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MESCALINE: PEYOTE &
SAN PEDRO CACTUS
SHAMANIC SACRAMENTS
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INTENSITY: 3 to 8 for most experiences.
MATERIAL:
Mescaline is a naturally occurring
psychedelic found in several cactus species, most notably, Peyote (Lophophora
williamsii) and San Pedro (Trichocereus pachanoi). Several other
members of the trichocereus family also contain mescaline.
Mescaline belongs to a family of compounds
known as phenethylamines, making it quite distinct from the other major
psychedelics which belong to the indole family. LSD, psilocybin, harmaline,
and DMT are all indoles. Many synthetic "designer" psychedelics, such as
ecstasy (MDMA) and 2C-B, are phenethylamines, and are related to the chemistry
of mescaline.
In addition to containing mescaline,
the cacti mentioned above contain a large variety of related psychoactive
compounds, and will produce experiences that are qualitatively different
than pure mescaline. The experience produced by Peyote is also quite distinct
from that produced by cacti from the trichocereus family.
The literature I've read indicates
that many members of the trichocereus family are psychoactive. I've only
tried three or four of these and found them to be basically equal in potency.
Many references indicate that one variety, Trichocereus peruvianus,
is several times as potent by weight as the other trichocereus species.
Psychoactive species include:
T. bridgesii, T. cuzcoensis, T.
fulvinanus, T. macrogonus, T. pachanoi, T. peruvianus, T. taquimbalensis,
T. tersheckii, T. validus, T. werdermannius.
HISTORY:
Peyote and San Pedro are New World
psychedelics. In ancient times their use was concentrated in the regions
to which they are native. Peyote was used throughout Mexico to as far north
as Texas, San Pedro in the Andes mountain region of South America. The
earliest known depiction of San Pedro cactus is on a stone tablet found
in Peru dating to 1300 B.C. Ritual objects containing images of Peyote
have been found dating back to 500 B.C. The introduction of Peyote into
the U.S. and Canada, and its use by North American Indian tribes, occurred
much more recently, beginning sometime in the late 1800s.
As with mushrooms, the Roman Catholic
church tried to abolish the use of Peyote and San Pedro. However, they
were only partially successful. Peyote use spread from Mexico to North
America, and the Native American Church was formed in 1918 to preserve
Native Americans' right to use Peyote. And with San Pedro, the ceremony
practiced by many South American shamans continued while incorporating
several Christian symbols into the rituals. The name of a Christian saint
was even adopted for the cactus.
Mescaline was the first psychedelic
compound to be extracted and isolated, which occurred in 1896. In 1919
it became the first psychedelic to be synthesized. For the next 35 years
it remained a somewhat obscure compound known primarily to the psychiatric
community. In 1953 the popular novelist Aldous Huxley read about mescaline.
Soon thereafter Huxley tried mescaline, and brought it to the attention
of the public by writing The Doors of Perception.
Today, natives throughout North America
still perform sacred Peyote rituals. In South America shamans continue
to hold traditional San Pedro ceremonies which are associated with healing,
imparting or counteracting witchcraft, and putting one in touch with supernatural
and divinatory powers. A claim frequently heard about the San Pedro experience
is that the user embarks on a flight of a telepathic nature being transported
across time and space. A user who embarks on this "astral journey" may
perceive events happening in distant parts of the world, or in metaphysical
realms. This flight phenomenon, which I have not encountered in my experience
with San Pedro, may result from solanaceous plants which are frequently
included in the San Pedro brew and contain the Belladonna alkaloids.
SOURCES:
In the U.S. Peyote is illegal for
all but members of the Native American Church, and it is seldom seen in
the psychedelic underground. Apparently there is even becoming a shortage
for the Native American population, since the cactus grows at a very slow
rate. A typical 2" diameter Peyote button may require 20 years to reach
that size, and it has been harvested much faster than it can grow for many
years.
Synthetic or pure crystalline mescaline
is one of the rarest psychedelics, and misrepresentation of other substances
as being mescaline is very common. I've only come across true synthetic
mescaline once in my life, but have seen items ranging from LSD to DOB
(a relative of 2C-B) being sold as mescaline several times.
