Salvia
Usage
There are different ways of using salvia. Most people smoke salvia in a bong or pipe, but there are a number of other methods. Read the instructions carefully before using salvia for the first time.
Traditional
The Mazatecs in Mexico are known to use two different methods of usage: infusion or chewing and swallowing.
The infusion method involves rubbing the leaves, squeezing out the juice and drinking it mixed with water. This method of consumption is quite inefficient, because the active components are not soluble in water and it is believed that the plant looses a lot of its effects once in the stomach. Most of the effects are the result from absorption by mouth tissue.
The other method consisted of rolling the leaves in a bundle which was chewed and swallowed afterwards. Although chewing is known to be a good way to use salvia, swallowing does not seem to be very effective, for the same reasons as the infusion method. Moreover, many people find it unpleasant to chew and swallow the leaves, because they are very bitter and can cause nausea. It remains quite unclear what dose the Mazatecs used for either method.
At the 2008 World Psychedelic Forum in Basel, Switzerland, ethnobotanist Kathleen Harrison, described her experiences with the Mazatec Indians (see videos below), stressing that according to them the leaves must never be heated.
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