Alchemica

October 18, 2023

This area has been of interest to me in the past, even though I'm not into bioassaying these days. Here's a literature review and some research

mammillaria | PDF Host

October 7, 2023

Tried to briefly explore Tabernaemontana undulata to see if it has potential merit for anti-addictive properties.

tabernaemontana | PDF Host

October 3, 2023

2 hours ago, fyzygy said:

Is Sceletium emarcidum comparable to tortuosum? Haven't come across that one before.

It's said by some including herbalistics to be "valued as highly as S. tortuosum in Southern Africa by different tribes and makes a very good Kougoed product". and I vaguely remember Torsten (but don't quote me) making mention of it not really mattering if you grow emarcidum vs tortuosum. Personally, there's something nicer about tortuosum but my brain isn't a good test subject. Phytochemically, it seems the emarcidum is 4'-O-demethylated mesembrine-type alkaloids (phenolic alkaloids) over the parent mesembrine-type alkaloids. It seems to root up a lot easier from cuttings, grows quickly and grows a lot easier in many climates. That said, some people have fermented up emarcidum and not noted much effect but even tortuosum can be hit and miss with some people.

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I had no luck rooting the lampranthus you sent a while back. But D. bosseranum seed has yielded a cluster of tiny seedlings.

Yeah I have varied success with different cuttings at the best of times but good to hear what's worked for you.

October 2, 2023

26 minutes ago, fyzygy said:

What does "true form" mean?

My botanical nomenclature probably sucks but that's just to distinguish it from the common hybrids that often get sold as Aptenia cordifolia (eg red flowered varieties). This is the one (sets seed too)

September 27, 2023

I've devoted quite a bit of time to researching succulents so would like to share the love.

Can spare a couple (2) packs [Edit: one left] of free mixed succulents to the first couple of people interested (reply here and I'll get back to you)

1. Sceletium tortuosum cuttings

2. Sceletium emarcidum cuttings

3. Delosperma bosseranum mature plants
4. Delosperma echinatum cuttings

5. Trichodiadema stellatum cuttings

6. Lampranthus spectabilis (red) cuttings
7. Mesembryanthemum (Aptenia) cordifolium (purple) true form seedlings/cuttings. Can also include others including Aptenia haeckeliana if interested
8. maybe some Lampranthus aureus cutting

No WA/TAS

Something like this:

Some of them can be a challenge to root up but see how you go. Only express interest if you're dedicated and keen please.

I'll include postage.

September 26, 2023

Don't think I have any M. crystallinum seed left from when I grew it and I found it hard to propagate from cuttings as it's so fleshy but it's pretty easy to grow from seed so I'd personally just grab some cheap seeds eg Ice plant seeds | The Seed Collection

September 23, 2023

Nice summary, well done.

As another area that's been researched (and patented):

We also see immunological benefits, ultra-potent blockade of proinflammatory markers like TNF-α at pM levels (sub-psychoactive doses) with some 5-HT2AR agonists like (R)-DOI which is promising on many levels, it plays a key role in inflammation, its production and signaling contribute to many inflammation related diseases.

TNF-α and TNF-α receptor-mediated inflammatory pathways have been strongly implicated in a number of diseases including atherosclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, type II diabetes, irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn's disease, and septicemia (e.g., Reimold, 2002; Popa et al., 2007; Williams et al., 2007). Significantly, TNF-α and other cytokine induced inflammatory pathways also have been linked to psychiatric conditions such as depression and bipolar disorder (Dunn et al., 2005; Kim et al., 2007), as well as schizophrenia (Saetre et al., 2007), and neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease and stroke (Tweedie et al., 2007).

US9642819B2 - Low dosage serotonin 5-HT2A receptor agonist to suppress inflammation - Google Patents

September 3, 2023

35 minutes ago, Ishmael Fleishman said:

So are you saying that having to many 5-HT2A receptors can actually make you more depressed/suicidal? Is the quantity of 5-HT2A receptors determined by genetics or environment or both? I come from a family of depressed people however we all lived in a very bad environment - inter-generational political violence and racial suppression - aka apartheid.

I think I would easily have a Bmax value. Can you get easily tested for Bmax value?

