phenylethylamine

n. any of a group of drugs with hallucinogenic effects and a common basic chemical structure. The prototype is mescaline, an alkaloid first isolated from the peyote cactus in 1896. Mescaline is one of the least potent of the hallucinogens, but potency is increased by adding methyl groups to the basic molecule, thereby creating substituted phenylethylamines. The latter include the amphetamine derivatives DOM, MDA, and MDMA. See also phenylalkylamine.

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Psychology term of the day

January 19th 2025

life review

the process whereby individuals, especially older adults, reflect upon and analyze past life experiences. Life review, or analytical reminiscence, is often made use of in counseling older adults with symptoms of mild depression or people of any age with terminal illness, sometimes as an adjunct to psychotherapy. [defined in 1961 by U.S. gerontologist and psychiatrist Robert N. Butler (1927–2010)]