Interested in salvia but unsure of it

[spyinthecab]

I have about half of an ounce of salvia foliage that my brother gave to me. The foliage is 1x, I'm guessing, not very potent at all, which is more than fine to me because I haven't tried it before and after reading A LOT about it and watching videos dedicated to it, I would prefer 1x over something more potent.

I have no experience with psychedelics and I've hallucinated only once from taking 1068 mgs of dextromethorphan (seeing my walls sway in the dark as well as text on my computer, and when turning the light on seeing trails of my arm when I moved it). I have severe social anxiety and I'm wondering if anyone else with it has tried salvia or read about someone who has tried it, etc. JUST to get an idea of how it could affect the trip, and if at all. I've read that you probably wouldn't want to try it if you have social anxiety or similar disorders. I've smoked around 4 bowls of it before and my heart started beating very fast so I stopped smoking. (I have never had a panic attack in my life) I didn't have a sitter with me at the time and I think having one would be more comforting, but I don't really trust or enjoy anyone I am 'close' to. This was before extending my knowledge on salvia. I'm not looking to it for recreational fun but rather spiritual guidance. Any information/advice/etc would be nice. :bear:

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I am not interested in rave parties or mdma, really. The salvia my brother gave me to me CAME with an extract of salvia for free, about an ounce of it, and my sister smoked it with her friend while I was over, nothing happened to them. My brother told me that you can experience the salvia trip from smoking a lot of it but the experience would probably only last for a few seconds. (So I could get an idea of how it would go?) however, my sister and him smoked a lot of it at her friends house and she told me it made her feel like a baby and he could have sworn the friend's house was falling. I have a very open mind and I feel very strongly of myself when it comes to the use of drugs. I research all that I can and talk to people who have used drugs before I use them myself. After the replies on this post I think I will wait until I am absolutely ready to try this (which I've been doing) Any other suggestions for a drug to start off with in terms of psychedelics? The reason for trying salvia is spiritual guidance, as I've said, and this would apply to my use of other drugs, as well. Other things interest me, too, such as astral projection though I am doubtful when it comes to that, I've read of experiences where people have watched themselves after leaving their bodies. along with doubt there is hope. I'd like to try something that would shift my point of view more than slightly and leave me in a state of contemplation after the high is over. I'm tired of doing over the counter medications because they do nothing but allow me to enjoy myself during a time of boredom and force positive feelings that taper off along with the drug. I'm beginning to feel as though i can throw myself out there without looking back and let the ride take me entirely. But if everyone is saying to try something else, I will take that advice. Thanks fool's.

 

[mercilly]

Before I ever did a drug, I thought Salvia would be a good first one to try. For my own personal experience, I am very happy I did not do this. I have tripped about 30-40 times in my life, and I'm while I've had a very strong Salvia experience even I am intimidated by a full own Salvia trip where I leave this plane of reality entirely.

Salvia is also very different from most psychedelics:

"Salvia doesn't cause the typical euphoric state associated with other hallucinogens like LSD, Hooker said. The drug targets a receptor that is known to modulate pain and could be important for therapies as far reaching as mood disorders.

"Most people don't find this class of drugs very pleasurable," Hooker said. "So perhaps the main draw or reason for its appeal relates to the rapid onset and short duration of its effects, which are incredibly unique. The kinetics are often as important as the abused drug itself."

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/20 ... 120701.htm

I've met many people who have tried Salvia and have no desire to really ever do it again. Not to say it can't be a useful tool, but it is an overwhelming drug. One minute you feel very normal, and within seconds it feels as if you're not where you were. My experience with it was that I thought I was in europe, and was suddenly incredibily shocked to find that I was in my boyfriend's room. The entire experience was me mostly just trying to figure out how one second I was in Europe and the next in my boyfriend's room.

Salvia does not feel anything like other psychedelics. Even the visual aspects are incredibly different.

Also, not having someone else present for your first time using a psychedelic I feel is risky. I'm sure it's worked great for some people out there, but I highly suggest having someone else with you. ESPECIALLY SALVIA. People can sometimes feel disconnected from their body, and not realize how they're placing their body. There have been accidents that have occurred because of this. If you are currently at a point in your life where you feel you don't have anyone to explore the realm of psychedelics with, I would just put it off until you did.