Either overexpression of 5-HT2Rs with increased binding density or an altered regional expression of 5-HT2s seems to be common. There are polymorphisms of the 5-HT2A gene that can lead to changes in the density of those receptors but it more likely seems to be a complex interplay of genetics, environment and life-experiences that shape such an outcome [1]. There's likely epigenetic effects where adverse trauma could be transmitted transgenerationally, leading to an impact on, in part, the serotonin system.

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I think I would easily have a Bmax value. Can you get easily tested for Bmax value?

Not easily, it would likely only be if you're part of a special research study such would be possible

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However with such a short half-life Sandomigran. Should it not have any attenuation after a few days of Sandomigran abstinence?

Depending how potent an antagonist it is of the 5-HT2A receptor. Often as a "washout" a period of greater than 5 half-lives is used to estimate the practically total elimination of a drug and the cessation of it's pharmacological effects

"Starting from a steady state, 5 half-lives will remove 97% or a drug; whereas 10 half-lives will remove 99.9% of a drug"

September 3, 2023

2 hours ago, Ishmael Fleishman said:

In the last year I have started getting migraines.

I was given rizatriptan (Maxalt, Maxalt-MLT) this helps with the acute symptoms. However I have just hesitantly started Sandomigran as a preventative. Since rizatriptan by itself effective I have to use four tabs a day everyday to keep the migraines away.

Now looking at the wiki page Sandomigran got me asking a few questions.

I am not a neuropharmacologist so forgive my silly questions.

Sandomigran is an antiserotonin medication which has been effective in in the treatment of serotonin syndrome or MDMA overdose.

From my limited understanding Mescaline is very similar to MDMA. Does this means that Sandomigran would inhibit the binding of Mescaline to the 5-HT_2A receptor? Sandomigran half life is 23 hours.

Secondly could it be used to end a challenging mescaline experience being a antiserotonergic medication? Or to help come down from mescaline experience to help with sleep like some people use benzos.

Thirdly question is Sandomigran acts as an antidepressant, or for the treatment of anxiety or social phobia. The classical model says that depression is caused by a lack of serotonin - we know this to be largely incorrect. How can a Serotonin receptor antagonist in the classical model of depression treat depression if it reduces the binding of serotonin?

Things like ketanserin have been used as 5-HT2AR antagonists to block/attenuate the 'psychotomimetic' effects of psychedelics but interestingly, the combined effects of a 5-HT2AR antagonist and classical hallucinogens seems to retain some of the therapeutically beneficial effects ie antidepressant and some neural effects [1] so it's likely there would be attenuation of the hallucinogenic effects by sandomigran, particularly with a less potent agonist like mescaline (cyproheptadine which is related is OTC and probably would do the same). Similarly, olanzapine with decent affinity to 5-HT2ARs (along with D2Rs) seems to be used by some as an antipsychotic 'trip kill' [2] and is often conventional medicine's go to, to attenuate a bad trip/psychotic reactions. That said other schools of thought suggest the trip should not be aborted with such and instead benzodiazepines used as an anxiolytic to support a less anxiety-provoking reaction and social support be used more.

Mescaline is quite a 'shotgun' pharmacologically, with diverse binding profiles aside from 5-HT2 agonism ie adrenergic affinity etc. The stimulant effects from adrenergic etc activity might be somewhat attenuated by the antihistaminergic activity of sandomigran.

ie Mescaline has strong affinity [3] to 4.00 Alpha2C, 3.97 5ht2b, 3.61 5ht1a, 3.44 Imidazoline1, 3.16 5ht1e, 2.92 Alpha2A receptors much more so than 5-HT2ARs.'

Serotonin antagonists particularly 5-HT2 antagonists seem to be used in depression (think things like mirtazapine, which has that as a partial mechanism of action) as antagonism of the 5-HT2 receptor can have some pro-dopaminergic effects. Similarly, there are some PET studies linking depression and suicidality to overly high densities of 5-HT2 receptors, and it is thought one of the therapeutic effects of 5-HT2A agonists on depression (so too SSRIs) is to downregulate the excessively dense level of 5-HT2Rs, a similar outcome can be achieved through 5-HT2 antagonism.

