Mescaline has also been shown to help people solve problems, access their creativity, be more environmentally conscious, and improve learning. In its original use, the plant medicine was also used to treat a number of ailments, including snake bites, wounds, skin conditions, and general pain. Along with MDMA, 2C-B, and others, this sets it apart from the tryptamine class of psychedelics, which includes psilocybin, LSD, and DMT. Read Third Wave’s blog about San Pedro journeys, set and settings, and recovery.

The participants also took tests to measure their creativity both before and during the mescaline session 46. No modern-day studies have looked into this, and it’s impossible to draw any reliable conclusions from old studies. Although studies from the 60s are worth mentioning, they have flaws that render their findings unreliable. 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. Some studies imply that LSD is 1,000 to 3,000 times more powerful than mescaline 36, 37.

The author of the book, Jean-Paul Sartre, is one of the first to have a life-changing mescaline trip and go on to write about it. Although the book is not entirely about his mescaline trip, the plant was a great inspiration for his existential writing. After experimenting with mescaline, Sartre believed lobster-like creatures were following him for many years. He included these sea creatures in his novel Nausea, which implicitly quoted his mescaline experience.

• Shortly thereafter, some experimentally-minded researchers and scientists began dosing themselves and publishing their findings 10.
• According to one study, cross-tolerance may also occur with morphine 74.
• Mescaline produces perceptual, cognitive, and emotional experiences that vary widely among users based on dose size, setting, expectations, personality, and drug history.

Healing is on the Horizon!

The San Pedro and Peruvian Torch cacti populations are currently listed as stable. Both grow much more quickly than peyote, but increasing demand for mescaline and traditional ceremonies by outsiders pose a risk of future stress on these species. Since it’s a plant-derived compound, using mescaline has implications for the sustainability of the cacti from which it’s harvested.

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. The famous writer was introduced to mescaline after reading one of Osmond’s papers and requested a sample. Huxley then went on to publish his seminal book “The Doors of Perception,” which gave a detailed account of his experiences with mescaline and spurred public interest in the drug 9.

Bridging Soul and Science in the Psychedelic Journey

Mescaline could also help reduce suicidal thoughts, according to researchers at the University of Alabama. In another study, researchers found that mescaline helped goldfish learn to avoid a shock more quickly. As the psychologist Stanley Krippner put it, “to invent something new, one cannot be completely conditioned or imprinted.”23 Psychedelics like mescaline tend to dissolve preconceptions and elicit fresh perspectives on reality. 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.

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. Polydrug use can involve both illicit drugs and mescaline experience legal substances, such as alcohol and medications. In this case, it may be helpful to seek guidance from an integration specialist who has personal experience with psychoactive plants. When people think about mescaline, the first cactus that comes to mind is peyote.

Mescaline is used primarily as a recreational drug and is also used to supplement various types of meditation and psychedelic therapy. 25I-NBOMe is an especially risky substance to watch out for with mescaline. Simply place a tiny amount of mescaline into a sterile test tube or onto a sterile white ceramic surface and add a few drops of the reagent. Then check the color change (or lack thereof) against the supplied spectrum booklet. Google searches for mescaline have also decreased since 2004, although searches for peyote have remained relatively consistent. In Third Wave’s Ultimate Guide to Safely Sourcing Psychedelics, you will discover an astonishing menu of psychedelic medicines……and how to source them without legal risk.

Mescaline has unique effects compared to serotonin 2A receptor agonists like psilocybin and, in many ways, can induce effects similar to adrenaline, such as nausea and increased heart rate. The experience and side effects of mescaline are a cross between the classical psychedelics and amphetamines1,2. Fascinatingly, our super cool bodies have an innate defence against both compounds, self regulating the activation of the brain’s serotonin receptors. As a result it’s basically impossible to lethally overdose on psilocybin or mescaline. Additionally, repeated consumption over a short period of time has diminishing returns — i.e. tolerance builds up resulting in weakening effects. Mescaline, a naturally occurring psychedelic compound found in certain cacti, has been used for centuries in spiritual and cultural practices.

