Author: John Carter

A Simple Guide To Mescaline: How It Feels, Risks, Benefits, Dosage

In fact, this is one of the ancient medicinal uses of this compound. Research into mescaline’s psychotherapeutic potential is still limited, but renewed interest in the drug shows that it could successfully treat mental health disorders. Studies suggest, for example, that mescaline may increase blood flow and activity in the prefrontal cortex, the area of the brain in charge of planning, problem-solving, emotional regulation, and behavior. Low activity in this area is linked to depression and anxiety, leading scientists to hypothesize that mescaline could help alleviate symptoms of these disorders.

1. Mescaline is used primarily as a recreational drug and is also used to supplement various types of meditation and psychedelic therapy.
2. Close your work email, arrange for childcare, and put aside everything that might demand your attention until your session is over.
3. Set refers to your mindset—your thoughts, mood, and expectations heading into a mescaline trip.
4. Their ribs are thin, yet grow tall and are often found in bunches.
5. A microdose is usually 10-20% of a full dose, which would be milligrams of mescaline.
6. Structurally, it is similar to LSD and is often used as a benchmark hallucinogen when comparing psychedelics.

Some mescaline powder may be very slightly tan instead of white, which is fine. However, if the powder is yellow or dark tan, or if it burns your tongue when you taste it, it’s a sign that the mescaline was extracted poorly and contains leftover contaminants. Set refers to your mindset—your thoughts, mood, and expectations heading into a mescaline trip. Stress, fear, or a controlling mindset may lead to an unpleasant experience (called a “bad trip”). Some people also take mescaline as peyote, a small, round, green cactus with a bitter taste, or as a San Pedro cactus, a tall, cylindrical green cactus with fluted ribs. See the Risks section and Tripsit’s chart for details on which drugs to avoid.

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For reference, a 150-pound person would have to consume around 60 grams of pure mescaline—about 200 standard doses—for it to be fatal. Because cacti are natural products, levels of mescaline vary and it can be difficult to dose mescaline precisely. You can also grow San Pedro cactus easily and legally in many parts of the United States. Keep in mind that it is illegal to harvest San Pedro for the purpose of obtaining mescaline. With that in mind, you may want to avoid mescaline if you’re in a negative mental state, a stressful or uncomfortable environment, or around people you don’t like or trust. It may leave you feeling scared or anxious, and during the experience, you may feel trapped in a negative headspace and unable to get out.

Sometimes mescaline is made into a powder and put into capsules and swallowed. Mescaline has been used for thousands of years and is best known as a drug used by some Native Americans in Mexico as part of their religious ceremonies. These ‘peyote buttons’ are dried or mixed with water to make a hallucinogenic drink. Tyrosine and phenylalanine serve as metabolic precursors towards the synthesis of mescaline. These create dopamine, which then experiences methylation by a catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) by an S-adenosyl methionine (SAM)-dependent mechanism. The resulting intermediate is then oxidized again by a hydroxylase enzyme, likely monophenol hydroxylase again, at carbon 5, and methylated by COMT.

It should be avoided if you have a history of mental illness, heart conditions, or high blood pressure, as well as by pregnant or breastfeeding women because of the risk of birth defects. For more information on taking peyote safely, see Precautions and Safety and toxicity. The mescaline molecule is related structurally to two hormones secreted by the adrenal glands, adrenaline and noradrenaline; both are catecholamine compounds that take part in the transmission of nerve impulses. Mescaline was isolated as the active principle of peyote in 1896, and its structural resemblance to adrenaline was recognized by 1919.

Mescaline is the active psychedelic compound in several species of hallucinogenic cacti. It’s best-known as part of peyote, a cactus that grows across Mexico and the Southwestern United States. That said, we can trace the popularity of mescaline over time by looking at its appearance in publications and Google searches. Beyond cognitive effects, imperceptible doses of mescaline have also been shown to act as anti-inflammatory agents.

