peyote trip video

The Ultimate Guide to Peyote

(mescaline, mescalito, anhalonium, buttons).

Peyote is an endangered species and care should be taken to avoid purchasing specimens that have been illegally poached from the wild. Mescaline, the primary psychoactive alkaloid, is also an illegal substance in many countries, and we do not encourage or condone the use of this it where it is against the law. However, we accept that illegal drug use occurs, and believe that offering responsible harm reduction information is imperative to keeping people safe. For that reason, this guide is designed to ensure the safety of those who decide to use peyote responsibly.

Native to Mexico and the Southwestern US, peyote has long been a focus of Native American and pre-Colombian ceremonial traditions. Its name derives from the Nahuatl (Aztec) term peyotl and it remains legal for ceremonial use in the US under the American Indian Religious Freedom Act. Today, it’s also used in other contexts elsewhere, including in meditation and psychotherapy. It also holds the reputation of being the first psychedelic to come to mainstream Western attention—for better or worse. Due to overharvesting and peyote’s slow-growing nature, the cactus is now an endangered species.

What to expect

The effects of peyote are usually felt within 30 minutes to an hour after consumption. For most, the experience begins with increases heart rate, blood pressure, and body temperature and some form of physiological discomfort, such as nausea, fullness in the stomach, sweating, and/or chills. These physical symptoms can last up to two hours, before dissolving into a sense of calm and acceptance. [1]

At this point, the more subjective, psychological effects take hold, reaching their peak two to four hours after consuming the cactus and gradually declining over the next eight to twelve hours. Peak effects are compared to those of LSD, and are known to profoundly alter one’s perceptions of self and reality, increase suggestibility, and intensify emotions. While some find peyote more sensual and less reality-shifting than LSD, others have trouble telling the difference.

Some people experience a deeply mystical or transcendental state, including clear and connected thought, feelings of oneness and unity, self-realization, and ego death, as well as empathy and euphoria. “Bad trips” and dysphoric symptoms tend to be more common among people who ignore the importance of set and setting and/or have a history of mental illness.

Pharmacology

Something of a “little green chemical factory,” peyote contains more than 60 different alkaloids, many of which are at least potentially psychoactive to varying degrees, including tyramine, hordenine, pellotine, and anhalonidine. [5] But the primary psychoactive alkaloid is mescaline. [6]

Receptor binding

Mescaline binds to virtually all serotonin receptors in the brain but has a stronger affinity for the 1A and 2A/B/C receptors. It’s structurally similar to LSD and often used as a benchmark when comparing psychedelics.

Like nearly all psychedelics, the effects of mescaline are likely due to its action on serotonin 2A receptors.

A light dose of peyote is 50-100g fresh or 10-20g dry, which equates in either case to roughly three to six mid-sized buttons. Moderate doses range up to 150g fresh or 30g dry (six to twelve buttons), while strong doses range up to 200g fresh or 40g dry (eight to sixteen buttons). Anything above this is considered heavy.

Benefits & Risks

Potential benefits.

In the Native American Church, peyote ceremonies are used to treat a number of psychological, spiritual, and physiological issues. For many, a peyote journey offers deep insight into the self and the universe, giving one a greater sense of connection and spirituality. It’s also known for fostering compassion and gratitude and alleviating psychological disorders such as anxiety, depression, PTSD and addiction.

Peyote has also been shown to help people solve problems, access their creativity, be more environmentally conscious, and improve learning. In its original use, the plant medicine was also used to treat a number of ailments, including snake bites, wounds, skin conditions, and general pain.

Research into the harm potential and adverse effects of peyote is limited, but in general, it is considered a safe substance. A lethal dose has never been identified, probably because it’s too high to be taken accidentally. [7] [8] In other words, to the best of our knowledge, nobody has ever died from a peyote overdose.

A 2005 study into the ceremonial use of peyote among Native American populations found no detrimental long-term effects. [9] It should be noted, though, that its use in other contexts may not be as safe—later studies have found an association between prior mental health problems and “bad trips.” Still, peyote appears to present little risk of flashbacks, or hallucinogen persisting perception disorder (HPPD). [10]

Peyote is traditionally consumed by Huichol women during pregnancy, but mescaline has been linked to fetal abnormalities and should be avoided by pregnant or breastfeeding women. [11] [12]

Personal Growth

A peyote trip is often characterized by personal blessings, healing, and insights, and many people emerge with an awareness of their place in the web of being. Some people who have taken part in peyote ceremonies have found that the experience allows them to confront their own shadow in order to move past it. [18] Beyond the subjective psychological experience, purging is another important aspect of the peyote ceremony and is thought to be useful for dispensing of deeply rooted fears and other negative emotions. [19]

While formal ceremonies have been developed and refined over many generations, maybe people are now finding the beneficial effects of peyote outside of a religious context. While these people may not believe the ceremonial setting is essential for attaining the profound and life-changing insights or transformations that peyote helps to bring about, indigenous peoples say otherwise. Ethically, it is also best to reserve the use of peyote for these settings. (See Ethical Considerations for more information.)

Solo, meditative peyote experiences can also give rise to insights into the nature of fear, the circle of life, immortality, better living, and so on. Prophetic visions are as common for solo users as those involved in peyote ceremonies, but in all settings, the plant should be approached with respect. [20] As one user put it, “if one does not respect the plant, the plant will certainly teach you to do so.” [18]

Therapeutic Use

Peyote’s effect on the serotonin system likely has something to do with the treatment of substance addiction, but the set/setting and social support inherent in the traditional ceremony may have just as much if not more of a therapeutic effect. In addition to the sacrament of peyote, for instance, these ceremonies feature a master guide, marathon group sessions, ego reduction techniques, social networks, and a focus on self-actualization throughout.

As a traditional addiction therapy, the peyote ceremony can also provide an addict with visions of his or her eventual ruin, effectively simulating what alcoholics refer to as “rock bottom” and sparking a very real sense of urgency to change. The trance-like state of a ceremony’s continuous drumming and chants can also increase self-awareness, break down denial mechanisms, and give addicts a sense of control. [25]

In addition to its direct effects on the serotonin system, peyote is also associated with a strong “afterglow” effect that can last for up to 6 weeks after a ceremony. During this period, users commonly report feeling happier, more empathic, less prone to cravings, and more open to communication—all of which is likely to boost the efficiency of follow-up therapy sessions. Of course, this has obvious implications for the treatment of depression as well, especially given that depression scores are reportedly lower among more active members of the Native American Church. [24]

In fact, studies suggest that mescaline may increase blood flow and activity in the prefrontal cortex , the area of the brain in charge of planning, problem-solving, emotional regulation, and behavior. Low activity in this area is linked to depression and anxiety, leading scientists to hypothesize that mescaline could help alleviate symptoms of these disorders.

If you want to find out more about the topic check out our podcast interview with Dr. Joe Tafur M.D. where we talk about How Peyote and a Native American spirit walk created new opportunities to find hope or Click here to read the transcript

Mescaline could also help reduce suicidal thoughts , according to researchers at the University of Alabama. Using data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, the researchers found that people who have used a psychedelic drug at least once in their life show lower rates of suicidal thinking.

A 2013 study also found that lifetime mescaline or peyote use was significantly linked to a lower rate of agoraphobia, an anxiety disorder where subjects perceive their surrounding environment to be threatening.

Legality of peyote in the United States

In the United States, despite it being a federally controlled Schedule I substance—even in its natural state—peyote is legal for members of the Native American Church under the American Indian Religious Freedom Act. And even non-Indians may be permitted to use it as part of “bona fide” ceremonies or serious research. [24] [26] [27] [28]

Peyote can also be consumed with relative freedom—regardless of religious affiliation—in the City of Oakland, CA, which decriminalized all “entheogenic plants” containing indoleamines, tryptamines, or phenethylamines, making it legal for adults aged 21 and over to consume peyote and other plant medicines—regardless of ethnicity and religious affiliation. It also specifically decriminalizes (or rather deprioritizes for law enforcement) their cultivation and distribution. [29] [30]

Legality of peyote in Mexico

Peyote is also a Schedule I substance in Mexico, where harvesting the plant from the wild is controlled due to peyote’s endangered status. Again, however, religious use is permitted. [26]

Legality of peyote in Canada

In Canada, although extracted mescaline is illegal, fresh (not dried) peyote and other mescaline-containing cacti are specifically exempt from scheduling.

Legality of peyote in the UK and elsewhere

The situation is much the same in the UK (even after the Psychoactive Substances Act) and elsewhere in Europe, where it tends to be legal to grow peyote but not to prepare it for use. [31]

Ethical Considerations

Peyote only grows naturally in Northern Mexico and small areas in South and West Texas. It’s also a slow-growing cactus, taking more than 10 years to mature from seed. Add to the mix the rampant and ongoing issues of unsustainable harvesting practices, the black market, and the prohibition of peyote cultivation, and what you get is a rapidly declining population lacking the ability to replenish.

This shortage of peyote endangers native traditions that have been in practice for generations. In fact, recent efforts to decriminalize plant medicines at the local level have been denounced by the Native American Church , which argues that loosening these laws sends the message to non-native people that peyote is legal, further threatening its habitat and the sacrament surrounding it.

History & Stats

Brief history.

The traditional use of peyote is thought to have originated among the Tonkawa or Mescalero tribes of Texas and New Mexico, but it also has strong cultural ties with the Chichimeca and Tarahumara (Rarámuri), as well as the Cora (Náayarite), Huichol (Wixáritari), and other groups who adopted its use later. [32] [33] Given the size of peyote’s native habitat, which extends from the north of the Rio Grande in Texas to the Chihuahuan Desert and Tamaulipan mezquital in Mexico, its use may well have originated independently among a variety of Native American tribes. [7]

Traditional uses are diverse and are not limited to ritual. The Tarahumara, for example, have used it for long-distance endurance foot races and as a topical treatment for wounds, burns, and painful joints. [34] [35] Among the Huichol, it has also been used by pregnant and breastfeeding mothers. [11]

The first non-natives to encounter peyote use in the Americas were probably Catholic missionaries and conquistadors during the 16th century. Spanish friar Bernardino de Sahagún, for instance, described a Huichol peyote ceremony held in the desert and estimated that such practices may have been at least 1,980 years old. In referring to the cactus, he used the original Nahuatl name, peiotl , meaning “cocoon silk” in reference to the woolly tuft that sprouts from the depressions of the “button.” [33] Unfortunately, the massive destruction of Aztec records by earlier conquistadors means that little is known for certain. [34] More recently, with evidence from the Shumla Caves site in Texas, researchers have been able to date ceremonial peyote use to at least 5,700 years ago. [36]

During the conquest of the New World, peyote was near-universally condemned by Europeans who associated its use with devil-worship, cannibalism, and witchcraft, and attempted to stamp it out. One persistent peyote user, an Acaxee from Mexico, is said to have had his eyes gouged out as punishment and his stomach sliced open in the shape of a crucifix, leaving dogs to eat his insides. Suppression of the use of peyote continued throughout the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries too—particularly after Native Americans had been forcibly displaced to reservations. [33] [34]

At the same time, the ceremonial use of peyote became all the more important to Native Americans as an emblem of their emerging pan-Indian identity and their ongoing struggle against the so-called “manifest destiny” of their oppressors. Of course, it was also a means of coping spiritually with the subordination and loss of their culture. [33] As a result, native groups formerly at war with each other began to cooperate in a spirit of amicability, spreading peyote use beyond the Southwest to the Great Plains, the Midwest, and even into Canada. [37]

During this process, the traditional peyote ceremony was overlaid with Christian elements to help safeguard the new religion as a legitimate form of Christian worship. For example, Jesus was invoked alongside animal spirits, and the “peyote road” (right way of living) was conflated with Christian values. Upon the altar, the “roadman” who led the ceremony not only kept a large sacred peyote button (the “Peyote Chief” or “Father Peyote”) but also a Christian Bible. [33] Interestingly, Peyotism, as it was called, was devoid of all the usual Christian guilt. In fact, it positioned Native Americans as much closer to God than whites, since it was “the whites,” they said, who crucified Jesus—not the ancestrally separated Indians. [34]

By 1885, despite sustained opposition from missionaries and government officials, the precursor to the Native American Church (NAC) of today was more or less fully established. [33] It was formally registered with a charter in 1918 and, by the 1940s, had opened branch chapters throughout the United States, Canada, and Mexico. [37]

In 1960, a landmark court case, presided over by Arizona Judge Yale McFate, finally legitimized peyote as having “a similar relation to the Indians—most of whom cannot read—as does the Holy Bible to the white man.” He also pointed out that suppression of its use was unconstitutional since it obstructed religious freedom. [38] By this time, the NAC had roughly 225,000 members (up from 13,300 in 1922) and when peyote (not just mescaline) was classified Schedule I under the Controlled Substances Act of 1970, a special exemption was made for religious use among Native Americans. [37] [34] But it wasn’t until the American Indian Religious Freedom Act of 1978 that it was truly enshrined as a right. Amendments in 1994 clarified and extended this right to all 50 states. [39]

Of course, none of this progress took place in isolation. As early as the late-1800s/early-1900s, non-native intellectuals and scientists—including the neurologist Silas Weir Mitchell, the philosopher William James, and the occultist Aleister Crowley—were experimenting with peyote for themselves. [40] [41] In fact, the drug company Parke-Davis was even promoting their own liquid peyote extract as an effective “cardiac tonic” (with no mention whatsoever of its psychoactive effects). [37] Other in-depth studies, conducted by German and Austrian scientists, led to the isolation of mescaline in 1897 and its synthesis—the first of any psychedelic—in 1919. [34] [42]

Later, in 1947, having learned of Nazi experiments exploring mescaline as a possible “truth serum,” the US government began its own secretive program along the same lines, codenamed “Project CHATTER.” [43] This project later gave up on mescaline and turned its attention to LSD, but was ultimately deemed a failure in 1953.