The density (Bmax) of 5-HT2A receptors was significantly higher (by 39%) in depressed patients than in controls. Suicidal patients had significantly higher Bmax values than controls or non-suicidal patients. [4]

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Lastly does anyone have any experience with herbal based Treatments for Migraines?

Not personal experience but I've heard of people using feverfew which has some evidence base for use. You might want to consider such.

July 21, 2023

Been trying to find answers to whether Bobinsana bark should be treated as a potential MAOI due to possible β-carbolines or if the modern guides are correct in stating:

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"There are some rumors about Bobinsana containing psychoactive alkaloids however these are completely unproven by any lab test and the effects of Bobinsana do not coincide at all with the effects of the rumored alkaloids."

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"...it is generally believed species of Calliandra do not produce alkaloids, they are characterised instead by the synthesis of non-protein amino acids which are pipecolic acid and their derivatives"

Here's some very preliminary TLC results and a write-up

Bobinsana.pdf

Note: The initial UV fluorescent band was only visible with one wavelength light and a more typical UV light failed to show it, contrary to more common β-carbolines which were strongly visible

If anyone has input that would be appreciated.

June 27, 2023

Thanks for the interest. All done for now.

June 23, 2023

Can now offer quite a few free larger plants if anyone's interested:

June 23, 2023

My white sage has gotten to a decent size.

Let me know if anyone can use free white sage - I tend to bundle it into smudge-thingos but can do loose leaf etc

June 10, 2023

28 minutes ago, fyzygy said:

I have, just now. Only, I don't really have any spiritual insights to feed DALL-E2. More like cues for visual cliches.

Thanks for sharing.

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I also tried outputting a botanical illustration, with a given species name, but nothing even remotely plausible came back.

I've found the same for lots of botanicals, oddly if I request something like a Trichocereus flower or plant sometimes something comes back that's passible. Putting in things like 'Sceletium tortuosum' was no good but more broadly 'Mesembryanthemum' sort of worked.

June 9, 2023

Wondering if anyone has personally used AI (DALL-E etc) to portray the more 'uplifted'/transcendent levels of consciousness or unfolding of spiritual transformations, personal spiritual insights etc, particularly if you're art inept like me?

Be keen to see what you've generated via such if you have played around with such, it almost gives a creative visual outlet for portraying such to those who are normally verbosely language-tied in their worldviews

Here's some of my attempts

June 8, 2023

I've been busy expanding on this research, hopefully it's of interest/inspiration to others:

So far the research extends to:

Citizen TLC Phytochemical Screening of Diverse Mesembryanthemums
https://pdfhost.io/v/gugGrtnCj_

Phytochemistry of Aptenia
https://pdfhost.io/v/dq6SpR9nM_aptenia

Citizen TLC analysis of marketed commercial Sceletium tortuosum products: https://pdfhost.io/v/SVvI3PQwb_TLC_commercial_sceletium_produc

Using TLC to guide discovery of hypothetical new Kanna substitutes
https://pdfhost.io/v/A4u.08qVQ_kanna_substitutes_TLC

Utilising yeasts to encourage the bioconversion of mesembrine-type alkaloids

yeasts to encourage bioconversi | PDF Host

Initial TLC study of an uncharacterised Sceletium ('Little Karoo')

https://pdfhost.io/v/.ASjnTMdo_Initial_TLC_study_of_an_unchara

Sceletium Chemotypes - Characterisation of a 'Superior Quality' Sceletium product

sceletium chemotypes | PDF Host

Reagent analysis of phytochemicals - application to Sceletium spp and Mesembryanthemums.
Reagent analysis of phytochemicals - application to Sceletium spp and Mesembryanthemums. | PDF Host

May 22, 2023

I've been re-exploring this in my research lately. All in all, even I'm now hesitant to explore this one personally due to odd effects longer-term on lowering dopamine and the fact that it has not been widely used/marketed by others suggests there may be need for caution

Exploring the Magnoliaceae.pdf

anonaine-final.pdf

I came to the conclusion:

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Interestingly, despite relatively potent DAT inhibition, the longer-term net effect of (-)-anonaine on dopamine seems to be decreased dopamine content, potentially via interfering with dopamine biosynthesis via tyrosine hydroxylase [4]. This may be why, contrary to psychostimulant effects, the more traditional use of plants containing (-)-anonaine does not seem to reflect those expected in the case of more typical dopamine transporter inhibition.

