Calea Z. and Silene Capensis...anybody else not notice any effects?

[toast]

I have heard that smoking Silene capensis leaves over at least three consecutive nights can potentiate dreams a lot.

This came from a friend that had no luck with the traditional technique of consuming the tap root froth.

[mutant]

and oh

maybe stop smoking cannabis for 2-3 days

before experimenting again with lucid dreaming

[Leaves]

I smoked about 5 grams of Calea and I could feel a slight euphoria when awake with brighter colours. When I went to sleep I checked the clock closed my eyes and proceeded to have a dream that seemed to last about a day or so but when I woke (which was always with a shock) only 2-3min had passed. This went on all night which was extremely exhausting. I saw a black cat (panther?) multiple times and it scared me to the point my heart was racing, my instinct tells me that when I see a panther in my dreams it is a warning (I think Calea was warning me of some of the people I was sharing a house with). The next night I could sleep ok but I will never be taking this plant again. Just too exhausting.

Edited July 27, 2013 by Leaves

[IndianDreaming]

Panther
To see a panther in your dream signifies lurking danger and enemies working to do you harm. It represents darkness, death, and rebirth. On a more positive note, panthers signify power, beauty and/or grace. Consider the feel of your dream to determine which meaning applies.� (DreamMoods.com)

Glad to hear it worked for you Leaves! Shame you won't take it again, there might be some insight there that could help you in your daily life?

A friend of mine once said "Sometimes plant spirits don't like it when you visit them tainted" - At the time he was referring to a fella smoking entheogens whilst on ice...

Edited July 27, 2013 by IndianDreaming

[Leaves]

I hate pure chemicals or anything that makes you obnoxious, I only eat plants or basic tea made by boiling. Extracts don't feel right to me. There has to be a reason God made all the plants the strength they are. I love old muggy (Artemisia vulgaris) for dreams. That Calea is way too strong for me. I can't get the dose right and one night turns into a marathon that seems to take a month or more. Very exhausting.

Edited July 27, 2013 by Leaves

[Auxin]

Dose was too much for your body. The ideal scenario is for it to 'disturb' the sleep cycle without actually waking you up.

Its effectively a stimulant you can fall asleep on, but too high a dose will just keep waking you up.

Even without awakening repeatedly its still tiring, IME.

Cinnamon works similarly for some people and is much gentler.

[Leaves]

Thanks Auxin, I have noticed a warm stimulant effect from cinnamon. Haven't tried it in the evening before so I will give it a go with Mugwort.

[IndianDreaming]

Sounds like you're pretty in tune with yourself Leaves - great to hear. I'm very sensitive to mugwort, but for some reason, I had to take a lot of Calea to get an effect. I have been waiting for the right time to have it again because as you mentioned, it is quite the long haul.

I've heard a very small dose of yohimbe can induce some good dreams too - has anyone tried that?

[JCMMa]

I didn't know that a lot of people doesn't remember their dreams... I'm not presuming of it... it's just a fact.

There's an ancient technique that's known as 'Dream yoga' in spanish (I don't really know the name in english...). It involves too many things that can't be discussed through here but the fact is that trying to remember your dreams after you wake up is the best you can do for training your dream recall or oneiric memory. The way to do that is simple: Do not move right after you wake up!! Try to remember your last moment in the dream and from there go backwards until you remember the first moment of the dream. Then have a writing booklet and write all the dream, just general facts (If you remember all the dream and want to write details you will spend an entire hour or more just for writing it). Do this daily and sometimes read your writings until then and you will start to notice your progress. This will also improve the color and details of the dream until all your dreams will get so lucid that they will seem more real that the 'reality' that we already know, and this is because that 'The dream world' is truly more real than this material world. You will get to the moment where you can smell delicate aromas and fell fine surfaces, all will be a lot more brilliant and colorful than never.

From this point you are at one step from lucid dreams. Next step is astral projection. Some people thinks that that's bad because you left the body, but you do it every night, the difference is that you are not aware of it. The idea is to make your body to sleep without loosing attention of the process so you will going to start dreaming totally aware, similar to a lucid dream.

Normally when you go to sleep you mind starts to project all your memories and all the impressions that you've collected through the day so you are totally distracted and when your body begins to sleep you don't notice it because of the 'world of illusions where you are when thinking' then outside of your physical body you keep living the illusion that your mind projected because the astral light (material of which the 'dream world' is made of mostly) takes the form of your mental projections and that's why you dream stupid things. This happens in the daily life too. Most people let their mind trip away and that's also the reason why they're not aware in dreams, because they're not aware in they're normal life neither.

Astral projection is better than lucid dreams only because you start dreaming totally aware from the beginning so you are already in the Real 'dream world' which is a real copy of this physical world. When in lucid dreams, you are already in the fake world made by your mind so you'll have a hard time trying to get out of that illusion and enter to the real 'dream world' but you can always do it. Other thing that people thinks is that you can get stuck there and you will not be able to return but that's false. It just takes to say 'I want to wake up' to wake up.

When in the real 'dream world' you can go to visit people or places, you can see what's in other room or even in the bottom of your house, and all those experiences will be analogue to the physical world, it's really true. The first thing you will notice if you make the astral projection is that your physical body lies in your bed. For those who have had this sort of experiences you know what I mean. So all the things that you can do there are unlimited, the limit is your mind. All what you want to know lies in that world.

This is the last advice: When on a lucid dream, try not to think!!! I know that sound weird for some of you but you have to do it. Try to make things with your heart, feelings, intuition... If you put too much mind you will mostly wake up or get stuck in a wall or something like that... That's why the limit is your mind. It will be so real that you could think that how are you going to pass through a wall and when you try to do it you will surely get stuck.

Don't think! That's the ultimate advice. It only takes to say 'I want to go to (place where you want to go)' and just jump and fly to there. You will feel it. Use your imagination. Just be aware of everything and don't lose sense of your being. If you forget you, you will get fascinated with the things there and will loose the awareness of the fact that you are in a dream and it will turn into a normal dream with the typical mind stupidities and unconsciousness.

The rest is just about you... Experience will give you what you need to know what to do and what not to do.

Other thing that will help you will be trying to be aware in the normal day. Try not to forget your being, always aware of your body and what is happening, total awareness without distractions of mind thoughts, just that and constantly make the question 'Am I dreaming?' and jump trying to float in the air or pull your finger with the intention of stretching it.

Dream plants can help you, but they're not necessary. I would prefer to enjoy the fruits of my hard work rather than the help of the spirits of the plants because that has it's own price too...

I'm not an expert and I haven't got to the point where I can do it at willing but I do have experienced a little bit with it

Do not practice it with desire, just do it without putting too much importance within the result because that will also be the mind and what you want is to control your mind from the moment you get to your bed, until you fall-asleep and so on with the capacity you have to remind aware in the dream, it will also increase with the practice.

Sorry for all the info guys, but that's the best I can do.

Hope this info helps you!

[Leaves]

JCMMa if you practice in a quiet private place once a day for 30min you can get very clear images and travel where ever your will takes you, just practice sending energy to one hand 1st till you can feel the blood/energy inside it, then do the other hand, then each foot one after the other & then do the same to your head/mind. This might take a week or so before you get familiar with it but once you can use your will to send energy to your mind and the images in your minds eye become as clear as when your looking though your eyes. Be careful of leaving your body lying in one spot for too long though, it hurts! Makes holidays cheap though

Edited August 22, 2013 by Leaves