In the same year, Aldous Huxley first tried mescaline under the supervision of psychiatrist Humphry Osmond, an experience he described in The Doors of Perception as more valid than consensus reality—showing him “for a few timeless hours the outer and the inner world, not as they appear to an animal obsessed with survival or to a human being obsessed with words and notions, but as they are apprehended, directly and unconditionally, by Mind at Large … an experience of inestimable value to everyone and especially to the intellectual.” [44] Two years later, as part of a documentary for the BBC, Osmond also gave mescaline to a British Member of Parliament, his friend Christopher Mayhew. And while Mayhew described his own experience in terms similar to Huxley’s, as a state of complete bliss outside of time and space, a committee of “experts” evidently disagreed with its validity and the footage never aired. [45] [46]

Nevertheless, peyote was becoming well known. Throughout the 1960s, a number of anthropologists accompanied the Huichol on peyote hunts (spiritual journeys to gather the cacti) and in 1968 Carlos Castaneda published The Teachings of Don Juan with his own firsthand accounts of peyote visions. [33] [44]

Listen to our podcast episode with Jesse Jarnow talking about The Psychedelic History Of America or Click here to read the transcript

Current usage

According to the Global Drug Survey in 2014, mescaline or peyote were only among the top 20 drugs for past month usage in Mexico. Peyote was taken by 6.4% and mescaline by 4.4% of 643 Mexican survey respondents. [47]

Of course, we cannot generalize current usage statistics from such limited data, but it does give us some idea of its popularity relative to other substances. Unfortunately, precise usage statistics for peyote aren’t really available because surveys tend to lump it together with other substances like LSD , psilocybin , and MDMA . Hence, SAMHSA’s 2014 finding that 0.4% of the US population used “hallucinogens” in the past month is more or less meaningless. [48]

That said, we can trace the popularity of peyote over time by looking at its appearance in publications and Google searches. The number of publications related to peyote and mescaline peaked in the 1940s and 50s, followed by a much larger spike in the 1960s and 70s—during the psychedelic revolution and roughly coinciding with the publication of Carlos Castaneda’s books. Interest spiked again in the 1990s, presumably due to the Mexican government’s 1991 listing of peyote as an endangered species and the 1994 amendments to the American Indian Religious Freedom Act. [49] Published mentions steadily decreased over the next decade or so, possibly because of the rising popularity of other psychedelics like LSD and psilocybin.

Google searches, meanwhile, have remained fairly steady for peyote since 2004—although searches for mescaline have decreased. Searches for peyote did reach an all-time high in December 2014 (and again in May 2015) but this was most likely in relation to its appearance in the video game Grand Theft Auto V . Unsurprisingly, most Google searches for peyote come from Mexico, the United States, and Canada. (The popularity of the search term in Uruguay likely has more to do with the Uruguayan band El Peyote Asesino.)

Where does peyote grow?

The peyote cactus grows primarily in Mexico—in the Chihuahuan Desert and the scrublands of Coahuila, Nuevo León, Tamaulipas, and San Luis Potosí. It also grows in the American Southwest. You can often find peyote in Texas and New Mexico, for instance.

The map below shows a rough outline of traditional peyote locations. For ceremonial practitioners, this has long been the grounds where peyote is collected in the wild.

“There are two species or types of peyote”

Some Native American tribes identify two species or types of peyote, which the Huichol call Tzinouritehua-hikuri (Peyote of the God) and Rhaitoumuanitari-hikuri (Peyote of the Goddess) in reference to their differing size, potency, and palatability. Botanists, however, recognize only one species of peyote: Lophophora williamsii . This is the peyote Native American tribes have venerated for millennia. The superficial differences are instead attributed to other factors, such as age. [5]

There is another species in the Lophophora genus, the Lophophora diffusa , that looks remarkably like peyote, but it contains only trace amounts of mescaline—and sometimes none whatsoever. Instead, this so-called “false peyote” contains high levels of the narcotic alkaloid pellotine. [50]

“Peyote is legal in the United States”

Can it be detected in a drug test.

Mescaline can be detected in the urine for one to four days after use, but it’s not included in either standard or extended drug screens. [51] Virtually all labs require a specific test for the substance, so unless your employer is a real stickler and worried that you’ve been spending your free time at peyote ceremonies, you should be fine.

Is peyote illegal unless you’re in the Native American Church?

It depends on your state. In many states a special exemption is made for members of the Native American Church (NAC) to use peyote “in bona fide religious ceremonies,” often regardless of race or tribal membership. But in other states, including Arizona, peyote is legal (or tolerated) for any bona fide religious organization, whether the NAC or not. Check with your local authority for up-to-date laws.

What does peyote do?

Peyote commonly produces visions and philosophical or introspective insights. For more on the peyote experience, see Experience .

Can peyote cause psychological trauma?

If you follow the 6Ss of psychedelic use and avoid taking peyote if you have a family history of mental health issues, there appears to be very little chance of long-term psychiatric issues.

Of course, peyote can make you feel crazy in the short term (acute psychosis), especially if you don’t follow the 6Ss, and this is colloquially known as a “bad trip.”

What does peyote look like?

The features that define peyote include:

• Small, globose shape, often growing in clumps
• Thick, waxy, green or blue-green skin
• Uneven ribs of varying number
• Sticky, yellow-white tufts; no spines
• Occasional pink or white peyote flower or flowers on top

Where to buy peyote?

Many people find peyote for sale online. While that means that reputable suppliers are just a click away, it’s important to understand that buying it this way could mean supporting illegal or unsustainable harvesting practices—as well as contributing to the peyote shortage among Native Americans who use peyote for religious purposes. See Ethical Considerations for more information.

Is peyote legal to grow?

Peyote is legal to grow in many countries even where mescaline is illegal, but this doesn’t include the United States (with some notable exceptions ). In many countries, you can buy peyote seeds and living buttons to grow at home. Always check your local laws before cultivating peyote and be aware that, while it’s a relatively low-maintenance cactus to grow, it may take several years to establish a decent-sized garden. [52] If growing peyote from seed, it’ll probably take decades. There are numerous resources online for learning how to grow peyote at home.

Because it’s an endangered species, growing peyote at home—whether from cuttings or peyote cactus seeds—could help to save it from extinction. In fact, wild peyote should never be picked from unless by licensed peyoteros for use in Native ceremonies.

How long does peyote last in storage?

Peyote buttons appear to retain mescaline for an exceptionally long time—potentially even thousands of years. [53] The key (once thoroughly dried) is proper storage in cool, dark, dry conditions, ideally in an airtight container.

How do you take peyote?

Peyote buttons can be eaten whole or brewed as peyote tea. A moderate dose of 200-400 mg mescaline can be achieved by ingesting around six buttons.

Can you smoke peyote?

Smoking peyote is generally ineffective. And smoking extracted mescaline salts isn’t recommended either.

What is pomada de peyote?

Pomada de peyote in English basically means “peyote gel.” This Mexican peyote cream or ointment, which also contains marijuana, is sold as a remedy for aches and pains, cramps, coughs, angina, and other conditions. Although part of an eons-old tradition of medicinal use, it appears to be a relatively new preparation of peyote cactus for sale in Mexico. In 2016, U.S. Customs and Border Protection issued a reminder of its Schedule I status. [54]

Can I microdose with peyote?

Peyote can be microdosed by ingesting around half a button (20-40 mg mescaline) every four days or so. In fact, this may be one of its traditional uses; the Tarahumara Indians are said to consume small amounts of the cactus to combat hunger and fatigue while hunting. [55] In general, though, and certainly to avoid nausea, it may be preferable to microdose pure mescaline (and, given the endangered status of peyote, San Pedro may be a preferable source). For more information, check out our Essential Guide to Microdosing Mescaline.

What is peyote’s mescaline content compared to San Pedro and Peruvian torch?

Peyote’s mescaline content is typically 1-6% by dry weight, tending toward the low-middle part of this range. The mescaline content of San Pedro (T. pachanoi) and Peruvian torch (T. peruvianus) is less in general. But in both cacti it tends to be highly variable. In San Pedro, mescaline content is said to range between 0.025% and 2.375% by dry weight, and Peruvian torch has been found to contain up to 0.817% mescaline by dry weight and sometimes none at all. [56]

What’s peyote’s tolerance effect?

Peyote generally produces a tolerance that lasts several days, and it also produces cross-tolerance to other psychedelics like LSD and psilocybin . The potency of each will likely be diminished for a little while after taking peyote. It’s therefore recommended to wait several days between doses of any of these substances. [57]

Can I mix it with other drugs?

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[28] Schaffer Library of Drug Policy. U.S. v. Boyll, 774 F.Supp. 133 – September 3, 1991. Retrieved from http://www.druglibrary.org/olsen/religion/boyll.html .

[29] AP. (2019, Jun 5). The Latest: Oakland 2nd US city to legalize magic mushrooms. Retrieved from https://www.apnews.com/ff023dfbf4534eba8622f504d272ff00 .

[30] Decriminalize Nature Oakland. Resolution. Retrieved from https://www.decriminalizenature.org/dno-resolution .

[31] DrugWise. (2017). Cacti. Retrieved from http://www.drugwise.org.uk/cacti/ .

[32] Stewart, O.C. (1987). Peyote Religion: A History. Norman, OK: University of Oklahoma Press.

[33] Schultes, R. E., Hofmann, A., Rätsch, C. (2001). Plants of the Gods: Their Sacred, Healing, and Hallucinogenic Powers. Rochester, VT: Healing Arts Press.

[34] Stafford, P. (1992). Psychedelics Encyclopedia (3rd ed.). Berkeley, CA: Ronin Publishing.

[35] Lophophora williamsii: Peyote. (2006). Medicial Properties. Retrieved from http://bioweb.uwlax.edu/bio203/2011/toellner_kayl/Medical.htm .

[36] El-Seedi, H.R., De Smet, P.A., Beck, O., Possnert, G., Bruhn, J. G. (2005). Prehistoric peyote use: alkaloid analysis and radiocarbon dating of archaeological specimens of Lophophora from Texas. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 101(1-3):238-42. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2005.04.022 .

[37] Choffnes, D. (2016). Nature’s Pharmacopeia: A World of Medicinal Plants. New York, NY: Columbia University Press.

[38] Court Decision Regarding Peyote and the Native American Church [Letter to the editor]. (1961, Dec). American Anthropologist, 63(6):1335-37. https://doi.org/10.1525/aa.1961.63.6.02a00150 .

[39] 42 U.S. Code § 1996a -Traditional Indian religious use of peyote.

[40] Trochu, T. (2008). Investigations into the William James Collection at Harvard: An interview with Eugene Taylor. William James Studies, 3. Retrieved from http://williamjamesstudies.org/investigations-into-the-william-james-collection-at-harvard-an-interview-with-eugene-taylor/ .

[41] OPEN Foundation. (2016, Jun 5). Peyote and Aleister Crowley – Patrick Everitt [Video]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ll41StGTTxc .

[42] Späth, E. (1919). Über die Anhalonium-Alkaloide. I. Anhalin und Mezcalin. Monatshefte für Chemie, 40(2):129-154. https://doi.org10.1007/BF01524590 .

[43] Alliance for Human Research Protection. (2015, Jan 18). 1947–1953: Navy’s Project CHATTER tested drugs for interrogation. Retrieved from http://ahrp.org/1947-1953-navys-project-chatter-tested-drugs-for-interrogation/ .

[44] Huxley, A. (1954). The Doors of Perception . London: Chatto & Windus.

[45] sotcaa. (2005, Feb). Panorama: The Mescaline Experiment – Page 4. Retrieved from http://sotcaa.org/hiddenarchive/mayhew04.html .

[46] MrVoltix. (2010, Oct 16). The Mescaline experiment: Humphry Osmond and Christopher Mayhew [Video]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hd4rgyZzseY&t=87s .

[47] Global Drug Survey GDS2014. (2014). Last 12 Month Prevalence of Top 20 Drugs. Retrieved from https://www.globaldrugsurvey.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/last-12-months-drug-prevalence.pdf .

[48] SAMHSA. (2015, Oct 30). Hallucinogens. Retrieved from https://www.samhsa.gov/atod/hallucinogens .

[49] DeKorne, J. (2011). Psychedelic Shamanism (Updated ed.). Berkeley, CA: North Atlantic Books.

[50] PsychonautWiki. (2018, Jan 8). Lophophora diffusa (botany). Retrieved from https://psychonautwiki.org/wiki/Lophophora_diffusa_(botany) .

[51] Erowid. (2015, Feb 10). Mescaline – Drug Testing. Retrieved from https://erowid.org/chemicals/mescaline/mescaline_testing.shtml .

[52] Peyote Growing Tips. (2015, Feb 10). Retrieved from https://erowid.org/plants/peyote/peyote_cultivation1.shtml .

[53] Erowid. (2005). Storage Basics: What Is The Shelf Life of Peyote? Erowid Extracts 9:9. Retrieved from https://erowid.org/plants/peyote/peyote_article2.shtml .

