Salvia Divinorum - Usersguide.pdf - books - kavaman

The Salvia divinorum User's Guide

Version date: July 2, 2003

( The most recent version can always be found at: http://sagewisdom.org/usersguide.html )

Created by "Sage Student", with contributions, editing, and HTML rendering by Daniel Siebert

Formatting and rendering of PDF by Rev. Salens

WHY YOU WERE GIVEN THIS GUIDE

Perhaps a friend gave you a Salvia divinorum cutting, or maybe you bought dried leaves, an extract, or a living

plant. If so, you need to read this guide. It was written to teach you how to work with this herb in a way that is

personally rewarding, and how to do so as safely as possible. It will also teach you how to grow and care for your

own Salvia divinorum plants.

Salvia divinorum is an extraordinary visionary herb. It is not a recreational drug. It produces a profoundly

introspective state of awareness that is useful for meditation, contemplation, and self-reflection. Its effects are

unique and cannot be compared with the effects of other drugs. The effects of Salvia do not appeal to many people

(young or old). The people who are most drawn to it are both mature and philosophically minded. Beware of

inaccurate information. There are many unethical vendors who try to lure naive customers by portraying the effects

of Salvia as more appealing than they are. The news media often sensationalizes stories about Salvia, exaggerating

its effects, risks, and popularity. Much of what has appeared in the popular press is inaccurate and misleading.

Salvia is not "legal pot." It is not "legal acid." It is not a substitute for any other drug. Before trying Salvia, it is

important that you know about its effects, appropriate uses, and the potential risks associated with irresponsible

use.

Do NOT use Salvia until you have read through this guide. Salvia is unique. You cannot make assumptions about

its effects based on experiences you may have had with other herbs or drugs. Salvia has much to offer: fascinating

psychoactive effects, sensual enhancement, magical journeys, enchantment, apparent time travel, philosophical

insights, spiritual experiences, and perhaps even healing and divination. It should not be used casually. It should

always be used in a thoughtful, intelligent manner, and only by responsible adults that are of sound mind and clear

intent.

IT'S FREE

No one should have charged you for this guide. It should be given to people free of charge whenever plants, leaves,

or extracts are given away, or sold. No one should make a profit from it. It was written as a public service. The

authors will not receive any royalties.

PRINT OUT COPIES FREELY, BUT COMPLETELY

This guide should be given free of charge to anyone who is interested in Salvia. Please print this guide in its

entirety. Give it free of charge to everyone with whom you share leaves or plants. If you copy it, copy ALL of it.

Do not change it. Supply it as is. As more is learned about Salvia, this guide will be updated. For this reason, it is

important that the version date (above) be included in the copy you give out. That way, the person getting it will be

able to know if their copy is up to date.

DO NOT COPY TO OTHER WEB SITES

This guide is updated frequently. The most recent version can always be found at:

http://sagewisdom.org/usersguide.html. We do not want to see obsolete versions floating around on the Internet. So

please do not copy it to other web sites. If you want to make the guide accessible from another web site, simply

include a link to the above URL.

JUST A BEGINNING

This guide is just a beginning. After reading it, you may wish to learn more. An excellent resource for additional

information is The Salvia divinorum Research and Information Center web site at: http://sagewisdom.org. This

website, created by Daniel Siebert, provides a wealth of information, including:

The most up-to-date verison of The Salvia divinorum User's Guide.

The Salvia divinorum FAQ.

Images of Salvia divinorum plants and the chemical structure of salvinorin A.

Scientific papers and articles about Salvia divinorum .

Links to many other Salvia sites.

Information on joining various on-line Salvia divinorum discussion forums.

Salvia divinorum inspired artwork.

A calendar of Salvia-related conferences, seminars, and lectures.

SALVIA DIVINORUM BASICS

Salvia divinorum is a species of sage (the genus Salvia ). There are approximately 1000 species of Salvia

worldwide, but Salvia divinorum is the only vision-inducing species known. Salvia is a member of a very large

family of plants known as the Labiatae. Because mint is a well-known member of this family, it is sometimes

referred to as the mint family. Salvia divinorum makes a beautiful house plant, and it can be grown just for that

reason, but most people who grow this plant are interested in its fascinating psychoactive effects.

