Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The Use of Salvia divinorum from a Mazatec Perspective

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Plant Medicines, Healing and Psychedelic Science

Abstract

Salvia divinorum is a medicinal and psychoactive plant endemic to the Sierra Madre Oriental of Oaxaca, Mexico. The Mazatec people have been using the leaves for centuries in ceremonies for its psychoactive properties and as a treatment for arthritis and inflammation, gastrointestinal problems, headaches, and addictions, among other uses. The active principle of Salvia divinorum, the terpene salvinorin A, is a uniquely potent and highly selective kappa-opioid receptor agonist and, as such, has enormous potential for the development of valuable medications. Among them, the most promising include safe and nonaddictive analgesics, neuroprotectors, short-acting anesthetics that do not depress respiration, antidepressants, anti-inflammatories, medications for the treatment of addiction to stimulants and alcohol, and drugs to treat disorders characterized by alterations in perception. The Mazatec consider Salvia divinorum to be a very powerful plant spirit that should be treated with utmost respect, and the preparation for the ceremony requires a strict regimen. They chew the fresh leaves at night while chanting and praying. In the Western use, the dry leaves are potentiated in extracts to be smoked. A lack of information about the appropriate doses and other considerations while smoking the extracts could result in overwhelming experiences due to the high potency and fast onset of the substance. For the Mazatec, smoking the plant is not the preferred mode. How could we create a bridge between the two perspectives? In this chapter, I will try to clarify the best ways to use Salvia divinorum for medicinal, psychotherapeutic, and inner exploration purposes.

Some say it is a sensual and tactile thing. Some say it’s about temporality and dimensionality, that it’s about time travel. Some say it’s about the Root Energy Network or that it’s about becoming a plant. This plant is the great secret of our tradition. Consciousness has to do with energy and light. It is really very simple; neither animals nor people have consciousness. It is plants that have consciousness: Animals get consciousness by eating plants

[Dale Pendell about Salvia divinorum, from his book Pharmako/Poeia (1995, p. 158)].

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 149.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 199.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 199.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Notes

  1. 1.

    The Salvia divinorum Research and Information Center, sagewisdom.org

  2. 2.

    A World Out of Mind, salviaspace.blogspot.com

  3. 3.

    Center for Research and Ethnobotanical Conservation of Salvia divinorum, xkapastora.org

References

  • Aardvark, D. (Ed.) (2002). Salvia divinorum and salvinorin A. In The best of Entheogen Review 1992–2000 (2nd ed.). Sacramento, CA: Entheogen Review.

    Google Scholar 

  • Addy, P. H. (2012). Acute and post-acute behavioral and psychological effects of salvinorin A in humans. Psychopharmacology, 220(1), 195–204.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Addy, P. H., Garcia-Romeu, A., Metzger, M., & Wade, J. (2015). The subjective experience of acute, experimentally-induced Salvia divinorum inebriation. Journal of Psychopharmacology (Oxford), 29(4), 426–435.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Aviello, G., Borrelli, F., Guida, F., Romano, B., Lewellyn, K., De Chiaro, M., … Capasso, R. (2011). Ultrapotent effects of salvinorin A, a hallucinogenic compound from Salvia divinorum, on LPS-stimulated murine macrophages and its anti-inflammatory action in vivo. Journal of Molecular Medicine (Berlin), 89(9), 891–902.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bücheler, R., Gleiter, C. H., Schwoerer, P., & Gaertner, I. (2005). Use of nonprohibited hallucinogenic plants: Increasing relevance for public health? A case report and literature review on the consumption of Salvia divinorum (Diviner’s Sage). Pharmacopsychiatry, 38(1), 1–5.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Butelman, E. R., & Kreek, M. J. (2015). Salvinorin A, a kappa-opioid receptor agonist hallucinogen: pharmacology and potential template for novel pharmacotherapeutic agents in neuropsychiatric disorders. Frontiers in Pharmacology, 6, 190.