[54] U.S. Customs and Border Protection. (2016, Aug 17). CBP Reminds Public that Peyote is a Prohibited Item. Retrieved from https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/local-media-release/cbp-reminds-public-peyote-prohibited-item .

[55] insidemymind108. Tarahumara Indians Microdosing Peyote [Online forum comment]. Message posted to https://www.reddit.com/r/microdosing/comments/2nle72/tarahumara_indians_microdosing_peyote/ .

[56] Trout, K. (2014). Cactus Chemistry By Species. Mydriatic Productions. Retrieved from https://troutsnotes.com/pdf/CactusChemistry_2013_Light.pdf.

[57] CESAR. (2013, Oct 29). Peyote – Addiction and Tolerance. Retrieved from http://www.cesar.umd.edu/cesar/drugs/peyote.asp#addiction.

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Mescaline: Peyote, San Pedro, & Peruvian Torch Cactus

Explore what makes mescaline one of the most underrated psychedelics of all time. 

Peyote Cactus

San pedro cactus, peruvian torch, other sources of mescaline, 1. microdoses, 2. standard psychoactive dose, what does a mescaline trip feel like, mescaline vs. lsd & shrooms, mescaline vs. dmt, mescaline vs. ketamine, 1. the “toss & wash” method, 2. capsules, 4. mescaline tea, how does mescaline work, side effects of mescaline, is mescaline addictive, when to avoid mescaline, is mescaline legal, 1. how long does mescaline stay in the body, 2. can i order live peyote or san pedro cactus, 3. is mescaline & mezcal the same thing, 4. why is mescaline so underrated as a psychedelic, 5. is huachuma the same as san pedro, subscribe to get a weekly dose of psychedelics in your inbox.

Mescaline is a highly underrated psychedelic .

The mescaline experience isn’t going to inject you into other dimensions like ayahuasca or DMT, and it’s unlikely to give you deep insights into the human condition — but it does have the tendency to show you that after all is said and done… life, in its essence, is good.

This interesting psychedelic has a lot of overlap with LSD and psilocybin — but is much more social . Instead of making you feel isolated and introverted, it brings a sense of confidence and extroversion.

Mescaline brings a sense of energy and euphoria, expands your sense of empathy with the world around you, and makes you want to talk with friends or go exploring.

Here, we’ll cover everything you need to know about mescaline and the three most prominent sources — peyote, San Pedro, and Peruvian torch cacti.

What is Mescaline?

Mescaline (3,4,5-trimethoxyphenethylamine) is a naturally occurring psychedelic found in several species of cacti — all of which are native to North America.

The effects of mescaline are very comparable to LSD or magic mushrooms but with some subtle differences. The main difference is the sociability aspect of mescaline — it tends to make people more confident, energetic, and talkative.

Despite having strong cartoon-esque visuals, the mind remains clear and composed.

Mescaline has a long history of use by Native Americans in the United States and Mexico as a form of sacrament. These groups have been granted religious access to mescaline-containing cacti under the 1994 American Indian Religious Freedom Act (AIRFA).

Aldous Huxley brought this substance to the mainstream public through his iconic book “The Doors of Perception” — which was based mainly on his experience with mescaline.

Mescaline is also being explored for potential applications in psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy .

Mescaline: Specs & Technical Details

( Lophophora williamsii )

Peyote is a species of cactus found in the Southern United States and Mexico. It’s a very unassuming cactus — it’s small, has no spines, and doesn’t grow much larger than a pin cushion. A single peyote cactus is often referred to as a “button”.

Despite its humble appearance, the peyote cactus contains the highest concentration of mescaline of any other cactus at around 3–6% of the dried weight.

Peyote grows exceptionally slow — taking up to 15 years to reach maturity. The average user requires several buttons of peyote cactus for a single dose. An experienced peyote user may take as many as 15 or 20 buttons at a time.

( Echinopsis pachanoi )

The San Pedro cactus (AKA Huachuma) is native to the mountainous regions of South America — found growing as high as 3000 meters in elevation in the Andes Mountains.

This psychoactive species of cacti is many times larger than peyote and offers a more sustainable source of mescaline as a result.

It contains a lower concentration of mescaline — at around 4.5% of the dried weight. But the dramatically larger size of the plant provides more mescaline overall.

San Pedro cactus can grow up to 12 meters (40 ft) tall.

( Echinopsis peruviana )

This cactus is a close relative of the San Pedro cactus. It grows much faster than San Pedro and peyote but produces much lower mescaline content — just 0.24% of the dried weight.

This means the dose of raw cactus is too high to use the Peruvian torch on its own. However, it does offer a more sustainable source of mescaline concentrate.

There are three pure forms of mescaline available — freebase mescaline, mescaline sulfate, and mescaline hydrochloride.

Mescaline was first synthesized in 1919 by Ernst Späth — a famous Austrian chemist who studied plant extracts. Of the 120 compounds Spath and his team discovered, mescaline was, by far, the most impactful.

In the 1960s and 70s, a man named Alexander Shulgin used mescaline as the starting point to make dozens of other psychoactive substances, including MDMA. He’s been dubbed “the grandfather of psychedelics” for his role in developing and documenting well over 200 psychoactive substances — many of which were derived from mescaline.

Shulgin published his work in two volumes — TIHKAL (tryptamine-based psychoactive based on psilocybin and LSD) and PIHKAL (phenethylamine-based psychoactive based on mescaline).

List of Mescaline-Inspired Psychoactive Substances

• 4-Desoxy Mescaline
• AEM (α-ethylmescaline)
• Allylescaline
• Ariadne (α-Et-DOM)
• BOM (β-Methoxy-mescaline)
• Cyclopropylmescaline
• FLEA (MDHMA)
• Isomescaline
• Isoproscaline
• Macromerine
• Metaescaline
• Metaproscaline
• Methallylescaline
• Phenescaline
• Symbescaline
• Thiobuscaline
• Thioisomescaline — 2-TIM, 3-TIM, and 4-TIM
• Thiometaescaline — 3-TME, 4-TME, and 5-TME
• Thioproscaline
• Thiosymbescaline — 3-TSB and 4-TSB
• Thiotrisescaline — 3-T-TRIS and 4-T-TRIS
• TOET — 2-TOET and 5-TOET
• TOM — 2-TOM and 5-TOM
• TOMSO — 2-methoxy-4-methyl-5-methylsulfinylamphetamine
• Trisescaline

What’s The Dose of Mescaline?

Microdosing involves using sub-psychoactive doses of a substance. This dose doesn’t make you feel high, but it still has a subtle impact on cognition.

The suggested benefits of microdosing mescaline include:

• More creativity
• Improvements in memory & relational skills
• Better focus & concentration
• More mental & physical energy
• Improvements in mood
• A higher level of empathy toward others

The idea of microdosing is to take these low doses regularly over several weeks or months. The improvements from microdosing happen gradually over time. The longer you take the mescaline, the greater the improvement (in theory, at least). There have not been any official studies to explore the long-term benefits of microdosing mescaline.

Mescaline can be stimulating, even in low doses, so it’s recommended that you take your dose in the morning. This will ensure it has enough time to wear off by the time you’re ready to go to bed.

There are a few different philosophies regarding schedules, but the most common is to take one dose of mescaline every three days (2 days break).

How much do I take for a microdose of mescaline?

• Pure mescaline isolate —  10–40 milligrams
• Peyote cactus (dried) —  1 gram
• San Pedro cactus (dried) — 1–2 grams
• Peruvian torch cactus (dried) — 5–15 grams

The standard psychoactive dose of mescaline is between 200 to 400 milligrams.

At this dose, you’ll experience the full psychoactive effect of mescaline. This includes visual and auditory hallucinations, changes in the perception of time, inhibition of the default mode network (DMN) , and an expanded sense of empathy and openness.

This dose is well within the safe range of using mescaline and is unlikely to lead to any serious side effects. Reaching this dose with dried cactus requires several grams at a time, which can irritate the stomach. The most common side effect of psychoactive mescaline is stomach discomfort, caused by the cactus itself rather than the mescaline.

You can avoid this side effect by drinking ginger tea before taking the cactus.

The effects of mescaline are similar to LSD and magic mushrooms but with some differences.

Mescaline is a social psychedelic — which means it’s much more likely to make you feel conversational, confident, and energized.

In comparison, magic mushrooms are introverted psychedelics . They encourage users to go off to be alone.

LSD is somewhere in the middle, sometimes making users more social — other times, more introverted.

People who’ve used mescaline often describe it as creating almost cartoon-like hallucinations while maintaining complete mental clarity. You can have a perfectly normal conversation under the effects of mescaline, and the entire trip remains based on reality (as opposed to ayahuasca, DMT, or salvia). 

Mescaline won’t make you see something that isn’t there — it just makes the objects there look different.

Common Experiences From Mescaline Include:

• A desire to be with friends & family
• A feeling of content
• A feeling of empathy with the world around you
• Cartoon-like hallucinations
• Distorted perception of time
• Increased energy levels
• Paranoia or anxiety

How Strong is Mescaline vs. Other Psychedelics?

Mescaline is the weakest of classical psychedelics. You need around 200 milligrams of mescaline to achieve a standard psychedelic dose.

Compare this to LSD (60 micro grams), psilocybin (10 milligrams), DMT (20 milligrams), or salvinorin A (200 micro grams).

The effects of mescaline are also much milder than other psychedelics. You’re not going to meet any aliens or experience separation from ego while using mescaline.

Mescaline is most comparable to LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide) and shrooms (psilocybin). It has a lot of similarities in terms of the visuals brought on by these substances.

The potency of these psychedelics is very different — with mescaline being the weakest overall. Psilocybin is roughly ten times as strong as mescaline, and LSD is around 1000 times as strong.

It’s also common to see familiar shapes and patterns in different textures such as dirt, sand, wallpaper, or other patterns. Much like finding shapes in the clouds, you may see what appear to be faces, animals, or letters appearing on objects in your environment.

The main differentiator with mescaline is that it’s considered a social psychedelic. Some even consider it a party drug. While it’s not the type of substance you’d take for a night out at the club, it’s popular in a group setting on a camping trip or bonfire. It promotes a feeling of self-confidence and extroversion. Mescaline makes you want to talk to people — as opposed to magic mushrooms that tend to have the opposite effect, promoting you to separate from the group to be alone with your thoughts.

Mescaline and DMT ( N,N-dimethyltryptamine ) are very different. DMT has a very strong dissociative effect — leading to a dissolution of our sense of “self” or ego .

Even small doses of DMT are powerfully psychoactive and can warp our interpretation of the world around us.

Mescaline doesn’t do this. You remain completely “in the real world.”

The visuals from DMT are also much more geometric than the more fluid visuals experienced by mescaline. Of course, there are exceptions to this, and some people report geometric visuals on mescaline.

There’s some overlap in the effects of ketamine and mescaline. Both substances are phenethylamine-based psychedelics. This means both of these substances have a similar molecular structure, and therefore use similar mechanisms to produce their psychoactive effects.

Many other phenethylamine psychedelics share this effect, including DXM , PCP , 2C-B , 2C-E , and MDMA .

While the mechanism of action is similar, mescaline and ketamine have very different effects.

Ketamine and most of the other synthetic phenethylamine drugs have a strong dissociative effect — which is something not commonly experienced while under the effects of mescaline.

How to Take Mescaline

There are two primary forms of mescaline; raw cactus and pure synthetic mescaline powder.

Raw cactus is preferred and tends to produce a smoother experience — however, you need to consume a lot of cactus to reach the psychoactive dose. Eating a lot of cacti can be tricky — it tastes horrible and can cause severe stomach discomfort.

The synthetic powder requires a much smaller dose and is easily mixed into juice or water to mask the taste. You can also take mescaline powder as a capsule (the most common method).

This is the most common method used for eating raw mescaline cactus. I’m not going to lie to you — it’s not going to be enjoyable. It’s going to be bitter — and there’s going to be a lot of it. The best way to do it is to rip it off like a bandaid and get it over with quickly rather than drawing it out.

To do the toss and wash method, add the desired dose of peyote, San Pedro, or Peruvian torch to a glass of water. Allow the powder or small cacti chunks to soak up some water before knocking it back. Keep some juice nearby to help wash it down. Pineapple juice works great for hiding the flavor

Capsules are the most common form of using mescaline — but it only works with concentrated or synthetic mescaline. The raw cactus requires far too much to reasonably take in capsule form. You’d need to swallow 20 or 30 capsules just to hit the psychoactive dose.

Make sure you know how much mescaline is included in each capsule, and test a sample before you start. The most dangerous part of using synthetic mescaline isn’t the mescaline itself — it’s the risk of accidentally consuming capsules that have been adulterated with other, more harmful substances, such as NBOMe .

This is a more traditional method of using mescaline that’s rarely practiced today.

Dried peyote or San Pedro cactus are ground up and mixed with tobacco. This can then be smoked for a mild psychoactive effect.

Traditionally, tobacco is considered a useful “teacher” plant. It’s often combined with psychedelics during ceremonial use to help guide the user through their trip safely.

Unfortunately, a lot of the mescaline is destroyed during the combustion process, so this is not an efficient way of using it.

Tea can also be made from raw peyote or San Pedro cactus. To make tea, add a few pieces of cacti to a pot of water and gently boil it for about 10 minutes.

The heat may damage a lot of the mescaline prepared this way, so it’s not going to be as efficient as eating the raw powder directly (toss and wash method) — but it makes it much easier to consume.

You can also add other herbs to the tea to help with digestive side effects — such as ginger or peppermint.

