Not sure if this is the right subforum - but it is at least partly related to healing.

Since SWIM began experimenting with Salvia 2-3 years ago, his interest in entheogens as teaching plants has grown.
Recently, with some amazing experiences with Ayahuasca, and a few days ago a mind-blowing first spice experience.
He is now also drawn to the Cacti...

Now, as his girlfriend and his sister are telling him, he may be trying to get into too much at once.
His feeling is that, on one side he is eager to get to know these teachers, but on the other side, it is probably best to concentrate on just one or two and devote himself to them for a little while.

SWIM thinks he would like to work towards some kind of shamanic practice. Some of his friends already seem to think he is some kind of shaman (must be all this brewing and extracting he has been doing recently!), but in reality he is only at the beginning of the road (or so he feels).

Interested in peoples views on this.

Thanks

i dont think its a bad idea to go in head first...because you then will have more medicine to choose from depending on how you feel...sometimes dmt is just way way too much...sometimes cacti lasts too long..sometimes salvia is just not very nice...just let your intuition guide you..if you want to get into cacti..do some...its just..people that arent 'obsessed' with this kind of thing always think there is a problem at first..especially when its all you can talk about..

the best thing you can do..is go for it..but also remember to stay grounded...educate yourself as much as you can...increase your intelligence along the way..so that nobody can say that you are damaging yourself with this path..

out of dmt salvia, and cacti...cacti is the easiest one to use...dmt and salvia are way crazier than a low dose of cacti...so just be smart...think things through and be careful..

SWIM isn't a shaman but this is what he told me. Try every safe one there is, even if you can only stand to try it once. The contrasting experiences will give you better perspective, and each teach you different things. Then concentrate on the ones you feel you work best with. If you choose one before even having tried others, you might miss out on your favourite teacher!

yes exactly! most likely you will come to find out..that you like a little bit of everything..there are many uses for different chemicals..and once you find your favorites...then you can try making combos! its like a new drug

Tell SWIM to make a point of visiting the magic fungus, for he is truely the king of indigenous entheogens!

Thanks - SWIM has had limited experience with Fungi, usually on low doses, and has been curious to delve deeper. Unfortunately the availability of Fungi where he lives has been low, especially since his government banned the sale of once-legal fresh Fungi :-/
Strangely Amanita Muscara has been left alone..!

Thanks peeps for your kind and informative replies. SWIM feels good knowing there are others on a similar path he can talk to, even if it is only on a forum for now!

Blessings to all

I dont think that it is to much to work with more than one enthogen, each enthogen for me personally gives me a different journey. The enthogens that have chosen me (and i have chosen) I think it comes from both sides are DMT, Mushies, Cacti, LSA and Khat, for the moment they are my teachers.



Much Peace

yes they may have made actual mushrooms illegal..but im pretty sure you can still get the 'truffles' which are just Psilocybe mexicana (probably 'A strain'...theses 'truffles' are called sclerotia..which are like mushroom potatoes...you may be able to find them or order them

Unfortuantely I don't think one can get hold of truffles either...

Balaganist you sound like you are doing fine so keep on that path...

Personally, like the other guys have said, I think it is good to commune with these many different plants and fungi, and get to know them on their level, then you will find which work best with you.

And where possible - grow them from seed or spore, and get to know them before you ever ingest them. Certainly this is feasible with cactus, mushrooms and Salvia.

Personally, for me, the sacred fungus is my number one ally...my experiences with it have been on a different plane to anything else I have experienced, including ayahuasca and DMT...

Very good point about growing. For the last two years I have been getting into growing and gardening - I have a small plot at the back of my block of flats, and been getting into growing veg, which is very rewarding... also been trying to grow Salvia for the last year or so, with varying success, although I am now learning how to look after these plants, they seem very sensitive to over-watering. I also have a piece of Ayahuasca vine which has just started rooting

SWIM is thankful for being reminded of the sacred Fungi... esp as has been pointed out to him that it is one of the few (only?) plant teachers indiginous to the UK.

beautiful my friends.....just beautiful!

i purchased a wonderful book a while back called "the encyclopedia of psychoactive plants" by christian ratsch. it is a massive tome of information. pretty much any plant that has any effect on the senses is written about in wonderful detail. i have veered from any psychedelics that are not plant entheogens at this point in my life and this book is essentially my "to do" list in my remaining lifetime.
lophophora, san pedro, z-strain cubensis, DMT, bufotenine, salvia, marijuana, kava, kratom, muira puama....these have been profound teachers for me and i continue to work with (and by work with i mean grow and use) them daily. however, there are -as this wonderful book of mine points out- a GAZILLION other teachers waiting to teach their unique lessons...

