I read somewhere someone's recipe...

Diviners prepare the ubulawu root by powdering it, and adding about 1 heaping tablespoon of it to about 1.5 liters of water and then briskly churning the mixture with a forked mixing-stick to produce a head of foam (the mixture will be reused over the next several days). Mouthfuls of the foam are swallowed until the diviner feels bloated or burps up some of the foam.

Initiates will usually participate in ubulawu drinking sessions over the course of three consecutive days at the full moon. The foam is consumed in the morning on an empty stomach, and then initiates dance for hours. More foam is had, and then after sharing a meal initiates leave for home. On the following day they share their dream experiences among the group.
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pulverizing the root ahead of time deteriorates the potency of this great plant

Undela Ziimhlophe is prepared by drying the root and grinding it to a fine powder. This is then mixed with water as required and agitated to produce a froth. Only the froth is consumed.
Neoshaman have developed an acceptable substitute method by adding 1g of the the powder to a 750ml or larger bottle filled quarter full with water. This is then shaken vigorously for few minutes and the froth is removed by squeezing the bottle. The remainder is put into the fridge for the next day, when the bottle is once again shaken and the froth removed for consumption.

After a few days the material will no longer froth and a further 1g is added to the same bottle or a fresh bottle is started. Effects have been achieved by consuming the equivalent of 200mg of powder per day for several days.

Significant dream states are supposed to occur after the third consecutive day of ingestion and can be maintained for a few more days by continuing consumption.

The main side effect of Undela Ziimhlophe is nausea or rather emesis. The herbal material has been suggested to have a very strong emetic action if taken as a powder, but rarely as froth. Several internet sites recommend the consumption of 200mg on an empty stomach and to not eat for at least an hour or until appetite returns. Several experimenters have noted no nausea from this method.

Traditional use of Silene capensis appears to be less cautious with the dosage. The froth produced from anything between half a teaspoon to a heaped tablespoon can be consumed at once just before bedtime for immediate effects.

The sleep following the ingestion should be full of prophetic dreams and should provide answers to the questions one seeks.

ok after doing a search here on this great plant i thought i might supply some interesting information shared by a friend in south africa who has done alot of work with the xhosa in the past.

For the best effects, well developed roots are essential. I would avoid the powdered crap I notice is being sold on the Internet at ridiculous prices. As soon as one crushes some plant material, it's chemistry will start to oxidize. And if powdered material has been laying round somewhere, even sealed in a bottle, it is something less than it was before it was crushed.

Healers always keep material in root form for good reason. Our current research shows that stored plant material degrades rapidly over time. Dose 250-500mg of the powdered root. It should be properly dried (sun dried is

best). Secondly, the finely ground material must be mixed in at least 500ml to 1 liter water and beaten up with a forked stick. A hand held or electric mixer is useless because all the ground particles adhere to the mixer.

Pharmacological research on the root at the moment indicates that there is more chemical load in the water fraction than in the dry or oil fraction - novel acids and probably diterpenoids are present. Although the dreams are particularly vivid, this is not exactly an hallucinogenic experience. Regard it more as a clicking back to normal night time dream mode. One is supposed to fill one's empty gut with as much of the white foam, which is produced by vigorous mixing, as possible. A Xhosa initiate is never finished drinking from the can until he/she belches. This is repeated three times a day for three days at full moon. No psychedelic effects ensue. One might perhaps notice a sudden sharpening of one's intuition, though. Just at night when one sleeps, one is going to dream like Rip van Winkel (ever heard of that dude?).

Use the medicine for about three months, as described, and you'll never need to use it again. On the psychological level, the dreams are very resolving of current problems and issues.

