First of all, considering the intensity and sheer epicness of most experience reports one can find here in the nexus, I've been unsure for a couple days about whether to write about this or not, since I feel it was a curious threshold experience, but not a breakthrough. However, I know I will really appreciate any feedback from users around who know well the plant, so here it goes.

This was my second attempt, after a failed first try a few weeks ago. The first time, poor technique (insufficient time holding the smoke, I presume) gave me a strong body buzz, some strange pressure in the right side of my temple and jaw, and my sitter & girlfriend said I was gone for a few seconds. But other than that, and an aftermath feeling slightly reminding me of a mental post-psilocybe experience, nothing else happened.

Two days ago, late evening, I measured approximately 50 mg of 10x standardized extract and filled the bowl of my water bong. I sat on the mattress of my bed, low lights. I started playing an hour long track of deep forest ambient recording (birds, leaves, distant humming of a river) and spent thirty minutes alone doing some simple breathing exercises, stretching my ribs and lungs. After that, sitter at my left, I lit the bowl - struggling at first a little with the torch lighter. I definitely need a new one. The first inhale was insufficient; in spite of holding it in for around 35 seconds, it only brought the familiar pins and needles in my head and upper torso. Not unpleasant, not too strong. I reached for the bong again, shook the lighter, managed to make the bowl ignite like coal and took the deepest breath I thought I could hold. Handling the bong to my girlfriend, I slowly laid back. Then, some new things happened.

During the time the experience lasted, I barely had any visuals. The images and sensations arose, but were completely unrelated to my eyes. Or even to myself. I felt they came from somewhere else. It's the closest I've ever been to experiencing what a different layer of reality feels like, or how does it unfold.

The physical pressure of my first try came back, quite stronger. An unique wave of buzzing, enveloping me slowly, appearing "from my right side". My self sank slowly into the bed. The sounds of the birds tweeting acquired a strange surround quality, increasing in intensity, almost becoming the apparent source for the vibrating buzz in my head, neck and upper torso. The only image I can describe, other than these very strong physical sensations, is an elastic surface, curving slowly around me, with the texture of dry wood bark. Almost like sliding inside of a hollow tree.

Then, I could feel a presence. Several of them, actually. I didn't see or hear a thing, other than the chorus of birds. I had the feeling they were attracting me, or waiting for me to go closer, but I didn't know how to do it. I wouldn't say I was scared, but I was alert. Again, they seemed to be deeper, but "in my right side", whatever that means. Later I wondered about the fact that my sitter was laying in the left side of the bed. I don't know if her presence was keeping me aware of space around me, or if those presences were inviting me to drift away from her. The physical pressure, the buzzing, was stronger than ever before. I almost lost completely proprioception. I was sunk, strangely feeling that alien, bark-like membrane hovering around me. Slowly, the feeling subsided. I opened my eyes, surroundings vibrated shyly. I was laying in bed, in a slightly different position than I thought.

My girlfriend had only seen me slowly waving my hands, close to my neck. Apparently, I muttered a quiet "woah" a couple times. She didn't notice anything else. I know that the time I spent there felt way shorter than it apparently was. Over forty minutes passed, and they didn't feel like more than five or ten.

I don't have any experience with spice, so I cannot compare. But my feelings after stretching and walking around were that salvia felt alien. Old, alien, and from within. I don't know how to take the experience. Immediately afterwards, I was not particularly wanting to repeat (the physical sensations were very heavy) but I'm unsure about what happened. Are those felt presences, early in the experience, normal? Was I in the breakthrough threshold? Was I controlling too much?

I felt beckoned, not rejected, nor welcome. I am trying to decide whether I should try again and follow or not.

Thank you for reading.

I would say to go for it. It doesn't sound like you had a bad experience. If I were in your position I would do it if only to see what these entities were beckoning me for. But I am the type of person who explores for the sake of exploration and may some times go to far.

Still, to me, it sounds like you have nothing to lose by trying it again.

Salvia is a strange one, that's all I can say about it from my experiences with the diviner's sage.

