As a result, when it comes to microdosing mescaline, there are some unique risks to be aware of for people who procure mescaline from unknown sources. Mescaline has classic psychedelic effects, including visual hallucinations and altered thinking. However, similarly to MDMA, it belongs to the phenylethylamine chemical family, unlike LSD and psilocybin, which are tryptamines. Drugs belonging to the phenylethylamine chemical family are typically empathogens, meaning they increase feelings of empathy and emotional openness. The length of time mescaline takes to kick in and how long the psychedelic mesclun psychedelic high from the drug lasts can vary from person to person, as can the detection rate of the substance.
These ‘peyote buttons’ are dried or mixed with water to make a hallucinogenic drink. Mescaline comes from button-shaped seeds found in the peyote cactus and also from some other members of the Cactaceae plant family and from the Fabaceae bean family. In parallel with these developments, artists and bohemians — mainly in Europe — were testing mescaline’s creative potential. They administered it to writers, artists, philosophers; presented them with intellectual stimuli; and observed their responses. One British surrealist painter of the 1930s, Julian Trevelyan, found ingestion inspiring; another, Basil Beaumont, experienced “excruciating pain and fear”. French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre entered a grotesque hell, whereas British writer Aldous Huxley tripped into a magnificent world of expanded consciousness, described in his influential 1954 book The Doors of Perception.
How is mescaline used or abused?
Huxley presented mescaline as something different, connected both to ancient wisdom and to cutting-edge science. The term “psychedelic” freed it from its associations with psychiatry and mental illness, and made it part of a new generation’s quest for personal growth and spiritual illumination. This makes it different from other psychedelics such as LSD, psilocybin and DMT, which are tryptamines, derived from a different amino acid, tryptophan. Mescaline has some effects that are similar to these, though it’s also intensely visual and trippy. Compared to other psychedelics it’s more physical, with an intense body load a tactile sensation that can be experienced as euphoria, or nausea, or both. It’s slower to cross the blood-brain barrier, so onset time is longer – up to two hours – and it also lasts longer, around 12 hours.
Mescaline (3,4,5-trimethoxyphenethylamine)
The present data indicate that most people infrequently used SanPedro or Peyote orally through self-administration (i.e. consuming the mescalinewithout oversight of another person) for spiritual and nature connection. The second part of the survey included questions about “lifetime use ofmescaline.” Respondents were asked what types of mescaline had ever beeningested in their lifetime, age at first use, administration route,frequency, reason, and location of use. This section also asked about dose, source, and preparation, aswell as how many people were present during the session and whether theywere also consuming mescaline.
Most users chew the button shaped seeds to produce the hallucinogenic effects, which can last for between 12 to 18 hours. In the early and mid-twentieth century, it seemed more than plausible that the fashionable hallucinogen could be tamed into a therapeutic agent. After all, it had profound effects on the human body, and had been used for centuries in parts of the Americas as a gateway to ceremonial spiritual experience. Fortunately — for now — drug testing kits are legal in most states, but testing kits might be considered drug paraphernalia in some circumstances (testing kits are illegal in Illinois). Regardless of the dose of mescaline (or ketamine, cocaine, MDMA, or any illicit drug one is using) people should be cautious of contaminants, should never use alone, and should always have naloxone on hand to reverse an overdose in the case of an opioid adulterant.
Physiological Effects
While the controversy around microdosing continues, it seems that clinical research is the only way to determine whether this process is beneficial and to what extent. Keep in mind that these compounds have a different molecular weight, meaning the dosage will be different between the two. Also, remember that white crystalline powders can all look the same — even to a trained eye. Julian Trevelyan, a surrealist painter, found mescaline inspiring, while another artist Basil Beaumont, experienced “excruciating pain and fear” when he self-experimented with mescaline. Well-known philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre experienced a painful hell during his mescaline trip, one that his sitter, acclaimed philosopher Simone de Beauvoir described as “torturous.” These accounts were all engaged willfully, but there is also mescaline research tied to nefarious scientists.
Type
The adverse effects of mescaline include anxiety, paranoia, delusions, psychosis, seizure, and risk of Hallucinogen Persisting Perception Disorder (HPPD). People often report seeing colors, patterns, mosaics, spirals, and even animal and human shapes. When scientists began to experiment with mescaline at the end of the nineteenth century, almost all of their work focused on the visual effects2. 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.
- These create dopamine, which then experiences methylation by a catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) by an S-adenosyl methionine (SAM)-dependent mechanism.
