Just posting a very quick note on my bioassay of this Taiwanese acacia.
There are reports of DMT content in the root bark comparable or higher than Mimosa, and I've stumbled on this online description of using it in ayahuasca. So, on my recent trip to Taiwan, I obtained a large sample of the root bark. I must mention before describing my trial that I've never succeeded attaining full psychedelia with mimosa-caapi ayahuasca (made from ingredients purchased in Europe), so what I am about to describe is my first full-scale DMT(-like) experience.
Anyway, because the plant has not been researched much, I wanted to test my material without MAOI first to watch for any non-DMT-related adverse effects, without any expectations for psychoactivity. So I brewed a handful of my root bark chips (ground to around 5tbsp of fibrous powder) ayahuasca-style without any additives.
I first consumed about 1/3 of the brew on an empty stomach this morning. There was some nausea, so I lied down. In about an hour, I noticed to my surprise that colors brightened, everything started to look cuter, mild euphoria emerged and the nausea was gone: a typical low-dose tryptamine signature. So, because it felt pretty comfortable, I decided to take the risk and drink the rest of the brew. About 20 minutes later, it hit me like a wall, and it was pretty horrifying (with synesthesia going beyond what words can describe, visions, perceptual distortions of all sorts, thoughts that I have killed myself, limb tremor and impaired motor control). However, the whole thing lasted about 40 minutes and then stopped quite abruptly (and I am actually feeling perfectly well now). This was my first DMT experience (which I believe it has been, because the duration and intensity do match the DMT profile), and it was certainly far less kind to me than psilocybin. In any case, with due care, the plant can probably be used to people's benefit, and it is certainly active orally without additives (at least for my body chemistry; related Mimosa hostilis is also reported to be orally active).
I intend to write a more detailed report for erowid later. And I'll probably do some more experiments, though dosing more conservatively (and I am somewhat scared now of combining it with rue...).
Any comments/advice from ayahuasca shamans and other competent individuals are appreciated! 8)
========================
Notes on obtaining the plant material:
1) The tree appears to be very common in Taiwan (its local name is 相思樹, which amusingly translates as `thinking-of-each-other tree').
2) The root bark (相思樹根皮) seems to have some very limited use in traditional medicine, externally and perhaps internally for liver disease (the vendors did not seem confident about that).
3) The bark does not seem to be carried by Chinese medicine stores (中藥店), but it is carried by "herbal medicine stores" (草藥店 or 青草店), though not every store would have it, since the demand is low.
4) There is a huge conglomeration of these herbal shops next to Longshan temple (龍山寺) in Taipei. I didn't have a difficulty buying the bark there, but I had to order 1 day in advance, and they gave me raw root (at 150 Taiwan dollars, roughly $5, for 600g). The bark can be easily separated from the fresh root.
_________________________________________
11.05.2010: Direct oral activity of the root bark confirmed with a smaller dose.
_________________________________________
16.05.2010: First acacia-based ayahuasca trial completed. Has been a deep experience, but extremely horrifying during the prolonged entry stage.
The brew:
1) around 1/2 tbsp whole Syrian rue seeds, ground into powder and steeped in 3 washes of boiling water (no cooking, no evaporation);
2) around 3 tbsp ground Acacia confusa root bark, also steeped in 3 washes of boiling water (no cooking, no evaporation); ONLY around 1/2 of the acacia brew was consumed (around 1.5 tbsp of the plant material), resulting in an extremely strong experience.
The rue was consumed first, followed 30 minutes later by around 1/3 of the acacia brew, followed 30 more minutes later by a few more gulps of the acacia brew (overall, around 1/2 of the prepared acacia brew was used).
What ensued was a prolonged horrifying entry phase, which felt like dying many times over, not being sure anymore what being alive, sane or human means, or when this experience started, or when it is going to end. After a lot of suffering, and passing through an exquisitely sensuous erotic episode, this cleared into an extremely blissful state of peace and harmony, which gradually descended into the usual consciousness at around 3.5 hour time mark from the first acacia brew ingestion.
A deep experience I would say, but certainly not one I would repeat often. And all of this with only around 1.5 tbsp of the acacia root bark powder. No idea whether my batch of acacia is unusually potent, or I am unusually sensitive. Also, it's quite harsh on me. As I said, I've never really had a difficult experience with psilocybin, mescaline or LSA (all from natural sources), but these acacia voyages bring a lot of horror, among other things. Please stay safe!
