Tuesday, April 08, 2008

The Shaman Are Coming!

Now normally I wouldn't post a link to a feature article in Times 2 because I normally don't read them, but having been one of those people in years gone by that consumed his fair share of hallugingens, I find it difficult not to readsomething about crazy shamanistic religions in Brazil. The opening two paragraphs drew me in
I am deep in the Amazon rainforest, anxiously losing my mind as the world begins to disintegrate. Around me, all sense of distance is wrapping itself up like spatial origami, slowly shrinking until an entire dimension has disappeared. A moment ago, I was surrounded by 200 people dressed in white and singing like angels, but now they occupy the same space as me... if that makes any sense.

Wherever I look, that is where I am. I can see everything from every angle, all at the same time. In fact, I feel I am everywhere. Outside, in the forest, the thrum of frogs and cicadas drowns out the sound of shrieking monkeys. Below me, the floor is shimmering, vanishing in waves like a spent mirage. Behind, I feel a cold vibration on my neck and sense a growling malevolence. I turn and see a red door, bulging at the hinges. Overcome with dread, I push hard to keep it closed, and all the while I feel a horrible nausea.
The effects of ayahuasca sounds remarkably similar to the effects I once experienced with salvia divinorum (which is I should add perfectly legal in the UK and not a controlled substance at all). Crazy shaman, doing crazy things in the rainforest is always fascinating isn't it?

Anyhow, the feature article is well worth a read.

6 comments:

Croydonian said...

Uncle Sam has his beady on it.

Anonymous said...

Pretty much the same as a large dose of magic mushrooms, umm, someone told me...

dizzy said...

Errr no it's not. Salvia, and the other crazy rainforest stuff is on a different scale to magic mushroom. Salvia quite literally rips you out of reality instantly after smoking it, you find yourself merging into walls and all sort of crazy astral travelling experiences. It only lasts about 15 minutes and it is seriously intense compared to mushroom, even psylobins. Dangerous days a decade ago, dangerous days.

Mof0 said...

Mmm definitely sounds salvia like, different to mushrooms.

You don't take salvia, the salvia takes YOU.

Anonymous said...

Comparing mushrooms to ayahuasca is like comparing a cup of coffe to LSD. "trips" can last for 3/4 days if you are into that sort of thing. Not for the faint hearted!

Salvia hasn't been scheduled because it is defnitely not recreational and not something that is likely to be abused. One try is enough for anyone crazy enough to do so.

Interestingly, mind altering substances are being produced all the time. Most of which slip under the Misuse of Drugs Act net so are perfectly legal to produce, distribute and own.

Elby the Beserk said...

Actually, if you do high dosage mushrooms (say 7 to 10 gms dried), they take you and you have little choice in where you go. And yes, I have done it. Not ayuahasca (yet). Note - chemically v diff to Salvia, Ayuahasca is DMT (and needs a potentiator for full effect).