Hallucinogens are chemical substances which temporarily change the way people see the world. Hallucinogens cause hallucinations. People no longer perceive reality as it is, but they see a reality that is distorted by their emotions. A person who is under the influence of a hallucionogen is said to be having a trip.
Hallucinogens have probably been used in the context of a cultic or religious function as long as there were humans.
There are different kinds of hallucinogens: