Table of Contents
Introduction
Salvia Divinorum: The Plant and its History
The Discovery of Salvinorin A
Dosage and Methods of Administration
Warnings
Effects and Experiences
Salvinorin A Journeys
Conclusions
Bibliography
Appendix A: Salvia Divinorum Cultivation
(by Will Beifuss, courtesy of the Resonance Project)
Appendix B: Photos
Copyright (c)1996 by Panther Press
ISBN 0-9642636-2-9
Library of Congress Catalog registration in progress
First Printing - August 1996
Printed in the United States of America
D.M. Turner is a trademark of Panther Press
All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner
without the written permission of the publisher.
Introduction
Salvinorin A is the primary psychoactive component of Salvia divinorum. a member
of the sage family found in the Mexican state of Oaxaca. Salvinorin A is the
most potent naturally occurring psychedelic known, and in many ways the most
enigmatic. Those using salvinorin A find it frequently induces experiences of an
intensity level which is an order of magnitude beyond those experienced with any
other psychedelic, even DMT. The dimensions visited under the influence of
salvinorin A are described as extremely bizarre and varied, with several aspects
not common to other psychedelic experiences.
Many who have used salvinorin A find the experience extremely unnerving,
frightening and overly intense. Most have no desire to repeat the experience.
although there are a few who have taken a liking to this entheogen and are
working to develop a relationship with it. Early experiments by pioneering
psychonauts suggest that access to benignly expansive realms, as well as new and
very real dangers. are possible with this material. Salvinorin A also presents
us with an entirely novel chemical structure for a psychedelic drug. It's the
first psychedelic diterpene to be discovered, while nearly all other known
psychedelics are alkaloids.
The following pages discuss the history and botany of the rare and little-known
plant. Salvia divinorum, and the recent isolation of its immensely powerful
active principal, salvinorin A. Since the first human experiment with this
substance three years ago. salvinorin A has generated significant interest
within the psychedelic community, and promises to challenge our basic
understanding of consciousness and the functioning of the mind. Presented here
are results of the early human experiments with salvinorin A, many in the form
of first-hand reports which give lucid descriptions of the bizarre and
multifaceted worlds of Salvia divinorum.
Salvia Divinorum: The Plant and its History
Salvia divinorum is used by the Mazatec Indians living in remote regions of
Oaxaca, where it first came to the awareness of western researchers in the first
half of this century. Little is known regarding the plant's use before this
period, although there is some indication that it may have been used by the
Aztecs in earlier times. The first description of this plant in western
literature was made by Swedish anthropologist Jean Basset Johnson in 19391.
Johnson. who was investigating psilocybe mushroom use amongst the Mazatecs, also
noted their use of Salvia divinorum in healing ceremonies.
Salvia divinorum is a very rare plant, being found in only a few ravine
locations in the Sierra Mazateca mountains. The plant is easily propagated by
cuttings, and during the past few decades it has made its way into numerous
botanical gardens and private collections around the world. Virtually all of the
Salvia divinorum in circulation has been vegetatively propagated from two parent
clones of this species. The first specimen was collected by R. Gordon Wasson in
1962. A second, so called "palatable" strain was collected by Bret Blosser in
1991. The "palatable" variety is actually still quite bitter, although less so
than the Wasson clone. There are a few other strains being maintained, some of
which were grown from seed, but these are not in general circulation.
Cuttings of Salvia divinorum placed in a jar of water will begin rooting within
two to three weeks. When the roots have reached about 1", the cuttings may he
transferred to pots. Salvia divinorum likes humidity and moisture, moderate but
indirect sunlight and warm temperatures. In most parts of the United States it
will grow best in a greenhouse and appreciates frequent misting. Too much
sunlight will turn the leaves a pale green. If the leaves curl up and dry at the
edges, it is a sign that the temperature is too warm for the amount of humidity
they are receiving. The plants should be kept from freezing at all times,
although they may grow back after a light frost that does not freeze the roots.
Salvia divinorum grows into a vine-like bush with branches frequently reaching 7
to 10 feet in height before bending over under their own weight, often rooting
where they fall. The plant has jagged- edged leaves that reach 4" to 6" in
length. The amount of leaf is typically sparse in proportion to the stems, and
often the plants have a slightly straggle appearance. The stems are
square-shaped and hollow with winged edges. Under proper growing conditions the
leaves have a beautifully deep, rich, almost velvet-like sheen, and appear quite
sensuous. In the fall Salvia divinorum produces delicate flowers with white
corollas and purple calyxes. Salvia divinorum sets seed rather infrequently, and
only on rare occasions have these seeds proven to be viable.
It is thought by many botanists that Salvia divinorum is a cultigen. It is not
known to exist in the wild, and the few patches that are known in the Sierra
Mazateca appear to be the result of deliberate planting. A Mazatec shaman
informed Wasson that the Indians believe the plant is foreign to their region
and do not know from where it came. And if Salvia divinorum is a hybrid, there
are no commonly held theories on what its prospective parents may be.
Amongst the Mazatecs, Salvia divinorum (Diviner's sage) is known under such
names as ska Maria Pastora and Hierba Maria, which translate as "the herb of
Mary" or "leaves of Mary the Shepherdess". In a recent paper, Jonathan 0tt has
noted that the Mazatecs lack an indigenous name for Salvia divinorum, both the
Christian theme of Mary, as well as sheep, having been introduced to the region
during the Spanish conquest. The Mazatecs also list a method of consuming this
plant that does not efficiently utilize its psychoactive content, and seem to be
generally unaware of its tremendous potency. Based on this information, and the
likelihood of its being a cultigen, Ott has suggested that Salvia divinorum may
be a post-conquest introduction to the Sierra Mazateca. However, it has also
been suggested, initially by R. Gordon Wasson, that Salvia divinorum may be the
Aztec plant Pipiltzintzintli, an entheogen that was briefly described by a 17th
century Spanish friar. Ott has found that the little information available
regarding Pipiltzintzintli supports this hypothesis, while ruling out several
other plants that have been suggested as candidates for this Aztec sacrament.
R. Gordon Wasson, the famed ethnobotanist who introduced psilocybe mushrooms to
western society, was also the first to personally describe an experience with
Salvia divinorum. In July of 1961 he participated in a healing ceremony
performed by a Mazatecan curandera. Wasson ingested the squeezed juice of 34
pairs of leaves, and described the results as "coming on sooner (than the
mushrooms), being less sweeping, and lasting a shorter time. It did not go
beyond the initial effects of the mushrooms - dancing colors in elaborate,
three- dimensional designs." In 1962 Wasson was joined in Oaxaca by Swiss
pharmacologist Albert Hofmann, inventor of LSD, who also first isolated
psilocybin from mushrooms gathered in this same region. Hofmann brought an
alcohol extract of Salvia divinorum back to Switzerland where he attempted to
isolate the active component. He was unsuccessful, finding the extract to no
longer be active, and suggested that the plant's active principal was unstable.
The Discovery of Salvinorin A
There was little research performed on Salvia divinorum during the following two
decades. Salvinorin A was first isolated in 1982 by Alfredo Ortega, while
performing a systematic chemical search for novel terpenoid compounds within the
genus salvia. Ortega's search was not related to, and did not investigate, this
plant's psychoactive properties. A group led by Leander Valdes, who was
attempting to discover the psychoactive component of Salvia divinorum,
separately isolated the same compound in 39g. The
Valdes group, however, only tested salvinorin A by administering injections to
mice. Although these experiments suggested that salvinorin A was the main
psychoactive component of the plant. the Valdes group remained unaware of its
extraordinarily potent effects in humans.
In June of 1993 Daniel Siebert discovered the strikingly powerful effects of
salvinorin A, following the smoking of an extract which he had produced. Prior
to producing the extract Siebert had been experimenting with ingestion of Salvia
divinorum and smoking the dried leaves. Although these experiments allowed him
to enter a psychedelic world, he felt that a much vaster dimension was waiting
beyond the state produced by these methods of consumption. He began a series of
experiments producing
concentrated extracts and trying various methods of administration, During his
experiments, Siebert felt the plant's spirit was issuing a kind of intuitional
guidance, encouraging him to continue with the extraction process and discover a
means of achieving a full Salvia experience.
Pure salvinorin A is desirable because it permits one to experience intense
psychedelic effects which are often elusive when using the whole plant material.
In particular, when smoking dried Salvia divinorum leaf, many people fail to
achieve more than a mild effect, although a few find this method quite
satisfactory.
Upon his discovery of two terpenoid compounds, Valdes named them divinorin A and
divinorin B. However, since Ortega had previously discovered and named the first
of these compounds. the name salvinorin A is currently used for the plants
primary terpenoid component. Salvinorin B, which represents about 4% of the
plant's terpenoids, did not turn out to be psychoactive in Valdes' animal
studies, however, it has yet to be tested in humans. Valdes has also isolated
other terpenoids from Salvia divinorum.
In his book, Pharmako/Poeia, Dale Pendell indicates that one may need to work
with the plant for some time before feeling its effects.
"The Ally - She can be shy. Sometimes she has to get to know you for a while
before she will come out and say hello. But once she appears, are there any who
are more direct?"
When smoking dried Salvia divinorum leaf it is important that
the entire quantity be consumed in one or two large inhalations if one hopes to
obtain significant effects. Smoking it in the manner one normally smokes a joint
usually produces no more than a mild buzz.
Siebert found that leaves harvested during the warmer months of the year were at
least twice as potent as those harvested during the winter. John Gruber of the
Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and Science recently performed HPLC tests which
yielded between 1.5 and 2.2 mg. salvinorin A per gram of dried Salvia divinorum
leaf with lower amounts appearing in the stems and traces in the roots. Earlier
experiments by Siebert have yielded up to 4.4 mg. salvinorin A per gram of dried
leaf. The dried leaf equals approximately 13% of the fresh weight.
Siebert also discovered that when ingesting Salvia divinorum, its active
components are absorbed primarily through contact with the oral mucosa. His
experiments showed that significant entheogenic experiences were produced by
chewing 8 to 10 large fresh leaves (3 grams each, fresh weight) and holding them
in the mouth for 10 minutes, while quickly swallowing the same amount of
material produced no noticeable effects. In sessions where
Salvia divinorum was administered by Mazatecan shamans, most westerners who
reported definite psychoactive effects were given 50 to 100 leaves. Reports on
the plant's psychoactivity were inconsistent, and much of what was absorbed by
those who felt its effects may have been through the oral mucosa during the
process of chewing and consuming the leaves.
Shortly after discovering salvinorin A's effects, Siebert sent a sample to David
Nichols who initiated a NovaScreenTM receptor site screening. The screening
results were in contrast to those of all previously tested psychedelics.
Salvinorin A did not affect any of the receptor sites tested, which included all
of the likely known receptor sites for other psychedelics.
Dosage and Method of Administration
Salvinorin A can be efficiently consumed by inhaling the vaporized crystalline
powder, or by smoking, providing the crystalline powder has been placed on a
substrate such as dried Salvia divinorum leaf. Used in this manner, the effects
of salvinorin A can be distinctly felt from as little as 200 to 500 mcg. Most
who have tried salvinorin A have reported 'full" effects at a range between 800
and 1200 mcg. The distinction of "full" effects is arbitrary, as the intensity
and diversity of the experience increases with the dosage. It should also be
noted that as with any substance, there are a few people who will be unusually
sensitive to salvinorin A, and will require a smaller amount to produce the same
level of effects.
Ott has indicated that salvinorin A can also be taken sublingually, and is
active in even smaller doses, with as little as 100 to 250 mcg. producing
noticeable effects. Ott used a solution of salvinorin A in acetone in his
sublingual tests, and also reported that DMSO can be used as a solvent for this
purpose. By comparison, the most potent previously known natural psychedelics,
5-MeO-DMT and psilocin. are typically used in doses of 5 to 10 mg. Salvinorin A
is approximately 10 times the potency of these compounds, and nearly as potent
as the semi-synthetic psychedelic, LSD.
The effects of salvinorin A intensify sharply as the dose is increased, as has
been noted by several people who have used over 1 mg. A few have tried doses
around 2 mg., and had experiences of ferocious intensity which they had no
desire to repeat. The largest single dose reported is Siebert's initial smoking
of approximately 2 mg. of salvinorin A.
Most of the early experiments with salvinorin A were performed by inhaling the
vaporized crystal using the following technique. The salvinorin A was placed on
the center of a piece of thick aluminum foil, which was heated from below with a
butane micro-torch or "jet flame" lighten As the salvinorin A turned to a white
vapor, the vapors were inhaled through a 15mm diameter glass tube. This
technique requires careful performance. If one inhales before the crystal has
been melted, the solid material wilt be taken into the mouth and will not
produce the desired effects. However, if one waits more than a moment after the
vapor begins to appear, it will disperse and be lost to the atmosphere. There
were several reported misfires from people who were not successful in this
procedure. Some of these people suspected the substance was not very potent,
increased the dose, and were quite shocked by the intensity of what they were
subsequently propelled into.
I came across a simpler procedure for this process, which is to use a
conventional hash oil pipe. A hash oil pipe is made by creating a bubble or bowl
at one end of a glass tube, with an opening at the top. Although hash oil is no
longer commonly available4 these pipes can occasionally be found in stores. A
hash oil pipe allows better visibility of the melting and vaporization, and
better confinement of the vaporized material against escaping without being
inhaled. Even with a hash oil pipe the technique requires precision. The use of
a micro-torch or "jet flame" lighter is essential, not only due to salvinorin
A's high boiling point, but also because a conventional lighter will coat the
outside of the pipe in carbon, obscuring visibility of the melting/vaporization
process. I found that the flame must be continually moved over the bottom of the
bowl until the material has melted. These torches are hot enough to cause the
bowl to quickly expand and buckle if the flame is kept at one point on the bowl.
This causes the solid salvinorin A crystals to disperse over a large area inside
the bowl, which does not allow for efficient vaporization. It is important that
only self-extinguishing torches or lighters are used in this process, as
salvinorin A takes effect very rapidly. One does not want to be traveling
through hyperspace while a lit torch is burning at their side.
Recently salvinorin A has been distributed in another form which is much easier
to use. The material I've used contains 1 mg. of salvinorin A, dissolved onto 25
mg. of dried and powdered Salvia divinorum leaf. This concentrate formulation is
much easier to handle than the pure crystalline form. The concentrate
formulation may be smoked in a regular pipe using a regular lighter. However, a
dedicated pipe should be used for smoking salvinorin A, as subsequent smoking of
other herbs in the same pipe may induce an unwanted journey. Individual doses
can now be reasonably measured on a scale with 10 mg. (1/100 of a gram)
resolution, such as the Ohaus Centogram quad- beam balance. I've prepared 1 mg.
doses of salvinorin A by first weighing 50 mg. of the salvinorin A on Salvia
divinorum leaf concentrate, and then visually dividing this amount into two
equal piles. Anyone working with this material should be acutely aware that even
small variations in the dose size can produce dramatic increases in the
intensity of the experience. Pure crystalline salvinorin A requires a
sophisticated analytical balance for the measurement of individual doses. I have
used the salvinorin A on Salvia divinorum leaf formulation several times now,
and have noticed no difference between this and vaporizing the same amount of
material in pure crystalline form.
Siebert also performed tests using other methods of administering pure
salvinorin A. This included placing salvinorin A in the mouth, and dissolving
salvinorin A in a solvent and spraying into the nose. The effectiveness of these
methods varied widely with repeated applications of the same method. In some
cases a large percentage of the material taken seemed to make its way into the
bloodstream, at other times only minimal effects were produced. This presented a
significant risk. If the dose was increased to the point where one would
normally achieve "full" effects, (equivalent to smoking 1 mg.) there was a risk
of absorbing a larger percentage of the material which could produce an
experience of shocking intensity. This possibility led Siebert to suspend his
research in this area.
There are currently a number of people in the psychedelic community
experimenting with different methods of ingesting Salvia divinorum, including
the oral administration of a crude extract. It is likely that a reliable method
will soon be developed which allows one to experience fuller effects than can be
easily obtained through chewing the whole leaves, but without the intensity and
sudden onset of smoked salvinorin A.
Warnings
As mentioned earlier, most who have tried salvinorin A find its effects
extremely unsettling, and have no desire to repeat the experience. This response
comes from people who are highly experienced in the use of entheogens, including
many who are writers or leaders in the psychedelic community. from the 1960's to
present. It is unlikely that salvinorin A will ever become a popular substance,
and many will find using the non-extracted plant material more to their liking.
In contrast to using pure salvinorin A, use of the whole plant material,
particularly by ingestion, produces a gentler, longer-lasting experience, that
many have found easier to absorb and have derived greater benefit from. Used in
this manner, Salvia divinorum is also much less overwhelming, and is not likely
to present many of the dangers described below. Currently salvinorin A has been
used by a relatively small group of people. Information regarding its possible
effects on humans is still quite limited, and there is little known regarding
the possible toxicity of this substance, particularly at higher doses.
Information on the experience of about 50 users has been informally gathered and
summarized here. Also presented are some insights I've obtained during
approximately 30 sessions using salvinorin A.
The use of salvinorin A presents some extreme dangers which are not encountered
on other psychedelics. After smoking salvinorin A, some users will stand up and
begin walking or moving around, running into objects that are in their path.
People in this state typically move in an agitated manner and seem to be
struggling with the experience. Apparently they have no recognition of their
surroundings when this is taking place. This response has been noted in only a
few people, about 5% of the first 50 subjects.