I realize you say have 1x, however, I honestly think the extract thing is all placebo. I gave my boyfriend 10x, and he was transported to another dimension. We've both tried 70X and barely felt a thing. The natives who use salvia also don't do an extract with it, and can get very strong effects from the leaves. DO NOT TAKE SALVIA THINKING YOU'RE TAKING A "WEAK DOSE." This can make you unprepared if you do get thrown into hyperspace.



Now this is just my opinion. But if you're curious about exploring psychoactive substances, I would actually suggest MDMA to first time users. MDMA will bring you into a drastically altered state of consciousness, but it is a drug that people do not normally have a bad trip with. However, this is very much so a social drug and I suggest being in contact with people. This is why it is the ravers drug of choice. If you do choose to go this route, pick up a marquis testing kit, (http://www.dancesafe.org/testingkits/) and go to a rave. This would put you into a setting with people, and perhaps even give you the chance to meet people who are curious about exploring psychedelics. Ask people for molly, not exstacy. You're more likely to get a pressed tab that way, and those are NO GOOD. Less than 50% of them have actual MDMA in them. Look for gel-caps filled with powder. These can still be other substances, however, this is where the testing kit comes in. =)

(I am in now way shape or form suggesting anyone buy any illegal drugs. I am simply providing information as a form of harm reduction.)

If you're not into the raver scene though, wait for the summer and check out the psytrance scene. The people there are typically older, and prefer to use acid and other psychedelics. You will see some MDMA use, but it's not as common as using acid and mushrooms, though it's fully accepted. I personally prefer the psytrance community, because I feel I meet more people who want to use these substances in a way that'll better themselves as people. At raves, I typically feel people go to dance and get high. Which, isn't always a bad thing, as long as it isn't in excess. Psytrance parties also have lots of outdoor parties in the summer, which can be good for people using psychedelics because if they feel the party is overwhelming they can find a quiet place in nature to calm themselves. Plus, there's often times groups that go to psytrance parties that are designed just to calm trippers down if they're having a bad trip.

Before I started going to psytrance parties I felt somewhat isolated, because no one seemed to understand my views on psychedelics. You might find a good friend or two there.

Just for good measure:
http://www.erowid.org/plants/salvia/salvia.shtml
http://www.erowid.org/chemicals/mdma/mdma.shtml

 

[IJesusChrist]

My experience with 60x:

I sat down, expecting to not come back, and to be fully blown out of existance, there is no way I should attempt to feel normal in any sense.

I was transported into a spiral of jelly like people, all teasing me about how stupidly I had gone through life without knowning they were the creators of everything. They toyed with me, my reality, showing me that my friends didn't care about me - that they were just actors. The rocks were just made of people, and I attempted to dig them out, but they were too clever for me to grab. They simply wanted to make me angry, and sad.

Salvia is for people who want to never do drugs again. Possibly why it is legal - scare the shit out of you.

With 1x, you're not going to feel much, 1x probably just means those are the leaves they took the extract out of to put in 10x etc...

Personal advice:
If you take salvia, realize it isn't anywhere near anything else... It completely destroys reality at high doses and transforms the earth into a living breathing people machine. If you do intend to do it, just take very long deep breathes before, relax, and take long inhales.
As for social anxiety: the drug IS a social anxiety, thats what it felt like to me. I'll do it again one day, just to see if I can reak havoc on the salvia people. BTW here is a perfect example of what salvia trips look like:

[youtube]Tq4nrmnqY9o[/youtube]

 

[MelloTrip]

An out of body experience on Salvia (leaves and x5 extract) was my first psychedelic experience.
Anyone would have stopped there I guess.
But I went on.

My advice : don't do salvia first. There is a small probability you will get a full blown trip even with leaves and that can be hard to integrate.
If you REALLY want to start with salvia, don't smoke it. Have a quid.

 

[trick]

Salvia takes practice, and a bit more preperation for the trip than other psychedelics. My trips have always been.. abstract, and difficult to understand. From a beginners standpoint on spirituality and drugs, ide start with mushrooms in my opinion. They are more forgiving.

I think ive gotten more out of lucid dreaming than i have from salvia. Although lucid dreaming takes practice, so does understanding a trip as confusing as salvia. Also i dont think it would give you a very good impression of psychedelics because it doesnt really feel 'good'. Its almost a dilusional state.

I wouldnt take my salvia experiences back for the world, but i also wouldnt reccomend it for most people.

 

[GregKasarik]

I would suggest that shrooms are probably the best place to start with entheogens. A low dose will allow you to experience the visuals and the sense of having an altered state of consciousness, without having to worry about a negative experience. In addition, compared to LSD and Mescaline, it is short acting.

