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Ariadne is a phenethylamine psychedelic analog first synthesized by Alexander Shulgin and documented in PiHKAL. It is the alpha-ethyl homolog of DOM, and unlike DOM it does not produce hallucinogenic effects in humans despite binding the same primary receptor, which has made it a subject of renewed pharmacology research into non-hallucinogenic 5-HT2A agonists.
- Reported mental alertness and improved well-being at low oral doses in Shulgin's own testing
- Serves as a research lead for non-hallucinogenic 5-HT2A agonists with possible antidepressant-relevant signaling
- Does not appear to produce the head-twitch response linked to hallucinogenic activity in animal studies
- Human safety data is limited and mostly informal or historical rather than from controlled modern trials
Overview
A genuinely interesting case: it hits the classic psychedelic receptor but the trip doesn't happen, which is exactly why modern labs went back to study it.
Mechanism
Ariadne acts as an at the receptor, the primary target implicated in classic psychedelic effects, but with markedly lower signaling potency and efficacy across the Gq, G11, and beta-arrestin2 pathways compared to DOM. This lower-efficacy, partial-agonist-like signaling profile is the leading explanation for why Ariadne lacks hallucinogenic effects in humans and produces a dramatically attenuated head-twitch response (a standard behavioral proxy for hallucinogenic activity) in animal studies, despite retaining meaningful 5-HT2A binding affinity.
receptor fingerprint
receptorPartial Agonist
Safetyrisks and cautions, not medical advice
Shulgin reported testing doses up to 32 mg orally in PiHKAL, describing the effect as 'the alert of a psychedelic, with none of the rest of the package,' with reported mental alertness and improved well-being rather than hallucinosis. Historical accounts describe earlier pharmaceutical-industry testing (attributed to Bristol Laboratories) exploring higher doses for mood and neurological symptoms, but rigorous modern human safety data is limited; most of what is documented comes from small, informal reports rather than controlled clinical trials.
Subjective profileweighing the evidence above
Genuinely important as a research lead into non-hallucinogenic 5-HT2A agonists, and that is where its value stops. As something to take it rests on Shulgin's own notes and scattered historical reports, with no established dose or modern safety data.
Resources
No suppliers are provided for compounds like this. This entry is here for reference.
Research
1 listed here; entry last updated July 2026
Reviews
My notesprivate to this device
FAQ
What is Ariadne used for?
It has no approved medical use. It exists as a research chemical first documented by Alexander Shulgin, and it is now studied as a lead compound for developing non-hallucinogenic drugs that act on the psychedelic serotonin receptor.
How does Ariadne work?
It binds the same serotonin 5-HT2A receptor that classic psychedelics like DOM and LSD activate, but it signals through that receptor much more weakly, which appears to explain why it doesn't produce a hallucinogenic trip.
Is Ariadne well-researched?
It was documented by Shulgin decades ago and has recently drawn renewed interest from academic labs studying non-hallucinogenic psychedelic analogs, but controlled human clinical data remains very limited.
Is Ariadne the same as DOM?
No, it's a close chemical relative (the alpha-ethyl version of DOM) but its effects are notably different: DOM is a classic hallucinogen, while Ariadne is not.
Limitations of the evidence
- It was never developed into an approved medication, so dosing and long-term risk are not established
Adverse effects
- Human safety data is limited and mostly informal or historical rather than from controlled modern trials
Notes and cautions
- As a 5-HT2A receptor ligand it still carries theoretical serotonergic interaction risks