Also, caution is required as some studies have noted potential neurotoxicity from Annonaceae extracts [5] with some reports of atypical parkinsonism being noted. That said, while methanol extracts have displayed toxicity, hexane extracts were devoid of such, so it may not be the anonaine and related alkaloids responsible for neurotoxicity, instead it is possible Annonaceous acetogenins may be responsible.

Nonetheless, psychostimulant activity seems to be lacking in anonaine containing plants:

Several species of Annona (Annonaceae) are used in traditional Mexican medicine due to their anti-anxiety, anticonvulsant, and tranquilizing properties

May 19, 2023

I have Scutellaria lateriflora and S. baicalensis seedlings if they are of use to you (can spare one of each), just get them a bit bigger on the heat mat before they'd be good to send. I'll keep you in the loop. They tend to die back, the S. lateriflora in particular down here over winter so getting them a bit bigger on the heat mat will help them along

Otherwise I've ordered from Skullcap seeds (happyvalleyseeds.com.au)
Skullcap Baical seeds (happyvalleyseeds.com.au)

May 16, 2023

While the Sceletium has been showing continued promise for modulating mood and other dimensions, I've been experiencing significant and quite debilitating catatonic features for a long time and poor sleep quality but was personally hesitant to initiate the conventional lorazepam benzodiazepine therapy for catatonia due to the addictive nature of BZDs and past issues with addiction.

Decided to try higher dose baicalin extract and akin to the rapid resolution of catatonia seen with a lorazepam-challenge, there was robust rapid acute resolution of the catatonic features, agitation and somewhat improved sleep quality. Just able to feel slightly chill for once. Very early days but it seems to be quite useful and also stabilising for one's mental state.

The improvement of catatonic features was noted on second dose etc but as the features have been ingrained quite heavily, there's occasional return of posturing etc

Subjective downsides:

- waking up in the morning is harder, significant cognitive clouding etc (anything even slightly sedative does this to me)

- reduced CNS arousal negatively impacts mental state

The baicalin also shows diverse additional features over lorazepam that intrigue me and are relevant to my situation.

Found about 1/2 tsp of 85% baicalin was sufficient

S. baicalensis and it's primary active constituent baicalin has diverse pharmacological properties. In particular, baicalin seems to have promising CNS activity [1].

Antidepressant- and anxiolytic-like properties (the latter mediated through the activation of benzodiazepine binding site of GABAA receptors)

Inhibits prolyl oligopeptidase dose-dependently, having potential benefits for schizophrenia, bipolar affective disorder, and related neuropsychiatric diseases [2].

Can potentially be used to treat dopaminergic dysfunction-associated CNS diseases (incl. neurodegenerative and ADHD). It's able to protect dopaminergic neurons and modulate brain dopamine levels, thus serving as a potentially effective novel treatment for ADHD [3].

In schizophrenia, addition of baicalin (1.5g/day) to atypical antipsychotics led to greater improvements in both primary and secondary negative symptoms than those treated with antipsychotics alone - seems to have efficacy for predominant negative symptoms and in improving cognitive function [4].

Able to facilitate remyelination in various models of CNS disorders and suppress neuroinflammation [5]

Baicalin can:
- pass through the blood–brain barrier
- stimulate neurogenesis
- promote neural differentiation and inhibit neuronal apoptosis
- inhibit neuroinflammation and oxidative stress
- promote CNS myelin repair

Shown to be relatively nontoxic when given orally

May 11, 2023

Currently I'm finding I still have to not expect the kanna to do all the heavy lifting mood wise, it's really a tool that opens a potentiality for better states but without following through with behavioural activation/valued action you rapidly can sink back into the abyss.

With a disability, I find the whole movement/dance/loosing your sh*t aspect nicely therapeutic to couple with the kanna as it's cognitively non-demanding and easily achievable behavioural activation at home that is not dependent on others. It's a sense of aliveness to life.

Other areas I'm focusing on are:

Connection. Improving some social engagements
Independence. Gaining small steps of growth in self-care and independence doing very simple tasks myself
Meaningful Pursuits
Growth - for me, currently just trying to be content, happy

"Dance is a pleasurable and captivating activity that involves motor, cognitive, visuospatial, social, and emotional engagement. Although practiced for thousands of years in rituals and as a leisure activity, the long-term effects of systematic dance on cognition, and brain structure and function are not well understood."