A more common occurrence is for one who has just smoked salvinorin A to not
recognize that they are heavily inebriated, and begin to walk around In these
instances the user is able to perceive his or her surroundings, and moves around
without bumping into objects. Several people in this situation have wanted to
leave the premises where they were conducting their journey, desiring to either
drive or walk to another location, and needed to be dissuaded from doing so.
Often people who walk around during the journey do not recall doing so once the
effects wear off. The presence of a sober person to act as sitter during the
sessions has proven very important in dealing with situations such as those
described above. Siebert has witnessed reactions of this type and stated:
"When the dose goes above 500 to 1000 mcg the effects can be very alarming. I
have seen people get up and lunge around the room, falling over furniture,
babbling incomprehensible nonsense and knocking their heads into walls. Several
people have tried to wander out of the house. When the experience is over, they
have no memory of any of this. In fact, they usually remember very different
events. To an outside observer, people in this condition have a blank look in
their eyes as if no one is present. It is also common for people to have a
facial expression which is probably best described as being like that of a
frightened animal."
There is also potential psychological danger with salvinorin A. I can confirm
from my own experience that it can instantly obliterate any reference to sanity,
logic, or even the idea of existing, and make one feel that either one's self or
the entire universe has gone entirely and permanently crazy. Occasionally people
who have been given salvinorin A, even highly experienced psychedelic users,
feel that a bad0 joke has been played on them by whoever gave them the
substance. One person who tried salvinorin A, who is quite experienced with DMT
and most other psychedelics, remarked "It made DMT look like a water pistol, at
a dose 50-100 times less."
The intensity of a salvinorin A journey is often experienced as being an order
of magnitude more potent than smoked DMT, in much the same way that DMT seems an
order of magnitude more potent than a typical LSD journey. A large percentage of
salvinorin A users also report that the fear factor is much greater than with
DMT, which is saying a lot. I feel that no person, no matter how experienced
with other psychedelics or altered states of mind, can be prepared for the
intensity of a full-strength salvinorin A journey. It is common for users to be
shocked, amazed and frightened, at finding themselves in a state they could not
possibly conceive of being induced by any psychedelic substance. Certainly the
most cautious way for one to approach this substance is to work with the whole
plant material before attempting to use its active principal.
Effects and Experiences
Many who use salvinorin A spend the peak of their journey lying down or
reclining, apparently engrossed in an internal world. At the onset of the
experience there is often a complete separation of consciousness from the body
and personality. similar to what occurs with Ketamine. What is experienced after
this is quite variable, possibly more so than with other psychedelics. The
visions seen with salvinorin A seem particularly real and convincing. Quite
often people accept these visions as reality and forget they are under the
influence of a psychedelic substance. Siebert has reported on a number of themes
which are frequently experienced with salvinorin A.
1. Becoming objects (yellow plaid French fries, fresh paint on a drawer, a pant
leg,
a Ferris wheel, etc.)
2. Visions of various two-dimensional surfaces, films and membranes.
3. Revisiting places from the past, especially childhood
4. Loss of the body and/or identity.
5. Various sensations of motion, or being pulled or twisted by forces of some
kind.
6. Uncontrollable hysterical laughter.
7. Overlapping realities. The perception that one is in several locations at
once.
There has been little written regarding first-hand experiences with Salvia
divinorum or salvinorin A. Although recently reports from individuals have
appeared in publications such as The Entheogen Review and on internet BBS such
as alt.drugs.
Dale Pendell is one or the few to have taken a liking to Salvia divinorum. His
book, Pharmako/Poeia, devotes an entire chapter to it and offers many poetic
insights into the nature of this mysterious ally.
"Some say it is a sensual and tactile thing. Some say it's about temporality and
dimensionality, that it's about time travel Somesay it's about the Root Energy
Network, or that it's about becoming a plant...it's like a mirror with no frame:
some don't see it at all; some do, but don't like what they see... Consciousness
has to do with energy and light. It is really very simple, neither animals nor
people have consciousness. It is plants that have consciousness. Animals get
consciousness by eating plants."
