Archive for September, 2008

NASA’s biggest announcement for 35 years was put to the news outlets recently. The subject? The Ares I Rocket.

The Ares I Rocket forms part of the groundbreaking Constellation program. The Constellation program is NASA’s attempt to replace the ill fated Space Shuttle project: a period in its history that it undoubtedly wants to forget as soon as it can.

So what was this magical announcement by NASA about Ares? Is it finished? Is the Ares rocket ready to propel the Orbit shuttle and its lucky crew into orbit? Well no, not yet. The preliminary designs of the Ares rocket have been approved by the 1,100 strong committee of specialists that were set the task to meticulously check through all of the design information. The idea is that all the faults, bumps, problems and ‘issues’ are ironed out well before Ares gets to the manufacturing and assembly phase, and most certainly a long time before the thing gets propelled into the air by lighting a massive fire underneath it! This is a hugely complex process that takes – literally years. The planned launch date for the Constellation project is in 2015 and you can bet your last dollar that this testing and approval process will continue until the last possible minute.

In yet more exposure for Salvia to the public limelight, Harold B. Pritchett’s latest Movie — a feature entitled “Beachwood Drive-Bad Salvia Trip” — features Salvia (strangely enough) in the central role.

Though usually Salvia users are keen to get the word out about their favourite pastime, they have taken exception to Pritchett’s movie. It demonizes Salvia, they say. The movie claims that Salvia is stronger than LSD (which is debatable, if not an outright lie. Besides, they’re hardly in the same category) and that it is, in his own words, “out of control”.

Pritchett fights back with an interesting argument: he’s a film maker not a law maker, he says. He continues to tell us that he is not here to demonize Salvia but to show parents and others “how out of control a legal drug can be”. Wow.  If that isn’t one man’s quest to demonize Salvia then I don’t know what is! How on Earth is Salvia out of control? Are kids rampaging the streets, smashing shops and cars up in an attempt to get their next Salvia ‘hit’? Of course not. There are much bigger fish to fry when it comes to youth crime. Salvia is a soft target and any politician lobbying against it is simply trying to get the populist vote. After all our forefathers fought for, we are reduced to taking away citizen’s liberties on the strength of YouTube videos of kids having fun. Tragic.

This would appear to be the first feature film centering on Salvia as the subject matter: certainly I’ve never seen anything so mainstream attempted before. I’ve not actually seen the film yet, but would welcome the chance. I would also be very interested in seeing where Harold B.Pritchett got his research from, and how he came to his conclusions shown in the film (including the bit about Salvia being “out of control”).

A recent article in the Washington post (September 22nd) is the latest press release to advocate the Federal banning of Salvia. It calls for the Drug Enforcement Administration (the DEA) and the Food and Drug administration to “take the drug seriously”. Not exactly impartial reporting there. The administrations, the article says, “should conduct a formal review to determine whether access to it should be restricted or banned.”

The article continues, admitting that some academics have found reason to believe that Salvia can be beneficial to some people suffering from severe depression or in pain. It doesn’t mention that studies show that Salvia could be useful in understanding — and better treating — Alzheimer’s disease and other degenerative afflictions. It appears to conclude that since there is no evidence of any effects on the body in the long term or the short term that the drug is bad for you. This assertion simply defies belief: if it’s bad for you then that is reported, if it does no bad or (documented) good then it’s bad because it can’t be good! Where is the logic?

The throwaway comment that the Washington Post inserts at the end of the article is again testament to the fact that the author — and by implication the paper — has already made up his or her mind about Salvia: “Not all substances that can cause harm should be banned. After all, many common products — from aerosol sprays to over-the-counter medicines — are all too often misused by those seeking a cheap high, sometimes with devastating results.” Talk about guilty by implication. The fact that the article mentions these things that “cause harm” means that readers — despite what they’ve just read — are going to associate Salvia with harm.

This is, shamefully, yet another stunning example of unbelievably biased reporting against Salvia.

We all know that Salvia Divinorum has hit a purple patch in terms of the media coverage it has gained recently. Most of the coverage has been most definitely, absolutely, totally and completely bad coverage. There is some silver lining in this cloud of media hate, however, and it comes in the form of news about researches trying to understand the workings of the drug — specifically how it affects the human brain when we hallucinate and go into that magical ‘trip’.

Little is known about the drug — and thanks to the State lawmakers’ continued attempts to ban it across some states and the reported push to make it illegal nationally not much is likely to be known about it soon — and researchers are trying to understand how it might help them stumble upon new medicines for patients with brain diseases orpsychiatric problems.

If researchers can in some way interpret and explain the way in which Salvia’s active ingredient — Salvorin A — affects the brain then they will be some way toward being able to control the brain just a little better. The body’s most complicated part is simply not well understood by researchers and it is widely acknowledged that any possible further insight into its inner workings can only be a good thing.