Currently, there is increasing interest in dance as a therapeutic intervention for various clinical groups, ranging from developmental disorders, to neurological disorders such as schizophrenia (Martin et al., 2016) and mood disorder, neuromotor disorders such as Parkinson’s disease, to dementia prevention and management.

Movement Medicine

The efficacy of dance lies in its cognitive-affective-sensorimotor power to effect change’ and includes all aspects of the body-heartmind-spirit continuum. This continuum includes, transcends and bridges movement between the self, humanity, the world and divinity

While for some it seem effortless, for some people it actually takes as much (or even more) courage and effort to choose an attitude of happiness, pleasure and gratitude as it does to let go of difficult emotions. It often requires an active choice, which needs to be renewed and renewed, instead of unconsciously and habitually emphasising struggle, suffering and hardship.

It offers qualities such as:

- being wholly present in the moment
- an absence of thoughts
- a sense of expansion or dissolving into the cosmos
- distortion of time and space; experiences of non-duality
- and a lost sense of self or ego

If one can keep dancing through fear, the unknown, anxiety, avoidance and resistance, and eventually come out ‘on the other side’. Life seemingly becomes easier, and therefore they are willing to ‘invest’ in that reward. ‘Surviving’ these challenges often eventually results in increased self-confidence through knowing from experience that one is able to handle more than one initially thought. This is comparable to a ‘spiritual emergence’. Through the embodied experience of this cycle of descent, crisis and emergence, spirituality becomes a lived and living experience, rather than an abstract, external, metaphysical and transcendent concept

Both the ‘feel-good feelings’ and the reward of emerging from a ‘dark night of the soul’ seem to stimulate happiness and well-being in general. One can consciously make an effort to increase and spread this zest for life.

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"The art of living is based on rhythm — on give and take, ebb and flow, light and dark, life and death. By acceptance of all aspects of life, good and bad, right and wrong, yours and mine, the static, defensive life, which is what most people are cursed with, is converted into a dance, ‘the dance of life,’ metamorphosis. One can dance to sorrow or to joy; one can even dance abstractly. … But the point is that, by the mere act of dancing, the elements which compose it are transformed; the dance is an end in itself, just like life. The acceptance of the situation, any situation, brings about a flow, a rhythmic impulse towards self-expression. To relax is, of course, the first thing a dancer has to learn. It is also the first thing a patient has to learn. It is the first thing any one has to learn in order to live. It is extremely difficult, because it means surrender, full surrender.

Life, as we all know, is conflict, and man, being part of life, is himself an expression of conflict. If he recognizes the fact and accepts it, he is apt, despite the conflict, to know peace and to enjoy it. But to arrive at this end, which is only a beginning (for we haven’t begun to live yet!), a man has got to learn the doctrine of acceptance, that is, of unconditional surrender, which is love."

- Henry Miller

The psychological "holdings" in the body as the result of traumas, poor posture, or stress can be released, lulling the person into a "hookup" [peaceful, meditative state]:- given the choice between old painful "holdings" and new, freer movements, the unconscious will automatically choose the latter

By moving the body, restrictive patterns can be changed, promoting relaxation and mental clarity.

Also exploring therapeutic Drumming:

Normally I'm an extreme stereotypic stimmer (flapping), which is one thing that kind of has no 'end result of health' associated with it, you can get worked up/modulate arousal levels but it doesn't have any personal sense of peace, connection, healing etc associated with it.

The next level lately has been to embrace super unco 'drumming', which I've tried to get into a long time ago but I couldn't even manage to sense rhythm back then where my head was. Lately, I've been trying it again, learning to crank some techno and kill the rhythm fast as I can (starting just simply, tapping a table). I can attest, it does something quite nice to your mental-emotional-spiritual state, particularly at high bpm. Found it therapeutic enough that I want to ingrain it as a new habit over flapping, so whipped up a $0 drum from an old indoor planter and made it more interesting (second pic).

