Author: John Carter
Salvia Trip: The Basics
This was referenced in a 17th century writing, and would help explain the potential origins of the plant; however, many believe this old reference to be cannabis, and not salvia. Although it is theorized that Salvia has been used for centuries, it was not “discovered” by the Western world until the famous ethnobotanist, R. Gordon Wasson is most notably the botanist who introduced psilocybin containing mushrooms to the West. Because of the way the active ingredient affects the brain, some scientists believe salvia could have implications for developing a therapy, for example, for dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
These tinctures are the purified liquid extract placed under the tongue to offer a quicker onset of action and sometimes lengthen the experience. Maria Sabina, the best known Mazatec curandera or shaman, dedicated her life to the healing work with psilocybin mushrooms and Salvia divinorum. She once famously remarked that when the mushrooms are not available, she resorts to the use of salvia.
Though it’s technically legal in most nations, driving under the influence of the plant can still get you a DUI, and public use is, as a rule of thumb, always risky. If you’re planning to trip, you NEED to have an extra sober hand around for this reason, among others. If you’re the sober one, make sure the tripping person is safe from their environment and away from any potential dangers. Chewing quids are usually activities that don’t scream for the need of a tripsitter, especially for regular users. Having a designated trip sitter (a sober person who looks after people who have taken psychedelics) is recommended during a salvia trip to ensure your safety.
Psychedelic Therapy Centers
This is a major problem, because KOR agonists actually contribute to a variety of mental health problems, particularly those centered around perception. For example, people with schizophrenia often suffer from KOR agonists in their mind, as do those with Alzheimer’s. While there is no evidence that the effects of Salvia cause dependence or overdose, the physical and psychological effects of Salvia can be distressing for some users.
Today, it is still used as an entheogen as part of religious ceremonies. To administer the salvia, the Mazatec people would chew the leaves or squeeze and grind the leaves creating a juice to drink. A person at level four gets the same kind of visual and auditory experiences as a person in level three, but they are fuller, more concrete, and longer lasting. Instead of two dimensional designs and shapes, scenes and 3 dimensional visuals can occur with the eyes closed, and when focused on without distractions these scenes can expand to fill the user’s conscious state. As if one is “entering” the dream that you saw in level three, level four experiences can become complex and coherent enough to follow story lines and explore hallucinatory landscapes. This powerful, psychedelic plant is native to the moisture-rich cloud forests of Mexico and belongs to the sage genus.
- Often, a person must be restrained or placed under temporary psychotic care so as not to hurt themselves or others until the overdose wears off.
- Additionally, a sitter should practically assist in the person’s trip, as long as they don’t intrude on the trip or interfere with the person’s safety.
- If the police catch people supplying illegal drugs in a home, club, bar or hostel, they can potentially prosecute the landlord, club owner or any other person concerned in the management of the premises.
- Having a calming sitter on hand can also reduce the severity of a difficult experience.
They refer to the leaf as “Herb of Mary, the Shepherdess.” They believe the plant to be an incarnation of the Virgin Mary. People have reported visions of a woman or sacred objects during hallucinations. Also, it has a low addiction potential, people can easily obtain it, and they do not consider it highly toxic. To get a stronger experience, psychonauticaldude took two hits from a gravity bong and experienced a powerful but pleasant hallucination. There is no obligation to enter treatment and you can opt out at any time.
The leaves of the Salvia plant contain the Psychoactive chemical Salvinorin A, which functions as a Dissociative Hallucinogen. The indigenous Mazatec people have brewed tea with Salvia leaves for generations as part of their religion, but Salvia has recently become a popular drug in the United States and Europe. Because of this structural difference, salvia actions on the kappa-opioid receptors in the brain without affecting the serotonin receptors targeted by most psychedelics.
What is salvia?
There is also no evidence that Salvia causes violent behavior, withdrawal, or dependence, but a person with an addiction to other Hallucinogens may be more likely to use Salvia repeatedly. I think a good guideline is that you should only use salvia after you’ve spent 2 hours researching the substance and researching safe use. In a survey, 18.5% of people who had used Salvia said their life would be better off if Salvia didn’t exist. For comparison, this was similar to amphetamine, where 17.7% of users said their life would be better off if amphetamine didn’t exist. To give the effect of your quid an extra boost, you can prepare your mouth to more readily absorb and deliver Salvia’s active ingredient.
Adolescents and even adults who use salvia take for granted the risk factor involved in use. The quick nature of its effects as well as its legality fool them into thinking there is no danger. Sadly, this isn’t the case and an increasing number of young people are falling victim to the hidden dangers of salvia and the ways in which it can stimulate psychotic episodes.
Salvia Dosage
The effects of salvia are severe and can cause temporary or even permanent changes in a person’s mental state. In this way, it’s no safer than LSD or other perception-altering substances. Many people report that as compared with other psychedelics, salvia isn’t a particularly enjoyable experience. Salvia creates a dramatic and sometimes frightening full-body and mind experience.
How does it make you feel?
She noted that salvia doesn’t have as much strength as the mushrooms, but that could also have been due to the fact that she prepared an infusion with the leaves. While a salvia tea produces psychoactive effects, it is not nearly as strong as the quid method, for example. It is during this phase that the first effects of salvia will begin to become present.
Using small amounts of salvia leaves brings on a calm, glowing, slightly psychedelic experience, akin to marijuana. This rate will vary based on a person’s height and weight (heavier and taller people usually have shorter trips), as well as their experience with salvia. Typically, a person emerges from that period with no feelings of “hangover” or dizziness. However, they’ve seriously altered their perception in a way that their mind will never forget. Salvia and DMT are also sometimes grouped together because they are both drugs that can produce powerful mystical experiences. But they produce different effects due to salvia’s action on opioid receptors and DMTs action on 5-HT2A secretion receptors.
How do people take it?
The effects of Salvia divinorum cannot be overstated, especially for new users. Even those with experience smoking cannabis or consuming other psychedelics will note the singular power of this recreational drug. The sitter can also help during a challenging trip by reassuring you that what you’re experiencing is the effect of a plant, which will wear off. There are no known overdose death cases and few, if any, instances of people entering rehab to treat salvia addiction.