@psilocybechild: I'm not going to do that. I tried essential oils for a while and they never had as good of an effect in me as using the whole spices. Also, I think a lot of the reason that some spices have effects, like nutmeg as an example, is that there is an interplay between the essential/volatile oils and the fixed fraction, or possibly even a time release effect. Nutmeg itself is quite granular, and would have a wide surface area of absorption in the gut and stomach; essential oils are in the stomach and then mostly deactivated by digestive enzymes. The essential oils in nutmeg have pH's around 4-5 range, and the gut is highly acidic; I feel like that would probably bunk up just taking the oils. I know the paste works, so I just use the paste. Per batch it's pretty cheap to just use the whole spices.
__
Ok, now research again. I tried to make space paste but with no nuts (left out the almonds and pistaccios). I didn't have much of an effect, and I felt VERY sick to my stomach for about 8 hours. It wasn't fun. But then I ate some nuts, and in about an hour I felt all better. Something is in the nuts that makes this work. I have no idea what. Any ideas? I'll look some things up this week and see if I can get some info on this.

What would get destroyed if you roast pistaccios? Any food technologists here?

I've done some research on the similarities between space paste terpines and cannabis terpines. There is a lot of overlap. But space paste has more, and I think that might explain some of the differences (also lack of THC but that goes without saying).

I did 5 teaspoons of straight nutmeg recently to compair, now that I've gotten a feel for space paste. Space paste is sooo much better. Straight nutmeg makes me feel like I have the flu, or if it's good reddish color nutmeg, it makes me feel like I'm tripping while having the flu. Space paste feels much better. This needs to be figured out - in my body at least it's a great, legal, cheap alternative to may illicit substances and I think we should give it some respect.

Why add tarragon and basil to space paste? Other than thymol (sedative) and methyl chavicol (possible hallucinogen/hypnotic), basil and tarragon contain linalool and myrcene respectively. These are both important components of quality cannabis. Black pepper contains myrcene, pinene, and limonene, which are also important components of cannabis. Cinnamon also contains myrcene ... am I the only one seeing a pattern here? It's been theorized that in cannabis, the terpenes present are what gives each individual strain it's own character, and color the experience in a number of ways. Basically, THC is not at all the whole story, as anyone who's ever taken Marinol pills can attest. Adding all this other stuff to nutmeg might help color that too, in a good way, and allow us to enjoy the trip.

Has anyone else taken the plunge? I'd love to compare notes. You need a whole day to devote to the rush though.

More space paste research:

The current craziest mix I've tried - I made space paste, but left out the tumeric (I wanted to test the theory above that the MAOI properties had a significant effect) AND instead of grounding up the nuts and mixing them in, I just ate the nuts straight in handfuls before eating the space paste. I also added: 3 parts parsley, 3 parts dill, and 2 parts allspice. This would add additional allylbenzenes to the mix: apiole, the dill isomer of apiole (aka dillapiole), and methyl eugenol. I also added one part cacao nibs for PEA. Anecdotally, I had heard that all these other allylbenzenes make you trip too, and that PEA rounds out the trip, so I wanted to try a more .. rounded experience.

THIS STUFF WAS INSANE. I really mean it - this stuff was insane. If there was a way to put this in a tablet and tell people it was the next E, I bet people would believe it and pay good money for it. Warning, the trip lasted about 28 hours! The only thing I didn't like about the trip was that it was so long. But also, I took 3 tablespoons; next time I'll try one tablespoon and see what happens.

OK - so after that experience, I did some serious research into the various parts of nutmeg. This is a copy of the space paste recipe, with comments. Bold sections are the original document, bracketed sections are mine. Some of the ingredients have simple lists of their chemical components and some have longer notes. All research either comes from examine.com which looks at scientific research about herbs, or from pubmed articles:

From: J. Tye
~Subject: Space paste! (was Re: nutmeg as a hallucinogen)
~Date: Sat, 29 Jun 91 01:59:09 GMT
Organization: The Scantily Clad Orangutans, Inc.