The botanical name Salvia divinorum means "Sage of the Diviners." Under the right conditions, taken in the right

way, Salvia produces a unique state of "divine inebriation." For hundreds of years, it has been used in religious and

healing ceremonies by the Mazatec Indians, who live in the province of Oaxaca, in Mexico.

The effects of Salvia are very different from those of alcohol; but like alcohol, it impairs coordination. Never, ever,

attempt to drive under the influence of salvia--doing so could prove fatal!

Salvia contains a chemical substance called salvinorin A. Salvinorin A is responsible for Salvia's mind-altering

effects. It is not chemically related to any other psychoactive drug. Unlike most visionary compounds, it is not an

alkaloid. Pure salvinorin A is extremely potent. Doses of only several hundred micrograms (millionths of a gram)

will have an effect, and doses above 1 milligram (1/1000 of a gram) are too much for most people to handle

comfortably. Because of its extreme potency, pure salvinorin A should never be used unless the dosage has been

precisely measured with an extremely accurate chemist's scale. Fortunately, Salvia leaf is hundreds of times weaker

than pure salvinorin A; therefore, Salvia leaf can be used much more safely.

Salvia leaf is physically quite safe. It is very gentle on the body. Toxicological studies have shown that salvinorin A

is extraordinarily non-toxic. No one has ever died from a Salvia overdose. Salvia is not habit-forming or addictive.

People who choose to use Salvia, tend to do so quite infrequently. Salvia is not a stimulant, it is not a sedative, it is

not a narcotic, it is not a tranquilizer. Like many entheogens, at sufficiently high doses it can induce visions, yet it

is quite different from other entheogens. Dale Pendell, in his book Pharmako/poeia, assigns Salvia divinorum to a

unique pharmacological class, which he calls "existentia." This term alludes to the philosophical illumination

Salvia seems to shine on the nature of existence itself.

SALVIA IS NOT A PARTY DRUG

This is important to understand. Salvia is not "fun" in the way that alcohol or Cannabis can be. If you try to party

with Salvia you probably will not have a good experience.

Salvia is a consciousness-changing herb that can be used in a vision quest, or in a healing ritual. In the right setting,

Salvia makes it possible to see visions. It is an herb with a long tradition of sacred use. It is useful for deep

meditation. It is best taken in a quiet, nearly darkroom; either alone (if a sitter will not be used, see below for

Experiential reports.

discussion of sitters), or with one or two good friends present. It should be taken either in silence or (sometimes)

with soft pleasant music playing.

CURRENT LEGAL STATUS

Salvia divinorum and its active principal salvinorin A are legal substances in the United States, Europe, and most

other countries. Australia is the only country that has passed legislation making Salvia divinorum and salvinorin A

illegal. Additional information about Salvia's legal status, and pending legislation that might affect it, is available

at: http://sagewisdom.org/new.html.

SALVIA EXPERIENCES: WHAT TO EXPECT

Salvia experiences range in intensity from subtle to extremely powerful. This holds true for chewed leaves, smoked

leaves, and for oral tinctures, such as "Sage Goddess Emerald Essence®." The strength of the effects will depend

on how much you take, the way you take it, and your individual body chemistry.

Salvia experiences differ from those produced by other visionary drugs or herbs, and Salvia has many advantages:

You cannot take a fatal overdose of Salvia leaves.

Salvia is not habit forming.

Its effects are brief in duration, so you quickly return to normal.

Salvia seldom produces adverse side-effects or hangover.

Noise and distraction will interfere with the experience. When on Salvia, watching TV is nothing but annoying;

sitting around a campfire in the woods at night, is wonderful.

Because Salvia divinorum can alter perception and behavior, it must never be used in a public environment--doing

so could draw unwelcome attention. When the effects are intense, people often become immersed in a dream-like

inner visionary state of awareness. Sometimes people in this state will move around as if sleepwalking. For this

reason, you should always have a sober sitter present when using strong doses. The sitter is there to make sure that

you don't do anything dangerous, like knocking over lit candles, or falling over furniture.

When Salvia is smoked the effects come on very quickly, in less than a minute. The effects are only strong for 5-6

minutes, and then they quickly taper off over another 20-30 minutes.

When the leaves are chewed, the first effects come on at about 15 minutes and gradually develop to peak about 30

minutes after ingestion. The peak level of effects lasts 30 minutes to an hour, and then gradually diminish over an

additional 30 minutes to an hour.

