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Insights into Reality
Cacti - T. pachanoi
Citation:   Eivor. "Insights into Reality: An Experience with Cacti - T. pachanoi (exp117781)". Erowid.org. Jan 15, 2025. erowid.org/exp/117781

 
DOSE:
  oral Cacti - T. pachanoi (tea)
Having four one-metre tall San Pedro cacti was never with the explicit intention of using them for a trip. They sat there growing for over a year, after being bought from a friend - three in the soil and one in a pot. And it reached a stage where the potted one seemed to be getting too big for its container. Rather than transfer it, I chose to cut it back. I put the arm-length cutting to one side to begin the preparation as per the online guides I had seen - de-spine it (not particularly hard), remove the outer layer of hard skin (more tedious) and finally to strip away the layer of green that had the active mescaline. I chose the 'tea method' of preparation, which involves boiling the green layer in a pot for several hours, letting the water evaporate. In my case it was six hours. But, in sampling the liquid, I realised just how bitter and unsavoury it would be to drink entirely. This is where chopped ginger and honey came in - and it made a huge difference! By the end, instead of drinking some bitter vile substance, it was actually quite delicious...!

I didn't choose to strain out the cacti at the end, but instead ate the remnants together with the liquid. I figured this way would leave more of the active mescaline, and - after all - the taste wasn't bad at all thanks to the ginger and honey.

Anyway, with the preparation done, it was time for the Trip! Except, I wasn't ready for about a week after, so had to store the mixture in the fridge. Admittedly part of me felt nervous about even using it, but I figured that I ‘owed it’ to the cacti, and doing otherwise would essentially be a huge waste. Being winter, I wanted to consume it hot, so warmed it up again by placing the bowl in a pan of water that I brought to the boil and left for a few minutes.

So there I was, with a nice breakfast bowl of gooey green San Pedro! Before consuming it, I had only eaten an apple – and it was just before mid-day. I then did a little pause to thank the plant and set out an intention of what I sought. In my case, it was for insights, to understand the world better. It wasn’t for any personal benefits, as such.

Knowing it would take a while to set in, I went for a hike up the nearby hill with my dog. It took a good hour and a half before I started to feel the effects
It took a good hour and a half before I started to feel the effects
, which happened to be when I reached a kind of cave (half collapsed so there was a circular opening showing the sky). I sat there for a while against a rock, and then realisations started to happen. Too many to mention here, only to say that it gave me insights into certain aspects of reality that are only otherwise realised through the benefit of disciplined, lengthy meditation. The overall themes: interconnection, cycles, repeating patterns…

Alongside this, insights into how human civilisation has ended up taking a course resulting in its separation from the world – and how we are now at a stage where psychedelics are the only accessible ‘keys’ left to unlock ancient knowledge. Going into all the aspects would result in an entire essay by itself, and words are a poor medium to convey it all.

Amidst all this, the dog was kind of going crazy. A few times I noticed a need to connect with him on an equal level, rather than from a hierarchical one, and this seemed to calm him down a little. As it was cold, I then got up and left the cave, with the intention of walking back home. On this journey the world took on new colours and definitions: the sun, briefly appearing from behind a cloud, felt like something magical, almost godlike. Feelings of euphoria and an intense sense of beauty came. The plants shimmered with new life, and I felt like I could see/notice things from much further away. Occasionally I ‘noticed’ birds flying out from bushes before they even appeared, but at this point time was moving weirdly. Even walking felt almost weightless, with gravity seeming irrelevant, and a mad moment of taking flight crossed my mind.

I reached a pile of flat stones and lay down, looking up at the sky. The motions of clouds were incredible – like an ever moving tapestry of rippling, living forms. If not for the dog entering another phase of craziness, I might have laid there longer and got lost in those patterns. But it was kind of fortunate I didn’t, for by now the day was ending and it was not the place to be when it started to get dark and cold.

Descending the hill/mountain may well have coincided with the peak. By now it was about 4-5 hours after taking the mixture. Time really had become something I couldn’t keep track of - sometimes it felt an hour had passed, when it was actually 10 minutes.

On returning home, I managed to force myself to write down the insights of the trip – if only in part – and barely being able to keep focused on the words. It also suddenly felt very cold, so I wrapped up in blankets and played some music.

Sleep, as I suspected, was something beyond reach – though it did start to creep in about 12 hours after taking the mixture.

Overall, a fantastic trip. Gentle, yet at times intense, and I felt I followed the right process by fasting, making the mixture palatable, and setting an intention from the start.

Exp Year: 2024ExpID: 117781
Gender: Male 
Age at time of experience: Not Given
Published: Jan 15, 2025Views: 15
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Cacti - T. pachanoi (64) : Preparation / Recipes (30), Glowing Experiences (4), Alone (16)

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