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Carrera Guzmán, C. (2011). Acercamiento gramatical a la lengua mazateca de Mazatlán [Grammatical approach to the Mazateca language of Mazatlan]. Villa de Flores, Oaxaca, Mexico: INALI.

    Google Scholar 

  • Casselman, I., Nock, C. J., Wohlmuth, H., Weatherby, R. P., & Heinrich, M. (2014). From local to global: Fifty years of research on Salvia divinorum. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 151(2), 768–783.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chavkin, C. (2013). Dynorphin – still an extraordinarily potent opioid peptide. Molecular Pharmacology, 83(4), 729–736.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dos Santos, R. G., Crippa, J. A., Machado-de-Sousa, J. P., & Hallak, J. E. (2015). Salvinorin A and related compounds as therapeutic drugs for psychostimulant-related disorders. Current Drug Abuse Reviews, 7(2), 128–132.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Epling, C., & Játiva-M., C. D. (1962). A new species of Salvia from Mexico. Botanical Museum Leaflets, Harvard University, 20(3), 75–76.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gómez Pompa, A. (1957). Salvia divinorum herbarium sheets. A. Gómez Pompa 87556 and 93216. Mexico, D.F: National Herbarium (UNAM).

    Google Scholar 

  • Guida, F., Luongo, L., Aviello, G., Palazzo, E., De Chiaro, M., Gatta, L., … Maione, S. (2012). Salvinorin A reduces mechanical allodynia and spinal neuronal hyperexcitability induced by peripheral formalin injection. Molecular Pain, 8, 60.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hanes, K. R. (2001). Antidepressant effects of the herb Salvia divinorum. Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology, 21(6), 634–635.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hanes, K. R. (2003). Salvia divinorum: Clinical and research potential. MAPS Bulletin, 13(1), 18–20.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hanna, J. (1999). Growing Salvia divinorum from seed. The Entheogen Review, 8(3), 110–124.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hofmann, A., & Tscherter, H. (1960). Isolation of lysergic acid alkaloids from the Mexican drug ololiuqui (Rivea corymbosa (L.) Hall.f.) Experientia, 16, 414.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Incháustegui, C. (1994). La mesa de plata: cosmogonía y curanderismo entre los mazatecos de Oaxaca [The silver table: Cosmogony and quackery among the Mazatecos of Oaxaca]. Oaxaca, Mexico: Instituto Oaxaqueño de las Culturas.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jenks, A. A., Walker, J. B., & Kim, S. C. (2010). Evolution and origins of the Mazatec hallucinogenic sage, Salvia divinorum (Lamiaceae): A molecular phylogenetic approach. Journal of Plant Research, 124(5), 593–600.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Johnson, J. B. (1939). The elements of Mazatec witchcraft. Göteborgs Etnografiska Museum. Etnologiska Studier, 9, 119–149.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kelly, B. C. (2011). Legally tripping: A qualitative profile of Salvia divinorum use among young adults. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 43, 46–54.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Luke, D. P., & Terhune, D. B. (2013). The induction of synaesthesia with chemical agents: A systematic review. Frontiers in Psychology, 4, 753. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2013.00753

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • MacLean, K. A., Johnson, M. W., Reissig, C. J., Prisinzano, T. E., & Griffiths, R. R. (2013). Dose-related effects of salvinorin A in humans: Dissociative, hallucinogenic, and memory effects. Psychopharmacology, 226(2), 381–392.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Maqueda, A. E., Valle, M., Addy, P. H., Antonijoan, R. M., Puntes, M., Coimbra, J., … Riba, J. (2015). Salvinorin-A induces intense dissociative effects, blocking external sensory perception and modulating interoception and sense of body ownership in humans. International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology, 18(12), pyv065. https://doi.org/10.1093/ijnp/pyv065