"Drumming produces an altered state of consciousness and an experience of a rush of energy from the vibrations, with physical stimulation producing emotional release"

My $0 drum

It's able to calm one down and help a person deal with stress in their lives. “Drumming helps them to experience a kind of peacefulness and provides a spiritual learning context [potential to access a “higher power” and reestablish connections with their “natural selves.”].

Learning to 'drum' leads to positive changes in brain function and behaviour among those with mental illness [1] autistic people [2] and in addiction [3].

Improvements in:

- hedonia (natural pleasurable experiences)

- agency

- accomplishment

- engagement (focus and flow)

- defining the self/self-awareness

- produces the sense of connectedness

- improved synchronicity between brain regions responsible for inhibitory control, which prevents impulsivity.

- improvements to social skills and social well-being

- reduces hyperactivity and attentional difficulties

- enhances hypnotic susceptibility, increases relaxation, and induces shamanic experiences

- release of emotional trauma

- addresses self-centeredness, isolation, and alienation

- enhanced sensorimotor coordination and integration

[1] https://doi.org/10.1080%2F17482631.2018.1484219

[2] https://neurosciencenews.com/drumming-asd-attention-20802/

[3] https://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/full/10.2105/AJPH.93.4.647

"

May 11, 2023

31 minutes ago, Strontium Dawg said:

It would be interesting to see a comparison of your experience if you'd just gone off SSRIs without going straight onto Kanna. You might be feeling some of these effects simply as a rebound from the SSRIs...?

True but mood was too low to not quickly implement something as an option for mood enhancement. I wouldn't be surprised if the removal of the SSRI allowed a fuller range of feelings to emerge - removing the SSRI-induced emotional blunting and reducing induced akathisia - but during the week of washout, all emotions were extremely negative, it wasn't until the kanna was implemented that gradually positive emotions started to build.

There were a few days of extreme emotional lability on the transition and after a couple of weeks the moods began to not be so volatile. I described a more longer-term leveling out of the effects of the kanna where "rather than the more acute robust uplift and transformative effects initially, almost a sort of tolerance to the effect but with improved baseline mental states" was noted

"

May 11, 2023

27 minutes ago, fyzygy said:

^ Timeframe, dosage, etc.?

I've been exploring mainly plain (?fermented) powdered raw herb (source Koda, sometimes Medicine Garden), at doses from a 1/4 tsp up and using it as added PRN as needed. Some of the other extracts on ebay etc seem potentially questionable

I used a cold-turkey 5.5 half-life washout of the maximal dose SSRI and straight onto the kanna, just using plain herb. Naturally, the washout was really unpleasant but was only ~week to rough out which is easy enough when mood has been dysphorically shitty long-term.

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is it something that takes repeated administrations in order to become effective?

The first few days on the kanna were not overly remarkable but slowly an organic contentedness started to build which was solid basis for broadening and building other states from. Social things were still very challenging, probably harder during the transition which is understandable when you're in a state of change.

Some of the case-study literature (as per article in original post's link) suggests therapeutic benefits in MDD, anxiety, personality disorders etc may be seen in the 10-14 day period

Still good days and bad days but at least there are good days to build from

May 10, 2023

Lately I've been comparing the subjective efficacy of S. tortuosum as an antidepressant vs high dose SSRIs and interestingly that has opened up a dimension where I've seen it's a personally effective tool for encouraging psycho-social-spiritual personal growth and deeper self-inquiry

Case Study - The Subjective Clinical, Psychotherapeutic and Spiritual Benefits of Sceletium tortuosum in severe mental illness.pdf

Full write up:

The concept that beyond the antidepressant and anxiolytic effects with cognitive enhancement noted in clinical studies, there may be some merits for psychotherapeutic use has been suggested by Nigel Gericke where he states it may have benefits for

• facilitating psychotherapy

• facilitating meditative and spiritual states

I've noted:

- Prosocial and emotional enhancements - encourages a feeling mode, anxiolysis facilitates direct and open communication with others
- Contact with the present moment as 'still', improved cognitive clarity and suppression of mind chatter opens a state more conducive to learning a more meditative state
- Acute mood improvements suppress downward negative emotional spirals of anger, blame, self-hatred etc into a more accepting embrace of peaceful acceptance of the moment
- Feelings of some elements of spirituality, eg embrace of more self-transcendent states, gentle ego-dissolution, positive emotions encourage a more open mental process of appreciating beauty, the uplift of emotions and cognitive fluidity can broaden-and-build mental states of openness to experience, more profound shifts in mental state can encourage consideration of the Divine in one's life

