Zolpidem can indeed cause "abnormal thinking and hallucinations". I have consumed this drug on quite a few occasions, and the outcome has never been anything short of insane.
A few things one should keep in mind:
Consuming this drug for the recreational value will destroy the medical value. I can no longer sleep after consuming it; rather, I stay awake and enjoy the sights. I've tried sleeping after consuming it, all I do is eat a large amount and do crazy things all night, which I won't remember. I also lost my pants once.
This drug shares some of the pharmacological properties of benzodiazepines. This means, consuming it with alcohol may have adverse effects, possibly respiratory failure. This may or may not be true, take it with a grain of salt. Ambien overdoses of 400 mg have been survived. People also survive after huffing gasoline.
This drug may be addictive.
This drug may turn one into a ranting fool, who vomits on your carpet without noticing and proceeds to play music at the highest volume possible, at 3 am.
This drug is very useful for getting sleep. You will wake refreshed, if a bit more relaxed than usual. It comes in 5 mg and 10 mg dosages in the USA, and reportedly, up to 40 mg doses in Europe and the Scandinavian subcontinent, but is not likely that you will be given a large amount, or a prescription for a long period of time.
You will know the hallucinations are not real, and should be able to act fairly rationally if the dosage is not too high.
Informative, and amusing, I hope. Be cautious if using this drug for its recreational potential. Do not drive after consuming it. It's strongly suggested you don't drink alcohol. Especially if consuming Ambien.