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Maqueda, A. E., Valle, M., Addy, P. H., Antonijoan, R. M., Puntes, M., Coimbra, J., … Riba, J. (2016). Naltrexone but not Ketanserin antagonizes the subjective, cardiovascular, and neuroendocrine effects of Salvinorin-A in humans. International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology, 19(7), pyw016. https://doi.org/10.1093/ijnp/pyw016

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • McCurdy, C. R., Sufka, K. J., Smith, G. H., Warnick, J. E., & Nieto, M. J. (2006). Antinociceptive profile of salvinorin A, a structurally unique kappa opioid receptor agonist. Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Behavior, 83(1), 109–113.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • NygÃ¥rd, E. A. (2007). Listening to the sage: The experience of learning from the Salvia divinorum altered state (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). Institute of Transpersonal Psychology, Palo Alto, CA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ortega, A., Blount, J. F., & Manchand, P. S. (1982). Salvinorin, a new trans-neoclerodane diterpene from Salvia divinorum (Labiatae). Journal of the Chemical Society, Perkin Transactions, 1(0), 2505–2508.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Orton, E., & Liu, R. (2014). Salvinorin A: A mini review of physical and chemical properties affecting its translation from research to clinical applications in humans. Translational Perioperative and Pain Medicine Journal, 1(1), 9–11.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ott, J. (1995). Ethnopharmacognosy and human pharmacology of Salvia divinorum and salvinorin A. Curare, 18(1), 103–129.

    Google Scholar 

  • Raichle, M. E. (2011). The restless brain. Brain Connectivity, 1(1), 3–12.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Raichle, M. E., MacLeod, A. M., Snyder, A. Z., Powers, W. J., Gusnard, D. A., & Shulman, G. L. (2001). A default mode of brain function. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 98(2), 676–682.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ranganathan, M., Schnakenberg, A., Skosnik, P. D., Cohen, B. M., Pittman, B., Sewell, R. A., & D’Souza, D. C. (2012). Dose-related behavioral, subjective, endocrine, and psychophysiological effects of the κ opioid agonist Salvinorin A in humans. Biological Psychiatry, 72(10), 871–879.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Reisfield, A. S. (1993). The botany of Salvia divinorum (Labiatae). SIDA, 15(3), 349–366.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reko, B. P. (1945). Mitobotanica Zapoteca. Tacubaya, Mexico: Private printing.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rossi, A., Pace, S., Tedesco, F., Pagano, E., Guerra, G., Troisi, F., … Capasso, R. (2016). The hallucinogenic diterpene salvinorin A inhibits leukotriene synthesis in experimental models of inflammation. Pharmacological Research Journal, 106, 64–71.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Roth, B. L., Baner, K., Westkaemper, R., Siebert, D., Rice, K. C., Steinberg, S., … Rothman, R. B. (2002). Salvinorin A: A potent naturally occurring nonnitrogenous kappa opioid selective agonist. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 99(18), 11934–11939.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Schmidt, M. D., Schmidt, M. S., Butelman, E. R., Harding, W. W., Tidgewell, K., Murry, D. J., … Prisinzano, T. E. (2005). Pharmacokinetics of the plant-derived kappa-opioid hallucinogen salvinorin A in nonhuman primates. Synapse, 58(3), 208–210.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Schwarzer, C. (2009). 30 years of dynorphins – new insights on their functions in neuropsychiatric diseases. Pharmacology & Therapeutics, 123(3), 353–370.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Serra, V., Fattore, L., Scherma, M., Collu, R., Spano, M. S., Fratta, W., & Fadda, P. (2015). Behavioral and neurochemical assessment of Salvinorin A abuse potential in the rat. Psychopharmacology, 232(1), 91–100.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Siebert, D. J. (1994). Salvia divinorum and salvinorin A: New pharmacologic findings. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 43(1), 53–56.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Siebert, D. J. (1999). Clones of Salvia divinorum. Retrieved from http://www.lycaeum.org/salvia/clones.html