I had a similar experience with the divinorum. I had taken a few puffs of 20x's extract, but they weren't big hits and I barely held them in (this was my first time every smoking a psychoactive so I wasn't sure how fast it would kick in). Within about 10-15 seconds, I felt this TREMENDOUS pressure all over my body. I read on a Salvia forum later that this is extremely common and often referred to as the 'Salvia Wave'. Anyways, during this pressurization effect, I started to experience the WORST pain in my lower stomach. I mean, this was the worst sort of pain I'd ever felt, but the absolutely strange thing about it was I wasn't actually IN pain at all... I was just aware that my body was in excrutiating pain even though my psyche was not. Very peculiar.

I rememember looking into my kitchen and seeing it turn into a very strange plastic like substance that seemed sort of 2D even though it wasn't. It would be like if you took your wall with all it's pictures and wallpaper and stuff and squished it down flat and skewed the image to make a motiff of some kind. Anyways I felt a presence (it felt distinctly like two presences at the time but the message was the same so it was hard to tell) and then I heard a voice say, plain as day, "Come and See, Come and SEE, YOU HAVE TO COME AND SEE!!"

So I stumbled into the kitchen, which was still made of this strange plastic flat material, and screamed at the top of my lungs (and this is pretty funny actually) "WHAT kitchen!? WHAT the hell is it!? I come and see you EVERYDAY! WHAT could you POSSIBLY have to show me right now!!?" and after that the trip just sort of winded down and I was left sitting in my kitchen for about 30 minutes totally confused and disoriented.

I never got the nerve to try Salvia again, although I do intend to at some point. I seem to fly further and have more clear, less ominous journeys with mushrooms.

Yes, you are right. I only have to overcome this voice within saying "If to get almost there you were squeezed like a cheap sponge under an hydraulic press, get ready to be obliterated in order to go further". Rational control of instincts is always kinda tricky. But I will go there again, it's quite obvious I will.



I can relate. It's like you're being mashed, but the sensation is filtered somehow. When a limb falls asleep and you pinch it or squeeze it, the pins you feel are like the echo of the would-be pain. It's the closest analogy I can think of.

I look forward to reading Entropymancer's sticky notes when I have time, but I might probably try again to get a bigger picture. I will let you guys know how it goes.

Tek wrote:
..that's how i would also describe the leaves of the sheperdess, though she is usually healing/calming afterwards..
other than being strong entheogens/teachers, i don't find dmt and salvia similar, they are different modes of action and not interchangable..
personally i find tryptamines more 'familiar', and the salvia more 'alien'...

I have found that the best way to deal with the pins and needles or prickly/itchy skin of the salvia come-up is to smoke some cannabis beforehand. Also, make sure you are wearing some really comfy clothes, really loose and soft to your skin. That helps loads.

Salvia is definitely very alien, but if done right, she is a comforting alien that will swaddle you in her alien tentacles and keep you safe.

Soft clothes, or completely naked I'll strip to my underwear usually, or go completely buff. It helps with the level of sweating I usually experience after smoking Salvia. It's a cleansing, healthy sort of sweat, but if I'm wearing clothes, it can get uncomfortable.

To the OP, I also find that I'll spend forty minutes or so in a trip. It's not uncommon for me to spend almost two hours from start to finish with the "ritual" of sorts. I'll meditate for a while beforehand, and then spend quite some time laying on my bed in the dark before and after the experience itself. It's a time of reflection and relaxation (at least physically) for me.

Not to be off topic, but have you ever crossed the bridge of smoke in the shower Dioxippus? I tried once with plain foliage... I did not go very deep but it was still an incredible experience.

Yes I have. Salvia can be incredibly sensual, although most people wouldn't think it could be. I've also shared some with my partner, low dose plain leaf, and then made love. Incredible. Also this past summer I was sunbathing in the nude and smoked a little, that was lovely.

Good to hear about the sensual side of salvia. My girlfriend wants to give it try, so I will carry on and dive in with the bit of extract I have left, and then we'll most likely stick to leaf.

Thanks for the feedback

I can definitely imagine sex being an interesting journey with some salvia in your system - Once in a sub-threshold dose I held a pillow on my chest. As I moved my hand across the pillow my brain switched gears - it accepted the pillow as part of my somatic self. So when I stroked the pillow I could feel it, like it was an extension of my stomach. Here it was, a great big soft squishy new belly protrusion which was now part of my body.

So, if that happened...
Just saying.

I like the way you think

Now I hope that the outcome in the next breakthrough attempt doesn't make my GF reluctant to stay close to me when doing salvia...

Long live the New Flesh.