In this calculation the effective dose represents the average of ED1 and ED100 (ED50 or ‘median effective dose’). The ‘mescaline-unit’ (M.U.) was used in studies of many psychoactive compounds by many prominent chemical researchers, including the U.S. Mescaline has been used for centuries because of the mystical experiences that it is purported to induce 17.

When pure synthetic mescaline was consumed in one study, vomiting and negative gastro-intestinal effects were not observed in any participants (Dinis-Oliveira, Pereira, Dias de Silva, 2019). In general, anecdotal reports suggest that synthetic mescaline may provide a smoother experience, with less nausea, greater stimulant effects, and increased mental clarity. Following the discovery of LSD, mescaline became a substance of great interest among early psychedelic researchers. Humphrey Osmond coined the term ‘psychedelic’ from the Greek words ‘psyche’ (mind) and ‘delous’ (to manifest), after observing how drugs like mescaline could reveal unconscious parts of one’s mind. Research into mescaline was banned, however, following Nixon’s 1971 ban on psychoactive drugs..

The science of microdosing

• Psilocybin is roughly ten times as strong as mescaline, and LSD is around 1000 times as strong.
• However, it does offer a more sustainable source of mescaline concentrate.
• Ketamine is also controlled under the same act and listed as a Schedule III drug.
• Eating a lot of cacti can be tricky — it tastes horrible and can cause severe stomach discomfort.

Using data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, the researchers found that people who have used a psychedelic drug at least once in their life show lower rates of suicidal thinking. Tyrosine and phenylalanine serve as metabolic precursors towards the synthesis of mescaline. These create dopamine, which then experiences methylation by a catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) by an S-adenosyl methionine (SAM)-dependent mechanism. The resulting intermediate is then oxidized again by a hydroxylase enzyme, likely monophenol hydroxylase again, at carbon 5, and methylated by COMT. The product, methylated at the two meta positions with respect to the alkyl substituent, experiences a final methylation at the 4 carbon by a guaiacol-O-methyltransferase, which also operates by a SAM-dependent mechanism. The top of the cactus above ground, or the crown, consists of disc-shaped buttons that are cut from the roots and dried.

Mescaline produces perceptual, cognitive, and emotional experiences that vary widely among users based on dose size, setting, expectations, personality, and drug history. The only documented long-term effect of mescaline is a possible prolonged psychotic state similar to that of paranoid schizophrenia. It is suggested that this may only affect those who were previously diagnosed as mentally ill 8. Research in Neuropsychopharmacology (2020) highlighted that mescaline interacts with neuromuscular pathways, leading to involuntary shaking, jaw clenching, or muscle rigidity. These effects resemble those seen with other serotonergic psychedelics, such as psilocybin and LSD, and may be linked to increased serotonin activity in the brainstem. Some users describe a sensation of internal vibration or shivering, even in warm environments, while others experience a pronounced heaviness in the limbs.

Can I Order Live Peyote or San Pedro Cactus?

Mescaline is a psychedelic hallucinogen obtained from the small, spineless cactus Peyote (Lophophora williamsi), the San Pedro cactus, Peruvian torch cactus, and other mescaline-containing cacti. It is also found in certain members of the Fabaceae (bean family) and can be produced synthetically. Testing your mescaline is always good practice even when you trust your supplier. Reagent test kits from Bunk Police can identify hundreds of adulterants and substitutes—offering peace of mind and potentially saving your life. Of course, we cannot generalize current usage statistics from such limited data, but it does give us some idea of its popularity relative to other substances. Unfortunately, precise usage statistics for mescaline aren’t available because surveys tend to lump it together with other substances like LSD, psilocybin, and MDMA.

List of Mescaline-Inspired Psychoactive Substances

Until more research emerges or regulations change, mescaline use outside of a research or medical environment is not considered safe. It may also increase schizophrenia symptoms and cause much more intense effects in people with the disorder. Mescaline is the active hallucinogenic compound found in peyote and other cacti. Some researchers suggest that taking mescaline in a safe and familiar environment may help reduce the risk of harm, but this has never been verified in human studies 52.

Compared to the other psychedelics, there are few clinical trials exploring the effects of mescaline. Research suggests that this is likely due to its greater onset of action and duration. Studies imply that mescaline does not pass through the blood-brain barrier very well. 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.