  • Siebert, D. J. (2003). The history of the first Salvia divinorum plants cultivated outside of Mexico. The Entheogen Review, 12(4), 117–118. Retrieved from http://www.sagewisdom.org/salviahistory.html

    Google Scholar 

  • Siebert, D. J. (2004). Localization of salvinorin A and related compounds in glandular trichomes of the psychoactive sage, Salvia divinorum. Annals of Botany, 93(6), 763–777.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Soutar, I., & Strassman, R. (2000). Meditation with Salvia divinorum/Salvinorin A. Retrieved from http://www.maps.org/researcharchive/salvia/sdmeditation.html

  • Stiefel, K. M., Merrifield, A., & Holcombe, A. O. (2014). The claustrum’s proposed role in consciousness is supported by the effect and target localization of Salvia divinorum. Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience, 8, 20.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Su, D., Riley, J., Kiessling, W. J., Armstead, W. M., & Liu, R. (2011). Salvinorin A produces cerebrovasodilation through activation of nitric oxide synthase, κ receptor, and adenosine triphosphate-sensitive potassium channel. Anesthesiology, 114(2), 374–379.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Taylor, G. T., & Manzella, F. (2016). Kappa opioids, Salvinorin A and major depressive disorder. Current Neuropharmacology Journal, 14(2), 165–176.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tejeda, H. A., Shippenberg, T. S., & Henriksson, R. (2012). The dynorphin/kappa-opioid receptor system and its role in psychiatric disorders. Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences, 69(6), 857–896.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Valdes, J. L., III, Butler, W. M., Hatfield, G. M., Paul, A. G., & Koreeda, M. (1984). Divinorin A, a psychotropic terpenoid, and divinorin B from the hallucinogenic Mexican mint Salvia divinorum. Journal of Organic Chemistry, 49, 4716–4720.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Valdes, J. L., III, Diaz, J. L., & Paul, A. G. (1983). Ethnopharmacology of ska Maria Pastora (Salvia divinorum Epling and Jativa-M). Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 7(3), 287–312.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Valdes, J. L., III, Hatfield, G. M., Koreeda, M., & Paul, A. G. (1987). Studies of Salvia divinorum (Lamiaceae), an hallucinogenic mint from the Sierra Mazateca in Oaxaca, Central Mexico. Economic Botany, 41(2), 283–291.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vasiljevik, T., Groer, C. E., Lehner, K., Navarro, H., & Prisinzano, T. E. (2014). Studies toward the development of antiproliferative neoclerodanes from Salvinorin A. Journal of Natural Products, 77(8), 1817–1824.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wasson, R. G. (1962). A new Mexican psychotropic drug from the mint family. Botanical Museum Leaflets Harvard University, 20(3), 77–84.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weitlaner, R. J. (1952). Curaciones mazatecas [Mazatec cures]. Anales del Instituto Nacional de Antropologia e Historia, 4, 279–285.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wu, H., Wacker, D., Katritch, V., Mileni, M., Han, G. W., Vardy, E., … Stevens, R. C. (2012). Structure of the human kappa opioid receptor in complex with JDTic. Nature, 485(7398), 327–332.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Human Neuropsychopharmacology Research Group, Hospital de la Santa Creu y Sant Pau, Avenida Sant Antoni M Claret, Barcelona, Spain

    Ana Elda Maqueda

Authors
  1. Ana Elda Maqueda
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ana Elda Maqueda .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. East-West Psychology Program, California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS), San Francisco, California, USA

    Beatriz Caiuby Labate

  2. Psychiatric Alternatives, San Francisco, California, USA

    Clancy Cavnar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2018 Springer International Publishing AG, part of Springer Nature

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Maqueda, A.E. (2018). The Use of Salvia divinorum from a Mazatec Perspective. In: Labate, B., Cavnar, C. (eds) Plant Medicines, Healing and Psychedelic Science. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-76720-8_4

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation