friendly

I just watched a show on plant intelligence (don't remember the name, not very intelligent of me) on the Science channel and there was a bit about Desmodium gyratum, the dancing plant. This plant actually moves to music. At first it's a little shy, but as it becomes more acclimated to music it sways and '...can become a very good ballet dancer..." with continued practice. I watched it sway back and forth to flute music and was convinced it was not a trick. However, I think independant, first-hand confirmation would be valuable. I haven't looked, but most lilkey seeds are available. It is native to India and most likely southern Asia. I haven't yet checked the usual sources for alkaloid information, but wouldn't be surprised if it showed positive.

Silverhill Seeds and Dr. Nigel Gericke both confirmed to me at the time that there was indeed a diesase that swept through the Sceletium species plants in the late 90's-early 2000's, both cultivated and wild. As I mentioned earlier, I have not been involved with the project for some time and stated that the problem may have been resolved. Indeed, the fact that Dr. Gericke has progressed far enough in his cultivation efforts to be able to consider commercial applications on a large scale confirms this. I am glad to learn that the seeds and plants are both doing well in their native habitats.

Zen Peddler: I owe you an apology. I saw that my 'reputation' button (something new I had not noticed previously) had been pressed by someone unknown and given me a 1, so without thinking I pressed the button on your entry to see what would happen. I did not mean to give you a negative reputation, and I cannot find out how to reverse my action, so I gave you a positive 1 in your next entry to try to undo any damage I may have caused. Please accept my apology; there was no malice intended, just stupidity on my part. omtao, friendly

Back in the late 90's. When S.d. was new and the flavor of the month, people were claiming extracts of 100x. I never believed any of the claims for higher concentrations, as most of the mnanufacturers were fly by night operations that did not have the knowledge or necessary equipment to concencrate and titrate such products. One company sent me samples--without request--of their products, which went all the way up to 100x, and I could not tell the diference between any of them. They all looked like bunk untreated leaf with nothing added. There was no discernable difference betwen the 5x and the 100x. There were only two trustworthy, real, standardized to strength extracts out in the early days. One was sold as 'incense', consisting of depleted leaf onto which a measured amount of Salvinorin-a was deposited and came in a 5x and 10x vial, while the other was a full-spectrum 5x which contained all of the S.d components concentrated to five times normal strength and re-deposited on depleted leaf. Neither is still available commercially. Arpund the time I was working on the paper 'The Other Psychoactive Salvias' (which can be found on many sites worldwide by goopling the title and 'by friendly') I discovered that the hardheadedness of some can be mitigated by having them smoke a few hits of one of the other psychoactive Salvias, such as S. splendens, S. coccinea, S. argenta, etc. This often relaxes them enough to allow the experience to unfold by removing the normal mind's inclination to ignore or resist the S.d. effects.

S.d. is indeed extremely powerful, and if you don't remember much of what happened, you probably got too large a dose. I have never even used an extract as the plant works fine for me just as is. The highly concentrated extracts out there now (if you believe that they really are the strength stated. I have my doubts.) are dangerous enough to cause the unseasoned to do thinge like jump through unopened glass doors and crasch through windows--check out utube for an assortment of dumb things done by those who didn't take the plant seriouosly enough. However, I have seen this happen just from using the leaf and not an extract. Propper preparation is the key. It's this kind of inexperienced and foolhgardy behavior that has led to listing and prohibiting of S.d. in several of the states over the past few years, with more jumping aboard that bus every year. There are adequate new users guides online so life threatening experoiences don't have to happpen if only they are read and the information utilized.

I humbly suggest the CRC Ethnobotany Desk Reference by Timothy Johnson, CRC Press, 1998 to be another valuable reference guide with 28659 plants listed by (1) Species name, (2)common name, (3) Family, (4) Range, (5) action, (6) Used to Treat, (7) Contains, (8) Indigenous use, (9) Use, (10) Body part treated, (11) Habitat, and (12) Comments, for each plant listed. I have run into a few who have disagreements with the book for various reasons, but I have found it to be an extraordinarily valuable resource. For specifically entheogenic plants and related matters, I can find no better reference than Garden of Eden, self published by Snu Voogelbreinder in 2009. A similar volume to the first, but more specific is Native American Ethnobotany by Daniel E. Moerman, Timber Press, 1998. It goes even further than CRC in it's descriptions and usages by native peoples of North America.

