| Salvinorin A |
| Salvinorin A | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Skeletal formula of Salvinorin A | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Chemical Nomenclature | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Common names | Salvia, Salvia divinorum, Salvinorin A | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Substitutive name | Diviner's Sage, Ska María Pastora, Seer's Sage | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Systematic name | methyl (2S,4aR,6aR,7R,9S,10aS,10bR)-9-(acetyloxy)-2-(furan-3-yl)-6a,10b-dimethyl-4,10-dioxododecahydro-2H-benzo[f]isochromene-7-carboxylate | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Salvinorin A is the main active psychotropic molecule within Salvia divinorum, a Mexican plant which has a long history of use as an entheogen by indigenous Mazatec shamans. It is structurally distinct from other naturally occurring hallucinogens (such as DMT, Psilocin and Mescaline) because it contains no nitrogen atoms; hence, it is not an alkaloid (and cannot be rendered as a salt) but a terpenoid.
It also differs in subjective experience, compared to other hallucinogens, and has been described as an A-Typical dissociative although this formal classification is debatable.
Contents
Chemistry
Salvinorin A is a neoclerodane molecule, an oxygenated cyclic diterpenoid. It contains four isoprene groups bound to its oxygenated polycyclic rings. Salvinorin A is unique as it is not an alkaloid; it contains no nitrogen atoms unlike classical, natural, or synthetic hallucinogens.
Pharmacology
Salvinorin A is a potent kappa-opioid receptor agonist. It does not however have any effect on the 5-HT2A receptor, the receptor targeted by most psychedelic drugs. It's unique structure lacks features commonly associated with opioid ligand binding, namely it doesn't contain a quaternary carbon atom linked to a tertiary amine group by two other carbon atoms. Unlike traditional opioid antagonists, Salvinorin A targets the kappa-opioid receptor, rather than the mu-opioid receptor. This contributes to its lack of the addictive properties of other opioid antagonists.
Subjective effects
The effects listed below are based upon the subjective effects index and personal experiences of PsychonautWiki contributors. The listed effects will rarely if ever occur all at once but heavier dosages will increase the chances and are more likely to induce a full range of effects.
Physical effects
The physical effects of Salvinorin A can be broken down into several components all of which progressively intensify proportional to dosage. These are described below and generally include:
- Changes in gravity - The most prominent physical sensation of a Salvinorin A trip is known by many people as “Salvia Gravity”. This is at least partially present during the mildest of trips and increases proportionally with dosage until it is all encompassing. It begins with a heavy sensation that pulls and tugs at the body. As this increases, it inevitably becomes so powerful that it swiftly lifts the tripper up and out of their body at extremely high speeds and over vast distances in a direction that often doesn't quite make sense. This feels as if you are being pushed or pulled into a space vastly different from anything found on the classic hallucinogens.
- Changes in felt bodily form - This effect often accompanies the onset of powerful Salvinorin A gravity and can be described as non-painful sensations of being stretched horizontally or vertically into infinity, splitting into two halves and a variety of other sudden changes.
- Spontaneous tactile sensations - For some unlucky people this is sometimes accompanied by the sensation of intense, sharp and cold pins and needles all over a person's skin, which can quickly become very uncomfortable. Most people, however, will never experience this feeling.
Cognitive effects
The cognitive effects of Salvinorin A can be broken down into several components all of which progressively intensify proportional to dosage. The general head space of salvia is described by many as one of extreme cognitive suppression and strong feelings of confusion. It’s these effects which create for an experience devoid of personal introspection. This substance is best described as a drug that does not create profound personal insights, just profound and interesting experiences.
The most prominent of these cognitive effects generally include:
- Laughter - The average first time salvia user generally experiences a mixture of extreme giggles and confusion.
- Memory suppression - This substance is particularly intense in its cognitive effects due to the near instant transition from sobriety into ego death which can occur very suddenly at moderate to high dosages. Throughout the experience, this feels as if you are receiving the sensory input of your trip, but are not fully conscious enough to process the implications of it until the offset.
