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Salvia (15X) - First Time - Terrifying Experience

ozzy12

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Mar 23, 2006
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13
So Saturday evening (around 3pm) I smoked a bowl pack of 15X salvia (the brand was called Purple Sticky Salvia and it came in a purple tin). I was recommended by a friend, and being a newbie w/ psychedelic drugs. I can't even begin to explain my experience although I would say that the closest thing that comes to describe it is the description that Wikipedia gives on the "level 5 psychedelic experience." (I must also tell you all that I was pretty stoned before I went into this ridiculous experience, once again underestimating the power of salvia. I had also done a mild dose of DXM the night before around 12 midnight. 8 Triple C's. I don't usually do these many drugs except a lot of weed, I just had an atypical weekend).


Wikipedia's Description of the "Level 5 Psychedelic Experience" - Total loss of visual connection with reality. The senses cease to function in the normal way. Total loss of ego. Feelings of merging with space, other objects or the universe. Feelings of reaching to the beginning or the end of space and time. The loss of reality becomes so extreme that it defies explanation. Dream or movie like states, people have been reported seeing themselves in entirely different settings than their original setting. Earlier levels are relatively easy to describe in terms of measurable changes in perception and thought patterns. The only thing still reported to be working at a recognizable level, is the mind's voice of thought. Much is unknown about what a person actually experiences during this period, because most people actually come back explaining the experience as "unexplainable" or "uncommunicable". This effect can be produced in high doses of LSD and extremely high doses of psilocybin or with extremely high doses of the strongest extracts of salvia divinorum. "

It was an absolutely terrifying experience, and I entered a new world. I had 2 sitters with me who told me that I had immediately lunged onto the floor spinning and kicking and mildly convulsing. I'm almost 100 percent sure that I did this to keep myself from dying in the "salvia world". I came back to reality a little later and I felt like complete shit - utterly alone and terrified. A few hours later I felt ok and I was so happy to be back in reality - I felt like I had a new chance at life and I was very grateful. The trip had taking it's toll on me and I went to sleep very early that night.

The next morning I woke up and felt great and was very infatuated with what I had seen/been through. I couldn't stop thinking about it, trying so hard to explain it to myself, and while doing about a bong hit every hour, I researched all I could on the subject and listened to the same album that I listened to during my salvia trip (Pink Floyd's The Wall) over and over.

By about 2pm on I started smoking even more pot and I decided to lay down w/ my laptop and take it easy and read up on Wikipedia. All of a sudden I was tripping again, nothing like the salvia trip but more than an out of body experience where I had no control. My pupils were all fucked up and I was so terrified that I thought I might have had a heart attack - I was thinking that maybe I was even poisoned.

So ever since this moment (i'm writing this on Tuesday morning) I've been feeling very weird and I'm scared that this out of nowhere panic attack/trip is on borderline again. I feel disassociated and my thoughts are racing and very O.C.D. (I'm a very O.C.D person). I fell sort of like my mind and body are disconnected. It's like I can't feel myself move sometimes, or I feel like I'm starting to slip out of body again. I decided Sunday night to stop the weed, stop anything except tons of water, a few glasses of orange juice, and regular food. I've kept this up as well, and I've felt about half as better than I did before.

Bottom line is I'm writing for all of you experienced users and I want to ask if it is a normal post-trip experience to kind of flashback into a more mild but very scary disabling mini-trip the day after. I'm never going to do Salvia again, I probably did too much, and I'll be happy to feel normal again once this is over.

How long do you think it'll take and I just want to thank anyone who takes the time to read this and try to help me out with advice. Once again, I've never done any major amount of psychedelics and I guess maybe this could just be a transitionary period after such an intense trip.
 
No you're not being an asshole. I should have titled this thread Salvia (15X) - First Time - Terrifying Experience. I know that this is a very quality board, and next time I will be sure to follow the guidelines that I had been ignorant towards.

I just hope I can get some advice on the matter, but the more I read it seems that things will mellow out over the weeks. I just need to go through a transitional process and lay off the weed, cigarettes, alcohol, and soda for a while. It seems that I've become disassociated between mind and body, I just hope it's temporary.
 
salvia is a dissociative drug btw, so dissociation of your mind from body is exactly what salvia is supposed to do.
I've only tried salvia a few times and never had a bad experience so my help is probably worth very little, but any ill effects will pass with time. I'm glad to see your aware of the negative effects on your body and are smart enough to stop. I hope you haven't given up on salvia, but if you feel your better off without it then I support your decision.
 
I'd say that I most definitely had a flashback the day after my horrible salvia experience that was induced by excessive Marijuana smoking.

