RhythmSpring
Bluelighter
I simmered a handful of dried Salvia leaves (there was a bit of "shake" in it, too) in a mug-sized amount of water for about a minute. I poured it through a strainer into said mug with a peppermint teabag (same genus!) and let that steep for ~5 minutes.
I sipped it with a spoon over ~10 minutes, making sure to let the liquid linger in my mouth for a couple seconds before i swallowed. I sort of had to--it just made sense. The taste needed to be processed by the mouth, otherwise it would have been nauseating.
It took only 2-3 minutes for each sip to take effect. By 10 minutes, I was definitely altered. I wasn't going to any alternate realities, but I was definitely in the Salvia Space. I lay down in darkness and felt the presences of maids sweeping/cleaning me up in a cheerful way. My mind said something like "yeah, you get that done," in sort of a demeaning way. They got sort of offended and faded away. Next came in a row African American janitors to do the same job the maids were doing. These guys were a lot less likely to be offended, but their cleaning wasn't as lovely.
I experienced distinct auditory--not completely hallucinations per se, but ...imprints? Repetitive chanting, as well as a music composed of sounds of zippers and lo-fi dog barks.
There was a general magic in the air. I could feel the space around my body, where it previously felt compacted. The experience helped me understand my relationship to Salvia itself.
I do not like Salvia itself. I do not enjoy its effects. I appreciate what it has to teach me. That appreciation cannot be confused with attachment to the experience itself. Do not look at Salvia for answers. Look to the World with the help of Salvia for answers. If you become scared on Salvia, that is just your own resistance to what is ultimately harmless (I've known this before, but I needed reminding).
...And much more Salvia wisdom that cannot be put into words.
~~~
I believe that this is a very powerful thing, actually. Note that this is from *half* the cup. I felt very altered. My heart was pounding. The typical Salvia body "high" was there, but it felt more harmonious, less off-putting. Overall, this was a very smooth experience. I think the mint helped with that, too. It helped with the taste, at least.
If I had done the whole cup, I think I would have had an immersive, even more powerful experience. I stopped at half a cup because I didn't feel ready for that intensity yet. In addition to the intensity, the duration makes the experience mean business. You're in it, and you're in it for at least an hour. It creeps up on you. I can imagine it would be easy to overestimate your sobriety on this. If you do Salvia tea, I recommend doing it with a sitter or responsible, observant friends.
EDIT: In all honesty, this should be treated like Ayahuasca--in terms of length of experience, seriousness of experience, the need for a sitter, and sheer power. I didn't realize it at the time, but I was still under the influence when I wrote this report, about 2 hours after the experience. About 3 hours after the experience, going to bed, I turned out the lights in my room, and immediately I realized that I was definitely feeling some after-effects. The darkness in my room was rich--pregnant with childhood magic and mystery. I had a strong desire to commune with nature, strongest I've had in quite a long time. The light that seeped into my room around my windowshade brought in with it a potent air that felt pixelated in a natural way--as if it were part of the veil that separated this reality from some vast, unknown one.
This morning I awake with a profound, subtle peace. Last night I examined, under the influence of Salvia, the "violence in my body," which I consider to be related to self-judgment, judgment of other people, judgment of my experience, and self-induced physical discomfort--which, if chronic and localized, can lead to dysfunction, in my opinion. This morning, I notice much of this inner turmoil has settled. Perhaps it will unsettle later, but for now, I'm at peace.
The aftereffects of Salvia tea remind me a lot of those of Iboga, actually. The story-magic, the empty mind, the settled thoughts, and the feeling that reality is, indeed, quite real.
A word of warning and advice: Salvia Tea is stronger than you think. Because there is no overwhelming introduction of content, you'll think that you're not tripping or feeling it. My warning is this: Assume you're inebriated just to be safe, please. And my recommendation is this: Allow the subtlety and calm of the experience to help you foster a dialog with the plant. If smoked Salvia is rape, Salvia tea is tantric sex--a slow, gentle, subtle two-way street. It will respond to your intentions and input. Your set and setting DOES matter a great deal, as opposed to smoked Salvia, where your consciousness is brought to another realm regardless of what's going on around you.
Props to Toucan for inspiring me to try this.
Second EDIT: I am afterglowing SO hard today. Reality is so real!!!
