Anyone seen any benefits from sacred herbs?

[Davey36000]

Stuff like:

- Ayahuasca
- Ibogaine
- Yopo
- Psilocybin mushrooms
- Cannabis
- Mescaline Cacti
- LSD
- Peganum Harmala

Or other sacred herbs not on this list.

Also even other medicinal plants like:

- Rhodiola Rosea
- Entheogenic cacao
- Hypericum Perforatum
- Chamomile
- Passionflower
- Mugwort

& Others?

My personal experience:

- Ayahuasca/LSD - 'afterglow' that lasted for like a month (basically good mood/positive vibes for that time period). The trips themselves I can't comment because kinda messy, so I dunno what to say.

Rhodiola Rosea - nice strong antidepressant from this 'rose' but you can only use it for 15-30 days and then you have to wait (tolerance).

- Hypericum Perforatum - Not sure about this one, seems to work, I guess.

- Chamomile - Underrated herb imo, very common, cheap, and has both anxiolytic and antidepressant effects.

- Passionflower - Good MAOI antidepressant herb.

- Mugwort - for me it was only good to give me crazy dreams

 

[SnackNinja]

A company called cybn is working on creating anti depressants made out of Psilocybin mushrooms and DMT I think. Very promising so far.

 

[escape_from_hell]

Salvia divinorum administered properly can show you something.
Like many substances there are many levels you can take it to.
It had some healing impacts on me at times lasting years from single experiences, but the intensity can be so extreme I hesitate to try it in my most horrid point of life (about now)--maybe because it feels so damn fundamental.
Also, it may change the nature of cannabis and psychs/dissociatives for a long while after (at least for me)--allowing you to more lightly but still terrifyingly re-access such states.

I'd like to try iboga, anyone know how to get it?

 

[Davey36000]

Salvia divinorum administered properly can show you something.
Like many substances there are many levels you can take it to.
It had some healing impacts on me at times lasting years from single experiences, but the intensity can be so extreme I hesitate to try it in my most horrid point of life (about now)--maybe because it feels so damn fundamental.
Also, it may change the nature of cannabis and psychs/dissociatives for a long while after (at least for me)--allowing you to more lightly but still terrifyingly re-access such states.

I'd like to try iboga, anyone know how to get it?

What's better to, to chew the leaves or make a tea out of it?

 

[TakeMeToHeaven]

no drugs can fix the structure of a broken society, which causes most of my issues

but i'm looking into buying LSD, maybe it'll fix my brain

 

[catmanandrobin]

Was on ketamine (spravato) treatment twice a week at highest dose for a while. Always looked forward to the treatments. Was able to function for a couple months until loss of insurance meant no more treatment then Downhill again. Apparently the success rate is quite high.

 

[10minutesremaining]

rosea didn't do shit for me

 

[Davey36000]

no drugs can fix the structure of a broken society, which causes most of my issues

but i'm looking into buying LSD, maybe it'll fix my brain

You are correct, no matter how much you change for the better, society's brokenness remains the same.

I was just wondering if it would be possible to be happy no matter what, independent of external conditions.

That's the Buddhist idea of Nirvana, at least.

 

[divinemistress36]

Cannabis just makes me hungry. I've only microdosed shrooms and so far it just gives me more anxiety

 

[Beyond_Repair]

I took LSD once several years ago which triggered a depersonalization episode that lasted a few months. It was very unpleasant

Marijuana gives me panic attacks

Idk maybe that stuff is helpful for some, I don't think they're for everyone

(Chamomile and stuff of that caliber don't have any effect on me)

 

[escape_from_hell]

What's better to, to chew the leaves or make a tea out of it?

You likely won't experience much from a tea, though that's the most pleasant route for sure.
Chewing the leaves will be best but it can take a while. However extracts are more commonly sold, if you get leaf look for quality ones (I doubt we can recommend vendors here but there's only a few really if you check salvia subreddit). I'd recommend lightly dipping in red wine first for flavor and chewing ease.

However if you want to experience perhaps the most bizarre, incomprehensible and indescribable states of consciousness unimaginable, smoking extract will do the trick. It acts on kappa opioid receptors, so iboga may be similar but I have not tried, and also things like low dose naltrexone or certain painkillers might block the effects. I'd recommend water-cooled bong. Start very low. There is no rush. Time dilation can be extreme, and with too much you won't remember much.

Start with chewing a bit, it lasts longer and can give you a feel for the nature of the experience.
But at a high dose waterbong there is NO POSSIBILITY of remembering who/what/where etc. when you jump deep in past a certain dosage, other than perhaps a "you were not supposed to do that" (mind-fuck) thought. Accordingly, I recommend you find the most relaxing and comfortable environment possible to prepare. Questions like "what to fix in my life" will seem quite meaningless beholding that universe, and you may laugh at the pathetic notion when you are spilled back into the human form abruptly.

 

[Davey36000]

You likely won't experience much from a tea, though that's the most pleasant route for sure.
Chewing the leaves will be best but it can take a while. However extracts are more commonly sold, if you get leaf look for quality ones (I doubt we can recommend vendors here but there's only a few really if you check salvia subreddit). I'd recommend lightly dipping in red wine first for flavor and chewing ease.