Mescaline binds to several different types of receptors in the human brain to produce its effects.

Most of the psychoactive effect comes from its ability to activate the 5-HT2A and 5-HT2C serotonin receptors — which is the same mechanism of action used by other psychedelics, including DMT, LSD, and psilocin.

Receptors affected by mescaline include [ 6 , 7 ]:

• Inhibits the alpha-1 adrenergic receptors
• Stimulates the 5-HT1A serotonin receptors
• Stimulates the 5-HT2A serotonin receptors
• Stimulates the 5-HT2C serotonin receptors
• Stimulates the TAAR1 receptors

Is Mescaline Safe?

Mescaline poses little risk to the body. While there are side effects, there have never been any reported deaths caused by mescaline directly.

The LD50 of mescaline in humans is reported to be approximately 880 mg/kg [5].

That’s an extremely high dose. The average-sized human (140 lbs) would need nearly 60,000 milligrams of mescaline. This is about 300 times the standard psychoactive dose.

A 12-year review of the California Poison Control Database only found 31 cases of mescaline poisoning from 1997 to 2008 [ 1 ]. Of these 31 cases, none were lethal or produced any life-threatening side effects. It’s even a bit debatable that some of them could even be considered “poisoning.”

For example, vomiting was only reported in one patient. The most common side-effect was agitation and tachycardia (rapid heart rate).

Psychologically, there are some other risks to using mescaline. The potential to lead to ego death, and side effects like paranoia and anxiety could cause other mental health effects.

However, this is just in theory — several studies have already published that psychedelics, including mescaline, have a very low risk of causing mental health disorders even after a “bad trip” [ 2 ].

In fact, this study cited above found a lower incidence of mental health disorders in people who have used psychedelics.

Nevertheless, it’s important to follow the responsible use of psychedelics guidelines when using any psychoactive substances.

The intention you have going into the experience plays a major role in whether the substance will be helpful or harmful.

• Nausea or vomiting (rare)
• Tachycardia (rapid heart rate)

If you search “mescaline addiction,” — you’ll find a variety of rehab centers highlighting the addictive nature of psychoactive cacti — but there’s zero evidence to support this idea.

The fact is that, like most classical psychedelics (LSD, magic mushrooms, DMT), mescaline is not addictive. Surveys exploring the illicit use of peyote report the average “illicit” user of psychoactive cacti uses the drug an average of two times per lifetime [ 3 ] — which is a far cry from being a “drug of abuse.”

On the contrary, mescaline has been shown to offer powerful anti-addictive properties [ 4 ]. It’s one of the best candidates currently being explored as a solution to the widespread drug addiction epidemic. It stands tall among such psychedelics as ayahuasca, psilocybin, and LSD as potential treatments for addiction. 

Mescaline isn’t safe for everybody. If you or a close family member have been diagnosed with psychiatric disorders like schizophrenia or psychosis, it may not be safe to use mescaline (or any psychedelics).

Mescaline is also not recommended for anybody with gut sensitivities — as the cactus already tends to irritate the digestive tract.

People using antidepressants, anti-anxiety medications, blood pressure medications, heart medications, or statin drugs should also avoid mescaline.

Mescaline and the cacti that produce it are illegal in most parts of the world, with a few exceptions.

In Canada , Germany , and New Zealand, psychoactive cacti are all legal to own as an ornamental plants. Mescaline and prepared psychoactive cacti remain illegal.

In the United States , peyote and San Pedro are permitted for religious uses by Native Americans. Some parts of the US have recently moved to decriminalize natural psychedelics .

In the United Kingdom , Ukraine , and Thailand, psychoactive cacti have been excluded from the banned substances list.

Mescaline: Frequently Asked Questions

Mescaline can be detected in urine for up to three days but may remain detectable in hair samples for up to 90 days. Blood tests can only detect mescaline within 24 hours of use and saliva for up to 10 days (but usually less than 3).

It’s legal to order peyote, San Pedro, and Peruvian torch cacti as decorative plants in some countries — including the US, Canada, Germany, Ukraine, and New Zealand.

You can sometimes find these cacti in nurseries in the US — but they won’t be labeled San Pedro. You can identify them by the tiny spines along a few verticals and the pattern on the smooth columns.

These cacti grow relatively quickly (for a cactus). It can take several months for the seeds to sprout, but most growers propagate new plants from cuttings instead — which grow into large plants in just a few years.

Expect to pay upwards of $50 per plant. It will then take 2–5 years for them to grow large enough to harvest (> 4 feet). Usually, San Pedro will max out around 7 feet in height before being knocked over under their weight. Cut and propagate some for new plants, and dry the rest.

Mescaline is sometimes confused with the alcoholic spirit, mezcal. The names of these two products are similar, but they couldn’t be more different.

Mezcal is a distilled spirit made from the agave plant. It’s the same as tequila but can be made from any agave plant (tequila needs to be made from a specific type of agave called Agave tequilana or “blue agave”).

Mescaline is the active ingredient in psychoactive cacti ( Lophophora williamsii ) that have no relationship to the agave plant.

Mescaline is not common among the general public, but those who have used it often return to mescaline after trying other psychedelics.

Let’s consider the stereotypical mescaline user — the old rebellious hippie. They’re usually pretty wise and have found some degree of success in both business and family life. They’re now enjoying their old age with plenty of travel and healthy social life.

They’ve done it all and have come full circle back to mescaline in their old age. The mescaline experience can be very insightful, but the primary underpinning of this compound is that it’s “grounding.” It brings you to the present moment and shows you just how much fun it is to be alive.

Yes, Huachuma is the local name for the San Pedro cactus ( Echinopsis pachanoi) in Peru and other regions of the Andes mountains where it grows naturally.

What Does the Future of Mescaline Look Like?

It’s likely the popularity of mescaline will continue to increase over the coming years behind DMT, LSD, and magic mushrooms. As the use of psychedelics becomes less taboo, people will undoubtedly start to explore some of the more “unconventional” psychedelics (if you can even call mescaline unconventional).

This underrated psychedelic will likely be limited in the marketplace, even as laws begin to loosen. Synthetic mescaline is available, but it will never be held in the same regard as raw psychoactive cacti — which is simply too expensive and difficult to produce to compete with LSD and magic mushrooms. Mescaline will always be more expensive and harder to find.

• Carstairs, S. D., & Cantrell, F. L. (2010). Peyote and mescaline exposures: a 12-year review of a statewide poison center database. Clinical toxicology, 48(4), 350-353.
• Krebs, T. S., & Johansen, P. Ø. (2013). Psychedelics and mental health: a population study. PloS one, 8(8), e63972.
• Fickenscher, A., Novins, D. K., & Manson, S. M. (2006). Illicit peyote use among American Indian adolescents in substance abuse treatment: a preliminary investigation. Substance use & misuse, 41(8), 1139-1154.
• Winkelman, M. (2014). Psychedelics as medicines for substance abuse rehabilitation: evaluating treatments with LSD, Peyote, Ibogaine, and Ayahuasca. Current drug abuse reviews, 7(2), 101-116.
• Buckingham J (2014). “Mescaline.” Dictionary of Natural Products: 254–260.
• Dinis-Oliveira, R. J., Pereira, C. L., & da Silva, D. D. (2019). Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic aspects of peyote and mescaline: clinical and forensic repercussions. Current molecular pharmacology, 12(3), 184-194.
• Kovacic, P., & Somanathan, R. (2009). Novel, unifying mechanism for mescaline in the central nervous system: electrochemistry, catechol redox metabolite, receptor, cell signaling, and structure-activity relationships. Oxidative medicine and cellular longevity, 2(4), 181-190.

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Our Peyote Ceremony in Mexico: A Spiritual Experience

My way to a very unexpected Peyote ceremony in Mexico started with a Swiss guy in a hostel in San Luis Potosí, Mexico. Tattoed all over, messy dreadlocks, eyes full of light. A beautiful traveler soul, one of many I have met. I did not know yet this brief encounter would be the beginning of what is now one of my deepest friendships.

Also little did I know that, a week later, we would sit in the Mexican desert together, holding a peyote ceremony under the stars.

What is Peyote?

Before I went to San Luis Potosí, I had already heard about Peyote , the little psychedelic cactus that contains the hallucinogen mescaline. It grows in the Northern Mexican desert as well as in some parts of the Southern USA. It has a long spiritual tradition among the Wixárikas, an indigenous tribe that uses Peyote in religious ceremonies.

Still, I was unsure if it was an experience I wanted to seek out. I knew little about it. My newfound friend, however, was determined to go find the sacred plant – and after having some open conversations and learning more about its effects, my curiosity was stronger than my fear. I decided to join Micah on his trip to the lands of Wirikuta, the sacred land of the Wixárikas.

Peyote is not for those who only seek a high. It is a spiritual, introspective experience, held in high respect. The Mexicans call it ‘medicina’, strongly believing in its healing powers. Medicine for the soul.

The Legend of Peyote

I later turned my experiences with Peyote into an artwork honoring the legend of Peyote – it is believed that hunters were led there by a sacred blue deer.

If you wish to bring the spirit of Peyote into your everyday life, this is for you:

Mexico, the magic land of Peyote

We started hitchhiking our way towards Northern Mexico, picking up another friend on the way. We call her Mama Montaña, Mother Mountain. She is a young Mexican woman, overflowing with kindness and radiating the wisdom of the ancestors.

Reaching the desert is a journey in itself. It takes us an entire day of hitchhiking, riding on pick-up trucks, and jumping on local busses, to get to the small town that we’ve been told to seek out.

It is in the middle of nowhere. One asphalted road leads through the town, surrounded by dusty backroads leading to the few houses that make up the settlement. Some goats are looking at us through the fences and some lonely motorbikes leaning against colorful houses, barely anything else. Micah and I are the only foreigners.

Finding Peyote with the help of locals

We start asking for the contact we’ve been given – but he’s been unheard of. But the locals know what we are looking for, and as we head deeper into the village to look for someone who can lead us to the Peyote, a Mexican man comes our way. He’s already expecting us.

We follow him to his house and he explains the procedure, tells us what to expect. He says he can still bring us there today, before the sun sets. All of a sudden, I feel nervosity rising inside of me – this is really happening. Now. It’s too late for second thoughts, as my friends, more experienced with plant medicine than me and eager to go, are already agreeing with his proposal.

Quickly, we head to a tiny store and get enough supplies to sustain us for two nights and days in the desert. Making sure we have enough water, we head back, where our guide is already waiting by his pick-up truck.

We go into the Mexican desert, to the hidden spots where Peyote grows.

On bumpy roads, he takes us away from the village. Deeper and deeper into the desert. At some point, we reach a lonely tree surrounded by wide, barren views. Here is where he will leave us. We agreed that he would not come back to search for us – after our Peyote ceremony, we wanted to take on the long way out of the desert on foot, by our own strength, as a thank-offering to nature.

Things to remember before your Peyote ceremony

Our guide bends down to the ground – underneath the dry desert growth, we spot the first few Peyote cacti. Respectfully, he cuts one plant to demonstrate to us how to consume it. It is important to remove the fluffy, button-like tufts of the beautiful sacred plant before eating it.

Peyote, also called Hikuri, is a precious plant. It grows very slow – that’s why the local population is very serious about protecting it. Because of increasing illegal trading, it has become endangered. We are reminded that we are welcome to come to the desert and consume it, but not to take away any plants with us. Already on our way to the desert, we have been stopped by the local police who suspiciously questioned and unnecessarily tried to search us for plants we might intend to take away from where they belong.

All alone, we inspect the area we have been brought to. The lone tree shows signs of the ones that have come before us. It is full of little offerings to mother nature, showing gratitude for what they’ve been given.

It is an unwritten rule when going on a journey with plant medicine: Do not take without giving back.

The moment has come: Our first Peyote ceremony experience

The dark is approaching, so we set up our two little tents and use the last light of the day to collect the Peyote plants we intend to consume that night. Mexicans call Peyote ‘Abuelo’, grandfather, for the masculine energy and grandfatherly wisdom the trip brings.

As the moon rises, we light a fire. The nocturnal cold starts coming over the desert and a soft breeze runs through the vast, empty land. 

We set our intentions, reflecting on what we hope this Peyote experience will bring us. Mama Montaña speaks beautiful words in Spanish, a prayer coming from the heart, thanking nature for allowing us to be here.

In silence, we start eating the first bites of Peyote. It tastes disgusting. Never in my life have I tasted anything this bitter. 

Peyote tastes like it is meant to be medicine. Not easy. Healing.

Struggling with the taste, we try to eat as much as we can. Even though they are so small, it is hard to eat an entire cactus. And to get the full experience, we know we need to ingest several. 

Nibbling on our Peyote plants by the fire, we wait for the first effects to show up. It is hard on the stomach. My two friends are struggling with strong feelings of nausea.

In the background, a calming, healing melody plays from Micah’s phone.

Todos somos medicina Somos distintas medicinas Nos sanamos unos al otro Compartimos en harmonía 

We are all medicine, healing each other.

Very subtly, I start feeling something. As if the world expands. I feel very light, tingly.

My mind feels sharp, very aware. Peyote does not cloud your mind – it brings you closer to consciousness.

I perceive everything around me very intensely. I am one with my surroundings.

The stars above us, the desert winds, the distant howling of the coyotes.

Even the cold is more intense than it normally would be. I curl up in my sleeping bag. I am alive with all my senses.

Wide awake in silent awe, an undefined amount of time passes. I am filled with gentle wonder for the world.

