I find this thread interesting. I'd chime in with papers but I have little time to spare during this period of my life. I can however contribute to your mental workload :

Find which substance binds typically (endogenous binding) to the kappa-opioid receptors : Dynorphin.

Do some research on dynorphin and what it does when bound to k-opioid receptors, in relative concentrations, whether it is an agonist or antagonist, partial or full. Compare with Salvinorin pharmacokinetics to infer if the human behavioural functions linked with the excitation/inhibition of kappa-opioid receptors are on par with Dynorphin binding. This could be helpful.

It appears that Ketamine and Salvinorin, as dissociatives, may be contributing to a degree of multisensory disintegration (multisensory disintegration : layman term used to describe interference in multisensory integration sites, sites where signals from different sensory domains arrive for integration into a holistic sense of self). This phenomenon is also theorised to be happening during the experience in a sensory deprivation tank. Human multisensory integration sites are several (3 or 4 if I remember correctly) and one that has been researched a little is the TPJ (temporo-parietal junction). When this area is zapped (inhibited) with a magnet (TMS), subjects report a feeling of depersonalisation, that they are not in their headspace but somewhere close, and also report a sense of "other", that someone else is right there next to them. It will be interesting to see whether these multisensory integration sites feature kappa-opioid receptors. This could be one of the possible explanations on why we feel the relative reference coordinates shift from our everyday functioning.

Ultimately though, these sites could be interfered with even if they feature no k-opioid receptors, as the signal interference could be happening earlier in the feedforward loop, i.e. in sites you guys already mentioned.

Hope this post provided some useful info instead of introducing more confusion. Apologies if the latter!

Some have proposed that Salvias's multisensory dis-integration action is the direct effect of KOR in the Claustrum.

This speculation is not overly suprising then. Could be a contributing factor for some of the effects.
http://www.epilepsybehav...%2814%2900201-7/abstract

Very interesting. I have a total lack of smell due to a hereditary pituitary gland syndrome. I am also extremely sensitive to Salvia's effects, a mere 50mg of plain leaf can put me into a light visionary state quite consistently. 75mg of plain leaf puts me on the verge of breaking through with all the associated frame stacking of consciousness and unravelling of consensus reality.

Real interesting thread guys. It's been over a year since I have been in contact with the sage and once life settles down somewhat I have a calling to pick up where I left off, she always felt like an ally to me... What a wonderful herb and gift to humanity the sage goddess is.

Now this is interesting...

Smells have never been that overwhelming to me either. When I was younger I worked in environments that are absolutely putrid without it bothering me much. Shovelling manure, brake pad manufacturing, waste management...

My sense of taste is rather heightened, however. I have always thought of the redacting of my sense of smell to be a conscious process. Almost as if I can turn it on or off at will. But I am definitely among those who are incredibly sensitive to this plant.

Definitely interesting now that there is a third nexian with reduced smell faculties but heightened sensitivity to the divine sage, there could be something to this!

It doesn't bother me too much not having any sense of smell, I can still taste fine and I don't have to ever smell stanky smells, it served me well in my old band when it'd be five band dudes plus crew stuck in a van for weeks on end.

And it's well worth it if it means I have a better affinity for the divine sage because of it

the Sages area of action:
dopamine D2 receptor
regulation of Prolactin / Cortisol
- which is all tied into the pituitary gland -

Crazy! I wonder how that all gets effected by my pituitary gland syndrome?

All interesting stuff none the less.

Yes, this is confusing! But please don't apologize. I don't think I'd have much fitness for researching this space if I did not have room for confusion or toleration of confusion.

As a partial k-opioid agonist and partial D2 agonist, I'd place Salvia right at the heart of the early mother child interactions and the development of emotional integration and even associative capacity.

The irony here or the opportunity here is that a dissociative substance such as Salvia Div. can take us to spaces where an integrative of associative capacity can develop more and more.

Dynorphin is it seems an endogenous regulator and a dissociative both.

Note this: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12801596

A primary function of "dynorphin in regulation of the developing hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis". Dynorphin is key to affective regulation and to the right brain and its relatedness to the autonomic nervous system.

Also note this:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24184385

Dynorphin has role to play in memory formation and to a certain dissociation from extreme or traumatic experience so that it can be remembered. Enough distance and something can be remembered.

"dynorphin signalling is involved in the formation of social memories by diminishing the emotional component of the experience."

A space for dreaming is a safe enough space to recollect in tranquility what otherwise might be too much for us.

I note that, apparently, according to some of the earlier research I posted, that the right brain is key to object and face recognition as well as an "implicit core self." The thingness of things, the isness of things is very right brain and very Salvia space.

Also I note in one of the above articles a mention of NMDA in the developing prenatal HPA axis. I note that some other dissociatives are NMDA active and very existential, more so than Salvia.

My take is that we are going deep here into spaces that are both very potentially healing and usually quite unconscious in adults.

This is a fascinating space indeed.

I am replying to this thread without any fresh research to add, only to bring this topic back up because I am fascinated by it. Salvia is the focus of my exploration right now after a long hiatus and I am really struck by the connection between the "strong motherly presence" so many people experience (myself included), the resurgence of early childhood memories, and the possible connection to early objects of attachment. Maybe Salvia can serve as a diagnostic tool to find any injuries to one's attachment style.

My thinking is strongly centered in a psychodynamic perspective, so for me, there is a lot of rich material for growth and healing to be found in early memories.

This is indeed a fascinating thread that I missed the first (and second) time around, so without anything further to add I hope some of you enjoy reading through it.