Illegal drug labs rarely produce mescaline
for the underground market because of its inefficiency, high cost, and
lack of a market. It requires approximately 1/2 gram of mescaline sulfate
to produce a psychedelic trip. This same amount of material would represent
4 doses of ecstasy, 20 doses of 2C-B, 50 doses of psilocin, or 2500 doses
of LSD. And without the large market of substances like ecstasy, smaller,
less efficient batches must be produced, raising the cost of production
even higher. The small amount of mescaline that is produced for the psychedelic
underground typically fetches from $100 to $200 per gram, ($50 to $100
per dose), clearly too expensive to become a popular street drug.
Mescaline sulfate can be distinguished
by the structure of its crystals. These are approximately 1/4" long and
look like fine needles or shards of glass. The amount of mescaline needed
for a high can fill two double 0 gelatin caps. Those who claim they've
had mescaline in tiny microdot pills, or as a white powder in a capsule
where only 1/8th of a gram produced a powerful experience, have been given
something other than real mescaline. Another form of mescaline which I've
never tried, mescaline hydrochloride, is said to be about 25% more potent
than mescaline sulfate.
The most readily available source of
mescaline is trichocereus cacti which can be found in many large nurseries,
particularly ones that deal exclusively in cacti and succulents. I tend
to buy only from nurseries that mark their cacti with the botanical names,
and try to avoid asking for psychoactive cacti by name. I was quite blown
out when a redneck cacti wholesaler responded to my request for Trichocereus
peruvianus with "That's supposed to be a high alkaloidal content cactus,
I don't know if that's the reason you're looking for it." Another cacti
wholesaler sold me an unmarked cactus claiming it to be T. peruvianus.
It was psychoactive, but no more so than other trichocereus species
I've tried.
If the cacti sellers do not know people
are buying their cacti for psychoactive purposes it is less likely to become
an issue with the authorities. And since this magical plant is one of my
favorite "legal" highs, I'd like to see it remain legal and available indefinitely.
Trichocereus cacti are considered legal for ornamental purposes only. It
is illegal to ingest, extract, or sell for psychoactive purposes: a fairly
gray area of the law.
Before going cactus shopping I've found
it useful to look at pictures and read physical descriptions of these varieties.
Many large libraries will have a selection of books on cacti and possibly
lexicons. Most varieties of trichocereus are difficult to tell apart, and
I've even seen conflicting information in the keys of lexicons. However,
these books should at least give one an idea of which cacti to examine
the name tags on. These cacti are also frequently available from various
herb and plant dealers that cater to the underground.
DOSAGE and PREPARATION:
The amount of mescaline sulfate required
for a full experience is about 500 mg. (or approximately 350 mg. of mescaline
hydrochloride) Pure mescaline should be taken in two half-doses about 30
minutes apart. This will minimize disturbance of the stomach, which usually
passes after the first couple hours of the high. When consuming whole cacti
one is actually taking a combination of alkaloids which synergistically
interact with each other, producing an experience which is different, and
sometimes more desirable, than pure mescaline.
The potency of Peyote, as well as different
people's tolerance to it, seems to vary widely. Some people report powerful
experiences from as few as three or four Peyote buttons. More often users
consume 12 to 15 buttons, and eating more than two dozen is not unheard
of. The amount of San Pedro one must consume to obtain the full effects
is a piece approximately 10" long and 3" in diameter. Cactus is most potent
when harvested during the hotter times of the year.
Trichocereus cacti are relatively quick
growing and easy to make cuttings of. Each plant may produce one or more
highs worth per year. When harvesting these cacti the top four inches of
growing tip can be cut off to be replanted. A length from beneath this
can then be cut to consume. The remaining cactus stub will also continue
to grow, frequently putting out several branches where it was cut off.
The tip cutting should be laid on its side in the sun until the exposed
flesh calluses. Once this has occurred, it should be placed upright in
a half soil/half sand mixture with good drainage. When cutting the lower,
consumable section of the cactus, care should be taken to cut at an angle,
going upwards toward the middle of the plant. The fleshy part of the cactus
will shrink in where it was cut, and if cut straight across it will form
a bowl that will hold water and tend to mold.
To prepare San Pedro for consumption
I first cut out the spines, which is fairly easy to do on most trichocereus.
