Microdosing Mescaline: A Micro History of the First Psychedelic

These numbers are similar to reports from 5-MeO-DMT users (Davis et al., 2018) andrelatively low in comparison to reported craving for more widely used substances(e.g. alcohol) (McCabe et al.,2017). Consistent with prior research (Johansen and Krebs, 2015; Krebs and Johansen, 2013),these findings may indicate that mescaline has a relatively favorable psychologicalsafety profile for the use in naturalistic settings as evidenced by reports of lowabuse liability. However, it is possible that people who have had negativeexperiences with mescaline might have been less likely to have seen or responded tothe present survey, which could have biased our findings.

• Meanwhile peyote played a vital role in preserving and shaping Native American identity.
• A definitive history of mescaline that explores its mind-altering effects across cultures, from ancient America to Western modernity.
• The future of mescaline and peyote—including how it is studied, cultivated, preserved, and shared—must be led by communities that have long lived with the guidance of this plant.
• Similar to other psychedelics, individuals with certain pre-existing health conditions or who are taking certain medications are at greater risk for side effects.
• Mescaline has been used for thousands of years and is best known as a drug used by some Native Americans in Mexico as part of their religious ceremonies.

Shulgin went on to synthesize dozens of similar compounds, many of which have found a niche in today’s teeming marketplace of novel psychoactives. Mescaline itself may have disappeared, but its stepchildren have become the beating heart of twenty-first century drug culture. Indigenous communities in North and South America have used mescaline-containing cacti in their religious and spiritual ceremonies for millennia, facilitating communication with deities, ancestors, and spirits. The Huichol people of Mexico, for example, use mescaline in their peyote ceremonies as a way to connect with the spirit world and gain insights into the nature of Being and the mysteries of the universe.

Explore MycoMeditations Psilocybin-assisted Retreats

In its original use, the plant medicine was also used to treat a number of ailments, including snake bites, wounds, skin conditions, and general pain. Pure mescaline is usually available as a white or brownish crystalline powder, either loose or packed into capsules as a pill. However, compared to other psychedelics, mescaline extraction tends to be rare in most parts of the world. A definitive history of mescaline that explores its mind-altering effects across cultures, from ancient America to Western modernity. Mescaline is a psychedelic hallucinogen obtained from the small, spineless cactus Peyote (Lophophora williamsi), the San Pedro cactus, Peruvian torch cactus, and other mescaline-containing cacti. It is also found in certain members of the Fabaceae (bean family) and can be produced synthetically.

consumption, and perceived consequences, benefits, and acute and enduring

It is considered to be one of the best agents for psychedelic therapy due to its mellow, organic, yet complex character. Synthetic mescaline is highly sought after by connoisseurs and is typically produced in limited batches, owing to its low potency and relatively high production cost. About 452 respondents completed a web-based survey designed to assess theirprevious experience with mescaline (subjective effects, outcome measures,and mescaline type used). Mescaline is a naturally occurring psychoactive phenethylamine found inseveral cacti and historically used ceremonially by Indigenous and LatinAmerican populations. Broader recognition of its possible therapeutic valuein Western science began in the 1950s; however, knowledge of the safetyprofile of mescaline and the extent of its use remains limited. The primaryaim of this study is to examine the epidemiology of mescaline use amongEnglish-speaking adults.

The author of the book, Jean-Paul Sartre, is one of the first to have a life-changing mescaline trip and go on to write about it. Although the book is not entirely about his mescaline trip, the plant was a great inspiration for his existential writing. After experimenting with mescaline, Sartre believed lobster-like creatures were following him for many years.

What Are the Risks of Mescaline?

• By the 1950s, with psychiatry’s biomedical turn, it was being widely used in schizophrenia research, the context in which Huxley encountered it.
• Most users chew the button shaped seeds to produce the hallucinogenic effects, which can last for between 12 to 18 hours.
• The book is written by French writer Antonin Artaud, who shares his extensive experiences with peyote in Mexico.
• Following WWII, mescaline was used in psychedelic research and therapy studies in the 1950s.
• By the 1960s, this “psychotomimetic” theory had been largely abandoned, and mescaline itself was mostly replaced by LSD, which produced similar effects at a tiny fraction of the dose.
• The religious use of peyote was formed by the Native American Church in the late nineteenth century in Oklahoma, USA.
• Subjective effects of equivalent doses of the three substances (500 mg mescaline, 100 µg LSD, and 20 mg psilocybin) were similar across various acute effect rating scales.

Peyote, in its natural form, contains dozens of different types of phenylethylamine alkaloids, some of which are pictured above. It is possible that different kinds of cacti containing various constituents could result in distinct experiences, similar to how cannabis strains produce a variety of subjective effects5. Mescaline is a potent hallucinogen found in the peyote cactus that causes visions and other sensory apparitions that aren’t real. This is due to the chemical reaction the drug has with neural pathways in the brain. Read here to find out more about mescaline highs or «trips» and the effects of peyote on the brain. Mescaline was made a Schedule I substance under the Controlled Substance Act (CSA) in 1970, making it an illegal substance with no medical benefits.

Microdosing is most often attributed to James Fadiman, author of The Psychedelic Explorer’s Guide. However, Fadiman was initially informed about the process by Robert Forte, a psychedelic researcher and former Director of The Hoffman Foundation. Forte learned about microdosing from his teacher, the well-known Swiss chemist and the first person to synthesize LSD, Albert Hoffman.

Behavioral and non-behavioral effects

Finally, both San Pedro and Peyote subgroups reportedusing it in a ceremonial context administered by a shamanic practitioner, which isconsistent with previous knowledge about historical use of Peyote (Dasgupta, 2019). Frequently reported adverse effects, as assessed by the List of Complaints and corresponding statistics are presented in Supplementary Tables S5–6. All three substances moderately increased systolic and diastolic blood pressure, body temperature, and pupil size relative to placebo.

Subjective drug effects

Julian Trevelyan, a surrealist painter, found mescaline inspiring, while another artist Basil Beaumont, experienced “excruciating pain and fear” when he self-experimented with mescaline. Well-known philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre experienced a painful hell during his mescaline trip, one that his sitter, acclaimed philosopher Simone de Beauvoir described as “torturous.” These accounts were all engaged willfully, but there is also mescaline research tied to nefarious scientists. Psychiatrists noticed that its effects had similarities with the symptoms of psychosis – hallucinations, delusions, paranoia, loss of identity – and speculated that disorders such as schizophrenia might be caused by a mescaline-like toxic chemical in the brain. By the 1960s, this “psychotomimetic” theory had been largely abandoned, and mescaline itself was mostly replaced by LSD, which produced similar effects at a tiny fraction of mesclun psychedelic the dose.

Results from this study also showed no significant differences in the subjectiveacute and enduring effects between mescaline types. Although this may indicaterelatively minimal or no differences in the acute and enduring effects of differenttypes of mescaline, rigorous controlled studies could reveal potential differencesbetween them. While all groups exhibited broad similarities, the Peyote subgroupreported consuming more doses compared to other groups. This might be due to thebitter taste of Peyote, which is known to induce nausea and vomiting (Erowid, 2009; Nolte and Zumwalt, 1999).It is possible that participants in the Peyote subgroup experienced emesis that canhave warranted repeated dosing to obtain desired subjective effects. Additionally,it is not clear why the Peyote subgroup reported shorter duration of effects, butone could speculate if it could be due to lower net intake of mescaline (despiteincreased number of doses ingested), due to the alkaloid ratio of the cacti, dose,and experience of emesis.