Body weight: 73kg
Mental state: stable

Galium aparine, commonly known as cleavers, goose grass, or sticky buds, is a very common temperate herb with established uses in herbal medicine, at least as the herb in the spring. The dried herb may be obtained quite readily from herbal apothecaries. However, this report is about the seeds of the plant, the so-called sticky buds themselves. While they may be available in bulk from some seed merchants, it is relatively easy - if a little time consuming - to pick them for oneself at the right time of year, assuming you live in the right part of the world.

Having collected a fair amount of these seeds, which was far easier now all the foliage on the plants had dried up and withered away, it was possible to examine their effects as a purported coffee substitute. (It has been written that Galium aparine seeds were used as a coffee substitute in Sweden.)

After screening, cleaning and washing, the externally damp but otherwise dry seeds were roasted for approximately 20 minutes on a baking tray in a hot oven, followed by about ten further minutes inside a small cast iron casserole. Before roasting, the weight of seeds was 135g and afterwards, 94g.

An initial portion of ten grams was finely ground and, using a fine infusion mesh, infused in a mug of freshly boiled water for about ten minutes. The beverage was consumed as though it were any other normal, everyday beverage and the grounds were re-used by adding a further portion of freshly boiled water. No particular effects were noticed beyond a slight lift as though it were a normal cup of tea, to which I am highly acclimated. This did see to have an 'accent' of its own, however.

After approximately 90 minutes another brew was prepared as before, this time using 20g of the powdered seeds. Three extractions were made this time, which were consumed successively over the course of half an hour. After about an hour there was a noticeable effect of increased intensity of "inner vision" - i.e. it boosted the visual imagination. At this time I was, however, somewhat sleep-deprived, so the effect was questionable.

The experiment was continued two days later, first with a single dose of 30 grams, extracted twice, and then about two hours later with two extractions combined from the remaining 34 grams. This time the stimulation of the visual imagination was very clear (while reading fiction) and there was a slight magical feel to eyes-open vision as well, particularly things like patterned cloth.

One of my descriptions of the effects was that it seemed to work on a 'neurogenetic level'. By this I meant that it seemed to be affecting the interface between cognition and genetic function, although to be be honest I've no idea why I decided this to be the case - at the time I wasn't consciously thinking of McKenna's experiment at La Chorerra he described in his book, True Hallucinations.

The brew also appeared to help me recover from a chest infection I had come down with (due to the previous sleep deprivation) so I would hazard to say it seems to have some antibiotic effect. Furthermore, the following I awoke feeling quite healthy and mentally clear such that I would consider this a worthwhile material to examine for actual neurogenetic effects as have been demonstrated to occur with ayahuasca and some other psychedelics.

Besides also being unquestionably a rather efficacious diuretic, the seeds possibly have one other effect that is worthy of note: when I went to bed it seemed to me I had a certain level of tachycardia. Whether this was entirely down to the Galium seeds I cannot say but it would be fair to advise a sensible degree of caution and avoid using these seeds in a high dose (270mg/kg or above) if you have any suspicion of having a heart condition.