Of course the ability to researchers will be severely limited when the planned bans and restrictions come into play. Salvia is already banned or restricted in 13 states, with many more planning to do the same. It cannot be long before a serious push is made towards banning the drug and making it a federal crime. When this happens almost all bets are off.

There is little we can do except wait and hope for the best. It would be a shame if the US government felt the need to ban this wonderful plant just because the media picked it up as their favourite topic.

Salvia’s continued dominance of the news might give some indication of the the general populace’s feeling towards it. More likely it is just a juicy topic that journalists can easily glean something newsworthy from. YouTube is being blamed for aperceived sudden explosion in popularity and this is something that I take issue with.

You didn’t ask for my opinion on the matter but, naturally, I’m going to provide it anyway.

Firstly, how do these media pundits know just how popular Salvia was before the days of You Tube? Or are they judging increased usage by the increased number of videos on the ‘net? I suspect the latter; an approach which clearly defies logic. There isn’t necessarily an increase in Salvia use, just an increase in videos about it. It’s entirely possible that the two are not even linked!

Secondly it is not the YouTube videos that people see the most of, but the rants and raves contained in the newspapers and TV reports. If anything the media themselves are bringing Salvia Divinorum into the mainstream by complaining about how mainstream it is! The media have started — and continue to perpetuate — a self-fulfilling ‘problem’ of Salvia recognition and branding. The more the media comment on YouTube videos the more people will be inclined to seek fame and fortune by filming themselves to gain attention.

All this ignores that fact that the use of Salvia Divinorum as a psychedelic and hallucinogenic drug is decades old: if it’s got a good pedigree in the US then it’s worth considering that the Mazatec Indians in Mexico have been using it to explore their spiritual side for even longer.

Salvia is not a new drug, and the ‘problem’ that encourages its use is not YouTube. These are just easier to accept and attempt to explain that addressing the real issues.

So I discussed in my last article how I find that Salvia helps me in finding inspiration for some of my artwork. In this article I’m going to try and explain some of the experiences Salvia has given me that have helped in this way. Of course it’s difficult to describe properly how one feels in a drug induced hallucination, but I’ll give it a go.

One trip, a couple of months ago, put me back into my childhood home in Oregon. This home was very much in the beautiful countryside with beautiful views on each side. I loved this place, I remember. I was running faster than I’d ever ran before and covering loads of ground between our house and the nearby stream. I jumped into the air and soared about the nearby fields and hills. I felt young again, and I felt that freedom that comes with youth. No bills to pay, no food to buy, freedom. I tried to paint this freedom as soon as I came out of the hallucination. I ended up with one of my most successful paintings yet.

Another time I didn’t teleport anywhere, but I saw people and things coming into my room. There were monsters and dragons swirling above my bed. At first I felt an intense, paralysing fear that I’d never felt the like of before. Soon I saw that these strange creatures were at worst neutral towards me and I calmed. It was this confusion, this sheer, utter terror that I successfully depicted in my painting fear and loathing in Los Angeles.

Naturally not all trips end up with me being able to paint something useful, but some — the absolutely gems — are worth their weight in gold.

Even if you are not an artist Salvia can certainly help to make you see things — and feel things — that you thought you had forgotten.

What is Snurf? Its not clear exactly what Snurf contains, but the symptoms and effects point to dextromethorphan, also know as DXM, the cough suppressant ingredient in Robitussin and other over-the-counter medicines. Dextromethorphan is a synthetic morphine analog that lacks opioid-like effects.

Today’s reports of four Pennsylvania 10th-graders hospitalized after taking pink pills sold over the Internet as Snurf have parents scrambling to learn more about this little-known drug. Ninth and tenth graders are using Snurf. One in ten kids from grades 7th to 12th have used it. There is a 15-fold increase in California. While use of illegal drugs is down among teens, use of DXM and other over-the-counter drugs is on the rise from eighth grade onward. Kids think that since it’s a advertised as legal and an herbal that it is safe and or healthy. Yet both the desired effects and the side effects can be devastating. At extreme doses, Levine says, DXM causes the same kinds of dissociative symptoms — memory loss, depression, anxiety, detachment from self, sense of unreality, blurred sense of identity — seen with ketamine, a very dangerous drug of abuse known as “special K.” Some think that since these drugs are legal that kids feel less guilty about using them. “The message isn’t out there of the potential dangers of using these substances. You have a very dangerous combination of fairly easy access with absence of messages of potential harm,” Windle tells WebMD.

Kids may have been trying to get DXM when they stumbled upon Snurf pills. Other products listing the same ingredients — such as Snuffadelic and Red Dawn Vector Euphoria Enhancer — are readily available. Snurf itself is hard to find on the Internet, although it’s been sold at least since 2005.

In addition to SNURF, Kids are also buying other “legal” herbal drugs that may be listed as safe. Some of those include:

Salvia divinorum: Nicknamed Sally-D, Magic Mint and Diviner’s Sage, salvia is smoked and looks similar to marijuana. It is a hallucinogen that gives users an out-of-body feeling.

