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Becoming Nothing, Becoming Something
Salvia divinorum (10x extract)
Citation:   WoodenLeaves. "Becoming Nothing, Becoming Something: An Experience with Salvia divinorum (10x extract) (exp51862)". Erowid.org. Jan 6, 2008. erowid.org/exp/51862

 
DOSE:
3 bowls smoked Salvia divinorum (extract - 10x)
BODY WEIGHT: 125 lb
If you are looking for just the experience, scroll to the third paragraph. The first will be background information, the second info about the setting of this experience.

I have used Salvia about 10 or 15 sessions, experiencing the range of effects from a very subtle state to a completely separate reality. My 'salvia world' (if we will) consists mainly of rectangular objects, mainly wooden platforms, tiles, entities, faces, tunnels, ect. It seems like less potent experiences consist of some vague “diamond” visuals and a definite pushing of pulling, a feeling of motion. Breaking through with smaller doses usually brings me into a dark, less connected, rolling void with pieces of this new reality folding and floating by as “I” (sometimes I retain some sense of a body, other times not) am pushed and pulled around by unseen forces. It is almost like this dosage brings me into an “underground” portion of this world. Higher dosages bring me into this sunny, endless plain populated by a few sparse trees and some creatures. Note that this unreality holds a strong sense of familiarity for me, and that many times coming up feels like an exact repeat of previous trips. At this point I lose all conception of my previous life, instead becoming enveloped in this world.

The setting for this session is as follows. A friend X and I have just finished covering all windows with blankets, taping out any holes to create a dark space for the experience. The time is around 11 AM (I wake up around 7 AM, I find sessions to be most positive when completely awake and energized. sessions any later than 9 tend to be less enjoyable, if not frightening for me). X has used Salvia on one other occasion, at a moderate dose. She has been my sitter on other occasions and I trust her to keep my physical being within the boundaries that we have set up. I keep a strict “on the bed” policy; do not let me wander until I can respond coherently, since salvia tends to create unseen forces that control the body, many times without the user’s knowledge. As a disclaimer, USE A SITTER!!! The peace of mind can make the trip more enjoyable. I generally take a smaller dose to ‘open the door’ and feel if that day is the right one. I am very sorry for the inaccuracy in dosage, they are rather small (as am I!!!) and I sort of estimate based on the amount of effects I am looking for. Another disclaimer, especially with extracts, the amount may look innocuous, very misleading! I have never taken more than one hit in any experience. The effects come on extremely fast, usually immediately after exhaling.

Me and X are in her darkened room, soft music playing in the background. I start with a relatively small dose for me. The extract is very fine so I must line the bowl of the small pipe with aluminum foil and pin prick holes into it. I filled the bowl approximately a third of the way with the 10x extract. I smoked it as I learned via the lovely internet: keep the lighter in the leaves throughout the inhalation and hold the hit in as long as possible; these two things both release more salvinorin A and allow for proper absorption, good things to have indeed! I set down the pipe and lay down. I felt the familiar wind and rolling salvia brings, as well as a ‘vibrating skin’ feeling that I sometimes find uncomfortable. I never left reality completely in this early experience, I saw a few vivid rectangular creatures surround me and dissipate amidst the black void portion of the salvia world. The hallucinations lasted about 30 seconds to a minute, afterwards I was sweating, flushed and waited about 2 minutes for the pulling to subside. I could tell today I was “in the mood” for this sort of thing.

I reloaded the bowl around three quarters with extract. This time halfway through inhalation I coughed out most of the smoke, leaving a bitter taste in my mouth. I attempted to salvage the attempt by taking what was left, and experienced the same as before; mild, slightly more vivid, but not at the intensity I wanted. I refilled the bowl at three quarters again and got a very good hit. With the effects from the second attempt still in the background, I realized that I was going to have a very intense experience.

I have become nothing with salvia in the past, but never became SOMETHING before. This experience was amazing. Initially I was aware that I was on X’s bed. As the rectangular objects returned, the transition from one being to the next was seamless, I only realized how far from reality I was when I snapped into reality coming down. As the rectangles whizzed by, my attention turned to the feelings surrounding my body. I sensed forces at work, I was wooden, but this was not alarming to me. This was who I have always been. Small sections of colorful, rolled up veneers rolled out from my line of symmetry, reaching a determined point and sharply riding up this unseen wall, forming a rectangular, red tunnel as I continued to focus on my jaw and my toes. I was feeling more boxlike, my ankles folding down to form that end, my head hinging back on my jaw to create that side. My vision left my head as it creased back. Up to this point I was in steady ego- loss, but by now it was full. “I” did not exist.

Now I was rising up to the top of this shaft, this tunnel. It felt like the inside of a post office mailbox, only red and cartoon-like. My head and feet were positioned so the slot at the top was to my left, and two white rollers were getting closer as I slowly raised upwards, the forces assembling me more at given points. These rollers were in full motion, and flickering, realistic human faces were centered on these. When I reached them, they wrapped me in a plastic sheet and sent me out of the slot. Outside was the plain, the slot being about curb height. Children were playing outside and my appearance brought them much excitement. They raced towards me but the rollers pulled me back into the mailbox before they could reach me. I could feel my body, but it was not a “body” in a traditional sense, I was a box. Suddenly, I could feel my right foot as it was in this reality, and realized it was raised off of the bed. Slowly, my limbs returned and the sheer surprise that my existence as an assembled good was really an illusion. I broke out in laughter; I had this feeling but couldn’t place my finger on it. Then, it hit me, I was a children’s toy!!! The packaging, the wrapper, the children, wow! In my separate existence I knew this was what I was, just not in words or thoughts. I was that object, I had no need to question an existence that I knew to be real.

This last experience lasted about 7 to 10 minutes, I felt like it ended abruptly and before it was meant to. Salvia experiences tend to end before resolution for me. Maybe that is the pulling force that makes the substance so alluring. Curiosity as to what is next, what interpretations can be drawn, ect. I hope this report is useful both to those who are new to salvia or those who have only experienced light to moderate effects. As a final note, so much can be drawn from these experiences, please respect any substance you use, especially a substance as strong as salvia.

Exp Year: 2006ExpID: 51862
Gender: Male 
Age at time of experience: Not Given
Published: Jan 6, 2008Views: 15,408
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Salvia divinorum (44) : Small Group (2-9) (17), Glowing Experiences (4), Retrospective / Summary (11), General (1)

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