-Caveat Lector- http://www.viewzone.com/salvia.html
We get lots of strange stories here at Viewzone. Most have to do with discoveries, of one sort or another, and of what I would call "breakthrough" theories that hold the promise of stimulating or shaking our view of traditional reality. After a while, these stories all seem to echo of the same theme of lost civilizations, encounters with alien space people or impending doom from some planetary cataclysm. It can get a bit old. My most popular piece in this magazine is the article on Left Brain - Right Brain functions, published back in 1999. I still get lots of e-mail and it continues to prompt people to explore an area that has not been exhausted on Viewzone: the inner space of the mind. And so I was asked to take up my keyboard once again when Viewzone began to be flooded with inquiries about a new, and legal, drug called Salvia Divinorum. Unless you are familiar with the music of Tool or Mudvayne, you likely have never heard of Salvia Divinorum, or Sally as it is called by its users. It's not a recreational drug like marijuana or cocaine. Salvia is a hallucinogenic drug that is so strong in effect, and so unusual, that it has not been widely "abused" despite being readily available and cheap for over four years. Salvia is a plant that grows in the sub-tropical forests of Mexico. It is a member of the mint family and was almost extinct from the imposing destruction of tropical forests in that region. Thankfully, now that it has been recognized for its medicinal properties, it is growing all over the planet, in easily maintained gardens, indoors and outdoors. Unlike marijuana, Salvia requires no power hungry halogen lights or fancy hydroponics. It can be grown by anyone who has kept Mom's African Violets alive on the bookshelf, and it is easy to cultivate and clone. In fact, lots of people are growing Salvia these days and the internet is full of web sites where plants, seed and the dried leaves are sold and shipped to virtually every country except Australia, which recently banned the plant. One of the most reliable sources of Salvia is www.salvia- divinorum.com, who will promptly send your order by UPS shipping. There are a few rip-off businesses out there but this company seems to be highly respected and to maintain excellent quality control. This company also has other botanicals which Viewzone will, hopefully, review and report in the near future. What's the interest in this plant? Back in the 1960's a team of pharmacologists visited the Mazatec Indians, who live in the mountains of northern Oaxaca, Mexico. For centuries their shamans have used hallucinogens in religious and healing ceremonies. Many of these mind-altering substances were unknown, but soon after this expedition such plants as mescaline and psilocybin mushrooms were being used around the world. Salvia was in this same family but its recreational use never really became as popular. Salvia leaves contain a substance called Salvinorin-A, the most powerful hallucinogen known to science -- even more potent per weight than LSD. It's an odd substance since, unlike virtually every other mind altering drug, it is not an alkaloid. Also, attempts to determine how it functions and which neurotransmitters it either potentiates or inhibits have alluded researchers. The leaves are traditionally chewed and absorbed through the mucous membranes of the mouth, but it is also dried and smokes like marijuana, or is taken under the tongue in the form of a purified tincture of savinorin-A. The effects of Salvia are quick and very strong. Even if you have had experience with LSD or "magic mushrooms," Salvia goes beyond any of these so- called "trips" -- enough so that many people who experiment with Salvia vow never to use it again. Not only is Salvia quick acting and powerful but the effects are of extremely short duration - often only a few minutes. This short duration has led to the current re-emergence of Salvia as a tool for meditation and psychic exploration. Salvia has been called a "wild ride." With only one or two "hits" of a pipe users are almost instantly immersed in an out of body experience where time and place seem to be under the control of the drug. Any sensory stimulation takes the user on a lucid dream like state where anything from cartoons to spirit guides can appear as real as normal consciousness, with no sense of being "high" or under the influence of a chemical. In fact, so common is the sensation of a "guide" or "other presence" that frequent users have given "her" a name, and often speak of "Sally" or "the Goddess" as a significant participant in their experience. Viewzone asked me to write about this drug so, quite naturally, I had to try it. It had been many years since my psychedelic days, but I have been known to remind myself of the "good ol' days" now and then. I purchased some extract on the internet - 2 grams of enhanced ground leaves for about $30 (US), from www.salvia-divinorum.com. I was sure to check the laws and this was perfectly legal in America. The Salvia arrived in about three days and was packaged in a small plastic bag. It looked very much like dark, ground marijuana leaves, had no significant smell, and burned nicely in a small pipe with no coughing. But that was where any similarity to marijuana ended. Almost as soon as I had finished the first hit from my pipe I knew something powerful was happening. The room started spinning and my ears began to focus on the Led Zeppelin album I had playing in the background. Suddenly I was not in my office anymore but in a kaleidoscope of colorful intersecting planes that rotated not only in front of me, but through my body. With Salvia you lose whatever part of your psyche that keeps you in your body. You become something else that regards your own flesh and blood the same way as you normally regard the wall or your desk. As the planes rotated they dissected my body and I watched, amused, as my flesh was transformed into the plane, becoming part of it and vanishing in a vortex. I turned to speak to the woman in the room. I wanted