DOSE: T+ 0:00	10 g	oral	Salvia officinalis	(tea)
T+ 0:15	1 cig.	smoked	Tobacco

BODY WEIGHT:

130 lb

I had been vaguely aware for some time that there was a little anecdotal evidence for sage providing a mild high of some kind; the google mandala saw fit to show me some strands of information a few days ago, footnotes and adjacencies to largely unrelated items, and my curiosity took the bait. I read the experience reports, had a quick hunt for further information; noticed for the first time that sage means 'sage' (duh), and my interest was cemented. I won't reprint my findings, since a) they didn't take a whole lot of googling, and b) I don't want my guesswork based on anecdotal evidence to be taken as safe. Sage contains thujone, and whilst I don't believe this dose contained enough for its dangerous side-effects to obtain, it doesn't sound like a chemical anyone should tempt fate with. Having said that, the material I found online about its historic medicinal use gave recipes including up to 1Oz (28g) sage with a pint of water; I've had a possible seizure within the past year, so I erred on the side of caution. The following took place last night.

I bought a 20g packet of dried sage from my local health food store and brought it home. I waited until around 11pm to make the infusion; taking a large glass jar, I poured approximately half the bag in and doused with water from the kettle. I left it for a minute before putting the lid on (important: the hot water heats the air in the jar, so if one jams the lid on too soon it could pop off or break the jar, spreading manky, staining sage water *everywhere*) and shook the mixture vigorously. I then left it for 30-40 minutes.

To consume it, I was aided by my trusty bombilla, which is mechanically similar to straining but much more convenient. It should be noted that I didn't compress the sage at the end to extract any extra water -- I had planned to, but I could already feel something in my eyeballs, so I waited to see how it came on and subsequently forgot -- this could potentially drastically affect the dose, I have no idea.

The water actually tasted quite nice; there was no real bitterness, just that sagey flavour. The experience was a very subtle thing, possibly potentiated by the lightness of my grasp on reality, but I'm confident that it was not a placebo. A light, clear tingling across the front of the mind; not exactly a blankness, or any enforced stillness, but a tendency for thought to be less noisy. There was a little relaxation, which definitely wasn't placebo because I'm always slightly apprehensive trying something new. Physically, the effects were minor, but there was a feeling in the skin...not tingling, but that feeling just before it; a little like the numb sensation after you've been slapped but without the discomfort. A few times, I felt like I was about to get a cramp in my calf or foot (the only places I ever really get it), but it never came. My heart rate was slower than usual, I'd guess about 50-55bpm as opposed to my usual 65-70; so either my pulse was slower or my sense of time was distorted. Both are a plus in my book.

After about 15 minutes, I smoked a cigarette, which tasted great but was rolled from a freshly-opened pouch of tobacco so again I can't be objective. I laid in the dark, which seemed to swirl somewhat, and have a much more physical presence; my head made characters for all the sounds of the night, things seemed playful.

That night, I had some of the best dreams of my life! I don't recall a lot of them, but the things I do recall were exceedingly joyful. My typical dreams are anxiety-ridden, confusing, and I wake up exhausted, but this morning I was in an excellent mood as soon as I opened my eyes. Whether the mood caused the dreams or vice versa I couldn't say; I felt better than I did the night before, and the mood, whilst waning a little, has remained throughout the day.

Exp Year: 2010	ExpID: 85681
Gender: Male
Age at time of experience: 23
Published: Oct 14, 2020	Views: 2,720
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Salvia officinalis (475) : Alone (16), First Times (2)