If you think all psychedelics are illegal: Think again.
Today I want to talk about the legal sacred plants, seeds, and fungi that most people have access to but don’t know that they have been used since ancient times for a better, richer, and psychedelic lifestyle.
Some of the following products may be illegal in the place you live in, so make sure to check the status of the product you are interested in, however, most of this selection has never been made illegal in any country.
The products in this list have been known by men for thousands of years. Some were used as tools of medicine, others were used as an aid in times of hunger and drought.
Most importantly, all of the following were used at some point or another as tools for mental expression and as allies in the search for a happier more balanced life.
Kanna (Sceletium tortuosum)
The Sun Herb
Kanna (Sceletium tortuosum) is a sacred African plant that was traditionally used by the Khoi and San tribes as one of their main medicinal herbs.
This plant was initially imported to the world by the Dutch when they noticed the tribes in their colonies in Africa were using Kanna daily to improve the lives of both healthy and unhealthy people.
The tribal way of consuming Kanna was to smoke or chew the leaves and stems, becoming “exited and intoxicated” (Lewis, 1998).
Today, fermented dried leaves and extract of Sceletium tortuosum are sold in most herbal stores and it is recognized as an effective natural antidepressant and anti-anxiety, widely used in the entire world.
The benefits of Kanna include:
- Relaxation;
- Anti-depressant;
- Anti-anxiety;
- A persistent sense of well being;
Read more about Kanna here:
Don’t think of Kanna as a psychedelic, but look at it rather as a tool of presence. Tribal use suggests that the plant Sceletium tortuosum represented a powerful ally to hunters who needed their heads relaxed and in the game.
The active ingredients in Kanna act a lot like anti-depressants, so ask for a medical recommendation before consuming Kanna, if you are under some medication.
LSA
Organic (and legal) alternative to LSD
LSA is an organic substance produced naturally in the seeds of some species of creeper plants.
Morning Glory produces seeds rich in LSA — Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
This substance is capable of inducing mystical, deeply meaningful sensorial journeys similar to the effects of the synthetic psychedelic substance: LSD.
To many psychonauts, LSA represents a natural (and legal) substitute to LSD.
LSA is hands down one of my favorite psychedelic substances. It can be found in the seeds of Morning Glory (Ipomea) and Elephant Creeper (Argyreia nervosa).
The cultivation of these seeds are super easy and fruitful, so if you want to grow your own seeds have a look in the Zoomie Garden shop where we sell the seeds straight from the plant:
To engage in a full psychedelic journey it is important to be on an empty stomach for at least 3 hours before consumption. The seeds must be washed and crushed properly.
The effects can be quite similar to an LSD experience, however, the psychedelic journey with the LSA seeds is usually slow-paced, easier to handle, with less mental confusion and an acute feeling that you are part of everything and everything is a part of you.
Read more about LSA seeds here:
Catnip (Nepeta cataria)
Cats are not the only ones getting high!
Catnip has a substance called Nepetalactone that is surprisingly effective in repelling flies and also has the capacity to engage felines in a kind of cute psychedelic journey:
In humans, it is theorized that Catnip can also induce a psychedelic journey. However, the ordinary quantities and method of preparation are not enough for any noticeable differences in senses and consciousness:
From the Nepeta cataria report vault on Erowid:
“T + 00:36 Some small visual distortions occurred. Nothing specific, but it was easy to make myself see tiles oscillating, and walls shifting about. I need to reiterate that this was a SMALL effect.”
A herb that I like to add to my own psychedelic ceremonies is Nepeta cataria.
I enjoy vaporizing and smoking it, but I mostly have it as tea. I don’t look necessarily for its psychedelic effects, I believe that Catnip is great as a relaxant and anti-stress, perfect to prepare me for a fruitful psychedelic journey.
Valerian (Valeriana officialis)
The Anti-Panic Root
Valerian is not what I would normally consider a psychedelic substance per se, but this root is so commonly offered as an aid for a more comfortable psychedelic journey, that I thought it deserved a spot on this list.
When I worked selling legal psychedelics in Amsterdam we had an awesome product that was a formula sold in an envelope with 4 capsules containing Valerian and Vitamin C.
Vitamin C assists with the management of Cortisol (the stress hormone) in our body during the psychedelic journey. The Valerian is used as a relaxant, anti-stress, mood uplifter, and anti-panic tool.
Interestingly enough, Valerian is also effective in home pets — like most cats and dogs — and is ordinarily used to ease your pet’s emotions in stressful situations like a visit to the doctor or fireworks.
Dream Herbs
Sleep aid, Dream Recall aid, lucid dream. Plain psychedelic.
Psychedelic means mind-manifesting. This means that every substance that stimulates the expression and expansion of your mind can be safely called a psychedelic substance.
In this case, I want you to consider the dream herbs as potentially psychedelic plants.
Yes, there are herbs that will help you explore your dreams.
Some of them can assist your sleep, getting you straight to that dream-rich REM; others can assist you to be more conscious while the dream happens, sometimes even helping with a lucid dream; there are even herbs that will help you remember your dream better.
The implementation of dream herbs into a balanced lifestyle can signify that you will be in touch with your subconscious and may even find out things about yourself that before you were unable to access.
Open the door of your subconscious with Dream Herbs:
Aphrodisiac Herbs
Warm Heart, Warmer Spirit
If there’s one thing that moves humanity, is sex. In our process of discovering botanical allies, it comes as no surprise that our catalog of plants that enhances the sexual experience seems to be endless.
Even though these herbs are known for their Aphrodisiac properties it is totally normal to use them outside of the sexual context. Aphrodisiac herbs usually work as a performance enhancer (more stamina) or as a mood enhancer.
This means that every active activity that can benefit from a mood and physical boost is an activity that invites aphrodisiac substances.
In a psychedelic context, these kinds of plants are commonly used as an assistant to open the lower chakras in the participants and help them go deeper into the journey.