DOSE:

3 seeds

sublingual

Lobelia spp.

BODY WEIGHT:

200 lb

Lobelia inflata is a flowering wild plant common to the eastern U.S. It contains several alkaloids, the most prevalent and most studied is lobeline. There has been recent research comparing the effectiveness of lobeline with methylphenidate (Ritalin) in the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Clinical comparisons with Ritalin are available online and are what most interested me in this plant.

As I said, the plant is pretty common in the eastern United States. There are written records of use going back to the 1700s. It has several common names, Indian tobacco and vomitwort among them. Other species of Lobelia include the Cardinal flower, a beautiful flowering plant found near streams, and ornamental flowering varieties developed for the garden. I don't know if these other species and varieties possess psychoactive properties.

The plant develops a spike stature. Flowers and small seedpods develop close to the ascending spike. I chose to chew three seedpods, each smaller than a garden pea and hold them sublingually for several minutes before swallowing. Immediately, a hot sensation is noticed, and copious saliva is produced. Upon swallowing, the hot sensation fills the throat, chest and diminishes somewhat in the stomach. There is weird feeling of irritation in the throat and chest, kind of a choking cough, but not intense. A *very* strong vomit reflex is not uncommon. A cool drink helps to alleviate the symptoms. The unpleasant sensations disappear within about 30 minutes.

Within 15 or 20 minutes there is a very noticeable clearing of the head. I find this sensation amazing, similar to the way Ritalin clears the fog and allows me to focus. It is very pleasant if you're beset like me with a persistent brain fog. It's like a cool, dry breeze dispersing the morning haze, or wipers and spray clearing away the pollen, dust and smashed insects off a dirty windshield. Everything is clearer, sharper, more defined. Thoughts and tasks assembled into a logical and efficient order. I felt extraordinarily normal, very straight, supernormal. I engaged several family members in good conversation, able to defend positions and offer counterarguments. The effects continued for several hours. Late in the evening there was only the normal tiredness of a day well spent.

It can be found as an extract w/alcohol, but this does not compare with the fresh material, at all. There is a profound qualitative difference between very fresh and older formulations and extracts.

Exp Year: 2011	ExpID: 92200
Gender: Male
Age at time of experience: 54
Published: Nov 30, 2017	Views: 3,820
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Lobelia spp. (327) : Performance Enhancement (50), Retrospective / Summary (11), Alone (16)