to tell her that the Salvia was for real and that I was having a very strong reaction but I could not seem to speak. Somehow I knew that she understood anyway. Then I was reminded that I was alone -- there was no woman! Gradually the visions became so strong that they completely took over. I was helpless. I was not in control of this world but only an observer. A bit of fear entered my mind. "Would I ever come back to my former life?" Just as quickly as it started, I found myself sitting in my chair, pipe still in my hand. I looked at the clock. Only 4 minutes had passed but it had seemed much longer. For the next hour I sat, trying to put my experience in words. It was not easy since I had very little experience with anything that I could compare to the Salvia world. Since then I have noticed a change. I no longer am sure that this reality is true. I experienced something that was real, and yet was not of the same world as my body, or any other material substance. I experienced this just as any other experience that seemed real and worthy of being valid. Somehow that changes everything, but I have not yet completely understood how. This is the magic of Salvia Divinorum. I was curious about the experiences of other people and so perused the newsgroups. There is a group called "alt.drugs.salvia" that has many personal accounts that are similar to mine. There are also many that are more intense. I have quoted a few below. OTHER LEGAL SHAMAN HERBS Calea Zacatechichi, also known as "Dream Herb" I asked to try some of the other shamanistic herbs that were sold by the same company and they generously sent me some additional herbs that they grow and sell. This herb is supposedly used by the shaman to obtain lucid dreams and is usually consumed in a strong tea, made by allowing a mixture of water and dried leaf to brew in the sun. The shaman drinks the tea and then smokes some of the herb prior to going to sleep. I made a brew as described by the shaman rituals. It produced a very bitter drink that required some sugar and lemon to make it palatable. I managed to drink a full cup of this tea and then, about an hour before I retired, I smoked a bowl of the herb. It smoked okay and was mild and produced no coughing. In my dream, my father, who had passed away a year ago, was with me in my room and spoke to me. We had a nice visit until my dog woke me up. I settled back in my bed and for a moment believed that I had actually visited with my Dad - so real was the memory of the dream. For a few minutes I was confused, knowing that he was dead but, at the same time, convinced that the dream was so real and clear in my mind that it seemed to have actually happened. It was not until I remembered taking the herb, and its reputation, that I was able to dismiss the dream as just that. The effect was pretty amazing. I was surprised that any herb or drug could do this type of thing. It's worth the experience and I will experiment more in a few days. Sinicuichi, also known as the "Maya Sun Opener" This is a herb that I have only just started to experience. I made a tea with the herb and also smoked some. The effects, at first, did not seem significant. I felt nothing of the heady experience of the salvia, or even the relaxing sensation of the zacatechichi, but when I was outside on my porch I noticed that my vision was different. It has been stated that artists like Van Gough had "yellow vision" and suffered from an experience similar to having a yellow filter over their eyes. While the yellow tint was not effecting every color in my visual spectrum, it did make the yellows more intense. My dog appeared to have an aura, a glow, around him and I noticed the same phenomenon around plants and trees. It was pretty amazing actually, and amusing. When I viewed my computer screen I noticed that the flicker, usually absent, was present and quite distracting. The screen saver also looked different. I viewed some images in Photoshop and used the hue control to bring them back to normal. On the scale of blue to yellow, I had to add more blue to make them appear normal to me. Later, these same images looked much too blue when the herb wore off. I think all of the herbs are strong and "for real" and I will experiment with combining them in a smoke or brew to see if I can arrive at a customized experience. In general, I still would prefer a good bowl of California Kush... but that's another story for another time. Now where did I put that pipe? alt.drugs.salvia I just took a huge hit and am just coming down. WOW!!! I cannot believe this stuff. I was completely removed from reality. It took all my nerves to put me back to where I am. I never thought this stuff would do this much. In other words, I am wasted. I had this feeling that I'm in another world where the TV wouldn't come on. I finally got it on when I figured out how to do it. I finally figured out that I was in my family room. There was no way it was easy to figure out. I got to the point where I could smoke a cig but it took a while. All I have to say is WOW. This is incredible!!!! Been smoking my lady for a few months now, and it seems lately that I'm more sensitive to her influence than I was when I started. In fact, I seem to get more sensitive all the time. After the initial breakthrough and settling-in, 3 hits of 5x got me level 5 pretty much every time. But the last 3 times I've not been able to get the 3rd hit lit... I can get it loaded, but by the time I exhale the 2nd hit I'm Standing Outside already. I've been using the same batch of 5x for several months, so I know the dosage is equivalent. I've also noticed in the last month or so that I can very tangibly feel the effects of 1 hit of straight leaf, when before I needed 3 or 4 to feel anything. Not that I'm complaining! I don't mind being a cheap date at all. I was just wondering if any of the other smokers out there had experiences similar. Just had my first couple of salvia trips and it was amazing. Loaded up a water pipe with a little bit and used a normal lighter. First go a little, so I loaded up another and I was off. This