I do believe that most of what is sold as Sceletium tortuosum--which has the highest content of mesembrine (and less of the other somewhat toxic mesembrinic compounds) of all the mesembrine containing plants discovered so far--is actually another species of Sceletium, as there was a disease in South Africa that nearly wiped out the wild and cultivated tortuosum strains some 15 or so years ago. I know this from my seed source who informed me of it and also from Dr. Nigel Gericke who was dealing with the problem during his Sceletium tortuosum cultivation attempts at the time. S. emarcadium or S. nova are two that are of the most likely to be found sold as S. tortuosum, both as seed and plants. There are others I have seen that I couldn't identify, as well. There may have been a resurgence of the plant species in the wild, but I haven't kept up the past few years. The best (online) source for true S. tortuosum seeds used to be Silverhill Seeds of South Africa. They stopped carrying those and all other species of Sceletium many years ago due to the problems with gathering any due to the disease, but time has gone by and they may once again be offering Sceletium species seeds. Like I say, I have not been involved with this project for some time. Dr. Gericke, though is part of an effort to market S. tortuosum (cultivated, and of guaranteed potency) within the next 18 months in the USA as an over the counter chewing gum-type supplement called Zembrin, said to be "...mildly stimulating, like the stimulation one gets from a cigarette...", although the current economic situation may slow this down some. I have copies of his original analytical papers and screenings for pharmaceutical activities and they are quite impressive. I am sworn to secrecy, though, and cannot dislose what I know at this time. Insufflation works quite well, and often initially exposes one to the limitations of one's frame of reference. That is, the effects are compared to something with which one is familiar, and only with experience is the true nature of the plant made clear. Too large of a dose will make one dizzy and somewhat nauseous for a short while.

In the old days, it used to be widely known that if one powders a bit of Sceletium in a coffee grinder for 60 seconds and then takes the very fine powder that forms in the lid and claps the lid down on a plate to remove it, if put into small lines (30-50mg) and insuffflated the powder can cause extremely potent and fine effects. Ask any of the older members, those around since the 90's when things were just getting going in the entheo community. They should be able to tell you. I'm surprised no one seems to remember this. The plant used to be known as ----'s little sister. Anyone?

Corydalis yanhusuo is used as an analgesic and sedative in China and elsewhere. I can vouch for it's effectiveness. The 5x is still available, but the 25x is mostly pulled from the market these days. A few unscrupulous companies still provide it, despite the proven health hazards. Repeated use of the extracts is said to cause idiopsyncratic pre-hepatic syndrome in some after only a short duration of usage. Hallucinogenic? Not hardly. I see no reason to believe that related species are inactive, but advise caution with new species with unproven properties. Start with a very small amount and slowly each day work up the dose in small increments until efficacy, toxicity or placebo effects are determined. I am unfamiliar with the others. What is the title of the book, if I may ask?

I made a Sinicuichi liquid extract recently and left it in the reaction vessel over the weekend in the unheated lab. When I decanted it a few days ago, I noticed a fair quantity of brown-sugarish crystals remaining in the botttom of the vessel, probably precipitated out of the super-saturated solution by the cold weather. After drying, they weigh 4.885g. Oh Boy. Something new to play with.

I can't speak to relaxation, but for mental clarity, Cognitol is the best I have found. (Shameless self promotion)

Last night while lying awake I remembered that some years ago I tested some succulent plants of the Pleiospilos genus and found them to contain active amounts of mesembrine, but I cannot remember if I ever told anyone. I remember Pleiospilos nelli, to be specific and there was one other which I cannot remember the species name.

Ancient Chinese 'sorcerers' reportedly combined Panax ginseng with cannabis to "...see into the future." No word on whether this practice still persists, but I have no reason to doubt it does. I have always said that when used properly, the way the Chinese use it, by steaming the root overnight in a closed ceramic or glass container and then eating the root and drinking the tea, Panax ginseng acts as an entheogen. So far, I have heard of no one else who has actually tried this, and it's been many years since I put that info out there. The 25x ginseng extract that is commercially available can totally drain your adrenals in just a few days if you are so unwise as to treat it like the popular South American stimulant, which it's effects can mimic. Be forewarned; this is no plaything.

If you google the two names mentioned above, plus Cayonu, you will find much more information than I presented.

