The primaryaim of this study is to examine the epidemiology of mescaline use amongEnglish-speaking adults. The alkaloid was first isolated from peyote in 1896 and is believed to be responsible for the plant’s hallucinogenic effects. However, there are more than 50 other psychoactive alkaloids present in peyote that may enhance the effects of mescaline—a process comparable to the entourage effect in cannabis. Mescaline can be synthetically manufactured, and its extracted compound, similar in structure to adrenaline and noradrenaline, is recently being considered for its health benefits as a potential psychotherapeutic treatment in conditions such as substance abuse and depression. The hallucinogenic effects of mescaline will last longer for some people than others. Depending on a person’s height, weight, mental state, previous drug use, mescaline can last between 10 and 20 hours.
Experiencing a peyote ceremony
Being in a good state of mind, with trusted friends and a safe environment before taking mescaline reduces the risk of having a ‘bad’ trip. Psychedelic Spotlight is your reliable source for the latest stories in the emerging psychedelics industry, covering breakthrough discoveries, investor news and cultural reform. Pure mescaline is usually available as a white or brownish crystalline powder, either loose or packed into capsules as a pill.
Unlike his contemporary Sigmund Freud who worked with repression and subconscious, Jaspers sought to help people build their personal meaning in life in pursuit of self-actualization, an idea that would later have a lasting impact on psychedelic culture in the United States. Finally, although we have compared mescaline experiences by mescaline type of use inthe present study, we do not intend for these data to be interpreted to mean thatfurther rigorous, clinical research are not needed. We cannot conclude thatsimilarities or differences observed in this dataset may have also been caused by avariety of additional factors, such as participant demographics, “set and setting”(i.e. contextual variables) that might co-vary with the type of use. Therefore, thepresent observations should be replicated in controlled clinical trials to allow anystrong conclusion. Mescaline is a naturally occurring psychoactive phenethylamine found inseveral cacti and historically used ceremonially by Indigenous and LatinAmerican populations. Broader recognition of its possible therapeutic valuein Western science began in the 1950s; however, knowledge of the safetyprofile of mescaline and the extent of its use remains limited.
Mescaline has been used for thousands of years and is best known as a drug used by some Native Americans in Mexico as part of their religious ceremonies. Mescaline has a bitter taste so some people grind peyote buttons into an off-white powder that is put into capsules. Many people find benefit in journaling during their microdose protocol, which should not last for more than a few months. Considering that there is no research on the long-term impact of microdosing, there is no reason to assume that long-term microdosing is safe, and most people limit an initial protocol to 30 days.
The psychedelic cactus has been used among indigenous Americans for at least 5,000 years to treat physical ailments such as snakebites, burns, wounds, rheumatism, fever, and scorpion stings. The effects of taking mescaline with other drugs – including over-the-counter or prescribed medications – can be predictable and dangerous. Drugs that affect a person’s mental state (psychoactive drugs) can also have varied effects depending on a person’s mood (often called the ‘set’) or the environment they are in (the ‘setting’).
subjective effects
The onset of effects typically happens within 45 to 90 minutes of ingestion, with peak effects occurring around two to four hours. The trip often lasts for eight hours, but commonly, the effects are felt for more than 10 to 12 hours in total duration3. Currently, it is illegal to consume San Pedro cacti in the USA, but there are no regulations against growing the plant for landscape purposes.
The epidemiology of mescaline use
Analyses were conductedusing the IBM SPSS Statistics v.25 and v.26 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA). Most respondents with prior psychiatric conditions (i.e. depression, anxiety,post-traumatic stress disorder, and drug and alcohol misuse) reported improvementsin these conditions following their most memorable experience with mescaline. Onecan speculate whether the experience was memorable due to the improvement in suchhealth functioning. These numbers are similar to reports from 5-MeO-DMT users (Davis et al., 2018) andrelatively low in comparison to reported craving for more widely used substances(e.g. alcohol) (McCabe et al.,2017).
Is it dangerous to mix with other drugs?
- The use of peyote by the Native American Church was made legal by a 1994 amendment to the American Indian Religious Freedom Act.
- Therefore, thepresent observations should be replicated in controlled clinical trials to allow anystrong conclusion.
- Mescaline is a naturally-occurring psychoactive alkaloid found in several cacti, including the Peyote cactus (Lophophora williamsii), San Pedro cactus (Echinopsis pachanoi), and Peruvian Torch cactus (Echinopsis peruviana).
- Considering that there is no research on the long-term impact of microdosing, there is no reason to assume that long-term microdosing is safe, and most people limit an initial protocol to 30 days.
- A definitive history of mescaline that explores its mind-altering effects across cultures, from ancient America to Western modernity.
