I completely agree with the statement above. It would be simply iresponislble to advocate the use of these plants on this or any other site.

I might have some older prescription hyoscyamine around.... what dosage might work for making ones dreams more vivid?

All you need is about 50-200 micrograms depending on your sensitivity to hyoscyamine. SWIM only uses about 50-150 micrograms of hyoscyamine, so for him one to three 8 mg size seeds of Datura stramonium (contains about 50-150 micrograms of hyoscyamine) is just right. The maximum safe adult dose of hyoscyamine is 1500 micrograms. That's many times more than you need.

Those delirium trips that are so dangerous which have given Datura stramonium a bad name require several thousand micrograms of hyoscyamine, much more than the maximum safe dose.

The only reason Datura stramonium is considered dangerous is because it's very potent. A little bit goes a long way. Never take more than 10 seeds. If you see some attempting to take more, please tell them they are taking an overdose. Overdoses of this plant cause delirium, and can kill you. Thrill seekers using more than 10 seeds to make themselves delirious are risking their lives. Under no circumstances should a person use more than 10 seeds. Toxic effects start kicking in at that level. Delirium is one of the toxic effects indicating an overdose was taken and possible brain damage is occurring. Delirium occurs very near the lethal dose of hyoscyamine. It doesn't occur in the safe pharmaceutical dose that was established years ago. For Datura stramonium, that's 1-10 seeds, for pure hyoscyamine that's up to 1500 micrograms. (Actuaqlly it takes 20 large strong seeds to equal 1500 micrograms of hyoscyamine.)

Thanks for the info. I wouldn't be taking the datura seeds themselves, I would be taking Levsin which is pure hyoscyamine I think. I've had some stomach troubles and got a prescription for it once, it never occured to me that it would have dream effects though I do remember coming across it when reading about belladonna or datura or something.......each pill is .125 milligrams.

"Levsin® is effective as adjunctive therapy in the treatment of peptic ulcer. It can also be used to control gastric secretion, visceral spasm and hypermotility in spastic colitis, spastic bladder, cystitis, pylorospasm, and associated abdominal cramps. May be used in functional intestinal disorders to reduce symptoms such as those seen in mild dysenteries, diverticulitis, and acute enterocolitis. For use as adjunctive therapy in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome (irritable colon, spastic colon, mucous colitis) and functional gastrointestinal disorders. Also used as adjunctive therapy in the treatment of neurogenic bladder and neurogenic bowel disturbances (including the splenic flexure syndrome and neurogenic colon). Also used in the treatment of infant colic (elixir and drops). Levsin® is indicated along with morphine or other narcotics in symptomatic relief of biliary and renal colic; as a “drying agent” in the relief of symptoms of acute rhinitis; in the therapy of parkinsonism to reduce rigidity and tremors and to control associated sialorrhea and hyperhidrosis. May be used in the therapy of poisoning by anticholinesterase agents."

Taking 2-14 Datura stramonium seeds is pretty much the same as taking 1 Levsin capsule, only A LOT CHEAPER! Of course with Levsin you know exactly how much hyoscyamine you’re taking. With Datura stramonium, the seeds vary in potency by a factor of about 7, so 2 seeds could be as potent as one Levsin capsule, or as many as 14 seeds could be needed. That’s the main problem with Datura stramonium. Because the seeds vary in potency so much you always have to assume your seeds could contain the maximum of 0.7% alkaloids, but more often they’ll contain 0.3 % alkaloids, so usually 5 seeds will be as potent as 1 Levsin capsule.

One Levsin capsule (125 micrograms of hyoscyamine) can also potentiate the effects of many psychedelics. Psychedelics known to be potentiated by Levsin (hyoscyamine) include mescaline, LSD, psilocybin, ayahuasca, marijuana, and SWIM just discovered bufotenine is also potentiated by hyoscyamine. For potenciation 1/2 to 2 capsules are used.

One 125 microgram Levsin capsule is a very safe dose. In fact, you could take 12 of them at once, and still be within the bounds of a safe dose. The maximum safe adult dose for hyoscyamine is 1500 micrograms. So hyoscyamine isn’t really as deadly as many people would have you believe. The same is true for Datura stramonium seeds. With a maximum seed size of 10 mg, and a maximum potency of 70 micrograms per each 10 mg seed, the maximum safe dose of 1500 micrograms of hyoscyamine would require 21 large high potency seeds. That's why many some books recommend up to 20 seeds and no more, but most recommend up to 10. SWIM has never taken more than 10 and has always had a good experience with the seeds.

Has anyone ever tried out this Plant ? I havent heard much about it yet .

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Entada_rheedii

Someone once told me taking melatonin pills can really mess up your natural production of melatonin, anyone know if this is true? It was the main reason I avoided using them for dream aid.

...worked fine for me..

I'm using melatonine for about a year now as a sleeping aid. I'm using melatonine because it gives me the power over the moment I like to go to sleep. I take about 1mg for a good night of sleep, this often creates vivid dreams.

Once in a while, mostly in the weekends when I can stay up late with nothing to do the next morning, I stop using melatonine for a few days and that goes without any problem.

Melatonin is definitely a good sleep aid, and dream aid as long as one hasn't smoked weed prior to sleep.

Although melatonin is non toxic, and beneficial to the organism (as well as being involved in awake-sleep cycles, it is a very powerful antioxidant and immune system booster), taking a 3mg pill increases your blood levels of melatonin 40x their normal background rate, or something similar. Upping your levels of a very important brain hormone over the long term, might not be the wisest thing to do..I mean it is probably fine, but there may be a slight element of side effects in the long term. Ocassioanly is fine I think, but I don't think one should take it every single night.

Some people may find taking melatonin prior to smoking changa interesting...

I can't find the reference, but apparently taking more than 3mg can actually be counter-productive. Meditation before sleep, or physical exercise are natural ways of boosting melatonin levels, as our melatonin rich foods.

Out of everything I've tried, keeping a dream journal is the most potent way of enhancing dreams...I remember them every night, and will have at least one lucid dream every two weeks, just by writing them down.

My most impressive herbal enahnced lucid dreaming was taking a gram of 10x Calea zacatechichi prior to bed (best to abstain from weed for a few days i think, definitely clouds dream recall). I took 2/3 gram in a capsule, and smoked the rest.

I was walking down the street, in some town a didn't know, it was grey and overcast. I was with my housemate and we were walking along, and I noticed that lightning/electricity was arcing from his fingers, hitting the floor and wall nearby..I knew that was impossible, and that I was dreaming...so I ran and ran down the street, and jumped, and was flying... I had not one, not two, but THREE lucid dreams in a row...have never dreamt like that before.

my main dream enhancer right now is actually cannabis come to think of it...I smoke every morning at like 4 or 5 am and then go back to sleep with music and have wonderfully vivid dreams for another hour or 2. i do this before sleep as well, and about half the time it brings on "streaming" (hypnogogic imagry).. I dont smoke large doses at once though..only 1 small hit.

Interesting...I've actually had a powerful OBE and a few weird experiences having smoked ganja, and sort of surfed sine waves on the very edge of sleep, in a deep state of calm and relaxation, some definite hypnagogic weirdness features - eating cannabis also seems to be an ally with this.