[African Dream Root - Silene Capensis]

[Achten]

Not really extensive enough for a "trip report" so that's why I'm putting it here. Mods will move it for sure if necessary.

It's apparently a "herb" (part of a tree actually, if I remember correctly)

I ate 2.5grams of this, 2 nights in a row, totalling 5grams.

I ate it before I went to bed. Taste was a bit like liquorice, but after swallowing it felt like my throat was hurting, like I was extremely hoarse. Went away with water and soy milk.

Effects didn't occur those 2 days. However the next day I had extremely vivid dreams, and totally weird events occured. I won't bother explaining details because experiences are personal anyway and it's rather difficult to describe personal experiences, let alone dreams. Let it be said that my GF thought I was having a nightmare, because I was moving about a lot and talking in my sleep. Something I've never done before. My dream was emotionally neutral.
The next day I had another series of dreams. One of them bordering on being lucid, but not quite so.

I'm pretty interested in (lucid) dreaming. I always try to remember my dream(s) and usually I do, but I never remember more than one dream. These nights I had 3-4 dreams, some of which I remembered right after I woke up, others during the day. Some events in the day would remind me of something and then I would remember that dream. Weird but cool . That's why I find this a worthwile "dream herb". Strange thing is, the day I ate the substance I didn't dream, also not so standard for me.

Now I'm going for the third night, without eating more. Will report back if anything else happens.

PS: I did have 3mg aMT (I do this +/-10 times a year) as a mood enhancer on Day 3 (the first day of the dreams). Ingested it at 8am, peaked at 11am; stayed there until 10pm, then came down and went to bed about 1am.

So, for clarity's sake, timetable:

Day 1: ate 2.5 grams dream root. No dreams.
Day 2: ate 2.5grams dream root. No dreams.
Day 3: 3mg aMT when I woke up, no dream root. vivid dreams, weird events. GF thought I was having nightmare, talked in my sleep.
Day 4: No drugs, no dream root. vivid dreams, weird events. There were people n my dreams that are not usually there. Some I hadn't seen for a long time. Would remember some (parts of) dreams as the day went by.
Now is Day 5 and I'm about to go to bed.

 

[Solipsis]

Well Calea Zacatechichi tasted absolutely horrible but I forgot about Silene Capensis...

...IIRC some online psychonauts who tested it got moderately severe side-effects from this, if only I could reproduce what those were! Anyway it put me off S. Capensis. Not sure why I stopped experimenting with C. Zacatechichi - probably I was done with it, even if the (positive) result I got was only a short-lived experiment.

Anyway I am interested in lucid dreaming and have practised sober techniques (also with success), thanks for the info...

 

[freedstar]

Dreams on the day that you took 3mg AMT sounds fishy. I would say that is what caused your weird events. Not dream root you took the day before.

Could you of just placebo'd yourself on day 4? Dreams happen.

I'm under the assumption that the dream root should be working the night you take it. It's a very subjective thing anyways.

 

[Solipsis]

Agreed ^

the results, whatever the content of the dream was... cannot really be used or interpreted because we do not know. aMT can be very dreamy, in fact I tend to drift off into visions and reverie for most of the duration of the aMT experience. So we do not know what the S. Capensis contribution was.
Of course this does not mean the experience itself was worthless, obviously it means something to you!

As a more proper experiment I would suggest a week sober and then only one oneirogenic and only softdrugs I guess.

 

[thoughtsUnThought]

My company carries silene capensis, here's what I know about it..from what I understand the recommended dose is much lower, .25g of root material. Natives suggest not to increase the dosage beyond what brings effects, as this causes gastrointestinal distress in some users.

Another note is that it is taken by the Xhosa tribesmen during the daytime on an empty stomach. Seemingly similar to nutmegs digestion, capensis roots active oneirogenic (sp? ) compounds are absorbed in the intestines.

Customers and friends have reported noticeable dream enhancement. A good friend had a dream of driving off a cliff after his first night of eating capensis, the following day he noticed a strange similarity to the dream while looking down to light a cig or something like that. Upon noticing the similarity he quickly looked back at the road. The timing was impeccable, for had he not thought of the dream at that moment he would have careened off of the cliff just like in the dream... He is a believer in the root now

Correlative to that story, natives use this herb during shamanic initiations, claiming it provides insight and lessons through the dreams.

Curious as to why, but our most recent import for this herb, straight from Africa, actually produces a noticeable change in consciousness within 30 min. Very psychedelic– esque, even on .25g dosage. Not a trip, but quite noticeable increase in color vividness as well as a dreamy floaty sensation which is distinct for me and my gf at least (haven't shared this new batch with many others yet, no outside feedback). I wonder if a psychedelic effect would come into view if I increase the dosage with this new batch...will have to check it out!

 

[Achten]

It could be the aMT, yes. But the dosage was very low (3mg) and I've never had the dream effect occur before.
Day 4 could have been placebo, of course, but I would highly doubt it.

I do believe the dream root is active, due to the vividness of the dreams.

Yes, I did some reading and apparently I took a pretty hefty dose.
Gonna order some new one and eat during the day, without other substances.

I've tried Calea in the past too, and the taste is just ugh, and I never really got an effect from it..