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Pathways of Memory Reacquainted
Salvia divinorum
Citation:   Alhim. "Pathways of Memory Reacquainted: An Experience with Salvia divinorum (exp32006)". Erowid.org. Aug 13, 2006. erowid.org/exp/32006

 
DOSE:
  smoked Salvia divinorum (extract)
BODY WEIGHT: 145 lb
1st experience - over three years ago - dried leaves + 10x extract

I decided to smoke Salvia divinorum again after a few initial experiences spread out over a few months. After initial difficulty with feeling its effects I quickly became extremely sensitive to it, and was influenced by it very easily. This time I decided to be in nature, as every time I experienced it I felt somewhat like plant, and felt a pull towards this.
A few minutes from my house lies a railroad track that leads off into a more sheltered area lined with some nice space covered in trees on both sides, making it a close place to be in a somewhat natural environment without having to drive, which I decided not to do.

I had a some experience with it, in the past, and was prepared. I wandered off the railroad tracks and sat amongst the trees, trying to find a comfortable spot. There were a few squirrels and birds around but all fluttering way and keeping their distance. I sat and began to smoke out of a bowl, at first the plain dried leaves, and then a few hits of 10x extract. I would exhale deeply, making sure all the air was out of my lungs, and then inhale the 10x smoke and keep it in for 30 seconds or over. After a hit or three, I immediately fell into the altered trance state that I was familiar with. Then a bird, followed by many more flew within a foot of me, perched all around me. Squirrels and a few other furry creatures scurried along the railroad tracks and neared to me, until I was surrounded by woodland creatures and birds, most within touching distance. (After coming completely down I also came to the realization that they really were that close. The were real and really did decide to flock around with me. Nothing like this has ever happened again. Animals scurry away like always.)

I could communicate with them, and they seem extremely curious of me all of the sudden and somewhat excited in a strange way, they knew I could communicate, they could sense me flowing into there network of communication. (I had previously had this type of experience with animals a few times) I didn't however concentrate on this, as something more important was going on. It was a great 'AH HA!' remembrance experience. I could suddenly remember everything.

All of my thoughts and dreams, and more importantly my consciousness was unimpeded by any forgetfulness, memory lay open to me stretched all the way back to my 'origins'. I could remember everything, I remember who I was, and who I identified with as myself on a normal basis was quickly dissolved in a greater understanding. Greater Understanding is an understatement. Complete Direct Experience and Knowing would be more like it. Like a dream, like reality, multidimensional, instant entrance into multidimensional existence again. Home.

I stared at the railroad tracks and it was as if my memories and selves throughout the development of life were stretched along the tracks as if they existed all now, and could be traveled through like paths. Who I was and all of my thoughts and dreams and my true essence throughout childhood was felt as clearly or more clearly than it was even then. Further and further back the path led to the womb, my place of birth and there was a gateway there that went in all sorts of directions, to other times and places. Time travel in its truest essence. It felt as though they mostly went to some place in the universe, some star system, perhaps gateways going anywhere in the universe, to other aspects of myself, to other realms, to my Higher self and home. I eventually returned to a more normal state and became amazed at the birds fluttering about me, one a few inches away, most fluttering about my head, and the animals. It felt as if they were very tapped into the dimensional perception of how I saw things during the moment of remembrance and they knew that I was all of the sudden there with them and beyond. The after glow remained one of 'AH-HA I remember' and I walked home, deep in thought.

---

2nd experience - 5x extract

Several years later (I stopped doing drugs many years back as it was appropriate for me to do so). My intent for this session was to simply get reacquainted with Salvia divinorum in preparation for a real trip to be taken in the upcoming month, and I was quite sure that I was not going to go into the actual psychedelic faze. Instead I assumed I would just take a few hits, until I started to feel a little something and then relax on it, to remember what it felt like.

I cleaned my living space, and my bedroom. In my bedroom I meditated in my normal manner, and burned white incense sage and the room quickly filled with its smoke. I could feel an energy of purity and clarity, though I was still slightly on edge. I know that my original intent was to just feel its effects very slightly, I felt out of respect that I should prepare my mind for a shamanic experience, just in case it did happen. I had a pipe made from a deer horn, a bag of 5x extract, and I pinched a little amount of the 5x in a bowl, light up and inhaled, holding it in for over 30 seconds. Immediately after exhaling I felt an extremely powerful shift in consciousness and perception. Shift is an understatement.

It was more like being launched off into multidimensional perception without a chance to even say goodbye to reality as I know it. I have found smoking extract (when smoked properly) to be like that for me. No time for goodbyes.

As this was way more powerful than what I intended, I immediately got up and started walking around. Walking around was quite strange in this 'altered state'. I felt a desire to laugh hysterically, but remembered reading that a shaman said not to do this, and quickly silenced it. My visual perception was difficult to describe, as it was very multidimensional and familiar. It is similar to being in a dream, some other dimension where 3rd dimensional perception and laws do not apply, but being as lucid, even more awake and lucid than I am in normal 3rd dimension. There is not sugar coating to this experience, just pure experience, and that can make it very frightening, and very wonderful and beautiful at the same time.

Some psychedelics like to put on a good show, but with Salvia, there are no distractions. Very direct. And I could very much feel a strong undeniable presence, of the plant that I smoked, as an intelligent being. And it was this being that was showing me all of these things. I lay on my bed and stared at the Indian mandala on my wall, and I perceived it as multidimensional consciousness, as an actual reality of sorts instead of just a physical pattern.

I then turned my head towards a D'Vorah Curtis painting on my wall. I could feel Salvia showing my the direct reality that was being portrayed and anything I turned my attention to, salvia would explain to me in powerful detail. I felt so wonderful, and I felt a powerful true creative essence inside me. This indeed was where I draw my creative inspiration from, this type of perception, and it was no so much more present and strong. Regardless I decided that I really should get up, and attempt to come back to physical reality. No luck.

I could feel Salvia say that she had so much more to show me, and was not through yet. I continued to grasp at physical reality. I felt like a plant, and yet so much more. I believe I have heard that salvia does not have a personality, but to me, it does. It has a very specific feeling and energy and 'personality' you could say. After about 15 minutes, I started to come back down again, though even after several hours, I still feel somewhat effected by this perception, as if I could slide back into it. As if an powerful spiritual energy flooded my nervous system and with focus on it reactivate it. Whereas physical thing have no real enjoyment or realness to them in the peak, in the peripheral come down stage much later, I felt an increase to enjoyment of physical things, though not over sensual like marijuana, just renewed and nice.

Salvia divinorum provides a truly shamanic experience, I had to reacquaint myself with, and know again that it is something that deserves some respect, ritual, and focus, and I have to give myself to the experience and learn from it, or it is like asking someone to come over my house to help me and teach me, and then ignoring them, and quickly asking them to leave, because they are doing it too effectively.

I know I felt, as it was not my intention to go this far, that I could have given the situation a lot more and learned a lot more, but irregardless it was a good experience. I have a lot more to learn.

Both of these experiences were without a sitter, and I felt quite confident in my safety due to preparation, and I felt there was no one’s energy whom I felt to be in resonance with what I was attempting.

Exp Year: 2004ExpID: 32006
Gender: Male 
Age at time of experience: Not Given
Published: Aug 13, 2006Views: 14,407
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Salvia divinorum (44) : Alone (16), Retrospective / Summary (11)

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