Wow, people on video smoking salvia and laughing out loud. My god, how do we stop this?

And people taking their kids to the emergency room? It lasts what, 5 minutes? Maybe 10 if you smoke a lot of highly refined extract. They're completely sober by the time they get to the hospital.

No one really knows the health implications so people probably shouldn't use a lot of it. Maybe it's harmless, or maybe it kills brain cells... I don't know of any studies on the subject. I couldn't find any report of Salvia killing anyone, though the suicide of one kid was blamed on his past experimentation with Savlia (by the parents). On a related note, alcohol is estimated to kill around 300 people per day in the USA.


I've tried it and I really can't understand why people would want to do it more than 2-3 times. Kids getting hooked on it? Maybe, but I don't see how. It's a very awkward experience... definitely hallucinogenic, but I wouldn't really call it "enjoyable".

Just like pipp3355, I see that there are some major problems with this "experiment."

The subject even admitted that he had a more difficult time and he had to make an effort to concentrate harder.
The host admitted that the study was in NO WAY scientific or empirical.

Even though there wasn't much of any science in the video, you can find some science below:

According to the FDA, 249 medical marijuana patients were killed between 1/1/97 - 6/30/05. Marijuana, cannibis, and other Cannabinoids are listed as the secondary cause of death. It is unclear in the study how many people were prescribed marijuana between those dates.

From Wikipedia: "...a recent study by the Canadian government found cannabis contained more toxic substances than tobacco smoke. It contained 20 times more ammonia, (a carcinogen), five times more hydrogen cyanide (which can cause heart disease) and nitrous oxides, (which can cause lung damage) than tobacco smoke.

Cannabis use has been linked to exacerbating the effects of psychosis, schizophrenia, bronchitis, and emphysema by several peer-reviewed studies for those who are vulnerable to such illnesses based on personal or family history.

In July 2007, British medical journal The Lancet published a study that indicates that cannabis users have, on average, a 41% greater risk of developing psychosis than non-users. The risk was most pronounced in cases with an existing risk of psychotic disorder, and was said to grow up to 200% for the most-frequent users.

While the long term and heavy use of cannabis is not linked to the severe or grossly debilitating cerebral effects associated with chronic heavy alcohol abuse, it has been LINKED to more subtle IMPAIRMENT associated with MEMORY, ATTENTION, AND COGNITIVE FUNCTION.

These mental impairments are likely the cause of the delusions that many marijuana users have about themselves while high. It's baffling that they can think for a minute that they have greater cognative abilities and sharper reflexes while under the influence of a drug that causes depressant and hallucinogenic side effects. The fact that cannibus use lowers blood pressure, impairs psychomotor coordination, hinders one's ability to concentrate, and negatively effects short-term memory is not up for debate. These things have been proven time and time again.


If it doesn't kill you, it will most certainly make you as dumb as a bag of nails.

"Listen to Dawkins talking about religious people as if they are all the same - I can't believe they knighted a guy who stereotypes religious people into one group of behaviour."

Harlequinn, it seems fair to group supernaturalists all into the same category in the senses of e.g. (1) they all reject empiricism and rationalism, and (2) their brains look the same in brain scans, whether the content of their mystical experiences is in a Hindu, Muslim, hallucinogenic drug, or whatever context (see neurotheology).

That's of course not the only way to group supernaturalists, but it's a useful way when the topic of discussion is e.g. rationalism and the brain.

There's no arguing with that kind of backpedalling. Is anyone in the video or the thread saying they saw God, or a god, or communicated with god? No, they say they had a "spiritual experience" that led to a long-lasting sense of connectedness. Then you come in pissing all over that idea claiming that any spiritual experience induced by a hallucinogen is invalid. Now you're backpedalling in order to frame your statement in such a way that you look less like a moron.

>> ^AnimalsForCrackers:
>> ^Shepppard:
Shrooms aren't theraputic.
years ago my sister had a party here, and two of her friends took shrooms.
I still remember them freaking out so hard one of them actually wanted to go see my mom to make it better, but the other slapped her in the face and said that "We've gone too far now!"

It is true that mileage varies from person to person. Not to mention other mitigating factors like who you take them with, the environment taken in, your state of mind when ingesting, etc. Much care should be exercised in planning and preparation, before eating mushrooms all willy-nilly like.
For me, it was one of the best and most memorable experiences I've ever had with other human beings.


I agree completely. And it's not like the medical industry is just going to start giving prescriptions to mushrooms. If anything they'll make yet another pill form containing the specific chemicals, likely significantly 'watered down.' The drug industry is full of narcotic and hallucinogenic 'medicines.'

