Mescaline Peyote: Effects, uses, and risks

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. Samples were centrifuged immediately and the plasma was then stored at −80 °C until analysis. Plasma mescaline 40, LSD 29, and psilocin 41 concentrations were determined by fully validated high-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. If the police catch people supplying illegal drugs in a home, club, bar or hostel, they can potentially prosecute the landlord, club owner or any other person concerned in the management of the premises.

Other types of psychedelics

What impact did the mesclun psychedelic Doors of Perception have on our perception of psychedelics? Before The Doors of Perception, most people – Aldous Huxley included – thought of drugs as “dope”, of interest only to psychiatrists, bohemians and criminals. Huxley presented mescaline as something different, connected both to ancient wisdom and to cutting-edge science.

Effect of the “most memorable” mescaline experience on psychological

For example, hordenine is a N,N-dimethyl derivative and has activities in the human body similar to the neurotransmitters dopamine and norepinephrine. Interestingly, mescaline consumed as cacti may act in a similar way to cannabis, where multiple active compounds contribute to an ‘entourage effect,’ meaning the experience is generated through complex augmentation and synergistic interactions of the individual components. Mescaline is a naturally-occurring psychoactive alkaloid found in several cacti, including the Peyote cactus (Lophophora williamsii), San Pedro cactus (Echinopsis pachanoi), and Peruvian Torch cactus (Echinopsis peruviana). In modern times, self-experimenters around the world are reporting a much wider range of benefits, including personal insights, mood enhancement, increased empathy and creativity, lifestyle changes, and even lucid dreams. Mescaline could also help reduce suicidal thoughts, according to researchers at the University of Alabama. Using data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, the researchers found that people who have used a psychedelic drug at least once in their life show lower rates of suicidal thinking.

• The active component was isolated in 1895 by the German chemist Arthur Heffter, who coined the name “mescaline”.
• Through community outreach at the grassroots level, people who use drugs and public health officials leaders work together to improve health.
• Most users chew the button shaped seeds to produce the hallucinogenic effects, which can last for between 12 to 18 hours.
• The toxicity and long-term health effects of recreational mescaline use does not appear to have been studied in any scientific context and the exact toxic dose is unknown.
• One prominent figure in these studies, psychiatrist Humphrey Osmond, shared mescaline with Aldous Huxley, who would later write about his experiences in several books.
• It would seem that this group of scholars and philosophers recognized that mescaline could be an intense experience for heightening self-awareness and phenomenological thought and analysis.

Mescalineexhibits very low binding affinity at dopaminergic and histaminergic receptors anddoes not inhibit uptake at monoamine transporters (Rickli et al., 2016). The 3,4,5-trimethoxyconfiguration of mescaline appears central to its psychedelic activity (Smythies et al.,1967). 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. This is a sacred medicine to the tribal communities, who have long fought to protect it, and indigenous sovereignty and conservation strategies must be at the heart of all discussions concerning mescaline use—especially in light of the diminishing abundance of the peyote cactus.

When peyote is used in religious ceremonies, it is exempt from its classification as a Schedule I controlled drug under the 1994 American Indian Religious Freedom Act (AIRFA). In more recent years, it has been possible to chemically synthesize mescaline in laboratories. Following WWII, mescaline was used in psychedelic research and therapy studies in the 1950s. But, once mescaline was regulated through the Controlled Substances Act of 1970, clinical trials and research were prohibited aside from small-scale studies that investigated abuse potential — as opposed to the therapeutic use of mescaline in psychotherapy.

• They object to the inclusion of peyote in local and state decriminalization measures because of the growing scarcity of wild peyote and the potential negative impacts on native communities that use peyote in religious ceremonies.
• The 5 Dimensions of Altered States of Consciousness (5D-ASC) scale 33, 34 and the States of Consciousness Questionnaire (SOCQ) 35,36,37 were administered 24 h after drug administration to retrospectively rate psychedelic effects.
• Indigenous populations have long held mescaline as a sacred medicine in spiritual ritual and healing ceremonies.
• Finally, although we have compared mescaline experiences by mescaline type of use inthe present study, we do not intend for these data to be interpreted to mean thatfurther rigorous, clinical research are not needed.
• However, there are many additional alkaloids present in living specimens, so arriving at a precise microdose that is consistent is unlikely.
• 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.

