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Herbal synergies: intuitive pathways to new modes of understanding

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downwardsfromzero

downwardsfromzero

Boundary condition
Somewhere, in a post long ago, I may have mentioned what at the time I dubbed "hedgeahuasca". This was an accidental experiential discovery resulting from a herb walk one evening.

A tea was prepared using Hedge bedstraw [Galium mollugo] (hence the name), garden sage [Salvia officinalis] and wild rose petals [Rosa sp.], all freshly picked. The tea was made using boiling spring water and drunk before retiring to bed. Over the course of twenty minutes, hypnogogic visions became significantly enhanced above normal levels. This was sufficient to keep the subject (semi-)awake for what seemed like at least an hour.

Subsequent experimentation determined that each plant alone appeared to be without this effect. Combinations of sage and bedstraw were also without this effect.

By chance I received a large packet of dried sage for tea making. Since Cleavers [Galium aparine] is a standard part of my home herb cupboard nowadays and I had recently purchased some rose-flavoured pomegranate cordial, it seemed like a good idea to repeat the experiment in an analogous fashion.

The combination of sage and cleavers only was determined to be without the effect. Addition of blackcurrant cordial also failed to replicate the effect but when the sage and cleavers were combined with the rose-flavoured cordial... it worked! Obviously, the pomegranate could be considered to be a complicating factor here, but I'll be having another go with just rosewater sometime soon.

Comments, anyone?
 
i can only find galium verbum (dried) locally. or at least that's how it's labeled.
worth testing g. verbum with sage and rose water?
 
I had completely forgotten about this experiment and only remember the original 'hedgeahuasca' experience. I don't think I ever tried this with just rosewater. Perhaps I will now.

Galium verum may be worth trying. Remember to compare the other ingredients without the galium! Also bear in mind that I may be a deranged freak of some kind.
I ought to check the effects of drinking a cup of hot water, just to be sure.

It may be necessary to use rose petals as they may provide a crucial non-volatile component. If you can find the ingredients for Pixley Berries' brand of rose and pomegranate cordial online or IRL, this may provide some indication as to whether rose petals would be worth considering.
[EDIT: OK, it wasn't Pixley Berries, so I'm trying to track down the brand it was...]
[EDIT2: I think it was this one. See! the mastery of my appropriation of OTC products for nefarious purposes of, um, lying down and seeing stuff... Let's see if I can find the ingredients somewhere.]

I use Galium verum and Galium aparine in a tea blend along with Calendula officinalis and Urtica dioica as the bulk ingredients along with a small pinch of each of Hypericum perforatum and Achillea millefolium. This provides a noticeable mood lift (even without the St. John's wort) but I hadn't thought to combine it with rose and/or sage. The yarrow does contain a bit of thujone, just like sage.

I only drink this tea in the daytime so I've not noticed any hypnogogic effects. Maybe with rosewater, at bedtime?
 
downwardsfromzero said:
Making a cup of G. verum, sage and rosewater tea shortly. Then bed...
Click to expand...
I tried this and felt surprising euphoric empathic effects when reclining in the dark. I did not notice any particular hypnagogic visions this time although there was an element of the golden light inherent in the euphoria.

Further tests will occur sporadically.

Edit: I should note that this trial was carried out using dried herbs, in contrast to the fresh ones used in the initial experience. Also, G. verum ≠ G. mollugo.
 
keep up the good work :)
people who actually DO such research are very few and far between, at least, where i live, namely, toronto.
speaking of yarrow...
several months ago i bought a yarrow drink from a persian grocery, and it was awesome to my taste, unfortunately everything they sell is labeled only in their language (farsi or whatever) and the staff speak no english and don't have even the slightest clue as to what they are selling. so when i buy anything, the yarrow drink included, i don't know exactly what i am buying :) chances are since it's a huge factory in iran making hundreds of different types of herbal drinks, rose water being the simplest and most abundant one possible, they might even have a galium drink, but with their hieroglyphs on the label, its impossible to tell.
 
Fingers crossed it's available in Germany.
I'll take a look next time I'm in the big city, yarrow water looks very interesting and might substitute for sage in this formula.

The Persian alphabet is just a modified form of the Arabic, I think if you put your mind to it you'll soon get used to it. It's an Indo-European language so some of the words will make immediate sense.
 
I tried gallium mollugo with sage (salvia officinalis) and rose buds before going to bed.
I did an infusion and I went to bed with my laptop do see a tv series.
After short I started feeling a pressure feeling behind the head and a deeply relaxation, no euphoria.
I fallen asleep after short, I had a very strange, more tactile than usual dreams, dream in the first hours, but I was a little agitated so I woke up, than fallen asleep again.
Many dreams but i don't know if the effect can be cause I was very tired, I have to admit the first dream sensation was very different and unusual. Need more tries.
 
BeJake - Thanks for your input! Did you use fresh or dried herbs?
My first experience was with all fresh herbs. Also, I had had a fairly strong cup of yerba mate earlier in the day.

I recently obtained some more G. mollugo which had to be dried, so we'll see how that turns out.
 
I made that with very fresh self harvested plants, the only one dry are the rose petals.
I have to retry with dry material (both salvia and Mollugo).
In many experiments I find another synergy with interesting effects (euphoria, balloon head, and ipnagogic increase activity) with this 3 herbs:

papaver rhoeas capsules
lotus corniculatus flowers
rose petals
 
Thanks for your continued input.

I've used up my supply of G. mollugo medicinally without testing the 'hedgeahuasca' formula again.

I'll explore the formula you list above. Have you compared the effects of the herbs individually? Are the effects of the combination repeatable?
 
Lotus corniculatus have oneirogen activity and papaver roheas oneirogen and mild sedative activity on their own but the effects of the combo are not comparable (balloon head in particular).
I have to wait a little to harvest some lotus corniculatus flowers to make new tests.
 
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