However, depending on the nature of your anxiety symptoms (ie do you also suffer from heightened general anxiety?), these may be problematic, as they do tend to increase tension in the muscles, which you then may interpret as being anxiety, which may affect the trip negatively. While I wouldn't expect this to be an issue with a small dose, I'd suggest a low dose of valium, xanax, diazapam, or similar (taken concurrently), as this will work to counteract the muscle tension, but not adversely affect the quality of the trip.

With respect to MDMA (which is more of an empathogen than an entheogen and not what I'd call a psychadelic), I'd actually suggest that it may be a good one to try if you are suffering from social anxiety, as it will help you feel more comfortable with your surroundings and the people you are with. It is a highly prosocial drug and doesn't just have to be taken at raves (although I am led to believe that the music sounds even more awsome if you have consumed). Indeed many would say that its best use is when taken with close friends, or partners and doing nothing but chatting. MDMA also an interesting one in relation to the way it affects some people and doesn't affect others. For example, I don't use it because up to 200mg doses simply have failed to produce any effect on me. I've got no idea of why this is the case.

I hope this helps.

 

[trick]

200mgs with NO effect?
Thats serious bro. How does that happen??

 

[IJesusChrist]

While I wouldn't expect this to be an issue with a small dose, I'd suggest a low dose of valium, xanax, diazapam, or similar (taken concurrently).

This is really bad advice, no offense greg... Possibly valium or xanax, but really stear clear of prescriptions... we don't understand the brain enough to be handing out these anti-depressants.

As for mushrooms & anxiety = ... I had a very unerving trip on mushrooms. Just take whatever comes to you.

 

[buffachino]

Personally I don’t have experience with salvia, but gleaning from the literature it seems that in effective doses of fortified leaves or other extracts the effects are the quintessence of ego death.

I agree that if you desire to use salvia as your first psychedelic, then it is better to use a quid (chew leaves, preferably fresh) or a tincture (extract absorbed sublingually) than to smoke purified salvinorin. Traditionally it is always used through sublingual absorption, and smoking is seen as a disrespect to the teacher. However I think that the difference between smoking a purified salvinorin extract and chewing fresh leaves or using a tincture is the same as that between smoking DMT and drinking Ayahuasca.

If you’re unsure about using such an intense method as your introduction to the realm of psychedelics, I would suggest psilocybin mushrooms, mescaline bearing cacti or ayahuasca.

As far as availability is concerned, mushrooms would be your best bet, cacti would follow and ayahuasca is the more elusive but is decidedly rewarding.

I would suggest that you either learn some basic mycology skills for identification and hunt for mushrooms in the wild (however this entails risk) or learn to grow them from spores. Buying them is easier, but ultimately less intimate.

Mescaline is an extremely forgiving substance, although regretfully impotent, requiring a dose of a few hundred milligrams of pure compound for good effect. Cacti such as san pedro are a reliable source but alas aren’t the most potent of sources, that position being reserved for the peyote cactus which is both endangered in the wild and extremely slow growing compared to the other less potent landscaping cacti that you could find/use.
Mescaline is however relatively gentle even at intense dose, so if your looking for a good introduction, it is a good option, considering it is unlikely you will get a large dose of mescaline form any quantity of cactus you are likely to find.

This is really bad advice, no offense greg... Possibly valium or xanax, but really stear clear of prescriptions... we don't understand the brain enough to be handing out these anti-depressants.

I agree.
I wouldn’t suggest using axiolytic drugs in conjunction with psychedelics. Anxiety is a natural part of the experience; it arises on occasion as a manifestation of fear within the ego toward its dissolution into the unknown.
Boundary dissolution is the name of the game, and if fear arises about the loss of these definitions of the self, then it is an opportunity for learning and growth. The worst thing one can do is fight it or attempt to placate it using benzos or antipsychotics.

Better to face it than to fight it.

By the way Greg, Valium is diazepam.

 

[trick]

I think that the anti-anxiety meds like xanax and valume are great backup 'repair' tool FOR your tools. They work great to help someone calm down in the midst of a panic attack, and if you have ever seen anyone FREAKING out while tripping, you might as well have saved their life if you give them half a xanax. Although i aggree, the world is over medicated, these meds cant be descriminated against for that matter. I always try to have some xanax on hand if im tripping. ive only even needed it once. but it IS good to have on hand.

