In our new series by Ed White, the way of the shaman intertwines with the endless need to exorcise the malicious spirits and Fell Kind that threaten Earth. While we won’t explore shamanism today, let’s take a brief look into some methods to travel worlds and expand the mind from a “medicinal” or chemical approach…
Magic Mushrooms
The magic mushroom fungus grows naturally in the wild, known for its hallucinogenic effects. There are many varieties of mushrooms cultivated for millennia for their psychoactive properties, including psilocybin, mescaline, and ibotenic acid.
Did the human brain evolve because of exposure to fungi, specifically psychoactive mushrooms? The shamans of the northern stretches of Siberia and Mongolia used such mushrooms.
Toadstool
Bufo alvarius toadstools are psychedelic mushrooms that grow naturally throughout the world. The infamous “magic” mushrooms! Bufo leaves contain the same chemical compounds as psilocybin mushrooms, although it produces much less of them.
Kratom
Kratom is a tropical tree native to Southeast Asia. Its leaves commonly chewed or brewed into a tea to produce a mild narcotic effect.
Like the crimson plants of the Matsureda, with outright psychic-inducing properties, or the legendary tea of Granny Meng, they knew of such teas within the cultures, societies, and sects of the SalvoVerse.
DMT
DMT is a powerful psychedelic substance that comes from the pineal gland. Many people believe DMT causes lucid dreams and out-of-body experiences. It is possibly the active ingredient in ayahuasca, a traditional South American drink.
Salvia divinorum is a perennial herbaceous plant that grows in Mexico and Central America. It has long been used in shamanistic rituals and religious ceremonies. Salvia divinorum contains salvinorin A, a potent hallucinogen.
The SalviaVerse? Certainly known to the people of the Escuridado, the insidious Escuridon, and their masters, the Tezca Lords. Read about them in Otherwest: Diablero, free on Royal Road.
LSD
LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide) is a psychedelic drug first synthesized in 1938, but produced naturally in certain species of the genus Eleusine and is present in trace amounts in various seeds. It is a strong hallucinogen that causes users to experience visual distortions, hallucinations, and extreme states of euphoria.
What mad trips are experienced with LSD? Is it truly the opening of the Third Eye? Does it awaken, or simply enhance, chemicals produced by the pineal gland? Who is to say?
As Battle Avatars unfolds, David Grey believes the Lenscape is entered via the use of LSD…
“Drugs?”
“Yeah, man, it’ll balance out your heart rate and settle you down. It sets your right up to enter REM sleep and enter Lenscape.”
“So LSD,” I say. “That explains the colors.”
Read more in Battle Avatars by author Ed White.
Cannabis Sativa
Cannabis sativa is the scientific name given to marijuana. It is a flowering plant that belongs to the Cannabaceae family. It is native to central Asia and widely cultivated today. Cannabis sativa contains over 60 cannabinoids, of which delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the primary psychotropic cannabinoid.
Disclaimer: A First Salvo and the First Salvo Partners do not endorse the use and/or possession of any illegal drugs.
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