Feeling the effects of Peyote… or not?

The next morning, the effects have faded. We share what we have experienced, nourish our bodies with the food we brought, getting ready for a second night of ceremony.

This time, even though I consume more of the bitter-tasting medicine than the night before, I don’t really feel anything, except for a sensation of being wide awake. 

We have been told that this can happen – sometimes, the medicine has nothing to say to you. I go to bed early, trying to rest despite my inner alertness. A Peyote trip takes a lot of energy. But then the rain comes and I stay awake, listening to the raindrops fall onto the tent. My friends are still out there by the fire, connecting intensely. By the time they crawl into the tent, they are soaking wet and so is everything we brought with us.

Leaving the Mexican desert, with more experiences to come.

Only in the morning hours, the desert rain slowly stops. We have breakfast, pack up our drenched stuff and start making our way out of the desert. I feel weak, drained by the past two nights, but we have no other choice but to take on the 3-hour walk. I know that we are strong enough.

GPS is not working that far out, so we need to rely on our memory to get back to civilization. As we walk, we keep reflecting. Even though none of us had had a very strong Peyote experience, we all felt the subtle effects of the plant medicine. Something has changed.

A bond has been formed. We walked into the desert as friends. We left as family.

When we finally reach civilization, we notice how hungry and drained we are. We decide to stay a night with the man who had shown us the sacred plants in the desert. We fall asleep in the afternoon and wake up the next day, full 15 hours later.

When I finally understood the meaning of my Peyote experience in Mexico

It would not be our last Peyote ceremony in Mexico. About a week later, with fresh energy, we would hitchhike to another remote location and receive more lessons from El Abuelo.

That time, a way stronger Peyote experience than the ones before, was when I truly understood what the medicine was trying to tell me.

Underneath a sky full of stars that felt so close as if we could touch them, I felt my inner light as I never had before.

I started to comprehend that there was no darkness within me that I needed to fear. What I discovered underneath the worries of my mind was a soul full of joy. 

And it was that pure joy and light that streamed from my chest into every last corner of my body that night. 

The message had come home. I am light and I am here to share it with the world.

If you are looking for your own Peyote experience…

I have been getting a lot of messages asking for the exact location or contact details – which I do not have, nor would I deem it wise to share. Sending such a flood of internet strangers to one very small Mexican desert village would do more harm than good, even if you are coming with the best intentions. I believe finding the medicine is part of the journey and locals will do their best to help you once you get to the area. So, please, I appreciate you not asking for any further details than I have given in this post.

gracias a los abuelos gracias a la Pachamamita gracias a la gente mexicana gracias al universo

Anna Heimkreiter is an adventurer-artist who irrevocably lost her heart to solo travel. She specializes in ethereal self-portrait photography and spiritual illustrations. Her art is the direct expression of the wonder and awe she finds through her adventures.

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hey! from human to human, looking to heal and sit with this sacred medicine, would you be able to point where i can go where you went for this? all the best, Ryan

Hi Ryan! We traveled to the city San Luis Potosí and asked our way through from there. Please understand I’m not sharing a more precise location because I do not want this blog post to contribute to too many people traveling to the very same place just because they read about it online – I believe finding the plant is part of the journey, too. Just go there and trust you will find it, locals are happy to help 🙂 From what I hear it also grows in the Southern US (New Mexico), so that could be a place to start looking, too. Wishing you a wonderful experience with this planta sagrada, Anna

Beautiful soul. My journey to Mexico, Belize n Guatemala has so far been so magical n crazy amazing n answer love n answers n gifts from Universe like every day since I left Cus needed to escape from Europe n the system n all negative things happened in short time. Father passed away, contact Finnish Ed n boyfriend broke up with me . Did Temazcal yesterday n feels so cleaned. However plans to move over. But need to go back in 2-3 weeks just to finish things properly And planning a spiritual healing week -where trying peyote starts.. Donyiu know where I should go?

Lots of love from just Me to You❤️🙏

Super cool blog – can tell from your writing that you’re a dedicated seeker 😀

Any chance you could share the general area of where in San Luis Potosí to go in order to experience the sacred medicine? From the safety perspective as a girl traveling alone, I’d prefer not to have to spend the night in the desert by myself.. would you suggest trying to join a group of people that one may encounter after arriving in the city? And if so, is there a lot of tourist foot traffic through the area and therefore easy to meet like-minded individuals, or is it all locals? Or perhaps there are lodging accommodations available in the nearby vicinity of the city itself?

Sorry for all the questions, and THANK YOU in advance!!!

Good vibes ~ Rachel

Hi Rachel, thank you for leaving a comment 🙂 as stated before, I am not giving out any precise location in order to avoid masses streaming there. Not because I want to gatekeep anyone from the experience but because I keep receiving A LOT of messages. It would be too much for one tiny village. The city of San Luis Potosí is a great place to start making connections. There are many hostels where you might encounter fellow seekers and can get tips from locals. If you do not want to take the journey alone, there are also guided ceremonies – being under the guidance of an experienced shaman might help you to ease safely into the experience. As for accommodation, you might have to ask around a little depending on which desert village you end up going to. The bigger ones might have official accommodation; after camping in the desert we stayed in an unofficial place but the wall paintings showed that a lot of previous peyote pilgrims have stayed there 🙂 enjoy the journey of finding peyote & may it give you what your soul needs! Anna xx

Hi Anna, love both this post and your position on not revealing the exact location, I really respect that. I’m not sure if peyote is for me but keen to explore the region and wondered if you could recommend somewhere to stay in San Luis Potosí to meet like minded travellers? Best wishes, Grace

Hi Grace, thank you so much for your kind words. If you’re not sure Peyote is for you don’t feel pressured, people usually feel called by the medicine when the right time has come – you’ll know! 🙂 I stayed in a low-budget hostel back then and met fantastic people there! I’m sure you’ll make great connections in most hostels around town. The one I stayed in is called Sukha Hostel if you want to look it up. Enjoy exploring the area! Anna

Thanks for sharing your spiritual journey –– reading your experience was a meditation in its own! Do you still feel connected to that experience? What other similar pilgrimages have you made that match this one?

Thank you so much for your kind words. Yes, I would say that all of my intentional psychedelic experiences have had a profound and lasting impact on me and I still cherish their lessons. I’ve experienced quite a few different plants in the past but have refrained from most substances for some years now after a mushroom trip left me with anxiety that took quite some time to heal from – I am now well again but haven’t felt the calling to sit with plant medicine again since 🙂

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(Mescaline)

TrippyWiki score: 8.4/10

TABLE OF CONTENTS

What is peyote.

Peyote is a cactus that contains, along with 60+ other alkaloids, mescaline , a psychoactive compound of the phenethylamine cla ss. The cactus has been used for thousands of years by a variety of Native American tribes for healing and religious purposes.

Why choose peyote over other psychedelics?

Peyote…

• Doesn’t seem to cause any damage to your organs and there is no lethal dose
• Doesn’t cause a “bad trip” as often as most other psychedelics
• Has been used for thousands of years, therefore we know a lot about its safety and effects
• Has a longer duration than most other psychedelics, which allows you to reap more benefits from your trip
• Won’t make you addicted unless you take it just to have fun and see pretty colors
• Ceremonies are legal for some
• Is natural and has a long history of use so there is less stigma around it
• Isn’t a synthetic substance, therefore it cannot be cut with some unwanted drug

Long-term benefits & side effects

Many of the benefits will only occur if you follow the tips below. Most (if not all) of the side effects are preventable and they will not happen if you follow the Safety checklist .

• Can be used to treat depression and PTSD
• Can lower your levels of stress and anxiety , including social anxiety
• Is being used to cure addictions
• Might help you form positive habits , such as meditation and exercise
• Increases neuroplasticity
• Makes you more creative and open-minded
• Helps you look at your life from a different perspective
• Allows you to heal your childhood trauma and forgive people who’ve hurt you
• Makes you more conscious and loving
• Can help you transcend the fear of death
• Gives you insights into the nature of reality
• Makes you appreciate nature more
• Might speed up the onset of schizophrenia if you’re genetically predisposed to it
• Can cause HPPD and physical damage if you combine it with other substances (such as alcohol or stimulants)
• Has led to self-harm by people who took it in an unsafe environment
• Could cause you trauma due to bad set and setting
• Might lead to drug-induced psychosis if you’re predisposed to it
• Can be psychologically addictive (but only if you use the psychedelic recreationally)
• Can cause seizures in rare cases
• Can be problematic for those with People heart conditions or high blood pressure
• Is illegal in many places and you might get arrested for getting involved with the substance

How to take peyote

Administration.

Peyote is taken orally. You can eat the cactus raw but it is unpleasant and extremely nauseating. Peyote cactus can also be dried, which will make it easier to swallow without vomiting. Blending peyote and mixing it with ginger and lemon is a much gentler way to consume the cactus.

The doses below apply to pure mescaline . Dried peyote’s mescaline content is anywhere from 1-6%. Therefore, 1 gram of dried peyote will contain around 35 mg of mescaline. If you eat fresh peyote, multiply the amount needed by 5.

• 50 mg = Threshold dose Best if you’re afraid of tripping and you still want to reap the benefits
• 100-200 mg = Light dose Best if you take the substance for enjoyment or for solving human problems (business, relationships, …)
• 200-400 mg = Regular dose The insights you’ll learn are easier to retain and incorporate than if you were to take higher doses
• 400-800 mg = Strong dose Great for deep p erso nal change
• 800+ mg = High dose Best for getting mystical experiences and insights into the nature of reality, this dose is also great if you have a problem with letting go because 800+ mg will force you to surrender to the experience

Many psychonauts recommend starting with a light dose but this isn’t necessarily the best way to go. If you start at lower doses, your ego will learn how to control the psychedelic states. Because of that, it’ll be harder to let go once you move to higher doses and this can easily lead to bad trips. You will also not get as many benefits from the drug as if you were to start with higher doses. It’s been shown that mystical experiences can deeply change your identity and the higher the dose you take, the more intense they will be. Do not, however, start with a strong dose if you don’t have a trip sitter nearby. Keep in mind that the higher the dose you take, the more important it is to be in a safe environment. Some people are more sensitive than others. There are people who can take a relatively strong dose and feel nothing. This mainly happens to people with autism. Otherwise, it is rare.

Equivalents for 1g of Peyote

The effects of the psychedelics below are not the same as the effects of peyote. This chart only compares the intensity of each substance.

Safety checklist

Maximize the benefits.

Keep in mind that integration is even more important than the trip itself. Taking psychedelics would be almost useless if you didn’t retain any lessons in your day-to-day life. What will help you the most is contemplating about the experience – be it by journaling, thinking about the trip, or sharing your memories with a trusted friend. Distracting thoughts can get in the way, which is why you want to spend the day after your trip without TV, social media, and other distractions. If you can, spend time in silence and solitude. Me ditate, go for a walk, contemplate the experience.

Onset = 30-90 minutes Come up = 60-120 minutes Peak = 4-6 hours Come down = 2-3 hours

What does peyote feel like?

A peyote experience is extremely similar to what you may feel on LSD . The main difference is that users report peyote to be more personal and spiritual. Peyote is also a lot more nauseating and will likely make you vomit. Common short-term effects include:

Euphoria Increased creativity and open-mindedness Mindfulness, being present Higher capability for love and compassion Pain relief Feeling one with all that is Seeing life from a different perspective Appreciating small things Higher energy Increased awareness Stamina enhancement Feeling your emotions more intensely Memory suppression Time distortion Visual effects (enhanced colors, seeing patterns in everything, distortions, …) Confusion Inability to focus Increased body temperature Increased heart rate Worse thermoregulation Difficulty urinating Anxiety, paranoia Vulnerability

The higher dose you take, the more intense these effects will be. With that said, it is impossible to accurately describe the experience through human language. The psychedelic affects each individual differently and no two trips are the same. Therefore, there is virtually no way to know what your trip will feel like. The only way to truly know what peyote feels like is to take it. The cactus will most likely give you a pleasant experience. Bad trips can happen but you can prevent them by following the tips below.

Bad trips mostly happen because people take the substance irresponsibly. If you take this psychedelic the right way, there is virtually no chance you’ll get a bad trip. In case you still do, that’s good! A “bad” trip isn’t bad, it can actually be the most healing and insightful moment of your life! During a “bad” trip, negative emotions are coming up from your subconscious mind. They have always been there whether you are aware of it or not. They have been damaging your life and a difficult trip is an opportunity to process these traumas and unpleasant feelings and let go of them. The more painful the experience, the more you can heal. So instead of calling bad trips bad, call them challenging . If you understand that bad trips are awesome in the long-run, not only will you feel more comfortable diving into these challenging states, it will actually excite you!

Why they happen

The most common reasons for getting a bad trip are:

How to cope with a bad trip

How to end a bad trip.

In case you are not ready to face your inner demons yet , there are a few ways to end a bad trip. One possible way is to put on music that is familiar to you. Another way is to switch up your location and move from one place to another. This can completely change your train of thought. In case the trip becomes extremely challenging and there is no one around you to keep you safe, consider ending your trip with a trip killer . Using a trip killer usually is not the best idea because the bad emotions will stay unresolved and you will get little to no benefits from the experience. With that said, using a trip killer is smarter than harming yourself. The 2 best options that you have for ending a bad trip are Phenibut and benzodiazepines . Phenibut is generally safer. The downside is that it can take hours to kick in. So to end a trip, use benzodiazepines but only do this if you completely have to.