EDIT: "Better to face it than to fight it."
I cant say i aggree with that. obviously you havent seen someone have a psychotic break. there are limits that you can take. and bad trips tent to push those limits of sanity.

 

[buffachino]

I think that the anti-anxiety meds like xanax and valume are great backup 'repair' tool FOR your tools. They work great to help someone calm down in the midst of a panic attack, and if you have ever seen anyone FREAKING out while tripping, you might as well have saved their life if you give them half a xanax. Although i aggree, the world is over medicated, these meds cant be descriminated against for that matter. I always try to have some xanax on hand if im tripping. ive only even needed it once. but it IS good to have on hand.

I just see it as escapist, and it aids in destroying the potential for the integration of primordial fears which arise in the form of anxiety in such immersive states.

But hey, if you’re unwilling to look at those things, even if they seem irrational, then maybe you shouldn’t be taking psychedelics in the first place.

There’s no guarantee that it will all be fun and games, but facing the darkness can really be rewarding, and that’s half the benefit of these drugs.

I cant say i aggree with that. obviously you havent seen someone have a psychotic break. there are limits that you can take. and bad trips tent to push those limits of sanity.

I have seen it and lived it, and i can attest to my stance that integrating ones demons is the healthier way to go.
But some people like being neurotic, if that's their trip, fine, to each their own.
Hide and seek can be fun, but it, like sanity, has its limits, and limits are meant to be transcended sooner or later.

There's really no other way to learn.

 

[trick]

I think that the anti-anxiety meds like xanax and valume are great backup 'repair' tool FOR your tools. They work great to help someone calm down in the midst of a panic attack, and if you have ever seen anyone FREAKING out while tripping, you might as well have saved their life if you give them half a xanax. Although i aggree, the world is over medicated, these meds cant be descriminated against for that matter. I always try to have some xanax on hand if im tripping. ive only even needed it once. but it IS good to have on hand.

I just see it as escapist, and it aids in destroying the potential for the integration of primordial fears which arise in the form of anxiety in such immersive states.

But hey, if you’re unwilling to look at those things, even if they seem irrational, then maybe you shouldn’t be taking psychedelics in the first place.

There’s no guarantee that it will all be fun and games, but facing the darkness can really be rewarding, and that’s half the benefit of these drugs.

[quote:3ax081m8]I cant say i aggree with that. obviously you havent seen someone have a psychotic break. there are limits that you can take. and bad trips tent to push those limits of sanity.

I have seen it and lived it, and i can attest to my stance that integrating ones demons is the healthier way to go.
But some people like being neurotic, if that's their trip, fine, to each their own.
Hide and seek can be fun, but it, like sanity, has its limits, and limits are meant to be transcended sooner or later.

There's really no other way to learn.[/quote:3ax081m8]


Who are your to say weither or not i should take psychedelics? How am i even supposed to react to that?!
In the case of an inexperience tripper like the OT said, would you really recommend 'toughing out' a bad trip? I can hardly see that benifical to her.

And tell me, what is there possibly to GAIN from running away from trees and shadows trying to kill you at night in a thunderstorm on 3 hits of strong acid??
The darkness of night play tricks on your eyes while tripping, and i was almost in tears with fear :axe: . An emergency came up during a planned out trip and i had to go home at night in the pissing down rain. Luckly i diddnt have a heart attack(ok i may be exaderating) because i took half a xanax to calm down a bit.

I still back my opinion of having something to help anxiety on hand in case of emergency. I prepare in many ways b4 a trip mentally, but you cant really mentally prepare for something as traumatic as a bad trip.

 

[buffachino]

Who are your to say weither or not i should take psychedelics?

I’m not saying whether you or anyone else should or should not take psychedelics.

I’m simply stating that the possibility of enjoyable experiences entail the possibility of difficult ones.
If you’re reluctant to take the good with the bad, then perhaps it is better to not take them at all than to risk harm from an arduous and futile struggle to deny the nether regions of one’s soul.

You have to be prepared to face and assimilate rather than placate the emergence of your fears.
Sure you can keep meds handy to lessen the blow for a quick fix approach, but it’s just prolonging the inevitable confrontation. It’s ultimately more healing to go through the storm and emerge a richer person on the other side.

You can learn more about yourself from the hard times than from the easy.
All I’m saying is that you can benefit by integrating and learning from those experiences more than if you attempt to withdraw from them.

Toughing it out is a battle, only because your still trying to ignore the problem.

Trips aren’t necessarily good or bad, they are what you make of them, and if fear arises, it’s an opportunity to grow.