The Salvia divinorum Research and Information Center - Shroomery

Erowid Salvia Vaults : "Sage Wisdom" by Robert Campbell
However, those with a large body mass or resistance to entheogenic effects would do well to repeat the above
procedure as many times as necessary. It should also be noted that many experimenters, especially during the
first exposure to Salvia, have a difficult time "breaking through" and often claim that nothing happened.
Account "I had the impression of being in a lunar emerald labyrinth that self-crystallized before my eyes. There
were not full blown entities, but there was definitely creature-like and organic movement. It was silent, a visit to
the ice palace, like watching winter pass in fast forward, a self-transforming orchestra of icicle geometries.
Extremely pleasant to the eyes - entrancing really. It made for a half hour of brilliant elation and then began to
recede, melt away, like the gossamer layers of glaze on a fine oil painting diffusing one by one, until I was left
with only the unrefined vague gestalts which all too often inhabit my inner world."
Duration of Effects Within 30 seconds of the initial inhalation, definite changes in the smoker's perception should
be apparent. As the salvinorin A enters the bloodstream, the smoker will feel a humming and tingling which
ripples in waves all over the body. The "peak" of the experience will occur within a minute, and typically continue
for as long as two to three minutes. The sensation abruptly tapers off after this point, leaving one quite near
baseline within seven to ten minutes, and completely back to normal within twenty minutes to a half-hour.
There have been no known reports of users experiencing pain or discomfort when using the plant as described
above. However, it should be noted that in some cases the smoker may experience small headaches or
moments of slight dizziness which can last the rest of the day. This is generally perceived as a feeling of slightly
altered or enhanced awareness, accompanied by the presence of unfamiliar energies in the body and mind.
Walking immediately after smoking Salvia divinorum is not advised. Severe distortions of time and space are the
hallmark of the plant's effects on the human nervous system. It may appear that one's vision or center of gravity
is being sucked towards the floor, or as in one amusing case, towards a wall. An extremely curious explorer
might simply wish to stand and take a step or two to verify this effect, but please understand that many have
already found out the hard way that stairs are an inappropriate place to enjoy Salvia divinorum's effects.
A Precaution Driving or operation of heavy machinery should not be considered safe until at least an hour of
recovery has passed. As always, exercise caution when sampling this plant, as it is capable of very powerful
alterations of perception. Please be warned that this is the wrong plant to use in public or during recreational
activities. As Salvia divinorum is currently not scheduled, some have suggested it as a likely Cannabis substitute.
However, the two are certainly not interchangeable.
Typical Effects of Smoked Salvia Salvia divinorum, like all entheogens, has different effects on different users.
Still, some common themes present themselves. One of the most striking features of a breakthrough Salvia
experience is the distortion of linear time. Sometimes, it seems as if one simply escapes linear time altogether
and finds that all temporal coordinates are randomly accessible instantaneously. Visual distortions are also
reported, but they tend to be vague, slippery, and ambiguous.
Many users report contact with hyperspatial entities, spirits, or intelligences, but the nature of these entities is
rarely constant across different experiences. On the contrary, it seems the plant uses the personality of the
explorer to present its message. Some have found that Salvia transports the practitioner to a state of metaconsciousness
which seems to be both ancient and familiar —possibly a reflection of the state which one
experiences before birth and after death. It has been noticed that the distinction between the mental and physical
becomes rather fluid after ingesting Salvia. The mind seems to be made of physical fields which can be
manipulated like muscles. By experimenting and flexing these mental muscles, one will eventually become adept
at navigating through the Salvia dimension.
Another persistent theme in Salvia trips is that of rotation. Several explorers have reported a feeling that is
similar to the lateral rotation which excessive alcohol consumption brings about, yet not as nauseating. At times
this rotation has been so powerful as to form an "edge" somewhere inside the body. I have at times even felt this
edge scraping along the roof of my mouth. While startling, these effects are generally not unpleasant. Another
common observation in many Salvia trips is that some kind of tube or flexible tunnel appears which leads away
from the explorer like a hallway. Some have related these tubes to spokes on a wheel, others as doorways to
alternate dimensions.
There don't appear to be any long-term physical or psychological side-effects from smoked Salvia divinorum. It is
over quite quickly, and many smokers have, in times of anxiety, successfully aborted a deep Salvia trip by just
sitting up and "shaking it off." In fact, as the Mazatec suggested to Wasson, the correct attitude of acceptance
http://www.erowid.org/plants/salvia/references/other/1997_campbell_resproject_1.shtml (3 of 4) [04.09.01 11:43:58]