Steve had also experienced the ‘vivid visionary state’ of Salvia.

The fifth stage is called the ‘immaterial existence’ stage. The user’s individuality can be lost at this stage, something Chris experienced.

"All of a sudden I saw myself split into two people, then four, then eight, then 16. Within two minutes, I saw billions of me all over the earth. I was thinking, there’s no way I’m going to find me," he said. "I didn’t even realize I was me because I kept splitting into pieces."

It was this specific time that Chris smoked Salvia that he was determined to not let it control him. Doing this made his experience much worse.

"Just see wherever it takes you," he said. "If you try to fight it, you’re going to lose."

At this stage, some people also feel they merge with God or even an inanimate object, like a wall or chair. One time, Anthony felt like the whole left side of his body somehow became part of his couch.

This can be a dangerous stage because it is nearly impossible to function in reality. This may be terrifying or pleasant to the person who has taken Salvia.

"It’s like your brain shuts off and reboots," said Anthony.

The final and most dangerous stage of Salvia is called the ‘amnesic effects’ stage. Consciousness is lost. If it isn’t, the user may not be able to recall what they have experienced. The can also obtain injuries without feeling any pain.

"It’s what I could call a natural anesthetic," said Chris. "It numbs you."

Northeastern students Seth* and Lucas* first heard about Salvia from a friend in January.

"I was like ‘oh man, I’ve got to get some of that,’" said Seth, a freshman criminal justice major.

So he went to Kang’s Corner and bought Salvia extract. The pair headed over to the Back Bay Fens on Park Drive with another friend one night to try it out.

"It hit me so fast," said Seth. "I felt like I wasn’t in the same place anymore, I was in this new world. I remember feeling like I was a stone statue. I touched my arm and it felt rough, kind of like the corner of a sidewalk."

Seth also said he thought that he and his two friends were part of a KFC sculpture. He passed the bowl to Lucas, who then took two hits of Salvia.

"After the hits, I suddenly felt it come over me. The sky turned bright, and when I looked over at my friends, they were characters in a children’s book and the pages were flipping and I thought if the last page turned the world would end," said Lucas, a freshman business major.

It also seemed like "one big deja vu" for Lucas. He knew everything that was going to happen before it did.

Seth recalls when one of his other friends tried Salvia for the first time.

"Another time, the first time one of my other friends did it, he thought he was building a house with toilet paper," he said. "He thought the toilet paper was like flowing from his mouth…and he kept asking everyone to get out of his house."

As for the future of Salvia, no one can really predict what is to come.

Because it’s controlled in other countries and a few states, there’s a good chance it will become illegal in all 50 states soon enough. At first, the government was not sure of the effects Salvia had on the mind, but now they can classify it, which means they can control it.

"There’s too much hype now," according to Chris, who claims Salvia has become more of a household name in the past five years. He believes it will become illegal sooner than later because of its growing popularity.

Some people believe that herbals should not be used unless they are controlled. Dr. Eugene Bernstein, professor of alternative medicine at Northeastern University, believes that everything in nature is toxic.

"There are no innocent substances in nature," said Bernstein. "Anyway, they are not so natural, being contaminated by the changing environment…but the general public regards herbals as natural and good for their health."

He describes many herbals as having "honeymoon periods." At first, everything is fine, but after the honeymoon, life happens, he said. It’s not so nice after that.

"Herbals can be harmful, he said. "They are potent, dangerous."

There are some indications, however, that Salvia might be useful for depression, pain relief or to help cure opium addiction. But because it is still fairly new in the United States, there are no formal studies that have been done on humans to support these ideas.

For now, the main reasons people seem to smoke Salvia are either to get high legally, or to partake in a spiritual experience. It is not only students who are attracted to these strange effects of Salvia. Many people are interested in this mysterious drug.

"It’s a spiritual type of altered reality," Chris said. "It attracts all types of people. I’ve sold it to judges, politicians, officers, attorneys, punk rockers."

Many people try Salvia out of curiosity. They want to see what is going to happen. They want to experience this altered state of mind. This is not always safe, especially if an individual is to reach the final stage of Salvia.

"Something that never happened before is taking place," said Bernstein "Now is a unique time. The population is testing the drug on itself."

Most students who were interviewed said they enjoyed the experiences they had on Salvia.

"It was pretty intense," said Lucas, "but I’d do it again."

As for the future of Salvia, no one can really predict what is to come.

Because it’s controlled in other countries and a few states, there’s a good chance it will become illegal in all 50 states soon enough. At first, the government was not sure of the effects Salvia had on the mind, but now they can classify it, which means they can control it.

“There’s too much hype now,” said Chaz, who claims Salvia has become more of a household name in the past five years. He believes it will become illegal sooner than later because of its growing popularity.

Some people believe that herbals should not be used unless they are controlled. Dr. Eugene Bernstein, professor of alternative medicine at Northeastern University, believes that everything in nature is toxic.

“There are no innocent substances in nature,” said Bernstein. “Anyway, they are not so natural, being contaminated by the changing environment…but the general public regards herbals as natural and good for their health.”

He describes many herbals as having “honeymoon periods.” At first, everything is fine, but after the honeymoon, life happens, he said. It’s not so nice after that.

“Herbals can be harmful,” he said. “They are potent, dangerous.”

There are some indications however, that Salvia might be useful for depression, pain relief or to help cure opium addiction. But because it is still fairly new in the United States, there are no formal studies that have been done on humans to support these ideas.

For now, the main reasons people seem to smoke Salvia are either to get high legally, or to partake in a spiritual experience. It is not only students who are attracted to these strange effects of Salvia. Many people are interested in this mysterious drug.

“It’s a spiritual type of altered reality,” Chaz said. “It attracts all types of people. I’ve sold it to judges, politicians, officers, attorneys, punk rockers.”

Many people try Salvia out of curiosity. They want to see what is going to happen. They want to experience this altered state of mind. This is not always safe, especially if an individual is to reach the final stage of Salvia.

“Something that never happened before is taking place,” said Bernstein “Now is a unique time. The population is testing the drug on itself.”

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4 Responses

  1. Mike

    FYi – Salvia is outlawed in Delaware. The state passed “Brett’s Law” in March 2006, 2 months after his death.
    Even tho salvia is a herb, it’s toxic, a lethal punch to your brain. It can change the way you think, all the things you think you know, the feelings you feel, all will be changed. Scientists have proved it alters the brain chemistry in people under the age of 25 and has caused severe depression. Stay away from it.

    Reply
  2. george

    i’ve smoked salvia on and off for 6 years now and the only thing its done to change me is to let me see that theres some seriously strange states of perception one can experience, i could understand how that kid thought “oh my god everythings pointless” but i’ve experienced the same thing the difference is, hes and idiot who didnt hold a high respect for life and it showed when he had to face the possibility that reality is false. false or not i stick around because its something to do. idiots shouldnt smoke strong hallucinogenic

    Reply

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