- While mescaline use is not condoned under any circumstance, if someone does use the drug it is advised they do so with a trusted person, in a comfortable and familiar location, and with a positive mental state.
- Peyote is very slow-growing and only thrives in a small territory of southern Texas and northern Mexico.
- These buttons are generally chewed or soaked in water to produce an intoxicating tea.
San Pedro: History and Culture
The top of the cactus above ground, or the crown, consists of disc-shaped buttons that are cut from the roots and dried. These buttons are generally chewed or soaked in water to produce an intoxicating tea. The hallucinogen may also be ground into powder for oral capsules, or smoked with marijuana and tobacco. Tyrosine and phenylalanine serve as metabolic precursors towards the synthesis of mescaline.
Mescaline is generally considered to be one of the most gentle, insightful, and euphoric psychedelics. It is known for placing greater emphasis on bodily and tactile sensations (sometimes compared to MDMA) than psychedelic tryptamines like psilocybin or DMT, which tend to have a more frenetic headspace and dynamic visual geometry. It is considered to be one of the best agents for psychedelic therapy due to its mellow, organic, yet complex character. Synthetic mescaline is highly sought after by connoisseurs and is typically produced in limited batches, owing to its low potency and relatively high production cost. Polydrug use is a term for the use of more than one drug or type of drug at the same time or one after another.
While all groups exhibited broad similarities, the Peyote subgroupreported consuming more doses compared to other groups. This might be due to thebitter taste of Peyote, which is known to induce nausea and vomiting (Erowid, 2009; Nolte and Zumwalt, 1999).It is possible that participants in the Peyote subgroup experienced emesis that canhave warranted repeated dosing to obtain desired subjective effects. Additionally,it is not clear why the Peyote subgroup reported shorter duration of effects, butone could speculate if it could be due to lower net intake of mescaline (despiteincreased number of doses ingested), due to the alkaloid ratio of the cacti, dose,and experience of emesis. Finally, both San Pedro and Peyote subgroups reportedusing it in a ceremonial context administered by a shamanic practitioner, which isconsistent with previous knowledge about historical use of Peyote (Dasgupta, 2019). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first international epidemiological studyon mescaline use.
Most respondents (65%) reported that their first use of mescalineoccurred between the ages of 18 and 30, and almost one-half (46%) reported thatthey have used mescaline a total of one to three times in their lifetime, withapproximately one-quarter (23%) reporting lifetime use of more than 11occasions. One-half of respondents reported thatthey primarily consumed mescaline outdoors (47%), and three-quarters reportedthat they consumed mescaline without oversight of another person (i.e.self-administering the mescaline) (78%). The relative absence of information about the scope of mescaline use limitsunderstanding of the safety profile of this substance, which is needed to inform thedesign of future studies with this compound. As a secondary aim, we examined whether there werechanges in medical and psychological functioning following mescaline use. The finalaim involved examining differences in the subjective effects and the patterns andmotivations of use as a function of the type of mescaline consumed (i.e. synthetic,extracted, Peyote, or San Pedro).
In whatever form it is consumed, a mescaline experience is highly hallucinogenic and lends itself to self-exploration. Many people report that it also creates a uniquely empathic effect in the user, making it useful for personal healing. One side-effect of the drug war is a tendency for underground supplies to be contaminated with more dangerous drugs, such as fentanyl.
How long does mescaline last?
The various psychoactive compounds are found in different areas of the plant, with some being active on their own. If you take prescription medications, there are no well-controlled studies to determine the overall effect of drug interactions. In addition to pure form, mescaline is used in the form of mescaline-containing cacti such as peyote and San Pedro. If you or someone else needs urgent help after taking drugs or drinking, call 999 for an ambulance. How long the effects last and the drug stays in your system depends on how much you’ve taken, your size and what other drugs you may have also taken. Peyote buttons are most often chewed, but they can also be mixed with water and swallowed.
However, compared to other psychedelics, mescaline extraction tends to be rare in most parts of the world. This psychedelic guide was originally written by Third Wave, a platform that inspires cultural awakening through personal transformation. Let’s dive more into the legal status of these plants, and the ongoing discussions regarding the rights to use peyote outside of the Native American Church.
The risk of having negative mental health reactions to hallucinogens is dependent mainly on the existing mental state of the user. As hallucinogens like mescaline can distort reality and heighten emotional states, being in a bad mood or negative mental state can lead to people having bad trips. In more recent years, it has been possible to chemically synthesize mescaline in laboratories.
