What Is Mescaline? A Guide to this Cactus-Derived Psychedelic

Like most psychedelic hallucinogens, mescaline is not physically addictive; however, it can cause tolerance meaning higher doses are need to achieve the same hallucinogenic effect. Mescaline-containing cacti can induce severe vomiting and nausea, which is an important part to traditional Native-American or Shaman ceremonies and is considered a cleansing ritual and a spiritual aid. More recently, a study was published comparing the placebo effect with microdosing and found that placebo doses had the same positive effects as the group that was given psychedelic microdoses. Another study found that some nerve growth proteins levels were increased in a microdose of LSD, suggesting that even at sub perceptible levels, some sort of neurological impact occurs when microdosing.

What does mescaline feel like?

• As shown in Table 2,most respondents (66%) had consumed San Pedro in their lifetime, with smallerproportions of respondents having ingested Peyote (36%) and synthetic mescaline(31%).
• Many local initiatives have left peyote out of reform measures in respect for the Native American Church.
• Microdosing is most often attributed to James Fadiman, author of The Psychedelic Explorer’s Guide.
• Since then, its powerful effects have been sampled by everyone from Aztecs, Plains Indians and Mormons to WB Yeats, Aldous Huxley and a British MP, who took the drug on camera for a 1955 episode of the BBC’s Panorama.
• When taking it on my own, or in an experimental session, I found myself absorbed in the sensations and the visuals.
• Mescaline is not physically addictive, but like other hallucinogenic drugs, you can become tolerant to its effects.
• It is also found in certain members of the Fabaceae (bean family) and can be produced synthetically.

While mescaline in its biosynthesized state may be a safe psychedelic, one might be surprised to learn that many synthetic versions of mescaline can be hazardous and potentially lethal. As a result, when it comes to microdosing mescaline, there are some unique risks to be aware of for people who procure mescaline from unknown sources. The concentration-time curves for mescaline, LSD, and psilocin and their metabolites are shown in Fig. Descriptive parameters of the acute subjective response and pharmacokinetic parameters of mescaline, LSD, and psilocybin are shown in Table 1 and Table 2, respectively. The geometric mean maximum (Cmax) values (range) for 300 and 500 mg mescaline were 858 (600–1284) ng/mL and 1217 (721–1822) ng/mL, respectively. The corresponding Tmax values were 2.3 (1.5–4.0) h and 2.3 (1.5–4.0) h, respectively.

Mescaline has long been considered a powerful agent for healing and change, making it a central component of the shamanic ceremonies of many indigenous groups in the Americas. For many, a mescaline journey offers deep insight into the self and the universe, giving one a greater sense of connection and spirituality. Mescaline is also known for fostering compassion and gratitude, while also alleviating psychological disorders such as anxiety, depression, PTSD and addiction. “Trips”, the intense psychedelic experience for the user, may be pleasurable and enlightening or anxiety-producing and unpleasant (known as a “bad trip”). There is no way to know how a user’s mescaline experience may ultimately play out.

Subjective acute and enduring effects

For example, hordenine is a N,N-dimethyl derivative and has activities in the human body similar to the neurotransmitters dopamine and norepinephrine. Interestingly, mescaline consumed as cacti may act in a similar way to cannabis, where multiple active compounds contribute to an ‘entourage effect,’ meaning the experience is generated through complex augmentation and synergistic interactions of the individual components. Mescaline is a naturally-occurring psychoactive alkaloid found in several cacti, including the Peyote cactus (Lophophora williamsii), San Pedro cactus (Echinopsis pachanoi), and Peruvian Torch cactus (Echinopsis peruviana). In modern times, self-experimenters around the world are reporting a much wider range of benefits, including personal insights, mood enhancement, increased empathy and creativity, lifestyle changes, and even lucid dreams. Mescaline could also help reduce suicidal thoughts, according to researchers at the University of Alabama. Using data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, the researchers found that people who have used a psychedelic drug at least once in their life show lower rates of suicidal thinking.

History and culture

• Mescaline has also been shown to help people solve problems, access their creativity, be more environmentally conscious, and improve learning.
• It retains its legendarystatus in psychedelic culture thanks to TheDoors of Perception and Fear andLoathing in Las Vegas, in which Hunter S. Thompson portrayed it as the ne plus ultra of psychedelic craziness.
• Considering that there is no research on the long-term impact of microdosing, there is no reason to assume that long-term microdosing is safe, and most people limit an initial protocol to 30 days.
• While the controversy around microdosing continues, it seems that clinical research is the only way to determine whether this process is beneficial and to what extent.
• If your use of mescaline is affecting your health, family, relationships, work, school, financial or other life situations, or you’re concerned about a loved one, you can find help and support.
• Examples of psychoactive phenethylamines include amphetamines (used for the treatment of ADD/ADHD), MDMA, and mescaline.

Regardless of the dose of mescaline (or ketamine, cocaine, MDMA, or any illicit drug one is using) people should be cautious of contaminants, should never use alone, and should always have naloxone on hand to reverse an overdose in the case of an opioid adulterant. Keep in mind that these compounds have a different molecular weight, meaning the dosage will be different between the two. Also, remember that white crystalline powders can all look the same — even to a trained eye.

Mescaline survey

In the 1890s, aesthetes and poets such as Havelock Ellis and WB Yeats experimented with it, looking at art objects and listening to music under mesclun psychedelic the influence. In the 1930s, avant-garde artists painted on it, and psychiatrists gave it to intellectuals like Walter Benjamin and Jean-Paul Sartre. Sartre had a very unpleasant experience, after which he believed he was being followed around by crabs that nobody else could see.

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It retains its legendarystatus in psychedelic culture thanks to TheDoors of Perception and Fear andLoathing in Las Vegas, in which Hunter S. Thompson portrayed it as the ne plus ultra of psychedelic craziness. After 1962, when the Federal Drug Administration tightenedits guidelines on psychedelic research, there were few plausible reasons forworking with mescaline and LSD came to dominate what was by now a shrinkingfield. Both were prohibited fornon-clinical use in 1965, after which LSD was cheap and ubiquitous, whilemescaline became a substance of legend and rumor. Mescaline is a naturally occurring psychoactive alkaloid with hallucinogenic properties derived from a range of cacti. In the U.S., mescaline is illegal (a Schedule I substance since 1970), however, certain religious groups such as the Native American Church have been granted greater protections and liberties under the American Indian Religious Freedom Act. Efforts to decriminalize “natural psychedelics” such as mescaline are underway in cities across the U.S., with successes in Oakland and Santa Cruz so far.

What Are the Potential Benefits & Risks of Mescaline Use?

Songs were channelled during the ceremonies and different traditions and forms of ritual evolved. Mescaline, a natural hallucinogen found in cacti, is one of the OG psychedelics. Its use has been traced back 6,000 years, to prehistoric psychonauts tripping in caves near the Rio Grande in Texas. DoubleBlind is a trusted resource for news, evidence-based education, and reporting on psychedelics. We work with leading medical professionals, scientific researchers, journalists, mycologists, indigenous stewards, and cultural pioneers. The legality of mescaline varies depending on a few different factors, including where you live and the form of the mescaline; for example, in some countries like Canada, there is a legal distinction between mescaline and peyote.