- Anxiety - General paranoia, anxiety and panic are very common for the unprepared and this can be accounted for by the fact that k-opoid antagonists have been shown to cause such feelings in people.
- Thought deceleration
- Information processing suppression
- Language suppression
- Unity and interconnectedness
- Amnesia
Visual effects
Distortions
When a user of this substance keeps their eyes open throughout the duration of a moderate to strong trip, a small number of open eye distortions and alterations are usually present. These are significantly more simplistic from that of open eye distortions found with other classes of hallucinogens. They seem to play heavily on different sections of your vision and generally include:
- Depth perception distortions - This effect is usually characterized by a total loss of depth perception and a complete flattening of the visual field into a 2-dimensional image. It can also make objects seem further away or closer in distance than they actually are.
- Perspective distortions - This effect can be described as specific objects with the external environment or the surroundings as a whole changing in physical size and becoming impossibly huge or small in size.
- Environmental cubism
- Scenery slicing
Structures
At moderate to high dosages with darkness or closed eyes, once the user has become disconnected from their body, a full array of level 1 - 4 hallucinatory structures becomes present. This is an effect which is most commonly found within dissociatives such as ketamine and DXM. They are distinctively different in style, however, and significantly more likely to be based on mathematical constructs such as vast and elaborate fractals.
In terms of stylistic appearance they also tend to contain significantly more detail to their style, with a greater variety of materials and abstract detail which comprise the structures.
Another key difference between the manifestation of this effect within salvia and those found within dissociatives is the extremely prominent sense that you are the structures that you are visually perceiving. This can be described as the sensation that you have become the structure itself and can physically feel every detail and moving part across itself. In comparison this effect is only present at level 4 within the classical dissociatives but is often present across all levels within salvia.
These constructs and structures are often so huge that they appear to expand across hundreds to thousands of miles and gradually change by means of panning, zooming and rotating slowly into view as more and more detail is gradually revealed. As dosage increases, so does the level of detail and intricacy of these structures. This continues until level 4 when the sensation of seeing the entire universe condensed into an infinitely vast and intricate self transforming machine form becomes present.
Hallucinatory states
Salvia produces a full range of high level hallucinatory states in a fashion that is just as consistent of that of any of the classical psychedelics. These effects include:
- Machinescapes
- Transformations - In comparison to psychedelics, the transformations found within salvinorin A are significantly more solid, believable and realistic in appearance. They are commonly manifested as objects within the external environment coming alive or changing in some way.
- Internal hallucinations - The imagery on salvia is described as more solid than psychedelics and does not seem to be composed of condensed visual geometry as with imagery found within psychedelics. It is often embedded within and across structures which often become solid fractal representations of the original image. At higher dosages this particular effect commonly contains a full array of hallucinations with plots, settings, autonomous entity contact and scenarios. They can be described as both lucid and delirious in their believability, fixed in style and often ominous or sinister in style. A unique aspect to the hallucinatory scenarios found within salvia are how commonly they are manifested with a 2nd person perspective in comparison to other classes of hallucinogens. This is commonly described as suddenly becoming a random object with common examples often include a conveyor belt, a wall, a book or a specific part of a building.
Auditory effects
The auditory effects of Salvinorin A are common in their occurrence and exhibit a small range of effects which commonly includes:
Classification
At the present moment the scientific literature is currently classing Salvinorin A as a hallucinogen which fits the criteria as either a dissociative or an A-typical dissociative.
PsychonautWiki argues that although salvia shares states of hallucinatory structures and out of body experiences with dissociatives, this is not enough to argue that it falls under the same classification. For example, the hallucinatory structures, although similar are vastly different in their style and complexity. Along side of this, out of body experiences with dissociatives are triggered by the way in which NMDA receptor antagonists block signals to the conscious mind from other parts of the brain and quite literally disconnect the user from its body. This is accompanied by a distinctive feeling of dissociation, disconnection and detachment which is simply not present on salvia as it works on an entirely different set of receptors.
The effects of salvia have a completely unique subjective style and pharmacology that is not found within any other category of hallucinogen and is thus an entirely new class of its own.
