What is Salvia divinorum?
Salvia divinorum has become an essential plant in the modern psychoactive pharmacy. Known by such common names as Diviner’s Mint and Diviner’s Sage, Salvia divinorum is a member of the mint family that has gained a reputation for its psychoactive effects. It is usually sold either fresh or in extract form. It is currently unscheduled under federal law, making it legal to possess and sell, but some states have passed laws preventing its sale. Nonetheless, Salvia has become popular as a legal means of altering one’s consciousness and continues to grow in popularity.
Salvia’s active compounds include both Salvinorin A and Salvinorin B, which both work on the Kappa-Opiod receptors in the brain. Common effects include shifts in perspective, dreamlike experiences, and a greater appreciation for aesthetics. Many users also report tingling feelings in the limbs, intense introspection, and even closed-eye visuals. Most of these reports are positive, with users maintaining that the experience left them with a deeper understanding of themselves and the world. Effects usually last between 15 and 30 minutes, but can be extended as the user sees fit.
Salvia has a long history as a spiritual substance used by shamans in Central and South America as a means of communicating with the spiritual world during divination rituals. The shaman would use the plant as a means of prophecy and insight into the spiritual world, and would apply that insight to the physical world. This long history has now become a modern phenomenon. Along with its popularity as a recreational substance, it is much more than a “legal high.” Slavia users are usually seeking a deeper experience than merely a high. Its effects tend to be much more intense than the “buzz” one might get with other legal substances. No known health problems have been linked to Salvia use.
Salvia comes highly recommended by a wide variety of people from University professors to college students, from experts in the field of drug research to the average person seeking a sense of greater meaning. It is not a substance to be taken lightly, but it can be a source of great meaning for the well-informed user.