These poems may seem arcane to those not familiar with the Salvia divinorum
experience, but are likely to be easily grasped by those who are. An
experimenter who chewed Salvia divinorum leaf reports in The Entheogen Review;
five minutes of uncontrollable laughter, followed by visions "similar to those
in fantasy paintings or ancient oriental palaces: the Alhambra of Grenada. A
large, almost endless empty hall with beautiful arches and hundreds of columns:
all in a strange, gloomy, blue-gray light with colors of deep magic and
majesty." This person later went on to feel as if he'd become a tree, similar to
an Oak. He experienced his bark as a sense organ, and remarked "while it was
happening I had no doubt that a tree feels that way." Subsequent to this his
experience changed from entheogen to aphrodisiac.
An excellent description of encounters with Salvia divinorum can be found in a
tape by Bret Blosser. While on a cave hunting expedition in the Sierra Mazateca
in the late 70's, Blosser quite accidentally came upon Mazatecs who use this
plant, and was able to participate in several sessions with native shamans. He
had the opportunity to receive instruction and learn about the plant's use over
a span of several years, during which he periodically revisited the area. In his
tape, Blosser discusses the uses for Salvia divinorum within the Mazatec
culture, which includes; medicinally - to treat both physical and "psychic"
illnesses, and in divining - the future, the cause or cure for an illness, and
information about friends, family, and enemies. He provides insightful
descriptions of his journeys, and of the preparation and guidance of his
sessions. The curandero who administered Blosser's journeys works with psilocybe
mushrooms more frequently than Salvia divinorum, and indicated that Salvia
divinorum is "too fast" for most people.
Prior to his extraction research with Salvia divinorum, Leander Valdes. together
with Jose Diaz, had taken part in ceremonies conducted by a Mazatecan shaman
during which they ingested leaves from the plant. Valdes reported the following
visions in an article appearing in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology :
"I see something between a cross and a sword which is covered with gold and has
many jewels... It has everything inside, lights, animals, people, plants.
Everything, of many colors. like a picture. Very very vivid colors." Valdes
characterized his experiences with Salvia divinorum as involving sensations of
"flying, floating, traveling rapidly through space, twisting and spinning. as
well as a heaviness or lightness of the body." Later that evening Valdes'
visions continued. He saw a purplish light that changed into a bee or moth like
shape which became a pulsating sea anemone. The imagery expanded into a desert
landscape full of moving prickly pear cactus shapes. Suddenly he found himself
standing in a bizarre landscape with brightly colored flowers, talking to a man
wearing a shining white robe who was either shaking or holding his hand. Next to
them was something that resembled the skeleton of a giant stick-model airplane
made from rainbow colored inner-tubing. The "reality" of what he was seeing
amazed him.
The following experience was reported on the internet from a person who had
smoked two deep bong hits of dried Salvia divinorum leaf.
"There was an edge, made of something between plastic and flesh, set about a
foot in front of my face, running diagonally, upward to the right. I could touch
this edge. and it had resistance when I did so. It's visual qualities were a bit
less intense initially, pastel colors, some glistening. I started to pull at it,
peeling it back, and it seemed then that the 'stuff' was simply "reality". I
collapsed into a couch, closed my eyes, and unfolded the folds of this "stuff'
(or rather it unfolded me; you know how it goes, very reflexive,) a very
sensual, sexual experience, moist, son and hard all at once. Or, a distinct
sense of losing my "mental faculties one by one, in very specific levels, until
I could not form a thought. Space had become very peculiar, rich with crevices,
stretching far down past what I could see. At this point I felt uneasy. A voice
called up from one of the crevices "Do you want to stay like this forever?" I
called out "No!", and the voice replied, "Then stop doing that!" "That" I took
to mean the Salvia. Then I fused with a piece of furniture. A very odd
experience, like I was simply the hidden other leg of the furniture, completing
the gestalt, but in a very immediate bodily way."
A recent issue of The EntheogenReviewreports on one person's journey following
the smoking of two dried Salvia divinorum leaves, consumed in two large hits
from a water pipe:
"I felt like and saw myself as a tree. Branches began growing out of my body,
filling up the room, and I felt, and saw, my roots growing all over the floor
and out beneath the door. At thispoint I could no longer remember if I had
smoked anything, or if my mind had just flipped on me. My room had turned into
artwork from Where the Wild Things Are, a kid's book. The room was a garden of
geometric twines and leaves from my own body." This trip was much more intense
than any previous Salvia divinorum journeys of this person, who also reported
seeing
entities, including, "one who was pushing a wheelbarrow along one of my
vines while smiling at me."
