Thujone is not a psychedelic. It is a GABA-A and 5-HT3 antagonist.
The GABA-A antagonism likely accounts for the increase in lucidity that one experiences under the influence as GABA antagonists are typically stimulating in nature, a complete opposite to GABA agonists like alcohol itself (as the antagonist part suggests).
The 5-HT3 antagonism primarily causes a reduction in nausea, meaning you can drink more than usual and not feel sick - this imo is one of the reasons behind absinthe being seen as extremely strong and powerful, as it's easier to consume more alcohol without feeling bad, while trying to drink that much on its own will usually lead to you stopping a lot quicker.
The other reason absinthe maintains its reputation as such a powerful mix is simply due to the high alcohol content. All absinthe is > 45% alcohol content, many 70-80%+, as a result if you don't dilute it with water and drink it slowly as it is intended to be drank for the lucid effect, you'll get extraordinarily drunk very quickly.
I have plenty of experience with absinthe myself too and it's a wonderful drink, I can certainly see why many writers, poets and artists enjoyed it - the lucidity allows for a heightened clarity of the mind's eye, allowing imagery and ideas to flow very freely within. It's likely this is where myth about absinthe being hallucinogenic began, as artists and writers were expressing their inner thoughts under the influence, it's very easy to get the imagination and hallucinogenic visions mixed up when simply reading someone's account or looking at a piece of art.
Since absinthe is not a hallucinogen despite the myth this thread doesn't belong in PD, but if I were to move this elsewhere this would likely just be closed anyway as this is just another myth, and even worse than the "DMT has been proven to be released upon death" ones and such.
Check this out:
http://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/jf703568f Interesting read if you're interested in Absinthe, explains how ethanol (alcohol) is primarily all that's responsible for the effects.
Thirteen samples of authentic absinthe dating from the preban era (i.e., prior to 1915) were analyzed for parameters that were hypothesized as contributing to the toxicity of the spirit, including naturally occurring herbal essences (thujone, pinocamphone, fenchone), methanol, higher alcohols, copper, and antimony. The total thujone content of preban absinthe was found to range between 0.5 and 48.3 mg/L, with an average concentration of 25.4 ± 20.3 mg/L and a median concentration of 33.3 mg/L. The authors conclude that the thujone concentration of preban absinthe was generally overestimated in the past. The analysis of postban (1915–1988) and modern commercial absinthes (2003–2006) showed that the encompassed thujone ranges of all absinthes are quite similar, disproving the supposition that a fundamental difference exists between preban and modern absinthes manufactured according to historical recipes. Analyses of pinocamphone, fenchone, base spirits, copper, and antimony were inconspicuous. All things considered, nothing besides ethanol was found in the absinthes that was able to explain the syndrome “absinthism”.
Based on what I said earlier I was initially going to close it, but then I remembered your second point just questioning the lucid experiences absinthe provides, those are very real and I suspect this is the mild effect of thujone, as this is less noticeable in absinthes with lower thujone/wormwood extract concentrations.
I'm going to move this over to Other Drugs now. OD team do as ye will, I don't think there's another forum that'd be more fitting, but it's up to you guys if you decide to keep it open or not
PD -> OD
