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The pharmacology of 5-HT is extremely complex, with its actions being mediated by a large and diverse range of 5-HT receptors.
As with all neurotransmitters, the actual effects of 5-HT on the human mood and state of mind, and its role in consciousness, are very difficult to ascertain.
One way of understanding it is through the use of MDMA, which is thought to cause a mass release of 5-HT, possibly by drawing it back through the transporter.
The effects of MDMA are in large part due to the 5-HT which floods synapses during an MDMA "roll," an experience which typically includes feelings of well-being, comfort, tactile sensitivity, and, at high doses, feelings of emotional empathy or entactogenesis. (MDMA also releases norepinephrine, and to a much lesser extent, dopamine. MDEA, a closely related drug, appears to be purely a serotonin releasing agent, and lacks the strong stimulant effect of MDMA.)
5-HT receptors are also used by other psychoactive drugs, including LSD, DMT, and Psilocybin, the active ingredient in psychedelic mushrooms.
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