The next step I take is to cut the skin off in "V" strips, cutting from
the outside of each rib into the central section of the cactus. These "V"
strips are saved as they contain the most potent flesh, although the skin
itself is thick, waxy and not edible.
The process of eating San Pedro is
definitely not fun. It can be tolerated by most serious trippers, but it
is difficult to consume enough cactus to get a powerful high. The taste
of different trichocereus species ranges from very bitter to tasteless,
the varieties with less taste tending to have a slimy consistency. With
these varieties the texture is the main obstacle to consuming large quantities.
I chew the cactus to a pulp and then wash it down with some liquid. It
also helps to eat some full-grain bread as I'm doing this to soak up the
liquid in my stomach.
The dark green flesh next to the skin
is the most potent part of the cactus and should be eaten first. I do this
by flattening out the "V" strips and scraping the flesh off of the skin
with my teeth. I then proceed to the central part of the cactus. This should
be eaten around like corn on the cob. The flesh on the protruding ribs
should be eaten first. The core is woody and not edible. The high begins
coming on some 45 minutes after ingesting, and since it takes a while to
consume the cactus, one may start feeling high while they are still eating.
The psychoactive alkaloids can also
be extracted using water or alcohol. To extract in water one needs to mash
the cactus and boil for several hours. One friend reports excellent results
by boiling just the skin with 3/8" of flesh attached to it, evaporating
off all the liquid at about 140 degrees F, and then powderizing the resulting
residue and packing it in gelatin capsules.
Peyote is even more difficult to eat
than San Pedro as the taste is extremely bitter. Some people find that
by accepting the flavor and not cringing from it they are able to get past
any aversion to eating it. One friend even told me that dried Peyote took
on the flavor and consistency of good chocolate. However, those like myself
who find the taste intolerable can pulverize the dried buttons and pack
them into gelatin capsules.
THE HIGH:
The mescaline experience is my favorite
of the traditional psychedelics (LSD, psilocybin, mescaline). I find it
has the advantages of acid: a lucid, penetrating, focused ability of the
mind, rather than the more dreamy, drifting state I get from mushrooms.
However, I feel totally relaxed with mescaline, even calmer than I feel
on mushrooms, and there's no trace of the metallic edge usually felt on
acid.
Eating whole cactus produces a more
body-oriented high than pure mescaline. San Pedro usually produces a very
smooth, flowing experience. However, the effects of Peyote are quite different
due to its unique mixture of alkaloids. With Peyote, the first couple hours
of the experience are very dream-like, drifting, almost a delirium type
state. During this time I feel groggy and sleepy and can do little more
than lay back and sink into the feeling, which is not unpleasant. Some
element of Peyote also acts as an emetic, making most people nauseous about
two hours into the trip.
I find the mescaline experience to
be more visual than mushrooms or acid. However, I've only experienced really
spectacular visuals when using synthetic mescaline. My high tolerance to
most psychedelics, along with the capacity of my stomach, has prevented
me from ever being as high as I would have liked when eating whole cactus.
Like psilocybin, mescaline tends to link me with collective evolutionary
consciousness more than synthetics like LSD. The experiences produced by
these natural psychedelics seem more "significant" than an acid high, which
is more analytical. An acid high often seems to be a by-product of magnifying
the mind, whereas with mushrooms and cactus one feels they are in touch
with something ancient, spiritual, and personal. Mescaline has a unique
signature in this context which I find most magical, a feeling that the
Gods or protective allies are smiling down on me. The duration can be 6
to 14 hours depending on the amount consumed. The "coming back" portion
of a mescaline trip is smoother than with the other traditional psychedelics.
And I've never felt the "drained of energy" or "neural overload" feeling
that can come after an intense acid trip. This allows for a more conscious
and therapeutic return to regular consciousness, after which I can easily
sink into sleep and wake up feeling refreshed.
Some aspects of the mescaline high
are quite distinct from LSD or mushrooms. The visions produced by mescaline
have a different character and structure. When being overtaken by a full
strength mescaline trip, I've felt more than with any traditional psychedelic
that I was an extraterrestrial being, immersing myself in new sensory phenomena
for the first time. Where LSD or psilocybin heighten and clarify the sense
of hearing, mescaline produces auditory hallucinations, heightening the
hearing sense but also causing sounds to be quite different than normal.
