Why Salvia is not a Party Drug

Young people are often looking for new ways to have fun. A common activity  is the use of mind-altering substances, alcohol being the most common. But illicit drugs are included as well in the quest to liven a party. A recent example is the use of MDMA (ecstacy) in the rave culture. Another substance is now gaining popularity - salvia divinorum. This plant is used by the Mazatec Indians in Oaxaca, Mexico, as part of their healing and spiritual ceremonies, and many today have found this entheogen to be a useful tool in spiritual exploration. Unfortunately, because salvia is legal in most states and incredibly effective as a mind-altering substance, many young people are using it in their quest for new thrills even though its effects are not "fun" at all.

But salvia is not a party drug. It does not lend itself to being used in that way, and it really is useless as a social substance. There are good reasons for not thinking of it as an easy thrill - most of the "fun" is at the expense of another's dignity.

I've read several statements to the effect that salvia is the next marijuana. Yes, it is a plant and even might resemble pot in its crushed form, but the similarity ends there.

While it's technically possible to smoke it as you would a cigarette, you don't get much of an effect that way. Salvia divinorum does not produce the same mild buzz that other commonly used substances produce - at least not easily. To be assured of any effect, you really need a pipe. But then you would have to carefully regulate how much you smoke in order to stay in this world. And any light effects achieved would be short-lived, as your body processes the smoked active ingredient, salvinorin A, very quickly.

So as a substitute for marijuana or any other substance that you could use socially, salvia is a poor candidate. There is not much payoff for the expense or the trouble.

But what about smoking enough to achieve what is known as the "break-through" salvia experience?

The salvia break-through goes beyond a mild buzz and throws you into an all-out journey to another realm. In this state you are incapable of interacting with those around you because nothing is recognized as part of "reality". Instead, all that you see, hear, and feel, becomes part of a different reality that has little, if anything, to do with the world that your friends are experiencing as they watch you trip out.

There is nothing social about it. No conversations. No back and forth joking. No enjoying of company. Even though your own thought processes are intact as you navigate through the new world in which you find yourself, to those on the outside you have become a dazed and unresponsive zombie.

And in a party atmosphere, their actions will most likely add to your confusion and ruin what could otherwise be a meaningful experience.

But isn't that part of the "fun"? To laugh at the person as he trips out?

Yes, it might seem fun to surround someone who is experiencing a salvia trip and laugh at and mock him, trying to get him to respond to you. But it's actually a cruel thing to do. I believe that many people react to the break-through experience in much the same way they would react if they were experiencing a night terror episode.

Night terrors are experienced by a small number of children, and occur during a non-REM phase of sleep. The effect is very disorienting, and the child's mind really can't handle what's going on and so reacts by screaming and crying. The child is in this video is a good example of a night terror reaction. Most children grow out of this as they get older, although some adults still have night terrors on occasion. The experience is not pleasant.

The nature of the salvia experience in many ways reminds me of what I felt when I had night terrors as a child. In fact, this would be a fascinating area for researchers to study. I'm sure that children under the influence of salvia would react the same way as the child in the video. In this situation, who would think of doing anything else but making sure the child feels safe and secure? And why would anyone try to create more confusion in order to make the child feel worse?

Granted, adults are more mature and so don't usually react in this extreme a manner. Nevertheless, can you see how mean-spirited it is to take advantage of someone in this state for you own amusement? The environment can mean the difference between a profound experience and a terrifying one. The following video is an example of someone who is reacting in a way that reminds me of someone having a night terror.

Salvia divinorum is not a party drug. Instead, it is a special plant with intense psychoactive properties that, when used responsibly and in a respectful manner, offers the explorer a unique perspective on reality and can aid in a better understanding of consciousness. To view it as an easy thrill is to miss an incredible opportunity. And if you are improperly prepared, you might also wish you had never touched the stuff.