DOSE:			Lotus/Lily - Nymphaea nouchali var caerulea
			Lotus/Lily - Nelumbo nucifera

BODY WEIGHT:

155 lb

I have plenty of experience with both Nelumbo nucifera (Blue Lotus) and Nymphea caerulea (Sacred Blue Lily of the Nile). They are both amazing plants, however, I will focus primarily on the species Nelumbo nucifera (Blue Lotus) in this report, as I have found that it provides the more profound effect between the two plants even though it is reported that they contain similar alkaloids.

I first discovered the plant quite a few years ago while ordering Salvia divinorum. I read about the wonderful history of its usage in Egypt, and I became very interested. I decided to order it and had my first experience making tea with the petals directly before ingesting Morning Glory seeds. The effects noted were very similar to those of Codeine. There was a mild, but very pleasurable, opiate-like euphoria as well as a general feeling of relaxation. The effects of the LSA's (Morning Glory) did not cancel out the effects of the Blue Lotus but actually created a synergy. I felt like I was extremely relaxed throughout the whole experience even though I was at a +++ from the Morning Glory, whereas normally a +++ with Morning Glory would have very visible stimulating effects and I wouldn't typically want to sit in one place. I felt more like I had smoked a profoundly psychedelic Cannabis.

After that, I had ordered a potent resin extract of the Nymphea caerulea plant. I proceed to smoke the material and found that it produced an Opium-like high. The euphoria from this method was more pronounced and enjoyable being by myself at the time. I made the rest of the resin into a tea when I got home, and I spent the rest of the night admiring the mild psychedelic effects which I would characterize as a cross between the dream state of Opium and the mild visual effects of Cannabis.

After that experience, I had not used these plants for a few years until my best friend 'J' ordered some of the Nymphea caerulea petals. We actually had a tea party since he just got a new herbal infuser. It was me, 'J', my girlfriend at the time 'Ally,' and J's girlfriend 'L.' I was beginning to become very aware of the prominent social effects that these plants have at this point.

Not too long after, I started ordering a variety of plant extracts and petals. The most notable were the Nelumbo nucifera petals, absolute oil (Nelumbo nucifera), 25x extracts (Nelumbo nucifera, and resin extracts (Nymphea caerulea). Since, I have had vast experiences with each of these products. Note: At this point, I am with a new girlfriend 'A,' who is much more interested in psychoactive plants than the previous girl.

With most Nelumbo nucifera products, I have found the effects to start after about 15-20 minutes and are immensely pleasurable. The euphoria isn't unlike that produced from opiates, but it isn't quite like it either. It reminds me more of the state of mind produced from MDMA with a sedative effect similar to that of the benzodiazepines. There are wonderful effects in the area of sensuality and the erotic. Not to be too descriptive, but the first time I was involved with my current girlfriend in a passionate way was under its influence. I was enjoying licking the absolute oil from her body. So, the plant is certainly an aphrodisiac.

Even more positive are its effects on conversation. It has mild characteristics of MDMA in regards to intimacy. It just feels wonderful to share memories and other personal things with people. Conversation in general is easy.

Next, I am going to discuss the individual product differences. The absolute oil of Nelumbo nucifera is the most potent extract available. For some reason, it seems to produce an effect almost instantaneously. It could be the way the oil soaks into the oral membranes or it could also be psychological. It has a pleasant taste; better than honey in my opinion. With this product, I have to be careful about how much I take. Yes, I think I could overdose on it. High doses of the oil exerted side effects similar to high doses of opiates and opioids (paleness of the face, respiratory depression, nausea, etc..). There seems to be an instant gratification from it that tea from the petals does not produce as efficiently. An interesting effect of the oil is its ability to dispel nausea from Alcohol. Once, 'L' was at my apartment in an uncomfortable state of drunkenness, and I gave her a drop on the finger of the absolute oil. She felt better within a couple minutes.

The 25x extracts of Nelumbo nucifera appear as a fine, brown powdered plant material. The taste is obviously not quite as good as the oil, but it is a positive taste that I can relate to chocolate in some way. My friends and I typically pass a bag of it around with a spoon and eat it with juice or milk. The effects are the same, though this product seems to have an increase in pleasant sedation.

Then, there are the resin extracts of Nymphea caerulea. These are typically smoked. The effect of this product is quite unique when compared with the other methods of consuming the plant. There is an extreme mood lift and euphoric nature, again similar to MDMA. Once, my girlfriend and I, had a friend take us to the store to get a couple cans of beer, and they were listening to rap music. I normally dislike hip-hop and rap music, but I found myself bobbing my head to it, and that is something that Cannabis and MDMA have both failed to produce in me. When we stepped out of the car, we both felt as though we were rolling. For a minute, I couldn't believe I had just taken Blue Lotus. I was amazed. Though this was the strongest experience I've had with the resin, others were not unlike it.

Now, I want to take a moment to discuss the synergistic effects that I've found between these plants and other psychoactive substances. First, they tend to mix very well with other herbs in general, but they specifically mix well with Cannabis and Alcohol. Traditionally, the flowers were steeped in wine, and I can see why. It effectively does away with any negative effects produced from Alcohol, as well as adds to the euphoric and social aspects. With Cannabis, it adds a dreamy touch to the high and creates more relaxation for a positive mindset.

I have also used the plant in conjunction with Methylone. It reduces the immediate after effects of the stimulation and seems to increase the time of the comfortable social and sensual effects.

Finally, I want to comment on medicinal value and a mild addictive potential. It does efficiently decrease anxiety and does have slight pain reducing properties. If I have a large amount of it around, there isn't a day that goes by that I don't use it and there never seems to be a mood that does not accept its use. It reminds me somewhat of Cocaine in that I don't typically like to stop using it once I start, and it certainly does have some stimulant-like qualities in its euphoria. This is to be taken on a very general level, though my girlfriend does sometimes act like a fiend with it. Two of my closest friends 'J2' and 'L2' enjoy it as much as I do. We often can't stop smiling if 'Blue Lotus' gets brought up in conversation.

As for the addictive qualities, I have actually used it enough to develop a mild withdrawal syndrome. The withdrawal noted was characterized by anxiety and restlessness. Once I noticed this, I was curious about what receptor sites the alkaloids might operate on. Strangely enough, the symptoms were not taken away by opiates or benzodiazepines nor is the withdrawal from opiates loosened from the consumption of Nelumbo nucifera. I have never had any significant withdrawal symptoms from benzodiazepines, so I cannot comment there. The symptoms were only decreased by more use of the Lotus flower. Although I do not believe it to be very addictive, it does have some mild addictive qualities.

Overall, I am very fond of these plants, and am pleased that they have found their way into my life. My interest goes far beyond the history of them, and in the end, I started enjoying them more than Kratom.

Exp Year: 2008	ExpID: 71776
Gender: Male
Age at time of experience: Not Given
Published: Oct 9, 2013	Views: 49,289
[ View PDF (to print) ] [ View LaTeX (for geeks) ] [ Swap Dark/Light ]
Lotus/Lily - Nymphaea nouchali var caerulea (105), Lotus/Lily - Nelumbo nucifera (331) : Combinations (3), Retrospective / Summary (11), Addiction & Habituation (10), Sex Discussion (14), Various (28)