'Space Paste'
heart chakra, but it's a legal high that will get you pleasantly
buzzed. :-)

DO NOT OMIT ANY INGREDIENTS. Trust me.

4 parts nutmeg (ground from whole nutmeg)
[Sabinene (21.38%), Myristicin (13.57%), Elemicin (1.42%), 4-terpineol (13.92%), α-terpineol (3.11%), Safrole (4.28%), Methyl eugeunol (0.77%), Isoeugeunol (1.74%), Methoxyeugeunol (0.10%), α-pinene (10.23%), α-thujene (0.78%), α-myrcena (2.38%), β-asarone (0.03%), α-terpinene (2.72%), γ-terpinene (3.98%), Terpinolene (1.62%), Limonene (5.57%), β-ocimene (0.03%), Linalool (0.75%), Citronellol (0.77%); also Macelignan, Myrislignan, and Trimyristin (20-25% dry weight of the seed)]

4 parts almonds (soak almonds overnight and rinse)
[Amygdalin exists in the seeds of apricots, cherries, and plums. Amygdalin is hydrolyzed to yield glucose, benzaldehyde, and hydrocyanic
acid. The production of cyanide defines cyanogenic glycosides. Enzymatic release of cyanide can occur in the presence of
beta-glucuronidase, an enzyme found in the seeds and in the human intestine. When the cyanide component is removed, the resulting oil is
referred to as “bitter almond oil” and consists mostly of benzaldehyde. This oil is toxic when consumed in large amounts.]

4 parts *raw* pistachios
[Vitamin E alpha- and gamma-tocopherol, vitamin C, proanthocyanidins, transresveratrol, isoflavones, daidzein, and genistein have been identified in the edible nut. The antioxidant activity is substantially affected by toasting.]

2 parts cinnamon
[Cinnamaldehydes, Coumarins; also contains tannins, flavonoids, glycosides, terpenoids and anthraquinones]

1 part cumin
[cuminaldehyde, cuminic alcohol; substituted pyrazines such as 2-ethoxy-3-isopropylpyrazine, 2-methoxy-3-sec-butylpyrazine, and 2-methoxy-3-methylpyrazine; γ-terpinene, safranal, p-cymene and β-pinene]

1 part tarragon
[methyl chavicol (16.2%), methyl eugenol (35.8%), trans-anethole (21.1%), α-trans-ocimene (20.6%), limonene (12.4%), α-pinene (5.1%), allo-ocimene (4.8%), methyl eugenol (2.2%), β-pinene (0.8%), α-terpinolene (0.5%), bornyl acetate (0.5%) and bicyclogermacrene (0.5%) as the main components]

1 part oregano
[beta-caryophyllene (10.8- 15.7%) and sabinene (6.6- 4.2%)]

1 part basil
[citronellol, linalool, myrcene, pinene, ocimene, terpineol, linalyl acetate, fenchyl acetate, trans-ocimene, 1,8-cineole, camphor octanane, methyl eugenol, methyl chavicol, eugenol, beta-caryophyllene]

1 part tumeric
[curcumin - a non-selective MAOI; bioavailability is increased 20x by pairing with black pepper extract]

1/2 part cayenne pepper
[capsaicin; In vitro, capsaicin inhibits CYP3A4 with an IC50 of 21.5µM while other capsaicinoids (capsiate, dihydrocapsiate, and nordihydrocapsiate) failed to inhibit CYP3A4. CYP3A4 is the most prominent enzyme of drug metabolism in the liver, consisting up to 30-40% of all P450 enzymes (those prefaced with CYP-) and its inhibition should cause increases in drug exposure to the body (assessed by AUC).]

1/2 part black pepper
[piperine, pellitorine, guineensine, pipnoohine, trichostachine, piperonal]

To taste: Maple Syrup
[this probably here just to create a stable matrix, but will research further.]