Third Edit: This has dramatically, and I mean DRAMATICALLY changed my life. I'm still processing the experience, but I can say that it has been intensely positive, and at times scary.
I sipped it with a spoon over ~10 minutes, making sure to let the liquid linger in my mouth for a couple seconds before i swallowed. I sort of had to--it just made sense. The taste needed to be processed by the mouth, otherwise it would have been nauseating.
It took only 2-3 minutes for each sip to take effect. By 10 minutes, I was definitely altered. I wasn't going to any alternate realities, but I was definitely in the Salvia Space. I lay down in darkness and felt the presences of maids sweeping/cleaning me up in a cheerful way. My mind said something like "yeah, you get that done," in sort of a demeaning way. They got sort of offended and faded away. Next came in a row African American janitors to do the same job the maids were doing. These guys were a lot less likely to be offended, but their cleaning wasn't as lovely.
I experienced distinct auditory--not completely hallucinations per se, but ...imprints? Repetitive chanting, as well as a music composed of sounds of zippers and lo-fi dog barks.
There was a general magic in the air. I could feel the space around my body, where it previously felt compacted. The experience helped me understand my relationship to Salvia itself.
I do not like Salvia itself. I do not enjoy its effects. I appreciate what it has to teach me. That appreciation cannot be confused with attachment to the experience itself. Do not look at Salvia for answers. Look to the World with the help of Salvia for answers. If you become scared on Salvia, that is just your own resistance to what is ultimately harmless (I've known this before, but I needed reminding).
...And much more Salvia wisdom that cannot be put into words.
~~~
I believe that this is a very powerful thing, actually. Note that this is from *half* the cup. I felt very altered. My heart was pounding. The typical Salvia body "high" was there, but it felt more harmonious, less off-putting. Overall, this was a very smooth experience. I think the mint helped with that, too. It helped with the taste, at least.
If I had done the whole cup, I think I would have had an immersive, even more powerful experience. I stopped at half a cup because I didn't feel ready for that intensity yet. In addition to the intensity, the duration makes the experience mean business. You're in it, and you're in it for at least an hour. It creeps up on you. I can imagine it would be easy to overestimate your sobriety on this. If you do Salvia tea, I recommend doing it with a sitter or responsible, observant friends.
EDIT: In all honesty, this should be treated like Ayahuasca--in terms of length of experience, seriousness of experience, the need for a sitter, and sheer power. I didn't realize it at the time, but I was still under the influence when I wrote this report, about 2 hours after the experience. About 3 hours after the experience, going to bed, I turned out the lights in my room, and immediately I realized that I was definitely feeling some after-effects. The darkness in my room was rich--pregnant with childhood magic and mystery. I had a strong desire to commune with nature, strongest I've had in quite a long time. The light that seeped into my room around my windowshade brought in with it a potent air that felt pixelated in a natural way--as if it were part of the veil that separated this reality from some vast, unknown one.
This morning I awake with a profound, subtle peace. Last night I examined, under the influence of Salvia, the "violence in my body," which I consider to be related to self-judgment, judgment of other people, judgment of my experience, and self-induced physical discomfort--which, if chronic and localized, can lead to dysfunction, in my opinion. This morning, I notice much of this inner turmoil has settled. Perhaps it will unsettle later, but for now, I'm at peace.
The aftereffects of Salvia tea remind me a lot of those of Iboga, actually. The story-magic, the empty mind, the settled thoughts, and the feeling that reality is, indeed, quite real.
A word of warning and advice: Salvia Tea is stronger than you think. Because there is no overwhelming introduction of content, you'll think that you're not tripping or feeling it. My warning is this: Assume you're inebriated just to be safe, please. And my recommendation is this: Allow the subtlety and calm of the experience to help you foster a dialog with the plant. If smoked Salvia is rape, Salvia tea is tantric sex--a slow, gentle, subtle two-way street. It will respond to your intentions and input. Your set and setting DOES matter a great deal, as opposed to smoked Salvia, where your consciousness is brought to another realm regardless of what's going on around you.
Props to Toucan for inspiring me to try this.
Second EDIT: I am afterglowing SO hard today. Reality is so real!!!
Third Edit: This has dramatically, and I mean DRAMATICALLY changed my life. I'm still processing the experience, but I can say that it has been intensely positive, and at times scary.
Last edited:
And also from one other place where the shaman was of the herbal type.