A little bundle of really good roots costs about R5-R10 here (remember a dollar is about R7-R. Naturally, healers use additives, namely other similar but possibly less potent roots, to improve taste and effect. An important one often mentioned is impendulo ('the question' (Dianthus spp.), which has a deep red root bark and a very beautiful red, sweet pea-like flower. The additives also increase dreaming. Indaw'luthi ('place of this tree' is a type of Acorus calamus and unkomentaba ('cattle of the mountain' a frank, somewhat harsh tasting but otherwise effective, ubulawu ('frothing root' [many nouns in Xhosa are coined from verbs - hence, ubulawu is derived from the verb ukulawula, to control - obviously the idea is to be in control of one's dream life. A healer might make a cold water infusion of a mixture of the roots including Alepedia, which is tonic and also increases 'short limb tension' . Put it all in a clean liter Coke bottle and shake it up something chronic and take a tablespoon three times a day. We know the roots contain saponins, but analytical work currently underway in Zurich suggests a novel and complex chemistry.
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The little side tendrils on the root, which have very resinous bark, are very good for smoking when cut up fine - stimulant and a bit colourful. My teacher always made a fat cigar whenever we went off on a journey, like to pick it on the mountaintop.
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The common garden carnation is a member of the Dianthus family..., one is talking about 250-500mg - naturally the material is not consumed all at once but over a couple of days (taken on an empty stomach - eat later)... I rarely mix it in water myself - I just chew on the root (without swallowing said material) and afterwards, I spit the cud out
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As long as one consumes the material on an empty stomach - remember, it is essentially an emitic that is used to induce vomiting - it's fine and one can always eat later. I used it a lot during my own initiation and experienced no noticeable side-effects (and I have a pretty sensitive gut). Also, I wouldn't use it in conjunction with other medications or drugs.

If you eat her for 1 week' she shall hold you for a month' unless you kill the re-wiring'(in the end you can in no way change of what she does to you)
This lady works by resseting brain wave patterning'
As I said if you eat her for 3 months' her job is done'
Like many of the African plants and their misteries'
You take them' they cause permanent change'
If you only take a little Silene' the effect is pemanent'

It will take me a year to decode this stuff.
Not bad. Prolonged exposure would wreak hell on a typical... somehow, it's like the effects of brug but mirrord in a lake of calm and distance... remarkable.
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say 250mg a day

now I am easily recalling my dreams and can remember up to 3 dreams a night, but mostly 1 or 2.

I do not know if it's the effects of the silene or my increased ability to recall but the characters are much more vivid and creative...

No particular style of dream. Some are deeply personal, others are like the one mentioned are just wild, and then other random things like being covered in spiders and being chased by a pack of dogs. No increased lucidity whatsoever.

No noticeable effects during the day. Sleep patterns are the same and I feel normal upon waking

Now up to 14 days straight. Dreams are now like an instruction manual. I am remembering much more than ever but still not all... Sleep is broken though and from 1 am on I would wake up every 30 or so minutes hoping it was at least 4am so I can get up. For the last 4 days or so I have reduced my intake :bong: drastically as for some reason it make's my nervous system ache if you know what I mean. Like a pulse beating down from my head then down my spine and radiating out my limbs. It's not a pleasant experience and is only present after :bong:. My sense of smell is still good. I feel much clearer than I have for awhile with a renewed focus and energy. So far I am very pleased with this form of reprogramming
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For the first time yesterday I forgot to take some Silene before breakfast, so I put it off until just before lunch. I was feeling pretty good when I took my dose but in 2 minutes I was feeling like shit :o .
I could feel every pump of my heart start at my brain stem and radiate down my spine and out my arms and legs.
For a bit there I thought I could of been having a stroke. I had to have a bit of a lie down.
For the rest of the day I felt a cloud of depression and anxiety hanging over me. My internal pulse thing, though not as bad was with me for the rest of the day.
I have awoke this morning feeling great again :huh:

I recently found a rather large amount of Silene dioica growing wild. Many of you live in areas where you will find it or Silene latifolia, another close relative. I just now recently tried eating the leaves, and they do have the same effect as Silene capensis leaves does!

Therefore it seems like it contains the same saponins. I will try to see if it has the same effect on dreams. I don't know if Silene latifolia is active, but I will post if I find it!