Salvinorin A Journeys
My own experiments with salvinorin A began in December 1994, following a
highly coincidental meeting with Daniel Siebert. I first learned of
salvinorin A when a copy of The Entheogen Review arrived in the mail
containing Siebert's article. The following day I went to Los Angeles on
business matters and to visit friends, and quite out of the blue was
introduced to Siebert by someone I'd just met that day. The occasion of
this unlikely meeting gave me assurance that I was meant to work with this
powerful entheogen, despite Siebert's numerous reports of those who found
the journey harrowingly unpleasant.
My journeys with salvinorin A (hereafter called salvinorin) are more varied
than those of any other psychedelic I've used, and include both my best and
worst psychedelic journeys. My understanding and the content of these
journeys has evolved with repeated use. Certain ideas and perceptions have
become clearer as I've become familiar with the territory, although the
entire experience still remains largely incomprehensible, and there exists
a feeling of having just stepped over the threshold into an immensely vast
dimension. A description of the general framework of most of my salvinorin
journeys is given below. followed by excerpts of notes from my journeys.
Also presented are reports from other experimenter's journeys, which will
assist in offering a more comprehensive view of the realms available
through Salvia divinorum.
My experiences with salvinorin can be divided into three phases or periods,
the onset, trance, and return. These periods closely match the unfolding of
a smoked DMT experience. Initial effects are felt within 10-20 seconds,
with the peak being reached in another 30 seconds or so. I usually stay at
this peak, in trance, for 3 to 10 minutes, after which there is a 10 to 20
minute decline to baseline. When used with another psychedelic the duration
of a salvinorin experience can be increased several fold.
Salvinorin comes on with an irresistibly powerful, spiraling force which is
much stronger than that felt on any other psychedelic. During the onset I
quickly fall into a trance, while my body feels permeated by "needle-like"
anesthetic sensations. Both of these sensations are quite similar to what I
feel during the onset of smoked N.N. DMT. Within seconds of this first
phase, the salvinorin separates my awareness from my body, similarly to
what occurs with 5-MeO- DMT or Ketamine. Salvinorin is quite distinct from
Ketamine. however, in that like DMT, salvinorin exudes a strongly
life-positive energy, where Ketamine does not necessarily have this
predilection.
Following this, I go on an internal journey while my body is lying down in
trance. My experience. or recollection, of this second phase varies
greatly. Sometimes I perceive the most cosmic, wondrous, and detailed of
universes. while at other times I recallabsolutely nothing- In these moments of
recalling nothing, I've often felt as though I only smoked the salvinorin a few
moments ago and have retained consciousness the entire time. I then look at a
clock and realize five or ten minutes have passed that I can not account for.
I've developed a theory for this vast difference in the experiences which I'll
discuss later.
The amount of time I spend in the trance, and how high I am upon returning
to bodily awareness, varies with each journey. It seems that I am normally
pulled out of the trance by some type of sound. At home this may be a car
passing by, while out in nature it seems that a bird will chirp or a bug
will fly around my head. In most instances, the sound which pulls me out of
the trance seems like a distraction which is interfering with the
experience. It is not surprising that the Mazatecs recommend that it be
done in quiet. There is a tendency for awareness to lock onto individual
perceptions during the return phase, and for these perceptions to appear to
fill the entire universe. This has been particularly noted by Siebert and
myself when music was being played during the trip. The portion of the
journey immediately following the trance is often the most intense and
leaves the strongest impressions.
While coming out of the trance the bodily anesthetic sensations often
persist, and are stronger when I come out of the trance prematurely. These
feelings can be compared to the "needles and pins" sensation of trying to
move an arm or leg which has fallen asleep. Following one journey I wrote
"I must have willed myself to move, and felt the anesthesia sensations
gripping me firmly, with an almost cutting sensation. It was not exactly
painful. It felt as though I was tightly gripped by millions of sharp
fingernails applying minimal pressure, but if I moved I would be cut to
shreds." This can also be experienced as a "tearing" sensation over the
entire surface of the body. Siebert has described intensified feelings of
this type as "various sensations of motion, or being pulled or twisted by
forces of some kind." On occasion these sensations have been very pleasant,
closer to Pendell's "like soft cat paws pressing, or like a bunch of bird
tongues lapping the mind. Or like tiny fingers, the way ivy fingers reach out to
climb a wall..."
The most constant internal experience in my salvinorin journeys is a
drastic shift in my sense of identity and conscious perception. At the
onset of the experience my identity is completely dislodged from
my body and familiar self. Following this I experience myself as existing,
but not as a body, human, or personality. I usually find myself in some
alternate dimension, which can either closely resemble earth, or be
entirely alien. Quite often the worlds visited under the influence of
salvinorin do not obey the laws of physics which we are typically
accustomed to. The action of the forces of gravity and momentum, the
dimension of time, and the geometric construction of these worlds, can be
rather bizarre.
