THIS IS A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS COMBINATION!
The following documentation is provided solely to describe my personal experiences and should not be construed as advice, instruction, or a recommendation that others engage in the same self-experimentation. Any individual who chooses to do so assumes all associated risks. Recommendations will not be engaged with, except to the extent necessary for mitigating harm.
I do not typically partake in self-administration if it could pose a significant risk to my health. That said, I started growing Ephedra sinica explicitly to better understand its potential as the primary herb in "soma"
One theory is that—because MAOIs prevent the breakdown of stimulants—Peganum harmala (contains harmalas) may have been brewed with Ephedra spp. (that contain ephedrine) to provide a more powerful experience than either can on its own. Other herbs or fungi (5-HT2A agonists?) could have been included as well; it is my personal belief that nobody will know for certain what was in historic soma preparations.
First test:
~30 minutes after taking 100mg extracted harmalas, I began slowly chewing a handful of fresh ephedra stems much like a goat would chew cud. The feeling was euphoric, energizing, and significantly less sleepy than harmalas on their own. This amount of Ephedra stems typically does not boost energy, but harmalas pushed the feeling closer to a 30-40mg dose of pure ephedrine.
Second test:
Took 100mg extracted harmalas, waited ~30 minutes, then took 15mg extracted ephedrine. This felt very similar to my first test, albeit slightly more intense in terms of energy and focus. After ~60 minutes I proceeded to take another 15mg of extracted ephedrine. ~30 minutes later I took another 100mg harmalas. On my way to catch a ride home—what may have been ~60 minutes later—the experience really started taking off. An ominous electrical sound seemed to be emanating from some unknown source. Was it a car engine? An AC? Crickets? Tattoo gun? Upon getting into the passenger side, I immediately realized that this buzzing was entirely in my head. I remembered a similar type of effect being described in journeys into the bright world, though that was related to ketamine use (I have not done ketalar myself). My coordination started going—as it usually does at this dose of harmalas—but my attention remained overly sharp; a ~40 minute drive became endless. Conversations were euphoric. When I finally got home, the electric buzz followed me out of the car, onto the street, and into my apartment (I can only accurately compare it to 4:10 into the song Gosh by Jamie xx). Several hours later I began to sober up. The next day "hangover" felt like a bucket of ice water had been poured over my brain—this was actually quite pleasant.
I'm not sure how much further this can be comfortably pushed, though I do intend to try again in a few weeks.
The following documentation is provided solely to describe my personal experiences and should not be construed as advice, instruction, or a recommendation that others engage in the same self-experimentation. Any individual who chooses to do so assumes all associated risks. Recommendations will not be engaged with, except to the extent necessary for mitigating harm.
I do not typically partake in self-administration if it could pose a significant risk to my health. That said, I started growing Ephedra sinica explicitly to better understand its potential as the primary herb in "soma"
One theory is that—because MAOIs prevent the breakdown of stimulants—Peganum harmala (contains harmalas) may have been brewed with Ephedra spp. (that contain ephedrine) to provide a more powerful experience than either can on its own. Other herbs or fungi (5-HT2A agonists?) could have been included as well; it is my personal belief that nobody will know for certain what was in historic soma preparations.
First test:
~30 minutes after taking 100mg extracted harmalas, I began slowly chewing a handful of fresh ephedra stems much like a goat would chew cud. The feeling was euphoric, energizing, and significantly less sleepy than harmalas on their own. This amount of Ephedra stems typically does not boost energy, but harmalas pushed the feeling closer to a 30-40mg dose of pure ephedrine.
Second test:
Took 100mg extracted harmalas, waited ~30 minutes, then took 15mg extracted ephedrine. This felt very similar to my first test, albeit slightly more intense in terms of energy and focus. After ~60 minutes I proceeded to take another 15mg of extracted ephedrine. ~30 minutes later I took another 100mg harmalas. On my way to catch a ride home—what may have been ~60 minutes later—the experience really started taking off. An ominous electrical sound seemed to be emanating from some unknown source. Was it a car engine? An AC? Crickets? Tattoo gun? Upon getting into the passenger side, I immediately realized that this buzzing was entirely in my head. I remembered a similar type of effect being described in journeys into the bright world, though that was related to ketamine use (I have not done ketalar myself). My coordination started going—as it usually does at this dose of harmalas—but my attention remained overly sharp; a ~40 minute drive became endless. Conversations were euphoric. When I finally got home, the electric buzz followed me out of the car, onto the street, and into my apartment (I can only accurately compare it to 4:10 into the song Gosh by Jamie xx). Several hours later I began to sober up. The next day "hangover" felt like a bucket of ice water had been poured over my brain—this was actually quite pleasant.
I'm not sure how much further this can be comfortably pushed, though I do intend to try again in a few weeks.
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