FLASHBACK

A flashback is the re-experiencing of the effects of a hallucinogenic drug long after the drug has been eliminated from the body.  A flashback may occur days, months, or even years after the initial drug use.  About eight of every ten users report experiencing flashbacks.  Half of those say they have had flashbacks years later.  There is no way of predicting when or if a flashback may occur.

The young man in this case bought a dose of what he thought was mescaline.  He tried it only once.  He said that during his trip, he explored the inner reaches of his mind.  After the trip, he found that he had lost his self-confidence. His mind seemed no longer under his control.  He worried constantly about his past, present and future life.  In a note he wrote, "One day I was more or less a normal 20 year old with most of the problems facing youth today, and then for $5, the price of a trip on mescaline, I had bought myself instant insanity."

Unable to stop the flashbacks and seeing no way out, he got into his car, poured gasoline over the seat, tied his feet and hands, then struck a match.

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