DOSE:

smoked

Salvia spp.

(plant material)

BODY WEIGHT:

175 lb

On Further Exploration: A More Common Salvia

After some serious introspection into the possibility of purchasing a S. divinorum specimen for my collection of herbs and shamanic plants, I decided not to go through with it. Instead, I said 'why not try something different?' and examined the possibility of planting another variation of Salvia. So I went out and browsed my local garden shops for one that appealled to me visually. Not my usual scientific objectivity working there, but since there are so many variations of Sage, and so few have been chemically documented, I figured, what the hell! I ended up purchasing a common Salvia verticillata, or 'Purple Rain.'

Needles to say, I had to test it for entheogenic properties. When I got my plant home, I gathered from it some leaves that were dried up and falling off, and gave it an offering of bread and beer in turn to welcome it to its new home. I then set up our altar, and smoked about 3/4 of a gram of dried leaves and flowers in a period of about 20 minutes. I didn't fly off to the 5th dimension to meet bird-headed people or anything extreme. I WAS hit by a what I can only call a soothing wave of peace with undertows of profound sense-calm--without sleepiness. I also experienced a definite condition of heightened sensory awarness. As the effects diminished, I smoked another 1/8 gram or so for good measure to prolong the benevolent feelings.

One definite benefit of the Purple Rain was the cost-effectivity factor; it is far cheaper than S. divinorum which can run up to $40 per plant. Granted, S. divinorum produces a more potent visionary effect than S. verticillata, but I don't refuse to eat an apple just because it's not a Macintosh.

Exp Year: 2001	ExpID: 8410
Gender: Male
Age at time of experience: Not Given
Published: Jul 27, 2004	Views: 782
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Salvia verticillata (862) : Alone (16), First Times (2)