..i personally feel that it is a duty at this point in my "shaman training" to learn from any and all plant entheogens that i draw into my path. balaganist- i wish you wonderful success and growth on your path my friend. i look forward to hearing about your explorations!

LOVE AND GRATITUDE!!

Indeed .. SWIM had a lot of experience of MDMA in a rave context in his younger days. He has had some amazing and insightful experiences with that stuff, and also learnt how to get himself into a similar level without the use of chemicals (he would have people asking "how many pills have u done!!?" when he had just been drinking water...)

SWIM had a very bad experience with LSD when he was way too young for it, which did put him off psychedelics for many years. He did go back to it a few times more, and had a some good insights. He did find it lasted too long though!

Generally he prefers plant-based teachers these days, although he has heard good things about 2cb and the like.

2CE in particular is an incredible psychedelic. There were former days when these extremely potent psychedelic chemicals could be ordered in bulk off the internet, and when taking them, at such small dosages, it was always a gamble as to what would happen...2CE in particular has a vert steep dose/response curve, so dosage is especially important.

I've had some extremely powerful and reality shattering experiences with this substance in particular, with a visual intesnity unmatched by any other psychedelic I have tried, including DMT...I have experimented with some of the others, and can't say I'm much of a fan...2CI I found a bit 'empty', lotds of visuals and such, but devoid of the depth and the special soemthign that the plants and fungi have...felty like somethign was 'missing' while I was on it. I didn't like 2CT7 at all...took too much, i think, had a slight mescaline vibe, only much colder, felt really imposed, nothing earthy about it at all. Not friendly.

I hear 2CB might be interesting though, haven't tried enough a decent enough dose to draw conclusions.

On the plant vibe, I also am very pleased to have a piece of caapi vine rooting!

And persevere with the Salvia plants...I've found them very tough and fast growing, and incredibly easy to take cuttings from. They don't like the English winter much, but the rest of the time are fine...they just don't like direct sunlight during the summer.

I think it might be worth considering seeking out our native Liberty cap this coming Autumn...

All the best.

2CE dosage is critical and varies with people. Off by 1 mg = no effects, 10mg too much = rollercoaster from hell.

In all, I would never look toward chemicals for answers- this seems to reflect too much on our current society that seeks quick cures, which i feel chemicals are trying to ellicit.

Hey Jurence,

I agree with you, and see where you are coming from. However, here in the West, i think plant based psychedelics may be of real benefit to people...I have witnessed my close friends receive healings and experiences with ayahuasca that I would have deemed IMPOSSIBLE unless i had been there when these healings and experieces took place.

Here in Western society we have many distractions, and it may be hard for many people to seriously delve in to yoga or meditation or similar, to reach some sort of level similar to what teacher plants allow.

Also I would rather seek direct answers through these means than say, reading in some dodgey book written a long time ago (eg. the bible), that was written with possibly questionale intentions...i.e. a tool of social control - I'm not much of a fan or organised religion. That is why I am in favour of these plants/chemicals...they cut out the possibly bullshitting middle man, and allow one to make up their own mind.

Also i don't think these plants/drugs provide answers unto themselves...I think they can provide a path to knowledge or answers that lie inside us, and catalyse insights that would otherwise be buried deep.

Excellent thread here indeed. Thanks to all of you for your contributions. I must say that this community has really brought together the right people with the right insight and ideas to become not only a support system for us improv-shaman of the west, but also as a means to grow as one both spiritually and intellectually. Through our shared visions we shall grow ever stronger, through our love grow ever bolder, and our unity grow infinite. Alas, fellow travelers...we are living the new evolution!!!

Much Love to all!!!