It's been interesting simply freeing my way of feeling and thinking a bit, the Kanna seemingly serving as a mild empathogenic ego-dissolution tool that is dose-dependently gentle in action, which has clinical merits over more rapid and robust ego-dissolution seen with 5-HT2AR agonists etc (personally more in line with an empathogenic action), particularly for fragile mental states that may be susceptible to more pathological hallucinations. It's also very emotionally friendly as in it encourages a heart-centred way of thinking, feeling and being

Some subjective clinical benefits I've observed in the reasonably short time period:

Gradual but robust improvement in mood which is once again quite dose dependent.

Greater cognitive clarity, reductions in cognitive complaints, intrusive lines of thinking and improved time that I can focus on tasks, improved receptiveness to the world around me, rather than being stuck in my own mind

A sense of pleasure and enjoyment, currently fairly restricted to very simple activities like movement and dance, 'drumming', feeling rhythm more deeply but very gradually a return to enjoyment of more mundane everyday tasks, cooking, mowing the lawn

This embrace of the now as more pleasurable, valued and meaningful has somewhat hindered the desire for more goal-directed tasks but I still feel it's personally valuable to have an improved hedonic baseline in the moment that is not so dependent on goal-directed activity

Improved emotional tone and states of feeling over obsessive analytical thinking

Reductions in sensorimotor stereotypies and aberrant ASD related behavious which are slowly being embraced by a more free flowing way of movement through life. Whereas I always felt held down by life, I've been able to hold my head higher and put my chin up and be more comfortable in myself and that is slowly reflected in my body posture

Transient states of self-transcendence and spiritual moments, from embracing a more present moment way of thinking to even embracing an all-loving sense of something greater than me in the universe, or higher power particularly within nature. I've felt there be this all-encompassing sense of light in the darkness, the need to pray and hold myself in devotion to such etc.

Robust anxiolysis and greater inner calm and peacefulness in my mind, rather than being at war with myself which is slowly reflecting in my ability to have more positive social relationships

Reductions in positive symptoms - AVHs have drastically reduced in intensity (despite resisting conventional antipsychotics) from harsh, persecutory and denigratory to a generally more absent status and slowly less pathological self-talk has become softer, quieter and easier to deal with

Reductions in agitation and catatonic posturing

A sense of stronger healthier self-concept and self-empowerment, the ability to be more in control of my mental state rather than 'driven by pathology'

I've found that quite often it's our mind's own rigidity and ego barriers that are constraining our consciousness to realms of pain and suffering. A heavily ingrained 'allegiance to pain and suffering' seems to be one of the significant cognitive biases that our brains can be pinned down into low states of consciousness by.

By simply loosening those cognitive constraints in a more loving, gentle, kind and spiritualised direction, rigid loops of dysfunctional thinking patterns can slowly be loosened or literally blown away, freeing up new ways of thinking that may be less fear-based, pathological, freer, more loving and kinder to ourselves and others

While there is the need to pathologise some aspects of mental functioning, too heavy an ingrained thought pattern of pathology and 'biomedical fixing' constrains you to a dimension where it is always heavy and dark.

If you see the beauty, feel the love and peace, cultivate the compassion and kindness towards yourself you can seemingly slowly slay the demons in your mind - I like the line "the monsters in my head are scared of love". It's not an overnight process and it takes lots of repetition to stabilise a more positive growth mentality but it's worth it, and slowly that inner work has the chance to make life more easy to deal with each day

I was inspired to create this "Devotion to the Heart and Light' by some of the experiences

May be an image of Vanda orchid

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Whereas on the maximal SSRI dose it felt like negative emotions were stuck within me, on the kanna I didn't have to hold onto anger, dysphoria, pain and downward negative emotional spirals as me and could now begin to embrace new possibilities despite significant limitations. From the glimmers of contentedness, it felt like new emotions could broaden and build from that but I had to put in the effort to create those states. It wasn't a pushy mania 'high' but an opportunity to grow. For me, that choice was to simply dance with my emotions instead of letting the negative take over me and pin me down.

