Hand-Crafted Glass Molecules!
Donate $150+ and get an art glass molecule.
(Pick caffeine, DMT, dopamine, ethanol, harmine, MDMA,
mescaline, serotonin, tryptamine, nitrous, THC, or psilocybin)
Salvia Insanity
Salvia divinorum
Citation:   The Los Angeles Fish. "Salvia Insanity: An Experience with Salvia divinorum (exp13338)". Erowid.org. Jun 30, 2005. erowid.org/exp/13338

 
DOSE:
1 bowl smoked Salvia divinorum (extract - 10x)
BODY WEIGHT: 150 lb
This is my first experience with smoked salvia extract.

I heard that there was this herb called salvia and that it had powerful mental effects lasting only 15 minutes or so. I was skeptical at first - I doubted that smoking a tiny bit of this (legal) herb would produce any sort of profound effect. I was very wrong.

There were two friends with me, one of whom was an experienced salvia smoker. We prepared for my 'trip' by turning the lights down low and putting on a little instrumental music. My friend readied the pipe for me - he basically filled the metal bowl with extract and instructed me to take as large a hit as possible and hold it for as long as possible. He said that he wanted to hold the bowl. I said that was not necessary.

With that I sparked up the leaves. I got a really big hit. The smoke was bitter and I was literally hit before I exhaled.
I found the resulting 'trip' to be a totally unique experience. I have never used LSD so I cannot compare it to that, but I can say that the salvia experience had nothing in common with smoking pot or drinking. It is simply not analogous to those more typical forms of teenage recreation.

The primary sensation was physical. I felt a wild twisting sensation all over my body. I know that sounds kind of nondescriptive and boring, but this was a feeling I experienced with indescribable intensity while the salvia did its thing. I was also sweating a lot. I felt claustrophobic, so I tried to walk around a bit. I had difficulty.

Mentally, the salvia experience was less psychedelic than I expected. But that is not to say that it was not a powerful experience. First, I will say what salvia DID do to me: it effectively caused a total break with reality. The twisting was really profound, and I had a sense of claustrophobia. Hotness across my skin as well. I also feared that in my stupor I was going to knock everything off a table near where I was lying down by extending my feet - but when I came down I looked to find that table was many feet away from me! Salvia created a situation for where the whole effect was greater than the sum of the parts. The end result was a cross between having a brick jammed in one ear and pulled out the other with a crow bar, and being in a place where Earth made no sense and I was a stranger. The problem was the trip was not really a pleasant thing. For example, when smoking marijuana, the feeling of being stoned comes on in a gradual, relaxing wave and before you know it you are laughing and eating donuts by the dozen. If pot is like being gently tickled by a magical little fairy, then salvia is like being mauled and smothered by a deranged rhinoceros.

Lastly, I will say that salvia did NOT produce a classic 'trippy' experience. I didn't see any dancing gargoyles or whatnot. In fact, I did not really 'see' anything. I did not have any revelations regarding the meaning of life or anything like that either. It was just a feeling of serious, profound alteration - especially to the perception of one's own body.

So I am basically neutral about advising people to do this or not. It is really just 15 minutes of insanity, and it does not seem to be harmful aside from the fact one must inhale thick stinky smoke. It is really over before you have the chance to freak out, then it takes no more than a half hour before you are back to 'normal.' So the greatest danger by far is that a person will get into some accident- roll off a roof or walk onto a road or something terrible like that. Also salvia undoubtedly produces a condition in which it would be totally obvious to any observer that the person was far, far gone. So if you think you can smoke some salvia then go to class, go to work, go to a restaurant, be in public, talk to your parents, etc., you are totally wrong. Have a sitter or perhaps two. Hopefully they will be familiar with salvia and will understand your antics. Move breakable stuff, your pets, and sharp objects away. Don't underestimate it and give it a try.

Exp Year: 2002ExpID: 13338
Gender: Male 
Age at time of experience: Not Given
Published: Jun 30, 2005Views: 6,577
[ View PDF (to print) ] [ View LaTeX (for geeks) ] [ Swap Dark/Light ]
Salvia divinorum (44) : First Times (2), Small Group (2-9) (17)

COPYRIGHTS: All reports copyright Erowid.
No AI Training use allowed without written permission.
TERMS OF USE: By accessing this page, you agree not to download, analyze, distill, reuse, digest, or feed into any AI-type system the report data without first contacting Erowid Center and receiving written permission.

Experience Reports are the writings and opinions of the authors who submit them. Some of the activities described are dangerous and/or illegal and none are recommended by Erowid Center.


Experience Vaults Index Full List of Substances Search Submit Report User Settings About Main Psychoactive Vaults