I personally have had my share of very positive experiences with a wide variety of hallucinogenic drugs both natural and man-made and I've found the 'magic mushrooms' are by far the least likely to produce a so called 'bad trip.' Especially compared to the likes of LSD. The experience mushrooms and other natural hallucinogenics such as Peyote, are a much milder, smoother and less grating effect, though often far more potent.

Looks like a few too many people here are on hallucinogenic drugs. I'm with Flood.

Hmm, lets think about this rationally, you give hallucinogenic drugs to people with a background in superstitious mumbo-jumbo of course they're going to have an experience based on that background. It's the reason the peyote using native americans had visions of spirit guides and their ancestors. That's why some people who have had bad trips have visions of hell, demons, murderous loved ones, etc.. The drugs enhance the good feelings, but can also drastically worsen the bad ones.

I fear that if anyone were to give these types of drugs to terminally ill, severely depressed people, the experiences would be far less beneficial and a lot more terrifying for them.

The Government made hallucinogens illegal because had everyone, or most people been taking them, it would be much, much harder for the Government to pull the wool over our eyes like they have been doing all these years. I had taken shrooms quite a few times as a younger adult and had been "enlightened" to many things during each of my trips. Can't say that they were spiritual. But I definitely saw things in a much clearer perspective. Believe it or not.

As her disclaimer at the end says. You MUST be sure you are in the right state of mind, with the right group of people before taking them or you WILL have a bad trip. And no, I have never had even one single "flashback" from shrooms or acid.

Oh and Flood, if I remember correctly, the Native Americans used hallucinogens to converse with their gods and go on "spirit walks". I agree with rosekat, the subject is up for debate.

Hallucinogens definitely necessary. I watched again with hops and alcohol, but it's still too weird.

I need some strong hallucinogens before I can vote for this.

NetRunner???!! There is no definition for the newsspeak confabulatory term, Neocon.It's part of the delusion you wallow in, to justify what appears to be something you understand, with regard to world affairs.....I can get you some hallucinogens, sounds like the trip yer on may be chronic, approaching life-threatening....
What in FUCK, does "Judgment To Lead"(podium propaganda) ....EVEN FUCKING MEAN!!!????
Blackbush has em' hooked.....Blackwater is still hiring......

All the mystery behind absinthe can be relegated down to one factor: after an insect infestation destroyed the French wine crops back in the late 1800's, absinthe became the popular drink. So popular in fact, that it threatened the French wine industry and was almost named the official drink of France. After the vineyards recovered, they had to get rid of absinthe as a competitor. The solution? Demonize it. Pretty soon, you had stories of hallucinations, murderous rampages (example), etc. They were obviously successful.

And btw, the reported "hallucinatory" effects of absinthe can also be attributed to various distilleries not preparing absinthe correctly, or replacing certain ingredients with other, more dangerous chemicals. A fairly common practice considering there was no governmental regulation and how many litres of the stuff was being consumed back in the day. Thujone itself is not a hallucinogen; if so, everybody would be trippin' balls every Thanksgiving as common cooking sage as an incredible amount of thujone in it; much more so than a foreign, "real" bottle of absinthe.

So, iloseatlife, lose the attitude. It's not welcome and not appreciated, as clearly evidenced by the number of downvotes its received.

I actually stopped drinking it once I found it didn't have hallucinogenic properties which was pretty much the morning after. But now that it's legal in the States I might get a set up so that I can try it as it's supposed to be tried: chilled and poured over sugar cubes into a glass.

One of the best films ever made. It has superb naturalistic acting, wonderful story (based on real scientist John C. Liily's life) and great direction. Plus it is way the f**** out there. This is about a man who created the sensory deprivation tank which can make you hallucinate just from loss of sensory input. Then he takes various hallucinogens while in those tanks to explore altered states of mind and body. I don't know how close this story is to real life but fantastic film nonetheless.

upvote for the film.
-Karl

Choggie, don't tell me you're going to take us out on an iceberg, hand us a Ronson, and say, "I'll see you around." No one else on the Sift knows the proper response to Fast'n'Bulbous.
I know I may single myself out for future scrutiny when I say, all of your comments made perfect sense to me.

One of my favs;
"Stop shopping for Christ's sake,(we already have enough plastic shit from china to BUILD an artificial satellite) buy used clothes, grow some frikkin' vegetables that have some goddamn flavor, and say yes to hallucinogens....!!!

God I'm glad I'm not a lab-rat insect.....equally as happy that some folks balls start to tingle when they pick up an Erlenmeyer flask fulla goo for a paycheck....to each his own."

Loved that one.