Effects of Salvia

The salvia Center
2004
by salvia center

Salvia's effects can vary greatly depending on a number of factors including: potency, ingestion method and dosage.

Salvia divinorum is a broadleaf plant originating from Oaxaca Mexico where the Mazatec?s used it for ancient rituals and medicine. The dried leaves of the plant are either made into a paste and chewed or smoked to induce a hallucinogenic effects known as a ?trip?. There are many different varieties of salvia divinorum with different potencies; there are also dried leaves that have been infused with the extracted chemical Salvinorin A which is the psychoactive existent in the leaf.

After ingesting the chemical Salvinorin A through either chewing or smoking the dried leaves or extract you will begin to feel the effects of salvia in a few seconds. The experience and intensity of the trip depends on the amount ingested and the metabolism and body chemistry of the user. It is good to have another person with you while experiencing the power of salvia. Many people have been known to lose complete touch with reality or try merging with other objects such as the floor or a table, there is also a possibility of losing consciousness and memory after consuming a large amount of the drug.

Although I?ve heard of the effects of salvia lasting upwards of an hour and a half my first personal experience was much shorter however I did not smoke a large amount and I have never chewed the paste form. My first experience was enjoyable though the effects were short lived and I would like to take this opportunity to share part of it with you to help you understand the drug a bit more.

A few seconds after inhaling the smoke from a small pipe packed with salvia divinorum I began to feel very heavy. My entire body felt as though it were being pulled with great force to the ground. The area around my eyes lips and in between my fingers felt wet and cold and I found it incredibly difficult to speak although I could laugh. The walls of the room I was in began to ripple like water. I felt very tense and detached from the world around me. I was being spoken too and wanted to answer but hand gestures were all I could manage. The few words I did speak during my experience were short, muffled and incoherent. This however didn?t last more than five minutes peaking at around three or four minutes with a small amount of disorientation for the next half hour or so.

Shamanic experts speak of six levels of intoxication that can be attained through the consumption of salvia divinorum. The fist level of the effects of salvia is of course the most mild. At this level one can expect to be in a state of relaxation and bliss compared to that of an aphrodisiac. The second level is only slightly more intense the user begins to feel slightly detached from reality with heightened senses of space, sight smell and sound. The third level is more disorienting and the user begins to hallucinate however is still able to distinguish these hallucinations from reality. The fourth level is the second most desired level of salvia effects for shamanic mystics looking for spiritual enlightenment. At this stage one will experience intense visual hallucinations and it is said that with you eyes closed very real visions of past lives and times may be experienced. The fifth level of the effects of salvia is the most desirable level Visual hallucinations like in level four are quite intense and may even be indistinguishable from reality at times although consciousness is never lost on may experience merging with god or other objects. It is strongly recommended to have some one with you if attempting to induce this level of intoxication. The sixth level is considered very undesirable at this level loss of consciousness is common along with shaking and complete loss of memory.