Mescaline: History and Culture

It retains its legendarystatus in psychedelic culture thanks to TheDoors of Perception and Fear andLoathing in Las Vegas, in which Hunter S. Thompson portrayed it as the ne plus ultra of psychedelic craziness. After 1962, when the Federal Drug Administration tightenedits guidelines on psychedelic research, there were few plausible reasons forworking with mescaline and LSD came to dominate what was by now a shrinkingfield. Both were prohibited fornon-clinical use in 1965, after which LSD was cheap and ubiquitous, whilemescaline became a substance of legend and rumor. Mescaline is a naturally occurring psychoactive alkaloid with hallucinogenic properties derived from a range of cacti. In the U.S., mescaline is illegal (a Schedule I substance since 1970), however, certain religious groups such as the Native American Church have been granted greater protections and liberties under the American Indian Religious Freedom Act. Efforts to decriminalize “natural psychedelics” such as mescaline are underway in cities across the U.S., with successes in Oakland and Santa Cruz so far.

Subjective acute and enduring effects

It may take 10 or more years for a single peyote cactus to transition from a seedling to the first stage of flowering. Peyote (Lophophora williamsii) has been traditionally consumed by Indigenous North American tribes for at least 5,500 years. The crowns of the cacti growing above ground are called the peyote buttons, which are carefully harvested to allow the plant to continue to grow. 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.

None of the substances altered plasma BDNF concentrations compared with placebo. It remains unclear whether the use of plasma samples (as opposed to serum samples) is suitable for measuring effects of psychedelics on BDNF concentrations. Like with many other psychedelic drugs, mescaline’s potential as a therapeutic substance was studied in the 1950s and 1960s—particularly in combination with LSD. Studies suggest, for example, that mescaline may increase blood flow and activity in the prefrontal cortex, the area of the brain in charge of planning, problem-solving, emotional regulation, and behavior.

There were no significant differences in maximum subjective effects ratings on the VAS, the 5D-ASC, the MEQ, or the AMRS between these three conditions. For the 300 mg mescaline dose, weaker effects were found on all four psychometric questionnaires compared with the high 500 mg mescaline dose, LSD, and psilocybin. Only on the AMRS, mescaline induced more ‘inactivity’ compared with psilocybin and placebo. The second part of the survey included questions about “lifetime use ofmescaline.” Respondents were asked what types of mescaline had ever beeningested in their lifetime, age at first use, administration route,frequency, reason, and location of use.

History and culture

Mescaline binds to virtually all serotonin receptors in the brain but has a stronger affinity for the 1A and 2A/B/C receptors. Structurally, it is similar to LSD and is often used as a benchmark hallucinogen when comparing psychedelics. Tyrosine and phenylalanine serve as metabolic precursors towards the synthesis of mescaline. Tyrosine can either undergo a decarboxylation via tyrosine decarboxylase to generate tyramine and subsequently undergo an oxidation at carbon 3 by a monophenol hydroxylase or first be hydroxylated by tyrosine hydroxylase to form L-DOPA and decarboxylated by DOPA decarboxylase. These create dopamine, which then experiences methylation by a catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) by an S-adenosyl methionine (SAM)-dependent mechanism.

Mescaline has long been considered a powerful agent for healing and change, making it a central component of the shamanic ceremonies of many indigenous groups in the Americas. For many, a mescaline journey offers deep insight into the self and the universe, giving one a greater sense of connection and spirituality. Mescaline is also known for fostering compassion and gratitude, while also alleviating psychological disorders such as anxiety, depression, PTSD and addiction. «Trips», the intense psychedelic experience for the user, may be pleasurable and enlightening or anxiety-producing and unpleasant (known as a «bad trip»). There is no way to know how a user’s mescaline experience may ultimately play out.