When taken as a tincture held in the mouth, the effects begin in 10-15 minutes, and quickly develop to a peak level

that lasts 20-40 minutes. The effects then gradually diminish over an additional 30 minutes to an hour. To be on the

safe side, it is important not to drive or use machinery for at least an hour after the experience appears to be ended.

Usually people feel clearheaded and mentally refreshed after a Salvia experience. Occasionally some people

experience mild headaches after smoking Salvia. It appears that such headaches are the result of smoke-induced

sinus irritation. Like tobacco smoke, Salvia smoke is probably somewhat irritating to the lungs.

Salvia experiences can be divided into various levels of intensity. The so-called S-A-L-V-I-A scale has been

constructed to rate the various levels of effects produced by salvia. Each letter of the word SALVIA stands for

another level of effects. The scale describes six different levels of intoxication, each one more intense than the

previous. The overall intensity of effects is scored according to the highest scale level attained during the course of

the experience.

Salvia is legal in most countries.

S-A-L-V-I-A Experiential Rating Scale

Level - 1 "S" stands for SUBTLE effects. A feeling that "something" is happening, although it is difficulty to say

just what. Relaxation and increased sensual appreciation may be noted. This mild level is useful for meditation and

may facilitate sexual pleasure.

Level - 2 "A" stands for ALTERED perception. Colors and textures are more pronounced. Appreciation of music

may be enhanced. Space may appear of greater or lesser depth than is usual. But visions do not occur at this level.

Thinking becomes less logical, and more playful; short-term memory difficulties may be noted.

Level - 3 "L" stands for LIGHT visionary state. Closed-eye visuals (clear imagery with eyes closed: fractal

patterns, vine-like and geometric patterns, visions of objects and designs). The imagery is often two dimensional. If

open-eyed visual effects occur, these are usually vague and fleeting. At this level, phenomena similar to the

hypnagogic phenomena that some people experience at sleep onset occur. At this level, visions are experienced as

"eye candy" but are not confused with reality.

Level - 4 "V" stands for VIVID visionary state. Complex three-dimensional realistic appearing scenes occur.

Sometimes voices may be heard. With eyes open, contact with consensual reality will not be entirely lost, but when

you close your eyes you may forget about consensus reality and enter completely into a dreamlike scene.

Shamanistic journeying to other lands--foreign or imaginary; encounters with beings (entities, spirits) or travels to

other ages may occur. You may even live the life of another person. At this level you have entered the shaman's

world. Or if you prefer: you are in "dream time." With eyes closed, you experience fantasies (dream like

happenings with a story line to them). So long as your eyes are closed you may believe they are really occurring.

This differs from the "eye candy" closed-eye imagery, of level 3.

Level - 5 "I" stands for IMMATERIAL existence. At this level one may no longer be aware of having a body.

Consciousness remains and some thought processes are still lucid, but one becomes completely involved in inner

experience and looses all contact with consensual reality. Individuality may be lost; one experiences merging with

God/dess, mind, universal consciousness, or bizarre fusions with other objects--real or imagined (e.g. experiences

such as merging with a wall or piece of furniture). At this level it is impossible to function in consensual reality, but

unfortunately some people do not remain still but move around in this befuddled state. For this reason a sitter is

essential to ensure the safety of someone voyaging to these deep levels. To the person experiencing this the

phenomenon may be terrifying or exceedingly pleasant; but to an outside observer the individual may appear

confused or disoriented.

Level 6 - "A" stands for AMNESIC effects. At this stage, either consciousness is lost, or at least one is unable to

later recall what one had experienced. The individual may fall, or remain immobile or thrash around;

somnambulistic behavior may occur. Injuries can be sustained without pain being felt; on awakening, the individual

will have no recollection of what he/she did, experienced, or said in level 6. People cannot recall what they

experience in this very deep trance state. This is not a desirable level, because nothing can latter be recalled of the

experience.

METHODS OF USE

Salvia is never taken by injection. There are many different methods of use. Several will be discussed here.

TRADITIONAL MAZATEC METHODS

The two traditional Mazatec methods are quite inefficient in that they require many more leaves than do the other

methods. But they are very safe. Traditionally the leaves are taken in a semi-darkened room as part of a healing or

religious ceremony. At least one sober person is present to watch over the people who have taken Salvia. A water-

based drink made from ground-up fresh leaves is one of the traditional Mazatec ways of using this herb. It requires

a lot of leaves and tastes somewhat unpleasant, so this method is seldom used by non-Mazatecs. Salvinorin is very

poorly absorbed from the stomach so it requires enormous amounts of leaves to make the drink effective. But it

does work, and the effects last longer than from any other method. Chewing and swallowing a large number of

fresh leaves is the other Mazatec method. When this is done the leaves are nibbled slowly for about 1/2 hour.