was off just basic leaf as well. I felt like I didn't exist anymore and the music I had on, had substance to it and pulsed through my body. How anyone can say they don't get any effect from sally is beyond me. I have had quite alot of experience, probably 20 or so trips, and there is an overwhelming sense of progression with each one, you become more adept at communicating within HER space. The presence of a presence [sic] is undeniable. The gender sense is usually female, but I find I can relate more closely to females than most males anyway. The connection is immediate intimate and warm. communication is telepathic, effortless and incredible (who can relate to the answers-within-the-questions-being-asked type immediate response, each one accompanied by an obviousness and truth that makes you feel that the answers were and are always available???). The presence of a number, a chorus or conchordia of beings, is sometimes present as I am taking my hits ( I use a water pipe which and alternate between extract and unenhanced...more on that later). They offer encouragement and spike my anticipation; I become excited and want to reach that level. The transition from normality to weird salvia space is as effortless and transparent as good editing in films... it is like I am totally comfortable with the idea of there being entities suddenly all around. I do not see them. In fact I never ever have visual distortion effects, apart from very mild superficial ones. At first I dispaired [sic] at this, thinking, "damn I really wanted something like a legal-acid, what a suck substances..." etc. ...but I came to realize how crude visual cues would've been at conveying that kind of information. Everything would've had to have been translated into familiar shapes and forms with lines, and depth, perception, perspective, etc. ...I thought, "why the hell would you want to focus the whole huge expanse of the saliva experience through the narrow lens of vision???" I realized that the tactile inner mind's-skin type sensations are much much much richer. They do however take a fair amount of getting mentally associated with, as at first it was like learning a new language. I found it really hard to translate what I had experienced in the trip into familiar terms when I 'awoke', but now, after much experience, my scope of familiar [sic] has greatly expanded and I can effortlessly recall the trips. Specifically the trips seem to have an element of repetition, like the starting sequence is almost always the same. I am smoking, being encouraged, then I find myself on the *inside*... I feel like I have stepped backstage and we are watching the guys who pull the strings. I have experienced being in someone else's body, and being in this background spirit space where there are just numerous personalities, all in on 'it'. The world seems a joke. At this time, I may start laughing. If I start laughing, I find it very hard to stop. My body is made hypersensitive tactile-wise by this drug and the sheer novelty of feeling the breath burst up your through lungs and larynx and flap over your lips and the laughter in your throat, itself perpetuates... sometimes it is funny, sometimes it just feels so good. If I don't laugh, I go elsewhere. This is where the trips become individual. I guess it's the point where I begin to take conscious control, like I've checked into the hotel -- now I'm just looking for a nice place to have some dinner. The trips always end with a variable length conversation with our favorite green maiden ( I can feel her presence now, even though I haven't smoked for 5 days ). It is usually here that I can collect and assess all the things I'm feeling. The simultaneous knowledge that I am lying on my bed, with the lights off, and yet in the same instant I am not there at all -- I am elsewhere. It is perhaps time to list some of the bizarre sensations I become aware of at this point, then I will tell you of some of the places I have gone from this initial intratrip 'awakening.' If you take a heavy enough does, you kind of blank... I suspect things become too hard for your mind to make sense of, or the cosmic aperture is opened so wide, it's like looking at the sun with dilated pupils. You get a kind of cognitive flash burn. I become aware sometimes of an expansion spatial [sic]. I seem to occupy all the space my mind can imagine. As I imagine more of it ,my physical tactile sense spreads to fill it. Either/or, I feel an great movement thrust and acceleration which I begin to direct because it is so much fun. You have to adapt to the particular mechanisms of control in this weird salvia dimension. You can't control the movement by thinking, "okay I'll visualize myself flying..." because you're not 'flying' it seems, and flying is a poor and crude analogy which can constrict the experience. I am learning but at the moment it seems like you allow the energy to flow in a particular direction and you travel there, (whether energy moves through you, or you move through it I am unsure). I have felt like I am pushing through a membrane, and you feel this lovely sensation with your whole 'body' this heady visceral thrust through thick energy. I have felt bodiless, or bizarrley [sic] part of something else. and many other things, which I hat not yet the tools to distinguish and express. As to where I variously end up on my breakthrough trip... we were traveling to this great giant secret where all these spirit kids go for fun. All I remember is a giant rotating multicolored torii ( donuts but torii sounds cosmic ;) and huge expansive space. At this point however I was tested and failed. They told me I wouldn't be able to follow any further (due to the attention resources required) unless I learnt to direct my concentration and control my 'urges' better. At this point I felt an abrupt stop, a sudden deceleration. I was back on my bed with the feeling of a long journey traveled. I sat up and realized I had an very hard erection. So the entities were right. I felt quite shamed that I had been kept form this cosmic place because of my gutter basic