Interactions

• Qualia Mind This nootropic is comprised of 28 ingredients designed to support and maximize your brain function. These ingredients act synergistically and many of them will protect you from the neurotoxic effects of psychedelics. Qualia will also make your trips more pleasant and help you retain more benefits from them.
• Herbs Herbs can help calm you down. Herbal teas (chamomile, lemon balm, valerian root, …) are especially helpful.
• Green tea Tea makes you both more alert and calm at the same time. It also contains neuroprotective antioxidants, such as EGCG.
• CBD CBD has a calming effect.
• Magic mushrooms The substances act synergistically, some people prefer this combination instead of taking the two individually.
• Weed Marijuana will greatly intensify the trip.
• MDMA They have a synergistic effect but peyote might increase the neurotoxicity of MDMA. Also, do not combine the two if you suffer from heart problems.
• Nitrous oxide Nitrous oxide will multiply the intensity of your trip.
• Dissociatives Combining dissociatives with psychedelics won’t necessarily cause you harm but it can be confusing and lead to bad trips.
• Benzodiazepines (Valium, Xanax, …) Benzos will end your psychedelic experience within 40 minutes but using this method may cause you side effects in the long-run.
• Alcohol Alcohol minimizes all the potential benefits of a psychedelic experience. It also greatly increases your chance of having a bad trip.
• SSRIs or MAOIs Not only will these antidepressants greatly decrease the intensity of your trip, but they can also lead to long-lasting side effects.
• Lithium Combining psychedelics with lithium significantly increases the risk of seizures and psychosis.
• Stimulants The combination can easily lead to heart problems, even if you’re a healthy individual.
• Tramadol Combining the two can cause seizures.
• St. John’s Wort This combination may lead to serotonin syndrome.

Microdosing

If you are not ready to take higher doses, microdosing is a way to go because it can bring similar benefits to your life with even fewer side effects. Since mescaline produces similar effects to LSD, microdosing with peyote should bring similar benefits. If you are going to microdose with peyote, it is recommended to take 20-40 mg worth of mescaline every 3rd day . Taking a microdose more often is not a good idea because you would become tolerant to the psychedelic and the substance would have little to no effect. To get 20 mg of mescaline from peyote, take 0.6 grams dried or 3 grams of raw cactus. 40 mg is more likely to bring positive benefits into your life so start at 20 mg and gradually build your way up. Around 80% of people who take microdoses claim that it has profoundly changed their lives. For some, microdosing has cured their depression and helped them find beauty in small things. Some also say that they experience significantly less anxiety when they microdose. Many people take tiny doses to become more creative and productive throughout the day. Microdosing has also been shown to increase athletic performance. What is awesome about microdosing is that you can stop at any time in case you notice some adverse reaction or if you simply don’t see any benefits.

History of peyote

In the US, peyote is only legal for members of the Native American Church. One exception is The City of Oakland, where adults over 21 years old can legally grow and take the cactus. Outside the US, you can generally grow peyote legally for ornamental purposes.

Where to get peyote

These are the ways you can get your hands on the psychedelic:

Becoming addicted to peyote is virtually impossible. What you need to know about is tolerance. If you were to trip 2 days in a row, your 2nd trip would be extremely weak. You will have to wait for several days to refresh your tolerance. How many days does it take? This mostly depends on the dose. At regular doses, it takes approximately 7 days to become sensitive again. So you could technically take mescaline every week but if you want to maximize the benefits, do not trip before you integrate all the lessons from your last trip. Counter-intuitively, you might get more benefits by tripping less often. That is why you may only want to trip once or twice a month or just a couple of times a year. As your trips get more and more intense, you will not want to trip nearly as often anyway.

Mescaline mainly affects the 5-HT 2A and 5-HT 2C,  serotonin receptors. With that said, the only way to truly know what this psychedelic does to your brain is to try it yourself.

It is not about your age, it is about how mature you are. Teenagers (and younger) generally aren’t responsible enough to take psychedelics but it isn’t always the case. If you are under the age of 21, your brain is evolving at a rapid rate on its own. This means that when you take psychedelics, there is more potential for growth but the risks are also higher.

Most importantly, you need to trip in a safe place where there are no strangers around. Whether you should take the cactus at home, at a ceremony, or in nature will depend on your priorities. Attending a ceremony isn’t wrong but it isn’t necessary either if you are responsible enough to follow the safety guidelines. Tripping at home is safer and better for personal growth while taking psychedelics outside will help you deve lop a strong connection with nature. Try both and see which one you like more.

If you are a mentally stable individual who does not suffer from psychosis or have a predisposition to schizophrenia, there is virtually no way you would develop any mental illnesses because of taking the psychedelic.

Mescaline can be detected in your blood for 12-24 hours after you’ve taken it. It stays in your urine for 2-3 days. In your hair, mescaline can be detected for up to 3 months. All that said, there’s almost no chance anyone would ever test you for mescaline. Police officers never do it and in sports, mescaline isn’t prohibited.

The cactus has a bitter taste. The taste isn’t extremely unpleasant but can cause you nausea and make you vomit.

Peyote mainly grows in these locations: Sierra Madre Occidental, the Chihuahuan Desert and in the states of Nayarit, Coahuila, Nuevo León, Tamaulipas, and San Luis Potosí.

The cactus takes 10-15 years to grow until you can eat it.

In the spiritual community, there are mixed opinions on this. You will not be able to retain these states of consciousness unless you put in a lot of work in your “sober” life. However, that doesn’t mean that psychedelics cannot be helpful. Reaching these temporary states on psychedelics and seeing that these states are obtainable can be motivating. This is why psychedelics can help you build a daily practice of yoga and meditation – both of which will help you awaken. These substances also teach you to let go of your ego which will be essential for awakening. So psychedelics can help you awaken. Indirectly, but they can.

Eating before you take peyote has some advantages as well as a few disadvantages. One reason you’d want to eat before your trip is because people sometimes lose appetite on mescaline. Preparing and eating food can also be a distraction. If you don’t eat anything and become hungry during your trip, it can make you feel fatigued and irritated. However, eating before your trip can intensify nausea and is likely going to make you vomit. The substance will also take longer to kick in, sometimes up to 2 hours. So the best way to go about food is to stop eating at least 3-4 hours before the trip and have some snacks prepared next to you.

• Pregnant or breastfeeding women
• People with heart conditions or high blood pressure
• Immature people who are not willing to follow the safety guidelines
• People who suffer from psychosis
• People who have a familial history of schizophrenia
• Those who suffer from HPPD
• People who are going through a manic phase of bipolar disorder
• If you’re going through extremely challenging times, you can take psychedelics but the trips might be unpleasant , beware of that

“There are things known and there are things unknown, and in between are the doors of perception .”

– aldous huxley, you may also like:.

• Magic Mushrooms
• Salvia Divinorum

Thank you for taking psychedelics responsibly, immature psychonauts are the last thing the psychedelic movement needs. And thank you for being a part of this renaissance. Together, we can change the world!

<- View All Psychedelics

Picking, eating and tripping on Peyote in Mexico

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updated 08.10.2018

Surrounded by the dwarfing Sierra de Catorce mountain range, Rough Guides writer Alasdair Baverstock indulges in some hallucinogenic Mexican cactus for an eye-opening experience.

The cactus beside me was quite audibly breathing. Its expansions and contractions were sure signs of its survival in this desert. In fact, looking around at the abandoned silver mine everything was breathing. The creeper vines clinging to the dilapidated furnace chimney, the rock on which I was sitting, the very ground itself was sucking deeply and greedily on the air. Or so the hallucinogen coursing through my system was telling me.

Five hours north of Mexico City, Real de Catorce is an abandoned silver mining town nestled in an eighty mile-long massif in San Luis Potosí state. The industry has all gone. Mexico’s largest silver deposits were exhausted fifty years ago. Now the town survives on peyote tourism, which sees travellers come to experience a plant with hallucinogenic properties, grown in the desert nearby.

After five miles of cobbled mountain road and a two kilometre tunnel, we arrived in the town. Alpine in its constitution, Real de Catorce’s whitewashed houses, soaring church spire and cobbled streets are a world apart from the Spanish imperialism which built the state capital, San Luis Potosí .

Image by Alasdair Baverstock

The guides were immediately upon us, asking, “you’re after the medicine?” as soon as we arrived. Local touts charge £10 (US$16) a head. “We go in my jeep, collect the medicine and then go to a safe place for the effects,” one promised. Ten minutes later we were doing just that, perched precariously on the 4x4’s roof as we tackled the terrifying road down out of the mountains.

Peyote is a cactus which grows around the roots of other desert shrubs. It is a squat and fleshy plant, soft enough to be harvested with a credit card, its texture that of broccoli stem. Its sale for consumption is illegal, although the Mexican authorities tend to look the other way if one has come to the source to experience it. Visitors can walk away from the desert with whatever they can hold in their stomachs.

Sitting in a circle on the desert floor, each with two plants (a decent dose we were informed), we raised a stumbling toast to a new experience and began the arduous process of swallowing the peyote. Extremely bitter and acrid, the plant should be cleaned of the cotton-like strands that sprout from its centre, as well as any sand particles that may still be hanging on. Ten minutes and twenty mouth rinsings later, we were on our way.

“You guys taken the medicine?”, the petrol station attendant grinned knowingly at me.

“Yes. Have you?”

“Not today, but sometimes I’ll eat a little bit. Makes you feel nice”.

The hallucinogen takes perhaps an hour to kick in, during which time we made our way back up towards the mountain town, stopping at its abandoned mine for a tour.

Entering the area I could feel my mind begin to trip. Sounds were more intense; the rustle of the trees was fizzing in at me from all directions. The eagles hunting the vast skies were heart-racingly beautiful; the bridge across the gorge was an astonishing feat of engineering; the shared benevolence of all living things in the region had soaked me in its light.

Suddenly the simple fact of the world’s existence and my own within it was an amazing fact. Perhaps the only fact. That’s the sort of hallucinogen peyote is. It’s possible to see life’s panorama more widely.

The rest of the afternoon was spent in Real de Catorce, shopping for dulce de leche desserts and silver jewellery mined and made in the mountains around us.

Sitting down with the group – a civil engineer with his girlfriend, my friend Tim and I – we talked about what we were feeling. “It comes in waves”, said the girlfriend, “you think you’re coming down but then a wave breaks in your mind. It washes over you and you’re in deep again.”

“You feel very connected to things”, said Tim, “part of something bigger”. We all agreed.

Lunch was delicious: pozole , a long-stewed Mexican pork soup filled with corn, juices and local vegetables. It felt like enough food for the entire day, let alone lunch. By this time we had entered the second part of a peyote trip: an unshakable inner peace; a calm appreciation of everything around you. This lasts the majority of the trip, a delightful further eight hours.

I offered to give the couple a ride back into town on our way back to Mexico City. We sat in the car and enjoyed the drive as the mountains changed into desert, the skies turned from blue to rosy pink and the cobbled track turned into tarmac motorway. We were content, happy and relaxed.

Saying our farewells at the bus station, we watched the setting sun cast multi-coloured shadows over the mountain range in the distance. They melded into the crowd shoving around the bus terminal. I looked at the humanity and I looked at myself and I looked at the bare earth. Part of something bigger.

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Reflections: The Peyote Experience

Aug 28, 2015 | old

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A Peyote Trip Report

So, I sacrificed four of my eight Peyote cactus for a trip on Friday night. I took 4 x five inch Peyote buttons washed down with a large sweet black coffee over a period of a few hours. Included in the coffee was a table spoon of ground Nutmeg, sourced from McDonalds coffee bar (Nutmeg containing the precursor to MDMA, and said to help with the trip). Being that I don’t drink alcohol or smoke pot made the adventure clean and uninterrupted. Unlike many of the LSD and mushroom trips of my youth.

There seems to be a misconception that Peyote (Mescaline), Mushrooms (Psilocybin) and LSD produce a very similar type of trip, or intoxication. This conclusion couldn’t be further from the truth: I took the native American Indian approach to Payote, and simply consumed as much as I could over a few hours, in its raw form, directly from the plant. It seemed relatively slow to take hold, at around two hours after consuming plant number one. The first feelings I encountered were of heaviness of limbs, swollen mouth, a numbness, accompanied by a mild metallic taste. Symptoms that I would describe as closely related to a Mushroom intoxication, with a similar feeling of nausea. Nevertheless, the sickness was quite manageable, with no need to vomit.

About three hours in, I began to become overwhelmed by a feeling of euphoria, reminiscent of the drug MDMA – without its rushing hot flushes. To be honest, there was no great rushing sensation throughout the trip, other that some minor hot flushes that came up initially in hour two. More-so an overwhelming clarity and euphoria began to take hold. Those who have had an LSD, or mushroom experience – at about hour three – would be familiar with the term “tripping balls” or high volume visual geometric distortions. Peyote is much much more subtle. There’s a surprising absence of colorful visuals earlier on. However, there is a tremendous feeling of distorted spatial awareness that takes hold. A feeling that one might be looking through a wide-angle camera lens, focusing on details like, shadows, shapes, reflections and light; their relationship to other objects in and out of context becomes distorted yet strangely interesting. Different locations also seem to shift your dimensional perception; one room has a different feeling and/or aesthetic to that of a another. There’s also a sense of shrinking and expanding perception – very Alice in Wonderland.

