Synthesis:Hallucinogen Rating Scale

As its name suggests the Hallucinogen Rating Scale (HRS) was designed to assess the effects of hallucinogenic drugs. It comprises 72 items.^[1]

Instructions include:

When filling out the HRS, subjects were asked to recall their experiences from the immediately preceding session. Almost all questions were scored 0 to 4: 0,"not at all"; 1, "slightly"; 2, "moderately"; 3, "quite a bit"; and 4, "extremely"^[2]

Dimensions, sub-dimensions, and items

Somaesthesia

A rush
Change in salivation
Body feels diﬀerent
Change in sense of body weight
Feel as if moving falling flying through space
Change in body temperature Electric /tingling feeling
Pressure or weight in chest or abdomen
Shaky feelings inside
Feel body shake or tremble
Physically restless
Sexual feelings
Feel removed detached separated from body

Aﬀect
Anxious
Frightened
Feel like laughing
Excited
Awe
Amazement
Safe
Feel presence of a numinous force, higher power, God.
Euphoria
Change in feelings of closeness to people in room.
Change in "amount" of emotions.
Emotions seem diﬀerent than usual
Feel of oneness with universe
Feel isolated from people and things
Feel reborn
Like the experience
How soon would you like to repeat the experience
Desire for the experience regularly

Perception

Flushed
Change in skin sensitivity
A sound or sounds accompanying the experience
Sounds in room sound diﬀerent
Change in distinctiveness of sounds
Change in visual distinctiveness of objects in room

Visual eﬀects
Room looks diﬀerent
Change in brightness of objects in room
Room overlaid with visual patterns
Eyes open visual field vibrating or jiggling
Visual images
Kaleidoscopic nature of visual images
Diﬀerence in brightness of visions compared to usual daylight vision
Dimensionality of images
Movement within images
White light

Cognition (covers "thought content and processes"^[2])

Sense of speed
Contradictory feelings at the same time
Sence of chaos
Change in strength of sense of self
New thoughts or insights
Change in rate of thinking
Change in quality of thinking
Diﬀerence in feeling of reality of experiences compared to everyday experience
Dreamlike nature of the experiences
Insights into personal or occupational concerns
Change in rate of time passing
Change in sense of sanity

Volition (defined as the "wilful ability to interact with one's mental and physical self and the environment"^[2])

Urge to close eyes
Change in eﬀort of breathing
Able to follow the sequence of events
Able to “let go”
Able to focus attention
In control
Able to move around if asked to
Able to remind yourself of being in a clinical room, being administered a drug,
the temporary nature of the experience.

Intensity (defined as "a global measure of robustness of response"^[2])

Amount of time between when the drug was administered and feeling an eﬀect
Waxing and waning of the experience
Intensity
High

References

↑ Riba, J., Rodrı́guez-Fornells, A., Strassman, R. J., & Barbanoj, M. J. (2001). Psychometric assessment of the Hallucinogen Rating Scale. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 62(3), 215. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0376-8716(00)00175-7
↑ ^2.0 ^2.1 ^2.2 ^2.3 Strassman, R. J. (1994). Dose-Response Study of N,N-Dimethyltryptamine in Humans: II. Subjective Effects and Preliminary Results of a New Rating Scale. Archives of General Psychiatry, 51(2), 98. https://doi.org/10.1001/archpsyc.1994.03950020022002

[1] Riba, J., Rodrı́guez-Fornells, A., Strassman, R. J., & Barbanoj, M. J. (2001). Psychometric assessment of the Hallucinogen Rating Scale. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 62(3), 215. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0376-8716(00)00175-7

[:0-2] 2.0 ^2.1 ^2.2 ^2.3 Strassman, R. J. (1994). Dose-Response Study of N,N-Dimethyltryptamine in Humans: II. Subjective Effects and Preliminary Results of a New Rating Scale. Archives of General Psychiatry, 51(2), 98. https://doi.org/10.1001/archpsyc.1994.03950020022002

[1]

[2]