Mescaline: The forgotten psychedelic

Indigenous people desire to ensure that their culture, identity, and sacred traditions around these plants are protected while psychedelics become mainstream. It is crucial we find ways to build trust and connection with the Indigenous communities, and honor their wishes around their ancestral peyote traditions. For example, hordenine is a N,N-dimethyl derivative and has activities in the human body similar to the neurotransmitters dopamine and norepinephrine.

Another study of 130k people did not find an association between mescaline or peyote use and rates of mental health issues. Another key difference between the two is that mescaline has not been reported to produce “flashbacks,” also known as hallucinogen persisting perception disorder (HPPD). Flashbacks occur when visual and auditory disturbances previously experienced during a trip reappear when not using the drug [42, 43, 44, 45]. Mescaline causes a heightened perception of colors, making them more vibrant and intense.

Personal Growth

When taking mescaline, it’s advised that you remove hazards, including sharp objects and things you might trip over. It’s also wise to ensure easy access to drinking water, as well as a toilet or bucket in case of purging. Mescaline should be taken on an empty stomach to minimize nausea and maximize absorption. Mescaline is an illegal substance in some places, and we do not encourage or condone its use where it is against the law.

Research on gas x and alcohol interaction mescaline indicates that it may have a high potential for treating anxiety, depression, addiction, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). A study from 1974 found peyote was helpful as a treatment for alcoholism17. Another observational study in 2021 demonstrated self-reported improvements in various psychological symptoms after the naturalistic use of mescaline18. The positive effects of mescaline are quite similar to other psychedelic substances.

Receptor binding

NAC is a religion that combines Native American beliefs and practices with Christianity and ritualistic peyote use [16, 17]. According to some researchers, mescaline is one of the oldest known hallucinogens used by humans [6]. You can ingest San Pedro in various different ways including the raw plant itself. Learn how to prepare San Pedro tea for a smoother flavor and experience instead.

Physical health risks

Remember that mescaline is classified as an illegal drug with a high potential for harm. Although rare, HPPD is hard to treat and can lead to lifelong disability due to mental health disturbances. Because they share the same mechanism of action, mescaline and LSD have very similar effects. They both cause hallucinations, increase suggestibility, intensify emotions and color perception, and may create a subjective sense of deep mysticism or profound wonder [39, 1, 40, 41]. Research and anecdotes suggest that it also causes a distorted sense of time so that the user becomes unsure of how long they have been under the effects of the drug. However, mescaline in the form of peyote is legal for religious use by members of the Native American Church (NAC).

Mescaline Side Effects, Risks & Drug Interactions

1. Along with MDMA, 2C-B, and others, this sets it apart from the tryptamine class of psychedelics, which includes psilocybin, LSD, and DMT.
2. Mescaline is one of the four main ‘classical’ psychedelics (the three in the group – LSD, DMT, and psilocybin are classified as tryptamine alkaloids).
3. The mescaline molecule is related structurally to two hormones secreted by the adrenal glands, adrenaline and noradrenaline; both are catecholamine compounds that take part in the transmission of nerve impulses.
4. Most users chew the button shaped seeds to produce the hallucinogenic effects, which can last for between 12 to 18 hours.
5. Lophophora williamsii contains about 0.4% of mescaline by weight (fresh, undried) and up to 3-6% dried4.

Thereafter, body temperature increases and may become moderately high. Blood sugar may also rise rapidly for the first hour and then possibly return to normal over the course of the following couple hours [17, 57]. Psychiatrist Humphry Osmond, who used mescaline in his practice, noted that people who had hepatitis experienced prolonged responses to mescaline [55].

The powder can range in color from white to brown based on variables in the mescaline extraction method and the presence of other naturally occurring alkaloids. Mescaline is a naturally occurring alkaloid with psychedelic properties. Some native tribes of the Americas have used naturally occurring mescaline in spiritual and religious ceremonies for thousands of years. The research on mescaline is not as extensive compared to other psychedelic substances.

The “Mescaline Cactus”

Theoretically, this means higher doses are needed for a psychoactive effect. Likely because of this, mescaline is used less frequently than other psychedelic hallucinogens like psilocybin and LSD [1, 69, 29]. A study of 61 Native American Church members claimed that peyote use had no negative effects on mental function or psychology.

Some studies imply that LSD is 1,000 to 3,000 times more powerful than mescaline [36, 37]. Remember that LSD is also still classified as an illegal drug (Schedule I substance). Anecdotally, mescaline is said to often produce a dreamlike state of profound wonder. Interestingly, these kinds of changes have what are moon rocks smoke also been scientifically studied. They can be tracked using a specific questionnaire (the Altered States of Consciousness (ASC) questionnaire) [32, 33]. By activating neurons in a part of the brain called the locus coeruleus, mescaline is hypothesized to increase the response to stimuli in the environment [26, 27].

Besides serotonin receptors, mescaline also activates dopamine receptors in areas of the brain responsible for processing sounds and emotions. This may contribute to the drug’s effect of distorted hearing and enhanced emotions [22]. The Peyote cactus is a small, bulbous cactus that does not have spines. It grows in clusters that are often referred to as “buttons.” The San Pedro and Peruvian Torch are columnar cacti. Other than the naturally occurring state of these cacti, you can also find mescaline in a crystalline powder form after a cactus has gone through a mescaline extraction process.

Research suggests that this is likely due to its greater onset of action and duration. Research suggests that tolerance to mescaline builds after covert narcissist and drugs repeated use over the course of days. Cross-tolerance with psilocybin is also likely due to their similar effects on serotonin receptors [72, 70, 73]. Studies imply that mescaline does not pass through the blood-brain barrier very well.

Although recent years have seen an increase in research on hallucinogens such as psilocybin, mescaline has not been included in this resurgence due to its relatively low potency and long duration of effects [1]. Mescaline is found in high levels in the peyote cactus and acts as the major active compound. It is concentrated in the small, circular above ground stem tops called “buttons.” Mescaline content in the dried buttons ranges from 2.8% to 3.5% [1, 4, 5].

These findings support the prevailing view that mescaline and other psychedelics can enhance creativity. Written by Alexander Shulgin and Ann Shulgin, the book describes the science and effects of psychedelic substances, specifically phenethylamines. Mescaline experiences begin with intense physical symptoms that may cause discomfort to users. People often report seeing colors, patterns, mosaics, spirals, and even animal and human shapes.