At hour 4 – 5: Limbs and muscle use becomes near impossible, with one enveloped in a tremendous feeling of euphoria. Visually, a mist-like haze clouds your already distorted view of the world, spatial distortion becomes most prominent, giving rise to a dream-like state. The mind now wonders to observational topics, such as, surface textures, spatial awareness, light and their disconnection from general reality. Still much absent, the over emphasized geometrical patterns found on LSD for instance. Bright lights become painful to the eyes, even the most dim and distant. One is now fully immersed in the experience,

At hour 5 – 6: Walking had become very difficult. The trip would begin to peek and lull in intensity at 10-15min intervals, over a period of one hour. At one peek my whole body seemed to be buzzing – which should have been a moment for concern. Instead, life, death and time seemed to be most irreverent given my state of euphoria. Euphoria and spatial distortion are far more a part of the Peyote dynamic than those of visual hallucinations – there are no nasty surprises here. I’ve encountered hell and high water on mushrooms and LSD, but this was far from that type of experience. Time passed peacefully without confrontation and feelings of confusion. I would like to note there’s a strange sensation of being in a void, a feeling of distance, but this is not at all uncomfortable.

At hour 6 – 7: The light mist-like haze seems to over shadow everything, Although only visible in darkness, the haze is comprised of a multitude of colors and patterns, that seem to dance under ones control. A state similarly produced by other hallucinogens. Terrence Mckenna refers to it as, “Vegetable Television.” However, in the case of Peyote the visualizations were not blasted at you like a rock concert. More they would suggest themselves, and reward you by concentration; projecting the intent of an idea, one might stretch and mold images into form. Though still weak in appearance, it was a source of entertainment and wonder for an hour or so.

Hour 7 – 8: With my eyes closed, enveloped in a feeling of high euphoria, tuned into Peyote TV and listening to, “Carbon Based Life Forms – Interloper.” The music acted as a good medium. But, there was no feeling that music was needed, as the intense euphoria and mild hallucinations were sufficient in themselves. I would assume Indian Shaman refer to this stage of the trip as the point at which they make contact with their ancestors. I was able to meditate on questions and provoke answers much more freely at this time – more than any other. Nevertheless, the only thing I could get back to was that life is full of background noise, and one should keep true to forming ones own path out of it. There was no negativity to be found in this trip, just food for the soul. It came as a surprise, as both mushrooms and LSD generally take you on a wild emotional ride, with my only other cactus trip being a weaker dose of Trichocereus peruvianus to compare.

It was at least an insightful affirmation of past ideas. Not a deliverance from the Gods, ancestors or entity(s), so described of in similar DMT experiences. Sleep by this point was much needed, but hard to find; intense yawning. I also felt very hungry and made light work of a Snickers bar and bag of crisps before managing to fall to sleep at six o’clock in the early hours. I woke-up at eleven with a residual feeling of euphoria which lasted into the latter part of the weekend, full of energy and clarity. It seemed that there was little come-down to be had. Due, in part, to the lack of rushing one associates with MDMA and Ecstasy. This tends to manifest as a negative down ward spiral as one withdrawals. As they say, there are no rough edges with Peyote. Alexander “Sasha” Shulgin active level of +3 reached.

– Stephen J Christophers

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Peyote Effects on The Brain

• Brain effects
• Trip experience

Peyote, which contains the psychoactive hallucinogen mescaline (3,4,5-trimethoxyphenethylamine), is a species of cactus that has been used for centuries for its powerful hallucinogenic effects. But how does peyote affect the brain and what is a mescaline “trip” like?

• Hallucinogens such as mescaline are believed to interact with neurotransmitters and neural circuits in the brain that affect mood, sensory perception, hunger, body temperature, and muscle control.
• The plant has been used for thousands of years for its hallucinogenic effects caused by the plant's high mescaline content, both recreationally and as part of religious and cultural ceremonies.
• As well as the religious dimension of peyote use, Native Americans also use the drug as a means of healing and treatment for mental and physical ailments.

What is peyote?

Peyote (Lophophora williamsii or Lophophora diffusa) is a species of cactus found in parts of South America and on the southern border of North America. The plant has been used for thousands of years for its hallucinogenic effects caused by the plant's high mescaline content, both recreationally and as part of religious and cultural ceremonies. [1]

How Does peyote affect the brain?

Hallucinogens such as mescaline are believed to interact with neurotransmitters and neural circuits in the brain that affect mood, sensory perception, hunger, body temperature, and muscle control. The main neurotransmitter believed to be affected by mescaline is serotonin. [2]

Like other psychedelic hallucinogens such as ayahuasca or psilocybin , mescaline can cause profound distortions of a person's perceptions and sensory relation to reality. This can include seeing, feeling, and hearing things that aren’t really there. This is what is commonly referred to as a mescaline trip. 

The effects of peyote can typically begin to be felt within 30 minutes. Physical discomfort including nausea, chills, and sweating may present themselves during this time and may last until the drug peaks at around the two-hour mark. The hallucinogenic effects of the drug often last for around 12 hours (though maybe longer for some people) and gradually diminish over this period. 

Click here to learn more about how long mescaline lasts .

What is a peyote trip like?

The high or trip felt from the mescaline in peyote can vary from person to person and no two people will experience the exact same reactions. Some have likened the trip from mescaline as similar to LSD or magic mushrooms, though less intense and less likely to incur a bad trip or dysphoric symptoms.

Many report powerful visual hallucinations, including distorted shapes, geometric patterns, and fluctuating, intense colors. Synesthesia is also common, where senses such as sound and vision can merge in the user's perception. Those who promote the use of the drug suggest it produces a connection with the universe as well as a floating, dream-like state. [3]

While the drug has notoriety as a spiritual substance, long used by the Native American Church for spiritual journeys, not everyone will have a positive experience with peyote use. Mescaline has the potential to heighten emotions as well as force people to live painful memories in vivid sensory visions. Depending on an individual's mental health history, past trauma, current emotional state, and other co-occurring disorders; a mescaline trip may turn into a bad experience that can be upsetting and traumatic.

A person may also have a negative trip if they are combining mescaline with other substances like alcohol or opioids, and conversely if they have had limited exposure to hallucinogenic substances in the past.

Are there any benefits to peyote use?

Much like ayahuasca , the use of peyote as a means of spiritual practice in ceremonies has been dated back nearly 6,000 years to South American cultures like the Aztecs. While mescaline is classed as a Schedule I controlled substance and therefore illegal, it is legal to be used in religious ceremonies carried out by the Native American Church after the AIRFA bill was passed.

Ceremonies involving mescaline within the Native American Church are carried out by a healer known as a “Roadman” who guides participants through their mescaline trip so they may commune with a universal deity, often referred to as the Creator or Great Spirit. 

For the people of the Native American Church, the practice of using mescaline from peyote plants as a way of deepening spiritual connection is a sacred and treasured process. Though not everyone who belongs to the church will take part in these ceremonies, those that do believe the drug will bring them closer to their spiritual leader. 

As well as the religious dimension of peyote use, Native Americans also use the drug as a means of healing and treatment for mental and physical ailments. Research into peyote and other hallucinogens as a means of treatment for psychological disorders has progressed significantly in recent years and studies have been conducted with mescaline and other psychedelics in the treatment of conditions such as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and dementia. [7]

One of the methods of hallucinogenic treatment that is being explored by scientists and medical professionals is microdosing .

Your feedback allows us to continually improve our information

• Sanz C, Zamberlan F, Erowid E, Erowid F, Tagliazucchi E. Retrieved Feb 24, 2022, from The experience elicited by hallucinogens presents the highest similarity to dreaming within a large database of psychoactive substance reports . Front Neurosci. 2018;12:7. doi:10.3389/fnins.2018.00007
• Cleveland Clinic. Retrieved Feb 24, 2022, from Hallucinogens: LSD, Peyote, Psilocybin and PCP .
• https://merryjane.com/culture/what-is-mescaline-and-what-does-tripping-on-this-psychedelic-drug-feel-like
• Prue B. Prevalence of reported peyote use 1985-2010 effects of the American Indian Religious Freedom Act of 1994 . Am J Addict. 2014;23(2):156-161. doi:10.1111/j.1521-0391.2013.12083.x
• Dinis-Oliveira RJ, Pereira CL, da Silva DD. Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic aspects of peyote and mescaline: Clinical and forensic repercussions . Curr Mol Pharmacol. 2019;12(3):184-194. doi:10.2174/1874467211666181010154139
• Stephens S, Yates LM. Recreational Drugs . In: Schaefer C, Peters PW, Miller RK, editors. Drugs During Pregnancy and Lactation, Treatment Options and Risk Assessment. 3rd edition. Cambridge, MA: Academic Press; 2015. doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-408078-2.00022-6
• Garcia-Romeu A, Kersgaard B, Addy PH. Clinical applications of hallucinogens: A review . Exp Clin Psychopharmacol. 2016;24(4):229-268. doi:10.1037/pha0000084

Content manager for Recovered. Edmund has an extensive background in addiction research and medical writing, working collaboratively with doctors, substance use disorder specialists, and clinical experts across all content on Recovered.

Activity History - Last updated: 12 July 2024 , Published date: 24 February 2022

Dr. Samantha Miller is a practicing NHS doctor based in Glasgow, UK, who regularly contributes as a medical reviewer for mental health and addiction.

Activity History - Medically Reviewed on 15 December 2022 and last checked on 12 July 2024

Dr. Samantha Miller

• Hallucinogens & Psychedelics
• Mescaline (3,4,5-trimethoxyphenethylamine)
• How Long Does Mescaline (Peyote) Last?
• What is Microdosing?
• Psilocybin (Magic Mushrooms)

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The World Through a Lens

Inside a Peyote Pilgrimage

Drug tourists, mining companies and farming encroachment are threatening the Wixárika people’s annual hunt for the psychedelic plant in the Mexican desert.

The Chihuahuan Desert in the Mexican state of San Luis Potosí. The Wixáritari, an Indigenous group, return here every year to collect peyote. Credit...

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Photographs by Matt Reichel

Text by Robyn Huang

• Published July 5, 2021 Updated July 7, 2021

Mario Bautista was digging relentlessly at the ground. Deep in the vast and unforgiving Chihuahuan Desert, in northeastern Mexico, he had spent nearly eight hours wading through a seemingly endless patch of thorny brush. Surrounding him were 25 members of his community, including his wife and children.

Everyone in the group was searching for one thing: the psychedelic plant known as peyote, or hikuri — a small, squishy cactus camouflaged underneath the shrubbery.

Mario and those alongside him are members of the Mexican Huichol, or Wixárika, people, and hikuri is their lifeline. Whatever they found would be brought back to their village for use in their daily religious rituals.

Spread across the rugged Sierra Madre Occidental range, the Wixárika are an Indigenous people with an estimated population of 45,000. Within their culture, peyote is far more than just a hallucinogenic cactus. The Wixárika believe that the plant allows them to connect with their ancestors and regenerates their souls.

Every year, Wixárika communities make a several-hundred-mile pilgrimage to a sacred place called Wirikuta, near the northeastern city of Matehuala. Groups travel — these days by car, trucks and buses — under the direction of a leading shaman, or maraka’ame.

Under Mexican law, only Indigenous groups are authorized to harvest and ingest peyote. But in part because of its increasing popularity as a recreational drug , the plant has become harder to find. If their holy lands continue to be threatened — by drug tourists , mining companies and farming encroachment — then a core aspect of the Wixárika’s identity will be in danger.

This past March, the photographer Matt Reichel and I were invited to join Mario and his family on their pilgrimage — as guests of his community, and to learn about and document their traditions.

Pilgrims are divided into groups based on their ancestral family lands, and each group can only access a particular area within Wirikuta. They must also receive an initial blessing in their homeland before setting out on the journey; for Mario’s family, the blessing took place in Rancho La Tristeza, near the village of La Cebolleta, in the Mexican state of Nayarit.

The next day, the group embarked on the pilgrimage adorned in their traditional dress. The women wore vibrant colored, hand-sewn dresses. Scarves protected their hair from the sun.

The men wore white shirts and pants, with embroidered depictions of deer, peyote and other symbols. They also wore wide-brimmed hats with plumed feathers. One particular man, K’kame, the guardian of the community’s ancestral pavilion, was a visual splendor: His hat held more plumed feathers than those of other pilgrims, and he was chaotically energetic during all the rituals.

On the first night, the group settled into a sacred site off the side of a highway. The evening’s first ritual was a name-changing ceremony: The desert became the ocean; peyote became chayote squash. Name changing helps the pilgrims envision entering a new world.

The pilgrims also underwent a public confession around midnight, during which each person listed all their past and present sexual relationships. The names were then publicly read around the bonfire; the intention was to let go of the past.

Each of the relationships was tied as a knot on individual palm branches. The branches were then burned in the fire.

Throughout the trek, pilgrims made offerings at sacred sites — areas where their ancestors had found water during previous pilgrimages. Water was key to the offerings; pilgrims used feathers and candles to sprinkle water over the offerings, which included corn tortillas and coins.

Families congregated by the watering hole, where they chanted, sang and blessed one another. A fiddler played a joyful tune in the background.

After traveling overland for a week, we finally reached our area, known as Bernalejos.

“It is the largest church in the world,” Mario proclaimed as we stepped into the desert.

The families rested for a while, but there was no time to sleep. Instead, the pilgrims stayed up to sing and dance for a good harvest.

The morning of the harvest, families painted their faces with single yellow dots on both cheeks. Mariana, Mario’s wife, explained that the paintings symbolized the sun.

In a beautiful formation, the community marched into the morning sunlight with machetes and baskets. Everyone stayed together at first, but gradually the families spread apart.