I'd also say, based on my research, that the flashback is what put me into something that I'm not sure whether is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or Hallucinogen Persisting Perception Disorder. Even though it could one of these two things, it seems like a less extreme case. Maybe I'm just disassociated, but I would love to hear opinions on the matter.
 
Delta - the only thing I'm wondering about is: I know that Salvia is a dissociative drug but considering it only lasts 15-20 minutes, I'm worried that I shouldn't be feeling so weird, disconnected, and emotionally impaired almost 3 days later.
 
Tripping can induce a state of depersonalization/derealization, which can be pretty frightening. Another thing that commonly causes a feeling of depersonalization (exactly what you're describing) is anxiety and depression.

My first bad trip was so utterly terrifying such that it put me into a state of depersonalization, or perhaps vice versa. As you know first-hand, this state of mind itself is very unnerving and frightening, which makes one feel more dissociated, followed by more anxiety... the state tends to feed off of itself.

One thing to realize is that you're not losing it; it is just a feeling, albeit unpleasant.

http://www.depersonalization.info/overview.html Hopefully this will ease your mind.
 
my advice would be to not preoccupy your mind with things like HPPD or PTSD, as that will just increase your anxiety over the situation. just stick with not smoking weed for a while, and just go about your life as you would, and i gaurentee that after a while you will feel yourself again.

i have had traumatic trips before that have left me feeling unnerved about it for a few days afterwords (my first time doing shrooms, i dropped 3.5 grams with no clue how strong it would be, so i was caught a bit off guard). but after abstaining from weed for a few days, i just look back at it as a learning experience, and i feel better off because of it.
 
ps. i have found Salvia the be the most uncomfortable psychedelic, both mentally and physically than any other one i've ever tried. though, every year or two, i find the pure chaos it produces kinda alluring, and partake. then after the trip i get to appreciate my sanity a bit more for a while, i think thats the true value of salvia.
 
I've got to say that the advice you all so far have given me has hit the nail on the head. As an unexperienced salvia user, my mind was taken to the depths of insanity and the whole depersonalization concept is right on the money. I'll certainly keep everyone updated on my feelings and thoughts, and thanks for the help.

As terribly abnormal as I still feel, I've lost a lot of the fear/anxiety and I'm much more sure I'll be alright now. Dead Flowers was certainly right in the fact that my anxiety (constant fear) was a major catalyst in my depersonalization/dissociative feelings. Thanks everyone, I'd still love to hear what everyone thinks. This board is beyond great.
 
I still feel abnormal and my most enduring thought/question about depersonalization is whether or not it goes away. Can anyone help to explain this to me?
 
Dude, when you have an extremely transcendant trip, it always produces thought patterns, emotions, perceptions, and memory triggers that your brain had never even used before; the substance used forces the brain into using alternative routes of information communication.
All of our thoughts are stored as memory, and in time they go from a fluid engram state to a 'hardwired' neuronal-pathway. This is why once you have tripped balls, you open doors in the mind that never completely shut. Now, I identify completely with what you are saying with regards to recurring feelings of salvia space opening up for you again, even whilst completely sober. I can induce it just by thinking about it, just like other states i have been in with Ketamine or Psylocybine. ~~ However, don't fret: you shouldn't view this as a negative thing for your mind at the fundamental level - on the contrary, it is a gift to be cherished, the fact that you can see things in ways you never saw before. I understand your concern if you feel it is interfering with your work wotnot, but once you choose to be part of the Psychedelic Community, it is far more important than your choice of job in order to to earn money. You won't die, you won't lose your ability to earn money to feed yourself, you won't become a vegetable... Everyone percieves things in different ways; that is what defines us as human beings. Learn to live with what you have, explore it, have fun, intrigue, and spiritual and academic growth.
Do not worry, it won't land you in mental hospital (unless you don't stop smoking that damned THC which *does* cause schizophrenia). Salvia is a beautiful plant, with an unbelievably beautiful gift to offer. If you respect her she will take care of you :)
Happy trails...
 
To this day I am still shaken and amazed at my first salvia trip...occaisionally I'll get a sudden surge of unreality reminescent of the experience, which used to freak me out- nowadays I'm more used to it. One suggestion, which may be critisiced would be to smoke salvia again and again until your comfortable. Though throuhg my own experiences, I've never become comfortable with the complete +++++++++++++ of a salvia breakthrough.
 
I tend to believe the statement my friend once made while coming down from his salvia trip: "The only reason to do salvia is to remind yourself why you don't want to do it."
 
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