Mescaline also sharpens the olfactory sense to a much finer degree than
LSD or psilocybin. I've particularly noted this in my ability to perceive
the smells of numerous different plants when using synthetic mescaline
outdoors. As for aphrodisiacal use of mescaline, wow!, it brought energies
out of me that I never knew I had.
At the conclusion of this chapter is
one of my favorite descriptions of a psychedelic experience. It illustrates
the depth and spiritual significance that a mescaline experience can produce.
This is a description of a Peyote experience which Bernard Roseman undertook
with members of the Native American Church in the late l950s. It was published
in The Peyote Story, Wilshire Book Company, 1963.
COMBINATIONS:
The Belladonna alkaloids are reputed
to potentiate mescaline. I haven't tried this.
Mescaline may be significantly intensified
and possibly dangerous if combined with MAO inhibitors.
Bernard Roseman from The Peyote Story
The only mind that strayed from the meeting
was my own. The resounding drum thundered throughout my being. I could
not distinguish the hogan from the interior of my own skull. I drifted
further away from the meeting until I was completely unaware of sounds
or the presence of others. I walked over to a huge velvet curtain and as
I touched it, it slowly parted...
On the other side a magnificent world
sprang up. This world was sprinkled with little shining crystals, and the
absolute silence lent itself to a silent song that continued without an
apparent end. Little droplets of pure molten silver were falling from the
heavens, and each blending of non-existent sound had blended to become
the purest light. Each sight in this most magnificent of worlds represented
infinite perfection. A sharp knife-like distinction separated each spectacle
from all others.
All about were the most perfect cogs,
too perfect to be known in my everyday world. These cogs were spinning
in opposing direction to one another, with no other purpose than BEING.
The universe was enclosed in a huge round dome and contained millions of
replicas of the same world, each representing a different plane of consciousness.
These worlds were forever missing each
other by inches; and as I mentally moved them up a degree where they met
and formed the one complete world, the state of perfect order became. I
laughed at my former prejudices and what I had considered to be sin in
myself and others. I saw all this as being my own manifestations, and only
my considering it sin had made it so.
I was living in a timeless pulsation
that bridged the gap between all barriers. I reached many eternities, and
felt akin with infinity. At long last I knew the relation all things had
for one another!
All objects seemed to be complete in
themselves; as I searched the depth of an object I would see many worlds
buried in it. And as I examined each world, I saw that each had objects
of its own which were seen as worlds and objects endlessly. Everything
had a new interest for me, for everything was continuously in flux, and
each new thing became newer than it was the instant before.
All my senses merged and acted as one
as they caressed and encompassed everything they perceived. A thousand
sense feelings closed in upon me, stirring up within waves of climaxes
that kept sending my mind to even greater, undreamed-of heights. The beginning
was forgotten and no end was in sight. I had arrived back to the place
of my origin. As each mystery exposed its true nature to me, each revelation
was accompanied by vast explosions of vibratory color, flowing liquid blending
perfectly together to form a sea of radiant beauty.
A consummation of me, my purpose and
creator unfolded and seethed to further heights undreamed of; a tremendous
upsurge of blissful emotion poured its intention into a tiny shell that
expanded larger and larger. It reached its unbearable breaking point, and
then release as the shell burst and a huge burning white flower grew bigger
and bigger at a slow unceasing rate; the petals reached out to their fullest
extreme, and then closed at the same unceasing rate, to rest...
I continued to float in this heaven
of satisfaction and contentment for an immeasurable time. Then far off
in the distance I heard a thunderous sound which vibrated my world of infinite
color; the sound became louder, and I was wisked backwards through the
velvet curtain of confusion once again.
As I returned to the hogan I saw myself
as a huge magnet and all my worldly emotions and attachments as being small
iron shavings
and at the instant of returning these
shavings sprang up, charging in on me, until I was once again a victim
of sense objects and emotions. I reluctantly opened my eyes and saw the
Indians across from me still singing and chanting. Tears formed in my eyes
and I realized the world that someday awaits my return. A peace descended
over me that I was heretofore not familiar with, and I recognized it as
being the peace that descends when life transcends to death.
I looked about me and felt more Indian
than white as I was carried along in the rhythm of the chants as we gave
our combined thanks to Pioniyo.
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