens meaning that the learning process has a higher chance of being affected by a student under hallucinogens than a teacher. It is challenging for a student under hallucinogens to learn due to the lack of concentration. As outlined, learning is the assimilation of new ideas or concepts. Therefore, to be able to learn, one has to be composed and focused, something which an individual under hallucinogens cannot attain since they may find it difficult to concentrate in class.
Hallucinogens, therefore, alter a person’s concentration negatively which further affects the learning process. The aspects of assimilating knowledge, new ideas, and concepts require the constant involvement of the brain (Coon & Mitterer, 2012). It is a pro-active process of relaying information from a source of knowledge to the brain. The purity of the brain is thus an important factor for the relaying process to be successful. Purity, in this case, means that the brain has to be free of any deceptive thoughts, notions, feelings, activities or emotions. A brain under hallucinogens is always occupied performing multiple functions simultaneously. To this end, adding the learning process in addition to the array of activities that the brain is performing when one is under hallucinogens is an overwhelming task. In fact, in such instances, the brain lets go of certain critical functions to pave the way for the hallucinogens. Since hallucinogens are powerful chemical substances, they end up dictating the functions of the brain, meaning that the important activities carried out by the brain such as the learning process stop prematurely.
Effects of Hallucinogens on Memory and Cognition
Cognition involves the acquisition, processing, and ultimate storage of information in the brain. It is through the cognition process that memory is created. From a biological perspective, hallucinogens affect neurotransmitters, the elements of the central nervous system (CNS) that are involved in the propagation of stimuli. In particular, serotonin and glutamate are the neurotransmitters that are most affected. According to Hoffer & Osmond (2013), their functions pertain to relaying emotional, perceptional, behavioral, learning, cognitive, and memory stimuli. When one consumes a hallucinogen, some or all of these processes are altered and the adversity of the effects depend on the type and quantity of hallucinogen consumed.
When the functioning of neurotransmitters responsible for cognition and memory is altered, it means that cognition and memory functions may not occur and in case they occur, they will be adversely affected. Therefore, from a biological dimension, cognition and memory are affected by hallucinogens. For cognition to take place and a memory to be created, the brain has to work with the central nervous system and other stimuli receptors in a procedural process and every pertinent part of the cognitive and memory processes including the neurotransmitters has to play its role without compromise. Since hallucinogens interfere with the natural functioning of neurotransmitters, they have a negative impact on these vital processes.
The brain stores memory in tiny ‘storage units’ called brain cells that have the equivalence of bits in computers. The arrangement and orientation of brain cells are dependent on neurotransmitters and how information is relayed. This implies that if the information is conveyed in the wrong way, there is a high probability it will be stored incorrectly, or it may not be stored entirely. The erroneous storage of information means that vague or short-term memory is created. The short memories are unhealthy for the learning process since they may fail, especially during assessments. Therefore, the aspects of cognition, learning, and memory are intertwined together since their creation is based on the functioning of the brain and since hallucinogens affect the brain’s operation, they consequently affect cognition, learning, and memory (Benavidez, 2013).
Effects of Hallucinogens on Mental Health
Mental health is crucial in the process of learning and memory. Without a healthy mind, it becomes challenging or even impossible to learn. Also, creating a constructive memory, especially in education, is difficult if someone’s mental health is disturbed. Individuals who consume hallucinogens experience emotional instability and unsettledness. As pointed out earlier, most hallucinogens have a temporary effect on a person’s mental health. In extreme cases, depending on the type and amount of hallucinogen consumed, long-term mental health issues such as psychosis can also develop and permanently interfere with the learning process. Either way, a disturbed mental health condition does not favor learning. Also, when a person is mentally unhealthy, they cannot harbor constructive memories.
Another aspect of mental health is that it is determined by what chemical substances it is exposed to. For instance, some people expose themselves to intoxicating substances and when this is done for a long time, the brain cells become damaged. Since most hallucinogens are intoxicating substances, continued consumption damages the brain cells (Harmon, 2009). Fundamentally, brain cells are what determine the creation of memories and the learning process. When the brain cells are severely damaged, it means that learning, memory, and cognition are affected. Therefore, mental health is important to an individual when they want to have good memories as well as to be successful in the learning process.
Conclusively, psychology is an important discipline in the well-being of a person as it is a fundamental aspect of life and one of the determinants of the character of an individual. Hallucinogens have a significant effect on learning and memory. It is therefore crucial for the society to acknowledge the existence of hallucinogens and their resultant consequences. Individuals who are frequent consumers of these substances should be given the appropriate help they require in a bid to avoid both the addictive and intoxicating effects which are debilitating. Most importantly, people should understand the consequences of consuming hallucinogens and ultimately avoid their use. Moreover, individuals with mental health issues should be accepted in the society and not be stigmatized based on their condition or status.
References
Benavidez, E. J. (2013). Getting High : The Effects of Drugs. Xlibris Corporation.
Coon, D. & Mitterer, J. O. (2012). Introduction to Psychology : Gateways to Mind and Behavior with Concept Maps and Reviews. Cengage Learning.
Goldberg, R. (2009). Drugs Across the Spectrum . Cengage Learning.
Harmon, D. E. (2009). Hallucinogens : The Dangers of Distorted Reality.
Hoffer, A. & Osmond, H. (2013). The Hallucinogens . Elsevier.
Mehling, R. & Triggle, D. J. (2009). Hallucinogens . Infobase Publishing.
Nelson, S. (2014). Hallucinogens : Unreal Visions. Mason Crest.
Stillman, R. C. & Willette, R. E. (2013). The Psychopharmacology of Hallucinogens . Elsevier.