There is also an apparent reduction in boundaries, and the sensation that
my "being" can literally enter and inhabit various objects, including
inanimate ones. There have been numerous reports from people who have had
quite vivid and convincing experiences of becoming objects such as a
dresser drawer. As I begin traversing these unusual dimensions I feel
driven by forces which I don't fully understand, but which I believe to be
influenced by my set and setting. At the point I come out of tile trance,
external reality begins making an imprint on my experience and accelerates
the return to normal awareness. Some of my more interesting journeys are
described below.
1. D.M. Turner- 1.3 mg. salvinorin
2. D.M. Turner - 400 to 800 mcg. salvinorin
3. Anonymous - approximately 1.7 mg salvinorin
4. D.M. Turner - 350 mcg. salvinorin with 300 mcg. LSD
5. D.M. Turner - 650 mcg. Salvinorin with 500 mcg. LSD
6. D.M. Turner - Salvinorin with LSD
7. D.M. Turner - 850 mcg. Salvinorin with 40 mg. 2C-B
8. D.M. Turner - 30 mg. N.N. DMT (subsequent to smoking Salvinorin)
9. D.M. Turner - 650 mcg. Salvinorin with 30 mg.N.N. DMT
10. D.M. Turner - 750 mcg. Salvinorin with 600 mcg. LSD
11. B. Schuldes - 2 "bong hits" Salvia leaf with 350-450 mcg. LSD
12. Daniel Siebert - 2.6 mg. unidentified impure crystalline fraction of Salvia
divinorum
13. Mantid - one water-pipe hit of Salvia divinorum leaf
14. D.M. Turner - Salvia divinorum leaf, smoked outdoors
15. D.M. Turner - unspecified quantity Salvinorin with LSD
16. D.M. Turner - 10 chewed Salvia divinorum leaves
Conclusions
The experiences described above are a representative sampling of both my
own and other's encounters with Salvia divinorum. I consider these to be
the most diverse and inexplicable of any of my psychedelic adventures.
Although I've now used Salvinorin over 30 times it still has the ability
to feel completely novel, fresh, and unpredictable with each use. The
results reported by the small group who have tried this mysterious
substance show a wide and diverse range of effects and experiences, and
suggest a greater potential for both dangers and revelatory insights than
exists with other entheogens. Many have found the experience of pure
Salvinorin A to be alarmingly intense, and feel working with the whole
plant material to be safer and more assimilable. Salvia divinorum appears
to be a plant in possession of a vast treasury of knowledge and
experience. which is just beginning to make acquaintance with and be
noticed by humans. Those who have connected with her sublime and fantastic realm
feel Salvia divinorum has something very precious to offer us.
Bibliography
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Museum Etnologiska Studier 9:119-149
Ott, J. 1995 Ethnopharmacognosy and Human Pharmacology of Salvia divinorum and
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Wasson, R.G. 1962 A New Mexican Psychotropic Drug from the Mint Family.
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Ortega. A 1982 Salvinorin, A New Trans-Neoclerodane Diterpene from
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from the hallucinogenic Mexican mint Salvia divinorum. Journal of Organic
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Pendell, D. 1995 Pharmako/Poeia: Plant Powers, Poisons, and Herbcraft. Mercury
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Siebert, D.J. 1994 Salvinorin A: Notes of Caution. The Entheogen Review Vol 3,
No 4:2-3
Schuldes, B. 1995 Chewing vs. Smoking The Entheogen Review Vol 4, No 3: 8-9
Blosser, B. 1994 Salvia divinorum. (cassette tape) Botanical Preservation Corps.
Sebastopol. CA
Valdes, Diaz, Paul 1983 Ethnopharmacology of Ska Maria Pastora (Salvia
Divinorum, Epling and Jativa-M.) Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 7287-312
Zemen 1996 More Bizarre Salvia Trips. The Entheogen Review Vol 5, No 1:18
R.S. 1995 Hyperventilating on Salvia-LSD. The Entheogen Review Vol 4. No 3:8
Website - Daniel Siebert's WWW Salvia divinorum information pages
Related Reading - The Entheogen Review 564 Mission Street, Box 808, San
Francisco, CA 94105-2918. Subscriptions -$35.00 for 4 quarterly issues.