instincts (at later various trips though I accepted I wasn't ready to do that just yet, so once I had got over the guilt feeling these beings would happily engage whatever dirty things I had in mind, it felt perfectly natural and good, mindsex with spirit beings!). At other times, I have had little of this intermediate journeying and just gone straight into a long chat with my friend salvia. Other times I have felt like the inside was my mind, expanded to meet other minds amongst the universe, and the entities were actually the thoughts -- I just perceived them in familiar embodied terms. Okay, this is a long rant, so I'll finish up with some tips and a few testimonials - talk show style. tips: let yourself go. there comes a point at the start of the trip where you aware you have a choice - while your brain/mind has been freed by the chemicals in the plant you can chose either to tune into the things wanting to commune with you, and hence trip and b merry, or you can shut it all out, not go with it, and try and stop the movement sensations etc....the second choice is uncomfortable, although my first time I chose it reflex style as it was just too new and different, your mind is still open in that state but your not letting anyone in, you feel pretty scattered if you try take this option. so advice is let yourself go and do so completely, and have faith in your guides and the messages they send you. ask questions and take advantage of this wonderful opportunity. when you think of this experience and feel its truth within the current context of western society thought you will feel how incredible this really is, how different and special and totally unrecognized, by the big, important, powerful doctrines that dominate western thought, such an experience is: once you breakthrough I don't believe you can deny the reality that awaits you. be prepared to learn things, and be prepared to have FUN. if you focus on the fun aspect, trust me, salvia, will know what to do. if you let her, she will set you laughing for half an hour, make you feel on top of the world if that's what you need. I have needed this and received such a simple but priceless gift. as you gain experience, you realize you don't need as much drug to get you to that level. you have trained hard and well and now you can more easily slip into this alternate outlook, your consciousness is officially, permanently, expanded. well done psychonaut!!! my final tip (with extra cheese) is that believe anything is possible. I awoke the morning after my first trip to see my eyes were clear opal blue. this was no hallucination as verified by my house mates. they were like shit are they contacts??? the effect reversed and they became their normal dark grayblue in another day, but now I am acutely aware of how they change with my mood, and how they are an strange measure of internal feelings. prior to my last trip I had been getting this twitch in my biceps for about two weeks, it was really pissing me off, I thought my body was trying to tell me something but I couldn't connect. I asked salvia and I realized the power was with me all along to stop it myself. it has since not returned. more miracle testimonials courtesy of our fair green maiden??? she can set you on the path to knowledge that allows you to source and tap into energy all around you, not feeling hungry or particularly tired for days, you feel you should eat, because everyone around you does, but you do not have the physiological need. also, for me anyway, all these things carry a great uplifting optimism that you can make what you want of your life, and you can perceive things and alter things that common sense would have you not able to. this is my testimonial...but, by all means, light your own lamp. out! So that's the "dope" on Salvia Divinorum. If you are curious about this plant then you can find lots of information on the internet. For me, one experience was more than enough for now. I will not be visiting "Sally" for a while. But I am very glad I did and, hey, "I'll be back!" If you are thinking of paying Sally a visit you had better do it quickly. The U.S. Congress is already planning to outlaw it in America, placing it on the Schedule-1 list of illegal substances. 107th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 5607 To amend the Controlled Substances Act to place Salvinorin A in Schedule I. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES October 10, 2002 Mr. Baca (for himself and Mrs. Napolitano) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned: A BILL To amend the Controlled Substances Act to place Salvinorin A in Schedule I. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the "Hallucinogen Control Act of 2002''. SEC. 2. ADDITION OF SALVINORIN A TO SCHEDULE I OF CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES ACT. Schedule I, as set forth in section 202(c) of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 812(c)) is amended by adding at the end the following: (d) Unless specifically exempted or unless listed in another schedule, any material, compound, mixture, or preparation which contains any quantity of the following: (1) salvinorin A. (2) salvia divinorum. A personal note: There's a lots of people who experiment with realities outside the norm. I'm obviously one of them. It's not something I suggest for everyone and certainly not for anyone who is young and has yet to experience life. Be responsible in that you do, respect your own mind and that of your neighbor. -------------------------------------- Steve Wingate, Webmaster ANOMALOUS IMAGES AND UFO FILES http://www.anomalous-images.com Latest Update: Cydonia in 3-D http://www.anomalous-images.com/Odyssey/Cydonia_3-d.html <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/";>www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance—not soap-boxing—please! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'—with its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright frauds—is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. 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