"1 part = 1/4 cup

[if you want to make enough for about 500 people, that is.
Try 1 part=1 tablespoon--ed]

- Use only whole nutmeg. Not pre-ground.
- Grind up all ingredients with a spice grinder or food processor.
- Mix in Maple syrup until consistency of paste.
- Do not omit any ingredient, or it will NOT work.

Okay, you've gone this far, time to enjoy. The strong at heart will spread some on toast. I like it blended in milk. It has a real strong tast, so it's best to put it in the milk, fire up the blender, pour it into a glass and chug it down in one gulp. Start with two tablespoons. Effects begin in two hours. I've known brave souls who take a cup at a time. Maybe that's why they disappear for a couple of days."

So there you have it. A commented, ingredient specific list for space paste. Now, how to improve, or make other spices psychoactive based on this recipe? The main body enzymes inhibited by space paste are: MAO (to some degree) and CYP3A4 which is responsible for most of the liver's CYP digestive capabilities.

oilman, im betting it has to do with a mixture of the "essential oils" i was reading a while back apparently a few drops of specific essential oils will make you trip out, some make you buzzed, some such as lemon oil if i remember correctly bind to the 5htp receptor to curb nausea so i would assume these essential oil guys arent experiencing any type of placebo. Definitely something to look into though

this might be the post i read a while back http://herbs.mxf.yuku.co...?page=3#.UpmeTtJJMnN.... BUT remember always do your research before deciding to ingest ANYTHING

Well after reading your name multiple times i came to the conclusion you probably have a greater understanding of the essential oil thing than I sooo i digress.

thanks for the response. i do have some essential oil knowledge =) but all thoughts welcome, because I haven't gotten a clear answer from any place as to why space paste works so well. the more ideas, the better!

I came to this conclusion (experientially) quite some time ago. Have you ever tried adding lecithin?

I have not. Why? What does lecithin add?

I figured on using lecithin as a way of aiding absorption of oily components, through emulsification. Also, the choline content may have some relevance to certain neurotransmitter biosynthetic pathways. I tried it a couple of times but it was not exactly a controlled experiment so it's impossible to say if there was any modification of effect.

The space paste approach is very interesting. Time restraints have meant my own investigations of have been indefinitely postponed of late.

Also I have some concerns about potential hepatotoxicity. Any thoughts on this?

There have been two major studies into the hepatoxicity of nutmeg. They have focused on two major elements, saffrole and myristicin. Saffrole is definitely not something you want to drink straight; it has been shown to have toxic effects in animal studies. However myristicin has been shown to be hepaprotective. So it's possible that the net effect will be zero (unconfirmed), or at least modulated and less bad than drinking saffrole. Not something for every day, but occasional use I'm comfortable with.

UPDATE: Instead of 4 parts nutmeg, use 4 parts mace. Today I made space paste infused olive oil substituting mace for nutmeg, and drank it (it came out to about 20ml). It takes much longer this way, effects start to be good after 7-8 hours. But mace seems to be both more trippy and cleaner than nutmeg. Very intense, keeps getting more intense.

I was going to ask you about mace... and when I logged on you had already answered!!

Whole mace is cheaply and readily available in my area, I feel an experiment coming on...

I recently ground some mace - it's so oily and aromatic, I already love the stuff. And it's much easier to grind than nutmeg.

Oilman: one more thing: when titrating doses upwards, is an under-dose likely to cause unpleasant effects due to insufficient enzyme inhibition? What were your early experiences in this field - was yours a cautious approach or did you jump in with both feet?

This site is very helpful and interesting: It gives all sorts of information about fragrance components.

3-D molecular models!