Salvia divinorum
Salvia divinorum (also known as Diviner's Sage, Ska María Pastora, Seer's Sage, and by its genus name Salvia) is a psychoactive plant which is a potent producer of "visions" and other hallucinatory experiences. Its native habitat is within Cloud Forest in the isolated Sierra Mazateca of Oaxaca, Mexico, where it grows in shady and moist locations. The plant grows to over a meter high, has hollow square stems, large leaves, and occasional white flowers with violet calyxes.
Forms of Salvia Divinorum
Fresh leaf
Fresh leaf is mostly used for making a quid of leaves and is held under the tongue for sublingual absorption. Fresh leaf is preferred for sublingual absorption because it doesn't break up in one's mouth and it's easier to chew.
- Light - 10 g fresh / 2 g dried
- Common - 30 g fresh / 6 g dried
- Strong - 50 g fresh / 10 g dried
Dried leaf
Dried leaf is usually prepared by just taking leaf and leaving it out in the sun. Leaf can also be dried in the oven at about 150 degrees Fahrenheit for however long it takes until they become crispy. Dried salvia leaf is used for smoking. If one plans to use dried leaf for a quid, they should soak them in water for ten minutes otherwise sublingual absorption can become a disgusting mess. Soaking them in water can lose potency.
- Light : 0.25g
- Common : 0.5g
- Strong : 0.75 - 1.00g
Extracts
Salvia extracts are freely available both online and within local head shops in certain countries. They are sold in varying forms of 5X, 10X, 15X, 80X, etc. This symbolises that the extract being consumed is X times stronger than regular leaves (5X is 5 times as strong as regular leaf). The stronger the extract, the stronger the experience; use at your own risk.
Tincture
This is made by dissolving pure salvinorin-A or a semi-pure form of it into ethyl alcohol. It is meant to be used sublingually by holding a certain amount under the tongue for a period of time. This type of preparation tends to cause longer but weaker effects. It's worth noting that holding strong tincture under the tongue for long periods of time can eventually cause blistering. It is sometimes best to dilute the pure tincture with water although potency may be decreased.
Tea
A tea can be made crushing 1/8 oz of dried leaves and boiling them for five minutes. Then let it simmer for any time around 15 minutes. Salvinorin-A is not orally active, so the tea has to be kept for around 15-20 seconds each sip. This tea, if properly brewed and consumed, can produce a state of trance when closing the eyes (some kind of lucid dreaming) and a whole night full of vivid and intense dreams plus some occasional closed eye visuals.
Toxicity and harm potential
Lethal dosage
There have not been any studies to determine the LD50 of Salvinorin A. However, there has never been a physical overdose involving this substance and its lethal dosage is thought to be exceptionally high in comparison to its active dosage.
Tolerance and addiction potential
Anecdotal reports suggest that Salvinorin A has a "reverse tolerance", meaning that less of the drug is needed with each consecutive trip to cause an effect. Tolerance will eventually build up over time however, although this may be years. There is no real addictive potential.
Legal issues
- Australia : Possession and sale is illegal.
- Belgium : Possession and sale is illegal.
- Croatia : Possession and sale is illegal.
- Czech Republic : Possession and sale is illegal.
- Denmark : Salvinorin A is a Class B drug.
- Germany : Possession and sale is illegal.
- Ireland : Possession and sale is illegal.
- Italy : Possession and sale is illegal.
- Latvia : Possession and sale is illegal.
- Lithuania : Possession and sale is illegal.
- Poland : Possession and sale is illegal.
- Romania : Possession and sale is illegal.
- Spain : Possession and sale is illegal.
- Sweden : Possession and sale is illegal.
- UK : Possession and sale is legal
- USA : Salvinorin A is illegal is some states, but not all.
Experience reports
Anecdotal reports which describe this compound within our experience index include:
- Experience:20x Extract - a tall humanoid figure wearing a white cloak
- Experience:40x Extract - Bastard Wizard and his miserable little witch
See also
- Salvinorin A Trip Reports
- Psychedelics
- Dissociatives
- Atypical
- Salvia (Erowid)
- Salvinorin A (Wikipedia)
References
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