Although the chewed-up leaves are swallowed, most of the effect is due to salvinorin that is absorbed through the

tissues of the mouth during the chewing. This is a less efficient way of chewing Salvia than the quid method (see

below). Most people find chewing and swallowing fresh leaves to be unpleasantly bitter, and for some, it causes

gagging.

MODERN METHODS

THE QUID METHOD:

A ball or cylinder of rolled-up leaves is made. This is called a quid. It is to be chewed. The leaves are chewed

slowly--about one chew every 10 seconds. They are kept under your tongue between chews. For half an hour keep

the quid that is being chewed, and the juice that forms, in your mouth. If you can, hold it in your mouth without

spitting or swallowing. Then, after the half-hour chewing time is over, spit it all out. Have a bowl to spit into, and a

towel handy. Salvia juice stains carpets and other fabrics, so be sure the bowl won't tip over.

Quids can be made from either fresh leaves or dried leaves. Those made from dry leaves are less bitter. To make a

quid from dried leaves, weigh out 2-8 grams of dried leaves. A gram scale accurate enough for this can be

purchased for under $50. If you have no scale, count out 8 to 28 large whole dried leaves. Place the leaves in a

small bowl of cool water for 10 minutes. Once the leaves are wet and have been soaking for about 10 minutes,

remove the leaves from the water, squeeze the excess water out of them, and ball them up into a quid. Some people

skip this soaking step when they are in a hurry, but chewing on brittle dry leaves may be unpleasant. If you wish,

you can sweeten the quid with sugar, honey, Stevia extract or an artificial sweetener like Equal®. This will make it

less bitter and more pleasant to chew.

If fresh leaves are used instead of dry ones, you will need from 8 to 28 large fresh leaves.

The effect of Salvia quids can probably be increased by first treating your mouth in a special way to increase its

ability to absorb salvinorin A. To do this you will need a toothbrush and an alcohol/menthol containing mouthwash

such as Cool Mint Listerine®, (or any other brand that contains alcohol and menthol). Gently brush the lining of

your mouth, including the tissue under your tongue, and the top surface of your tongue. This removes layers of

dead cells normally present. Do not brush hard enough to cause bleeding. Then rinse with the mouthwash for at

least 30 seconds. Be sure to get mouthwash everywhere in your mouth, including under your tongue. Then spit out

the mouthwash and rinse once with water.

You will experience very little in the first 12 to 15 minutes of chewing. Don't be misled by this. Full effects are

usually felt by 30 minutes (the time you spit out the quid). They remain on this level for about 30-60 minutes more,

then start to decrease. The whole experience seldom lasts longer than an hour and a half, but this varies.

SMOKING:

Dried leaves can be smoked in a pipe. They need to be smoked hot and the smoke must be inhaled deeply and

quickly to have an effect. Because salvinorin requires high temperatures to vaporize, it is best to hold a flame

immediately above the leaves, drawing it down into the leaves the whole time you inhale. The leaves can be

smoked in a short-stemmed tobacco pipe, in a bong, or in a "steamroller" pipe. Fill up a medium size bowl with

leaves. Use a hand-held butane lighter that will go out when you are no longer pressing it, not a match. Have a large

ashtray or tip-proof bowl to set the pipe in when you feel you've had enough. Remember that when you are

immersed in the experience you may forget you are holding a lit pipe. You could drop it, causing a burn or a fire;

therefore, it is best to have a sitter present when smoking. First effects will be noticed within a minute of inhaling.

After 5-6 minutes the effects will gradually begin to subside. The total duration of the experience may be less than

30 minutes or as long as an hour.

Extract-enhanced leaves can also be smoked. Extract-enhanced leaves can be very strong and should only be

smoked when a sitter is present. It is possible to vaporize leaves or extract in a special vaporizer that heats up

material without burning it. Vaporization can be deceiving. Because very little smoke is produced, it is possible to

inhale a very large dose without realizing it. Anyone trying vaporization absolutely MUST have a sitter present.

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