There are reports of DMT content in the root bark comparable or higher than Mimosa, and I've stumbled on this online description of using it in ayahuasca. So, on my recent trip to Taiwan, I obtained a large sample of the root bark. I must mention before describing my trial that I've never succeeded attaining full psychedelia with mimosa-caapi ayahuasca (made from ingredients purchased in Europe), so what I am about to describe is my first full-scale DMT(-like) experience.
Anyway, because the plant has not been researched much, I wanted to test my material without MAOI first to watch for any non-DMT-related adverse effects, without any expectations for psychoactivity. So I brewed a handful of my root bark chips (ground to around 5tbsp of fibrous powder) ayahuasca-style without any additives.
I first consumed about 1/3 of the brew on an empty stomach this morning. There was some nausea, so I lied down. In about an hour, I noticed to my surprise that colors brightened, everything started to look cuter, mild euphoria emerged and the nausea was gone: a typical low-dose tryptamine signature. So, because it felt pretty comfortable, I decided to take the risk and drink the rest of the brew. About 20 minutes later, it hit me like a wall, and it was pretty horrifying (with synesthesia going beyond what words can describe, visions, perceptual distortions of all sorts, thoughts that I have killed myself, limb tremor and impaired motor control). However, the whole thing lasted about 40 minutes and then stopped quite abruptly (and I am actually feeling perfectly well now). This was my first DMT experience (which I believe it has been, because the duration and intensity do match the DMT profile), and it was certainly far less kind to me than psilocybin. In any case, with due care, the plant can probably be used to people's benefit, and it is certainly active orally without additives (at least for my body chemistry; related Mimosa hostilis is also reported to be orally active).
I intend to write a more detailed report for erowid later. And I'll probably do some more experiments, though dosing more conservatively (and I am somewhat scared now of combining it with rue...).
Any comments/advice from ayahuasca shamans and other competent individuals are appreciated! 8)
========================
Notes on obtaining the plant material:
1) The tree appears to be very common in Taiwan (its local name is 相思樹, which amusingly translates as `thinking-of-each-other tree').
2) The root bark (相思樹根皮) seems to have some very limited use in traditional medicine, externally and perhaps internally for liver disease (the vendors did not seem confident about that).
3) The bark does not seem to be carried by Chinese medicine stores (中藥店), but it is carried by "herbal medicine stores" (草藥店 or 青草店), though not every store would have it, since the demand is low.
4) There is a huge conglomeration of these herbal shops next to Longshan temple (龍山寺) in Taipei. I didn't have a difficulty buying the bark there, but I had to order 1 day in advance, and they gave me raw root (at 150 Taiwan dollars, roughly $5, for 600g). The bark can be easily separated from the fresh root.
_________________________________________
11.05.2010: Direct oral activity of the root bark confirmed with a smaller dose.
_________________________________________
16.05.2010: First acacia-based ayahuasca trial completed. Has been a deep experience, but extremely horrifying during the prolonged entry stage.
The brew:
1) around 1/2 tbsp whole Syrian rue seeds, ground into powder and steeped in 3 washes of boiling water (no cooking, no evaporation);
2) around 3 tbsp ground Acacia confusa root bark, also steeped in 3 washes of boiling water (no cooking, no evaporation); ONLY around 1/2 of the acacia brew was consumed (around 1.5 tbsp of the plant material), resulting in an extremely strong experience.
The rue was consumed first, followed 30 minutes later by around 1/3 of the acacia brew, followed 30 more minutes later by a few more gulps of the acacia brew (overall, around 1/2 of the prepared acacia brew was used).
What ensued was a prolonged horrifying entry phase, which felt like dying many times over, not being sure anymore what being alive, sane or human means, or when this experience started, or when it is going to end. After a lot of suffering, and passing through an exquisitely sensuous erotic episode, this cleared into an extremely blissful state of peace and harmony, which gradually descended into the usual consciousness at around 3.5 hour time mark from the first acacia brew ingestion.
A deep experience I would say, but certainly not one I would repeat often. And all of this with only around 1.5 tbsp of the acacia root bark powder. No idea whether my batch of acacia is unusually potent, or I am unusually sensitive. Also, it's quite harsh on me. As I said, I've never really had a difficult experience with psilocybin, mescaline or LSA (all from natural sources), but these acacia voyages bring a lot of horror, among other things. Please stay safe!
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