Gobek Tepe is part of a 12,000 year old temple complex in Turkey that was purposely buried thousands of years ago for reasons unknown and recently uncovered. The complexity of the temple is astonishing, especially since it was built several thousand years before civilization was supposed to have begun. There is evidence that the people who built it were the first to cultivate grains and domesticate animals, pushing the dates for these two advances back several thousand years. There are several other temples of similar age as yet unexplored in the area. Some of it's estimated 200 carved pillars have, for instance, "...a naked woman with her hair in the shape of a hemispherical mushroom cap." and "...The side of one pillar features a series of serpents with mushroom shaped heads, four winding their way downwards and a fifth one climbing up to meet them, while the other side shows several interwoven serpents wearing mushroom-like caps, eight emerging at the bottom and one at the top." I was unable to find photos of these in the article, but there were other photos that were very informative. A sister temple Nevali Cori is now under water, but you can see photos, including one of a sculpted head seen from the back wearing a serpent-like ponytail with a mushroom cap shaped object at what would seemingly be the top of the ponytail. This can be found by googling 'Nevali Cori' and clicking on the link "Images from Nevali Cori" The photo I mentioned is the third one in from the top left. The article I quoted can be found at www.philipcoppens.com/gobekli.html.

Hello All: I disappeared last year after I had a 'neurological episode' and couldn't keep up with anything anymore. I think I have now recovered enough to hopefully pick up where I left off. It's good to be back.

And here's the link to the most bald-faced internet ripoff since the Nigerian millionaire who needed help getting his money. http://64.33.33.18/herbal/lotus.htm

Here's the link to the site selling 'astral effusion' blue lily oil for $100.00 per ml. Avarice disguised as new age enlightenment for sale. I'm surprised they're still up after more than 2 years. http://64.33.33.18/herbal/lotus.htm

If you haven't already heard about this, google 'santorum' and see what happens. You will not be dissapointed. It turns out that Rick Santorum, a conservative Republican senator and now a potenetial candidate for the presidency, several years ago angered gay sex columnist Dan Savage by equating man on man sex to man on dog sex. Dan Savage then came up with a little definition for santorum that he listed on google, and through diligent efforts it has been kept at the top of the Google list ever since, and I, for one,--along with many others--would like it to stay number one as it has for years. So, please, google 'santorum' and strike a blow for freedom. Or just for a good laugh. It works the same either way. Enjoy.

I apologize and try to blame approching senility for my inadvertantly posting this in the enthobotany forum. I had no idea it was such a serious offence, although having run the very first chill space forum (called the flame pit, back then) in the 90's (long before this site) I have to admit I should have known better

I tried to post this yeaterday, but couldn't find it this morning. Did it get moved or just not get posted? Anyway, if you google 'santorum' you will get a big laugh.

My apologies. I had no intention of disrupting things or any idea it would cause such a reaction. I will try to behave from now on. Please don't santorumificate me. My grandchildren wouldn't understand.

Torsten: I assume you are referring to the best of the commercially available products from Thailand? If so, to me, they are same product under two names. I use essential oil as the term because it is solid at room temperature and liquifies when you hold it in your hand. An absolute oil, by definition, is the part of the essential oil that is solid after distillation, dissolved as much as possible in alcohol. Becuase the whole thing (what I call essential oil) solidifies at room temperature, then melts in in the heat your hand, I would call it an essential oil. If it were dissolved in alcohol,(an absolute) it should not solifidy at room temperature. At least, that is my understanding of the thing. Have you seen the extremely new-agey website that sells Blue Lily oil for $100.00 per ml? They use a lot of my published information (with no credit to the author) and have the most blatantly awful new-age 'mystic' bullshit sales pitch I have ever seen.

Hey, wait a minute. What's this about a 'friendly' ethnobot?

Once again, (sic) Thanks to all for the warm welcome. Much more of this and I will need to get a larger hat. I came to the conclusion that this would be the best place to refine my writing skills as I continue to recover. I had absolutely no energy for writing(or doing)anything for the past year, but now that my energy is returning, I need to get back into form. I will try to be as concise and informatiive as I can, but it may be a little rough around the edges for a bit. If you can get the real thing, Blue Lily essential oil inhaled nasally as an aromatherapeutic is quite excellent. Hold your breath after each inhalation. This is very important. It synergizes well with most things. Stay away from anything sourced from India, though. They don't think it smells nice enough by itself and always add their own favorite fragrances to 'make it better'.