On looking again, the site used to be better, with typical GCMS analyses of essential oils - but maybe that was too useful for the chemists

EDIT: Please read the space booze thread, as some of the assumptions in this post are dated. For instance, nutmeg from India has been shown to have either a lot or very little allylbenzene content - country of origin is not the best indication of potency. Additionally, mace also varies widely in allylbenzene content. I would recommend using color as a better indicator of potency (the nutmeg should be a red/gold color).

downwardsfromzero : Nice link. I've seen the site before but hadn't really looked in depth. With space paste, I started with 2 tablespoons because that's what the original instructions suggested. Again, just from my preliminary research, the main enzymes being inhibited are MAO and CYP3A4. Now mace is usually stronger than nutmeg because it has a different compostion. Nutmeg has a large portion of the total mass in non-volatile substances. Mace has a higher volitile oil content on average. So if you want to be safe, you could take 1-1.5 tablespoons to play it safe. Nutmeg has a lot of stuff in it that contributes to body load. Mace has less of it, but still has some. It has a much stronger taste, and an aroma that is similar to nutmeg, but again stronger - sometimes I get nausea just from smelling mace; mixed into space paste, it will probably taste better.

I can't stress enough how important it is to add the nuts. I've tried a few times making the stuff without nuts and I always get sick, and have a much less *interesting* experience. Seems from my research that pistachios have flavinoids that *may* (theoretical) give you a better trip; i'm not completely sure why, some on another forum that is much less evidence based have theorized that estradiol 17 dehydrogenaze has to be induced to have a really good trip, and the flavinoids in pistachios do in fact induce this enzyme - again, this is hot air at this point, but without pistachios it doesn't work right. Almonds will passively induce aldehyde dehydrogenaze, which also seems to be a good thing. This might be why you are supposed to soak the almonds, because it will create more aldehydes in the nuts, and why we have cumin and cinnamon in the mix.

IF THERE IS ANY WAY TO TELL: See if you can get nutmeg that was native to India. Indian nutmeg has very high allylbenzene content, and the allylbenzenes in nutmeg, at least according to the studies performed on nutmeg toxicity, are the most likely hallucinogenic fraction.

Pretty much all the spices also contribute terpenes which are shared with the cannabis plant, and modulate the experience and also contribute certain mood components. This may be why space paste works better and has less negative effects than straight nutmeg.

A side note, when I was younger and took nutmeg regularly as a cheap legal high, there was one store in my area that had ground nutmeg that always made me trip to the point that I was completely out of my mind. That store no longer carries nutmeg, but I'm going to find out what their supplier was if possible and I'll post back if I can find it.

downwardsfromzero: how would I add the lecithin to the paste - is it a powder? How much should I add (ballpark) to aid absorption?

The lecithin obtainable from wholefood shops in my area comes in the form of granules. These are quite soft so they can easily be crushed up or just vigorously mixed into the paste. I was using them with the straight essential oils so I just used enough to absorb the oil, about half to one teaspoon's worth.

It's yet another factor for possible experimentation and a bit of lecithin is generally acknowledged as a good thing.

Sudden thought: IIRC, nuts contain a not insignificant amount of lecithin themselves, so it might unnecessary to go to the trouble of finding lecithin if following the space paste recipe - nonetheless, comparative experiments may still be worthwhile.

When the lecithin-based experiments took place, I didn't have easy (immediate) access to nuts let alone the actual space paste recipe, but I did have some lecithin with me so it seemed like a good idea at the time.

I just reviewed a document compiled from 69Ron's oilahuasca notes which I've uploaded here. Somewhere in his writings, 69Ron mentioned using lecithin but to me it seems an obvious idea if using oils.

EDIT: Oilman, I just re-read the attached document and will acknowledge here that some of the content is your own input. 69Ron and others have also been copied, pasted and edited into this, which is the 0.0 version of my "Oilahuasca Notes" in development. Credit will be attributed where appropriate , on request.

Another quick upload, culled and edited from 69Ron. Again, referring to essential oil work but may be of relevance to the Space Paste...

(Another) EDIT: People have questioned whether 69Ron's work on "oilahuasca" was actually valid or merely a ruse based in half-truths in order to promote sales of the relevant materials from his website. A bit like the "THH" furore that caused his departure from this site. Regardless of all that, IMO he did a lot of good research, and , as always, kids, YMMV!! (I.e. each of us has our own unique enzyme profile - which itself also varies with time and diet.)