Mescaline has long been considered a powerful agent for healing and change, making it a central component of the shamanic ceremonies of many indigenous groups in the Americas. For many, a mescaline journey offers deep insight into the self and the universe, giving one a greater sense of connection and spirituality. Mescaline is also known for fostering compassion and gratitude, while also alleviating psychological disorders such as anxiety, depression, PTSD and addiction.
NA participants in Peyoteceremonies commonly experienced reductions in chronic anxiety, heightened communitysatisfaction, and increased sense of personal worth (Wallace, 1959). Within the NAC, Peyote hasbeen used to treat chronic alcoholism within ethnically oriented residentialtreatment programs (Albaugh andAnderson, 1974). In Western communities, it has been suggested thatmescaline may play a role in the treatment of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)and personality disorders (Delgado and Moreno, 1998; Hartogsohn, 2017). Anonymous Internetposts by recreational users describe mescaline as a means of attaining spiritualtransformation, gratitude, compassion, and interconnectedness with the universe(Erowid, 2011, 2012). Although previousresearch suggests beneficial effects of mescaline, it is currently not approved as amedicine by any health authority, and the benefit/risk ratio of mescaline ispresently unknown due to lack of rigorous clinical research. Indigenous communities in North and South America have used mescaline-containing cacti in their religious and spiritual ceremonies for millennia, facilitating communication with deities, ancestors, and spirits.
Mescaline: Indigenous Traditions
Peyote (Lophophora williamsii) has been traditionally consumed by Indigenous North American tribes for at least 5,500 years. The crowns of the cacti growing above ground are called the peyote buttons, which are carefully harvested to allow the plant to continue to grow. San Pedro (Trichocereus pachanoi), also known as Huachuma, is a mescaline-containing cacti that is often found in the Andes mountains.
Does Microdosing With Mescaline Work?
Some of the positive effects of mescaline include stimulation, euphoria, spiritual insights, open and closed-eye visuals, increased positive mood, and altered perception of space and time. Furthermore, similar to MDMA (and unlike any of the other classical psychedelics that bind to and activate serotonin receptors), it is thought that mescaline may increase the release and/or re-uptake of serotonin4. For this reason, ‘microdosing’ phenethylamines like MDMA (and possibly mescaline) on a regular basis may cause depletion of neurotransmitters and unwanted side effects.
It is possible that different kinds of cacti containing various constituents could result in distinct experiences, similar to how cannabis strains produce a variety of subjective effects5. More recently, a study was published comparing the placebo effect with microdosing and found that placebo doses had the same positive effects as the group that was given psychedelic microdoses. Another study found that some nerve growth proteins levels were increased in a microdose of LSD, suggesting that even at sub perceptible levels, some sort of neurological impact occurs when microdosing. And perhaps, for this reason, some people choose to microdose mescaline by drying and grinding up cacti like San Pedro. However, there are many additional alkaloids present in living specimens, so arriving at a precise microdose that mesclun psychedelic is consistent is unlikely. Some people suggest extracting one’s own medicine through standardized methods may be less risky than using unknown substances purchased online.
The Huichol people of Mexico, the Native American Church in the United States, and other indigenous tribes still use peyote as a sacrament in ceremonies. Mescaline was made a Schedule I substance under the Controlled Substance Act (CSA) in 1970, making it an illegal substance with no medical benefits. This has led to some controversy as peyote is used for religious purposes by various Native American groups. When peyote is used in religious ceremonies, it is exempt from its classification as a Schedule I controlled drug under the 1994 American Indian Religious Freedom Act (AIRFA). Beyond cognitive effects, imperceptible doses of mescaline have also been shown to act as anti-inflammatory agents. A 2008 study concluded that mescaline had “extraordinarily potent” anti-inflammatory effects, and a 2018 study found that psychedelics in general help regulate inflammatory pathways, which could prove therapeutic for a number of diseases, including asthma, atherosclerosis, inflammatory bowel disease, and retinal disease.
Mescaline is taken in a variety of ways spending on what form of the drug is being used. Traditional peyote is taken by chewing, smoking, or eating specific parts of the plant. These parts of the plant, commonly referred to as buttons, are extracted from the roots. People with heart conditions or uncontrolled high blood pressure should avoid using mescaline.
During the early 20th century, mescaline rose to prominence in Europe, first in Germany, and later as a research chemical for psychedelic research studies in the United States and Canada. One prominent figure in these studies, psychiatrist Humphrey Osmond, shared mescaline with Aldous Huxley, who would later write about his experiences in several books. In poetic correspondence between the two men, Osmond coined the term “psychedelic” in 1957 when he wrote “to fathom hell or soar angelic, just take a pinch of psychedelic”.