Substance Index

Dissociatives are a subclass of hallucinogen that produce a feeling of detachment from the body, the sense of self, and the surroundings. Researchers think that dissociatives mainly block NMDA receptors, which are part of the glutamate system. This system binds sensory information and the self into one coherent experience. The block interrupts this system and creates the sense of disconnection. At low doses, the effect is a floaty, dreamlike state. At high doses, the effect is a full out-of-body experience.