Spirit Walk: Like SNURF, Spirit Walk is an herbal supplement that comes in pill form. Some users have likened the experience to using hallucinogenic mushrooms.

Herbal Ecstasy: Sold under the names Cloud 9, Rave Energy and Ultimate Xphoria, herbal ecstasy is a combination of herbs that are legal, inexpensive, and marketed as a “natural high.”

Red Bliss: A red capsule, this drug is said to boost energy and sexual stamina. This product is also said to be a mood elevator and aphrodisiac.

I am an artist an I’m constantly looking for ways in which to influence my art. Whether these influences come from internal sources, like emotions or experiences, or whether they come from external sources like landscapes or people, doesn’t really matter to me. They’re all valid and they can all produce some startling results! Recently I have found the wonders of Salvia though and I’ve got to say that there is a wealth of influence there!

Not only does Salvia induce some pretty drastic hallucinations, it causes me to see with great clarity things about myself that I would not otherwise have noticed. Specifically Salvia helps me to find my spiritual side quicker and more lucidly than anything I’ve ever tried: and I’ve tried my fair share of synthetic and natural drugs.

One of the best things about the Salvia trip, for me, is that it comes and goes within minutes. Not only does this mean that I can get back on with my art with some new inspiration within a few minutes, but it also means I can quite easily have a few trips a day without taking up too much time. Another great thing is that there are no after effects or side effects that cause me to want to sleep, eat, or puke. All good!

Salvia is, of course, completely legal in my state; it’s completely legal in most states, for that matter. I would like to point out that I am not in any way condoning the illegal use of Salvia (or any other drug for that matter) for inspiration in art or anything else. This is just what works for me. And I’m big enough and old enough to make my own mistakes in the world.

In Part 2 I’ll discuss some of the things about Salvia that help me make wonderful art.

Continuing my intriguing series of interviews with Salvia smokers, this the second half of the interview with published poet Sylvia (not her real name).

Q. How do you feel that Salvia Divinorum helps you to tap into your spiritual side?
A. Interesting. For me the hallucinations (aural and visual) are not just random images caused by the Salvia messing with my head. Rather they are an expression of some aspect of my psyche. If I have violent and disturbing hallucinations then I’m probably worried about something. If I’m hallucinating aboutbeautiful horses cantering over rolling green fields then I’m relaxed and happy. If I hallucinate about dead babies then I need to see a Doctor of the head. Either way it’s all about learning more about me as a person; this introspection is generally difficult for people and I find that Salvia helps.

Q. What is your view on Salvia’s place in the current political climate
A. I know that they are trying to ban it but that’s about it. I don’t care for politics or for what other people want to try to make me do. They can all go and fornicate for all I care. I have no interest. Sorry.

Q. Haha! Okay! No problem at all. How often do you smoke Salvia?
A. Probably two or three times a week, depending on how much inspiration I am looking for. Of course I always attend your smoking parties. They are the highlight of every socially active girl’s social calendar. Really.

Q. I sense a little bit of your sarcasm coming through there Sylvia, but I’ll let it pass.
A. You know it makes sense.

Q. Thanks very much for your time, Sylvia. It’s really great to see people enjoying themselves and I can see you are. Good for you.
A. Thanks for inviting me, bug boy.

Today I am going to continue my quest to bring you the lowdown from those in the know. I am aiming (and so far succeeding) to bring you a series of mini interviews with members of my Salvia ‘team’. We meet every week or so (sometimes more frequently, sometimes less) and partake in a little of the old Sally D. Good times are had by all. Discussing peoples’ Salvia experiences with them is fairly enlightening. Let’s have a chat to Sylvia, a poet.

Q. Thanks for talking to us Sylvia. We know Sylvia isn’t your real name, but as you are a published poet you didn’t really want people associating you with drugs. Is that right?

A. That is right, yes. I have no problem with Salvia (or many other drugs, for that matter) but unfortunately lots of people in this world are pretty narrow minded. Narrow minded people tend to judge based on fairly arbitrary criteria. Perceived drug ‘problems’ is one of these criteria. I don’t really want to loose my publishing contract on account of a fun interview with you. I hope you understand.

Q. Of course, no problem at all. The fame and stardom of writing a part-time blog series sometimes gets to me, too… Anyway. What makes you want to try Salvia, Sylvia?

A. Nothing makes me want to try it, I just want to try it. I hope there’s a distinction there! Originally I tried it just to see what it was like as I really loathe the thought of missing out on something good. After I tried it a couple of times I realised that it was giving me real insight into my own spirituality. I hadn’t really been a spiritual writer before but this brought out a whole new element in my work. I was eager to explore it further so I’ve kept going with Ms. Sally D.

This is quite an interesting start, and I’m running out of space, so I’m going to continue the write up of this little discussion later in the week.