“Trips” for the users may be pleasurable and enlightening or anxiety-producing and unpleasant (known as a “bad trip”). There is no way to know how a user’s experience may ultimately play out. Common effects after use may include:

• visual hallucinations and radically altered states of consciousness (psychedelic experience)
• open and closed eye visualizations
• euphoria
• dream-like state
• slowed passage of time
• laughter
• a mixing of senses (synesthesia, such as “seeing a sound” or “hearing colors”)
• pupil dilation

Side effects or risks of mescaline use may include:

• anxiety, fear
• racing heartbeat (tachycardia)
• dizziness
• weakness
• diarrhea
• excessive sweating
• tremors
• nausea, vomiting
• headache
• accidental injury
• psychosis, panic, or paranoia
• seizures
• amnesia (loss of memory)
• posthallucinogen perceptual disorder (flashbacks)
• rarely, suicidal thoughts or actions

Like most psychedelic hallucinogens, mescaline is not physically addictive; however, it can cause tolerance meaning higher doses are need to achieve the same hallucinogenic effect. Mescaline-containing cacti can induce severe vomiting and nausea. Which is an important part of traditional Native-American or Shaman ceremonies and is consider a cleansing ritual and a spiritual aid.