I noticed in switching, contrary to the blocking and blunting of SSRIs, there was a new inner emotional landscape that was opening up. It wasn't the kind of hedonistic happiness that some seek but it was emotional depth of polarity. Some moments would be feeling like I was about to burst into tears (and did) but with that there was a background of greater emotional resilience with the possibility that those states of sadness could be felt for a moment, then transcended into new more positive emotions.

I've often felt that psych medicines can be more 'filters' or even constraints to consciousness that lock you into a fixed mental state, which can be useful to taper intensity of suffering but this experience with kanna was one of something positive growing in me, a glimmer of aliveness. A new ability to make a 'choice' other than being miserable. Also, there was a sense of enjoyment that started to build, which had been lacking. Before I was always pushing myself to do things like the runs etc to feel better, now I could simply enjoy going for a run. Music sounded good, whereas before it was simply drowning out woes. Movement, no matter how unco and simple, felt pleasurable.

It'll take a while and effort to keep choosing a more positive choice over sadness to build a hedonic baseline of some level of happiness but in deep dark depressions, I think you don't always have that capacity to begin to develop a new more positive choice because nothing feels positive. Something opened in me, I felt more deeply and a gentle activation energy to do positive things opened, on a backdrop of greater contentedness

May 2, 2023

PM'd

April 20, 2023

Anyone used the stems/roots of this common ornamental and have experience with it?

Exploring a common Apocynaceae - Catharanthus roseus

The cytotoxic vinca alkaloid constituents are only found in the aerial parts of Catharanthus roseus (Figure 1), the roots are used in several countries as decocts or hot water extracts for the treatment of a number of conditions.

The dried root is an industrial source of ajmalicine (raubasine), which increases the blood flow in the brain and peripheral parts of the body. Preparations of it are used to treat the psychological and behavioural problems of senility, sensory problems (dizziness, tinnitus), cerebrovascular accidents, cranial traumas and their neurological sequelae.

In general, toxicity showed that both extracts and isolated compounds are safe to a certain limit, beyond that they cause adverse effects [1]. That said, the yield of vinblastine and vincristine from C. roseus aerial parts is is low, whereas the precursors, catharanthine and vindoline, are present in higher concentrations [2]. In the stem, there was in micrograms per milligram fresh weight (FW): catharanthine, 0.506 ± 0.044; ajmalicine, 0.071 ± 0.022; serpentine, 0.397 ± 0.031; tabersonine, 0.017 ± 0.003; and vindoline, 0.0026 ± 0.0002 (0.5mg/g fresh weight catharanthine in stem)

Figure 1. The Catharanthus roseus plants used in this paper.

The condensation of catharanthine and vindoline is an absolute requirement for the formation of vinblastine and, later, vincristine. As vindoline is required to synthesise the cytotoxic constituents but does not exist in the roots of C. roseus, but only in the green parts of the plant, no vincristine nor vinblastine can be found in the roots of this species

In the plant, vindoline is a major constituent (up to 0.5%).Major alkaloids in the roots include ajmalicine, catharanthine, and serpentine. Another source mentions ajmalicine and serpentine are essentially present in the roots, whereas catharanthine and vindoline accumulate in aerial parts. The aerial parts contain 0.2-1% alkaloids [3] Roots to be used in pharmacy must contain at least 0.4% ajmalicine and serpentine

Catharanthine (Figure 2) from Catharanthus roseus has been proposed to be a pharmacological treatment for addiction without the adverse side effects associated with ibogaine. It "slows DA reuptake and increases extracellular DA in the nucleus accumbens through partial inhibition of DATs" [4,5] and potentiates GABAARs [6] The root alkaloids from C. roseus root seem to be potent AChE inhibitors and catharanthine exhibited nicotinic receptor antagonism [7]. It has antidepressant activity via SERT inhibition and modulating NE [8]

Figure 2. Catharanthine

Ajmalicine has antihypertensive effects [9]

Experimental: Root material was macerated in basified isopropanol (aq. ammonia) and concentrated to a small sample. TLC (silica, 0.2mm, glass backed, I₂ visualisation) gave poor separation of the constituents with a mixed solvent of acetone:white spirits:1:1. White spirits gave better results with a major constituent Rf = 0.42 and some lesser Rf bands.