Monotropa uniflora ~ Ghost Pipe

[kerelsk]

Recently found some ghost pipe under some trees in the forest. I knew they had some medicinal virtues, so upon researching I found this very informative pdf.

http://www.americanherbalistsguild....sean_-_ghost_pipe-_a_little_known_nervine.pdf

I'll give a few excerpts to pique your interest.

I was first introduced to Ghost Pipe by Tommy Priester, who told me that he used the tincture of the whole plant for people in intense physical pain. He said it didn't make the pain go away, but it put the person beside her pain where she could see it and deal with it without being overwhelmed by it.

Since then I have given Ghost Pipe to a number of other clients for acute anxiety and panic attacks marked by emotional or sensory overload. When given to a person who feels overwhelmed by external stimuli, Ghost Pipe seems to provide a degree of separation from those stimuli, as described above.

For two years I helped to run the first aid tent at a series of music festivals on a farm in western Maine. I spent a lot of time there caring for people who were having overwhelming experiences after taking LSD or DMT or various and sundry entheogenic mushrooms. In most cases, I would help people calm down with a gentle nervine like Skullcap, usually with great results. But sometimes people just wanted to come down from their trips. And inevitably there would be a few disruptive people brought to me by security because they were a danger to themselves or were frightening other people. For these cases, I needed an herb that would act more quickly and dramatically. [...] In almost every case, the effects were quick and dramatic. Within a few minutes of giving 1-3 1ml doses of the tincture of the aerial parts, pupil dilation and responses to external stimuli would return to normal, and the person would begin to settle down. With 15-30 minutes the person would fall asleep and wake up hours later, calm and coherent.

I'm in the process of making a tincture right now, and will comment on its effectiveness as soon as I think it's potent. The plant has the odd property of turning a dark blue almost black on drying, which is suggestive. Just holding the plant gives one a sensation of coolness and maybe even eerie placidity.

Others in North America might want to take a hike in search of this and other wild spirits making an appearance this time of year

 

[Shadowman-x]

These are absolutely everywhere where I life...wow

 

[Cognitive Heart]

I'm in the process of making a tincture right now, and will comment on its effectiveness as soon as I think it's potent. The plant has the odd property of turning a dark blue almost black on drying, which is suggestive. Just holding the plant gives one a sensation of coolness and maybe even eerie placidity.

Others in North America might want to take a hike in search of this and other wild spirits making an appearance this time of year

Quite excited for this! Interesting characteristics you speak of.

--

:thumb_up:

 

[kerelsk]

The tincture looks to have infused long enough.

I administered myself 3 drops under the tongue, the effects are felt nearly immediately. There is a definite cool, damp feeling, like the forest floor. It is psychoactive, but in a very subtle way. The cool earthyness is centering, brings you closer to the moment, not distorting or slowing the mental machinery. This centering effect reminds me that the small worries of the day are not so important, and from this vantage point one can simply act on the problem at hand without feeling so in the midst of the problem. Very useful for heavy emotional/mental turmoil.

Given to a friend with chronic back pain, she says she feels distanced from the pain. This is reminiscent of dissociatives, but unlike dissociatives doesn't pull one out of the physical world. It doesn't even feel like a GABA agonist, as does skullcap (mild as it is).

I hope that I never have to request help from this ally for future psychedelic voyages, but it's reassuring to have it in the pharmacopoeia.

 

[Cognitive Heart]

Is there any documentation to supply what exactly it does and toxicity? That's amazing you felt such described effects. Congrats on material! Hope you enjoy at least what it can do. The medicinal qualities may be of aid to a certain population and pain management. The other effects seem to have a magical nature to them. Possibly a nootropic, tonic and mild psychedelic?

--

:thumb_up:

 

[Cognitive Heart]

The Indian Pipe Plant has been used by the Native Americans for various ailments, as a diaphoretic to promote sweat in fevers, a nerve tonic for restlessness and nervous disorders, as a sedative (it has much the same effect as opium but without the narcotic-induced dreams or hallucinations), and as a way of stopping epileptic fits. It is said to be extremely good at doing this which is why one of its names is Fit-Plant. The juice of the plant has been used in injections for gonorrhea and is said to be efficacious in treating inflammation and ulceration of the bladder in the form of a douche when mixed with rose water. The flowers can be chewed to relieve toothache, and a tisane can be made with the plant to help with colds and flu. You can also crush the plant on corns and bunions to ease inflammation and to eventually get rid of them.

Found this.

 

[Felnik]

Interesting stuff , I've been observing this plant for
many many years in the woods in my area . Always
wondered about its medicinal properties . This is
Great information . It sounds like exactly like something
that could be extremely handy to have around .

 

[downwardsfromzero]

Wow! What a useful plant!

Looking through my herb books yesterday, I was wondering about the properties of Monotropa hypopitys, which, it turns out, may or may not be related. M. uniflora does not grow in my region, I believe

Edit: found this about M. hypopitys: Dr. François Couplan in his book “The Encyclopedia of Edible Plants of North America” says on page 192 that M. hypopithys “is reported to be edible raw or cooked. It contains two glucosides, one of which yields by hydrolysis an essential oil containing methyl salicylate. The plant is antispasmodic and expectorant.” here