The Timeline of Mescaline

For that reason, this guide is designed to ensure the safety of those who decide to use this substance. Is a licensed and practicing pharmacist and medical writer who specializes in different substances, the effects of substance abuse, and substance use disorder. It can also cause hallucinations which may be distressing depending on the user’s mental state before taking the substance. Mescaline can also cause synesthesia, a mixing of the senses where users can feel like they see sound or hear color. Mescaline is a psychedelic hallucinogen obtained from the small, spineless cactus Peyote (Lophophora williamsi), the San Pedro cactus, Peruvian torch cactus, and other mescaline-containing cacti. It is also found in certain members of the Fabaceae (bean family) and can be produced synthetically.

Mescaline also distorts the user’s perception of the world around them, which can lead to accidents and injury. Mescaline is taken in a variety of ways spending on what form of the drug is being used. Traditional peyote is taken by chewing, smoking, or eating specific parts of the plant. These parts of the plant, commonly referred to as buttons, are extracted from the roots. The root is also sometimes brewed into a tea, similar to ayahuasca.

Potential medical usage

Then check the color change (or lack thereof) against the supplied spectrum booklet. Of course, we cannot generalize current usage statistics from such limited data, but it does give us some idea of its popularity relative to other substances. Unfortunately, precise usage statistics for mescaline aren’t available because surveys tend to lump it together with other substances like LSD, psilocybin, and MDMA. Mescaline could also help reduce suicidal thoughts, according to researchers at the University of Alabama. Using data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, the researchers found that people who have used a psychedelic drug at least once in their life show lower rates of suicidal thinking.

How it looks, tastes and smells

Mescaline should be taken on an empty stomach to minimize nausea and maximize absorption. Mescaline has long been considered a powerful agent for healing and change, making it a central component of the shamanic ceremonies of many indigenous groups in the Americas. For many, a mescaline journey offers deep insight into the self and the universe, giving one a greater sense of connection and spirituality. Mescaline is also known for fostering compassion and gratitude, while also alleviating psychological disorders such as anxiety, depression, PTSD and addiction. The information provided on this website does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal or medical advice.

It’s probably best to err on the side of caution and avoid combining mescaline with any other drug, at least for the first time you take it. Some researchers have found that the antidepressant benefits of mescaline correlate to a subjects’ willingness to engage with the experience, to face themselves and to act upon the insights received. In one mid-century study, some of the most significant transformations or breakthroughs came about months after the experience itself, even if the initial psychedelic therapy session seemed to be a failure. In the context of psychotherapy, mescaline may also be useful for re-living or recalling repressed memories. In another study, researchers found that mescaline helped goldfish learn to avoid a shock more quickly.

Along with MDMA, 2C-B, and others, this sets it apart from the tryptamine class of psychedelics, which includes psilocybin, LSD, and DMT. Curious what it’s like to experience mescaline from San Pedro cacti? Read Third Wave’s blog about San Pedro journeys, set and settings, and recovery.

Recovered is not a medical, healthcare or therapeutic services provider and no medical, psychiatric, psychological or physical treatment or advice is being provided by Recovered. If you are facing a medical emergency or considering suicide or self harm, please call 911 immediately. Edmund has an extensive background in addiction research and medical writing, working collaboratively with doctors, substance use disorder specialists, and clinical experts across all content on Recovered. Much like its South American cousin Ayahuasca, Peyote has been used for thousands of years as part of rituals and religious ceremonies, dating back as far as the Aztecs.

All information, content, and materials available on this site are for general educational and informational purposes only. Doing so can have unpredictable effects that may be dangerous, especially if you mix mescaline with other serotonergic drugs like MDMA or cocaine. For that reason, you may want to start with a smaller dose of mescaline, wait an hour to see how you feel, and then take decide whether or not to take the remaining portion of the full dose. San Pedro cactus is a widespread, fast-growing cactus that grows in the Andes region of South America.

In more recent years, it has been possible to chemically synthesize mescaline in laboratories. Most users chew the button shaped seeds to produce the hallucinogenic effects, which can last for between 12 to 18 hours. While there’s no formal research on microdosing mescaline, it is possible.