However if you want to experience perhaps the most bizarre, incomprehensible and indescribable states of consciousness unimaginable, smoking extract will do the trick. It acts on kappa opioid receptors, so iboga may be similar but I have not tried, and also things like low dose naltrexone or certain painkillers might block the effects. I'd recommend water-cooled bong. Start very low. There is no rush. Time dilation can be extreme, and with too much you won't remember much.

Start with chewing a bit, it lasts longer and can give you a feel for the nature of the experience.
But at a high dose waterbong there is NO POSSIBILITY of remembering who/what/where etc. when you jump deep in past a certain dosage, other than perhaps a "you were not supposed to do that" (mind-fuck) thought. Accordingly, I recommend you find the most relaxing and comfortable environment possible to prepare. Questions like "what to fix in my life" will seem quite meaningless beholding that universe, and you may laugh at the pathetic notion when you are spilled back into the human form abruptly.

Ty for all that info. I certainly want to explore more. I did acid a couple of times. The most interesting part maybe was the contrast of our reality and "trip reality".

Reality certainly feels like a simulation after that, but not the way most people would think (the matrix, digital stuff, etc).

More like, the only things that we can rely on is awareness/consciousness (being conscious, being conscious or aware of [this or that - object, feeling, thought, perception, etc...].

Everything else could be very much unreal, unstable, an illusion, unreliable, dreamlike.

 

[itsalittlecold]

no drugs can fix the structure of a broken society, which causes most of my issues

but i'm looking into buying LSD, maybe it'll fix my brain

I just want to point out to anyone reading this thread- LSD isn't a herb or natural.. it is a synthetic compound- only mentioning due to the title sacred 'herbs'

DMT/ magic mushrooms/Psilocybin will be the natural alternatives :)

 

[nohopenofuture31]

I took LSD once several years ago which triggered a depersonalization episode that lasted a few months. It was very unpleasant

Marijuana gives me panic attacks

Idk maybe that stuff is helpful for some, I don't think they're for everyone

(Chamomile and stuff of that caliber don't have any effect on me)

THC makes me so tired. No matter what strain I have. And CBD without the THC doesn't do anything for me. Ive always wished I could be one of those people who's functioning with THC lol

 

[mango-meridian]

So, I can speak a bit on Ayahuasca. I have a funny relationship with this plant because it was the first "substance" I ever took. I intentionally did it before I ever tried weed, mushrooms, or even alcohol. I guess I did this because I didn't want my experiences to be influenced by comparing them with other substances.

Even though I was not someone who was religious or had a firm belief in God or divine/spiritual things, I tried to be open-minded and have a "student" mentality. I did the "dieta" for three weeks beforehand each time. And afterwards, I journaled about and discussed my experiences extensively and made a point not to forget them.

I did Ayahuasca by going to three retreats, all of them 3-4 years ago. They took place here in the US and were ran as part of a church here so that they would be legal. I didn't have the option to go to South America to do them because it was the Covid era and a lot of countries had travel restrictions. Yes, it is possible to brew Ayahuasca on your own, but I didn't want to do that because I felt a retreat setting would offer more support.

I didn't really know what to expect but I can safely say that, at least for me, Ayahuasca was the closest anything ever came to giving me a reason to live and not CTB. I felt it gave me some actual answers about why I was here, why I was suffering, and what I could do to improve my life, or at least make it feel like it wasn't a torturous waste. It was vastly beautiful, majestic, and edifying, and it was unimaginably profound. It's weird to say, but it was the first time in my life I felt I was in the presence of something or someone truly worthy of respect.

At many points since, I have looked back on the lessons and takeaways from my retreats and considered them to be foolish, delusional or nonsensical. Then, at other points, the lessons and takeaways have felt insightful, profound and correct. Honestly, it seems to vary based on my mood and present state of mind. As of right now, I guess I have a nuanced view in which I respect the plant and all it gave me but it still feels like it wasn't quite enough to make my life livable, though it did a much better job than all of the therapy, self help, and other things I have tried.

It definitely "changed" me in a lot of ways, but I was happy with all of the changes that took place, especially with how it humbled me. I feel a lot less certain about much of anything after those experiences, and that has been surprisingly liberating.

Of course, this is something where my own personal demographics, background, beliefs, etc. matter immensely. I was someone who didn't want to live because I didn't see the meaning of life, couldn't understand why so much suffering existed, and felt perpetually cut off and alone. Ayahuasca has a reputation for helping people see those inquiries and struggles from a new angle. But what worked for me won't necessarily work for someone else.

Also, my experiences opened me to the world of people who try to use psychedelics to address all of their psychological and spiritual struggles, and I believe that is absolutely a trap that leads mainly to narcissism, delusion, disorientation, and addiction.

So to summarize, I think there is a lot of nuance to be had here. I don't think any of these substances are the solution to everything, but for the right person at the right time in the right place with the right intention, I think they can help a lot.