The harvest took hours and became increasingly difficult as the sun grew less forgiving. The largest peyote patches sat beneath shrubs covered in thorns; reaching them was treacherous, particularly in the heat of the day, when the colors seemed to blend together.

Still, the hunt continued. Mario explained that they were collecting peyote not only for themselves, but also for family members who could not make the journey. During the forage, each family had gathered up to 150 crowns, after which the plants were dried and blessed.

Around sunset, we walked up a hill to make one final offering. Mario asked us to hold out our hands. He tapped our faces, and we ingested small pieces of the peyote. The plant was incredibly bitter. The families only ate a little, about the amount for a microdose, which was meant to facilitate calm reflection. That night, the group collapsed into a peaceful sleep, as if a spell had been cast over our camp.

Well rested from the night before, we all collectively packed-up camp to leave the next day. As he took a look at the pile of his family’s crowns on the ground next to the smoldering embers of the campfire, Mario smiled at us. “We have been given a sacred gift from Mother Earth,” he said, “and now we have to return it home.”

Matt Reichel is a Canadian photographer currently based in the Democratic Republic of Congo. You can follow his work on Instagram and Twitter .

Robyn Huang is a Canadian writer and photographer based in Guadalajara, Mexico. You can follow her work on Instagram and Twitter .

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The Beginner’s Guide to Healing with Peyote

What is Peyote?

Lophophora williamsii also known as peyote is a small, flowering, spineless cactus that is native to North America. It grows as far north as Southern Texas in the United States, where it is found specifically, in portions of the Rio Grande Valley, and as far south as San Luis Potosi in Mexico. In Mexico, it grows in the states of Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León, and Tamaulipas in the north to San Luis Potosi and Zacatecas. The name “peyote” comes from the Nahuatl word “peyotl”. More names for peyote include peyotl, hikuri, mescal buttons, mescalito, and lophophora williamsii.

Peyote is a small (less than 12 cm in diameter), round mint-green colored cactus with fuzzy tufts instead of spines.When peyote is uprooted it resembles that of a carrot. When in its natural state, only the button-shaped top portion sticks up out of the ground, rarely rising more than 3 cm above the soil surface.

The cactus contains several psychoactive alkaloids, the primary being mescaline, and upwards of 50 alkaloids that are derived from the amino acids tyrosine, phenylalanine. Most of the alkaloids are b-phenylethylamines, but a minor fraction is of the isoquinoline-structure. Many of the b-phenylethylamines are physiologically active, but mescaline is mainly responsible for the psychedelic effects. Fresh peyote contains 0.4 % mescaline per weight, dried buttons 2.74-3.7%. 1

The Modern History of Peyote

Peyote has psychoactive properties and a long history of spiritual and medicinal use among various Native American tribes. While little is known about peyote use prior to the arrival of the Europeans during the 16th century. A 2005 study found traces of peyote within Native American ruins. The samples that were found date back around 5700 years. As far as scientific research goes this is the earliest known use of the peyote cactus.

Prehistoric trade in and knowledge of peyote was apparently well established prior to the European conquest of Mexico. At that time, Spanish Inquisitors declared its use to be a punishable crime against God and native peyotists became targets of oftentimes ruthless evangelism. However, despite centuries of persecution, the continued existence of peyote religion is a testament to its importance in the spiritual lives of many.

Among indigenous people, peyote is considered to be a sacred medicine and has been used to treat a variety of ailments such as toothache, pain in childbirth, fever, breast pain, skin diseases, rheumatism, diabetes, colds, and blindness. The US Dispensatory lists peyote under the name Anhalonium, and states it can be used in various preparations for neurasthenia, hysteria and asthma.

The ceremonial use of peyote was outlawed by the United States government starting in the 1880’s going through the 1930’s.The use of peyote as a “medicine” became illegal because it contains a psychoactive alkaloid, 3,4,5 Trimethoxyphenethylamine – also known as mescaline. Peyote is listed by the United States DEA as a Schedule I controlled substance. 2

On August 11th 1978 President Carter signed into law the “American Indian Religious Freedom Act.” Introduced as, Senate Joint Resolution 102 and Public Law 95-341, the act was created to guarantee Native Americans, Native Alaskans and Native Hawaiians the rights to believe, express and practice their native traditional religions which included the ceremonial use of peyote. In 1994, President Clinton signed the amendment to AIRFA or the American Indian Religious Freedom Act Amendments of 1994. Signing this amendment effectively legalized access to sacred sites, use and possession of sacred objects, and the freedom to worship through ceremonial and traditional rites. This amendment legalized “the use and possession of sacred objects.” Which includes the ceremonial use of the peyote cactus for religious ceremonies.

The history of peyote suppression and persecution is much older than this and was originally condemned by the first Spanish invaders for its so called, “satanic trickery.” Peyote, was one of the first hallucinogenic plants discovered by the Spaniards. It is likely that peyote was the most terrifying intoxicating plants they encountered. This led them to banning the plant for spiritual use. Since peyote has always been firmly rooted in native religions. Their efforts to eradicate the ceremonial use of peyote drove it into hiding in the hills of Northern Mexico where it has remained a sacred practice even still today.

It has been noted that “recreational” use by backpackers has caused some undesirable effects such as a sensation of losing one’s mind or going insane. This seems to be somewhat typical for abusers of psychoactive plants. If you are taking this sacred plant just to “trip balls” you might get a rude awakening. That could be a good thing but in some cases it can lead to temporary or even sustained psychosis. If you insist on using peyote as a medicine we recommend seeking out bona-fide medicine people or licensed psychotherapist as this plant should be treated with the highest respect to avoid any undesirable effects that can and do occur. 3

Peyote in Huichol Culture

The Native peoples in the Mexican states of Nayarit, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Jalisco, Tamaulipas, Zacatecas and in parts of Queretaro and Durango are known as the Huichol or Wixarika. The Cora and Tarahumara populate these areas as well and they too ceremoniously consume peyotl in a similar manner as the Huichol only without the pilgrimage. Today, the Huichol people make a pilgrimage every year along a sacred route from the Huichol mountains to Wirikuta to ask God for a good rainy season, fertility and good health for their people, animals and plants. When they reach the Wirikuta mountains they perform a ritual bath along with prayers and dancing before going out to hunt peyote. When they find the peyote they consume it overnight while performing religious ceremonies and dances. Then they prepare some to bring home for the rest of the people. Any extra peyote was usually sold or traded to the Cora and Tarahumara.

Peyote & the Native American Church

The Kiowa, Apache and Comanche Indians were the first north American tribes to come across peyote during their visits to northern Mexico. North American tribes were losing their cultural heritage until they came across peyote. Then the Comanche, Kiowa and Apache were put onto Indian territory in Oklahoma this is where the Native American church really took off. In 1918 the NAC became a bona-fide church James Mooney who was an anthropologist and working for the federal government was one of first who attended peyote meetings he understood the sacredness of these ceremonies and rallied with the roadmen until the NAC received federal recognition. Indian leaders from the Oklahoma area began to spread a North American version of the peyote ceremonies. To this day the Kiowa, Apache and Comanche peyote ceremony has remained mostly unchanged. This is the same ceremony that the Plains tribes adopted. In order to preserve their cultural heritage North American tribes organised Peyotism into a legally recognized religious group known as the NAC or Native American Church. The North American peyote ceremonies are much different than their Mexican counterparts. The North American version is more of a meeting without the dancing of the Huichol. 4

Peyote Preservation & Sustainability

Due to improper and over harvesting, peyote is currently  on the endangered species list. peyote grows very slowly in nature taking anywhere from 3-5 years to mature. When harvested correctly it will grow new buttons slowly but surely. Improper harvesting however, kills the root structure which does not allow the cactus to grow new buttons. Many people around the world are now cultivating peyote in an effort to keep this plant around for future generations. A good rule of thumb for using such sacred plants is, for every one plant that is consumed three should be planted in its place. Since peyote is naturally limited to such a small region it is troubling to know the rate at which it is being depleted. Peyote provides a number of spiritual and cultural values so it must be used in a sustainable manner if at all.

Even though peyote was outlawed, a few Native American tribes continued the ceremonial use of the cactus in secret. The Tarahumara, Cora and Huichol tribes are credited for carrying on the traditional use of peyote to present day. This of course allowed the ceremonial use to spread up to the Kiowa, Comanche and Apache tribes which later gave birth to the Native American Churches.

However, while improper harvesting impacts peyote regeneration, the greatest threats to peyote sustainability and Huichol culture are mining and drug cartels. While Wirikuta, the sacred site of pilgrimage for the Huicholes, is is protected as a UNESCO Natural Sacred Area, foreign mining companies are determined to exploit vast concessions in the region. Real de Catorce, in Mexico’s northern state of San Luis Potosi, has been a center for the extraction of silver since the late 18th century. Silver mining has long provided wealth and employment for the region’s inhabitants, and many local Mexicans favor mining, as it provides jobs close to home. 11

While the conflict between peyote and silver is a long-standing one, a more insidious development encroaches upon the sacred peyote fields. One of Mexico’s most powerful criminal organizations, the Jalisco cartel has invaded Wixárika territories in northern Jalisco and the surrounding states in the last year, displacing local residents or forcing them to grow opium. 12 The Huichol community have been fighting back against land incursions, but in May, 2017, Miguel Vázquez, a prominent land rights activist, and his brother were killed. Collusion between local police and organized crime make it hard, if not impossible for the Huicholes to seek justice.

Currently the Mexican government and the indigenous communities that use peyote in sacred ritualistic ceremonies are warning that peyote is in danger of becoming extinct. This is absolutely horrifying to think that after thousands of years of peaceful co-existence with the indigenous groups of Mexico this sacred plant is now in danger of extinction. All because tourist and people that are not part of this ancient story are over consuming this plant with little to no regard for these sacred communities of indigenous healers whose entire culture depends on the existence of this sacred plant. 5

Peyote & Cultural Appropriation

The first drug to ever be outlawed in the Americas was peyote in 1620 by the Spanish Inquisition. Interestingly enough it was not outlawed because indigenous people were attracted to its power. Since the Spanish had no control over indigenous people they focused on keeping control over the Europeans and mixed races that were drawn to peyote.

So began peyote’s drawn-out association with race. This racial association with the cactus continues to this day.  Colonial Mexico was governed as a racial hierarchy, laws were made in regards to the clothing people wore, behavior and absurdly enough about what people could legally consume. These laws were specifically targeted along racial lines. These laws kept colonial society together it’s difficult to believe that four hundred years later we are making similar mistakes regarding legislation around the contemporary use of peyote. 6

Healing with Peyote

Dr. Richard Evans Schultes wrote a book about the medicinal properties of Peyote. The book is titled The Appeal Of Peyote. In this book he describes the medicinal properties of the plant and includes an impressive list of the ailments that the cactus is used to effectively treat.  The list of ailments effectively treated with Peyote include, arthritis, congestion, headaches, knee pain, fatigue and it is used as a tonic for good health. Western science discovered its analgesic properties. The Huichol use it in micro doses to dissuade thirst and hunger. Dr Stacey Shaefer herself attests to the antibiotic properties of Peyote through her bio essays and stories of personal healing with Peyote. She also mentions peyote’s ability to increase growth hormones GH and it has also been shown in research studies to increase the immune response to cancerous tumors. “These are all good reasons why it is called medicine” Dr Stacey Shaefer said. Those are indeed good reasons why peyote is called medicine. 9

Dr John Halpern also researched Peyote and discovered that it is a powerful treatment for drug addiction and alcoholism.  It is also well documented to treat depression and anxiety. Given all of these wonderful medicinal properties I’m left wondering what the real reason is that this miracle cactus has been outlawed by the federal government.  I had so much trouble finding current research on Peyote for writing this article.  This needs to change and we all have a role to play. To get involved in this discussion join your local psychedelic group. You can find a list of active groups on our resources page.

The Huichol lifestyle consists mainly of spiritual practices such as ritualistic ceremonies for each season. The ceremonies are the Huicholes way of bringing balance and harmony for all of life that makes up the community including all people, plants, animals and minerals.  The ceremonies are a sacred time that brings the people together to honor the spirit world. The unseen universe which runs parallel with our earthly world.

Huichol shamans work to interconnect these two worlds in order to bring life force called “kupuri” into the bodies and souls of the community. They believe that through these ceremonial practices they impart good health as well as good luck for all.

One of the principal ceremonies of the Huichol people is the “dance of the dear.” During these ceremonies the people dance their prayers into the heart of Mother Earth. This is also a way they connect with the Deer Spirit, undoubtedly the supreme power animal of the Huichol people.

Deer is seen as an elder brother or ancestral guide which the shamans use for healing and  navigating within the spirit world. The Huicholes believe that gods and goddesses taught the deer in ancient times. He is the progenitor of shamanism, the first to learn the secrets of the original shaman, Grandfather Fire. Because of this, deer is revered over all others and is now an integral part of the Huichol religious ceremonies.

Peyote Dosage & Effects

In small amounts the effects of Peyote are mild. You can expect a bit of fatigue followed by a surge of physical energy that is accompanied by a sense of well being. With larger doses the effects are much more intense and full blown visionary states can be accessed. Some people may experience stomach cramps and or nausea during the first couple of hours and others that are not as sensitive do not experience any nausea at all. Psychological effects tend to last upwards of 10 hours once they begin.

The table found below describes the difference between fresh and dried dosages and how the effects differ at each dosage level. This information is solely for harm reduction purposes.

Fresh Peyote Dosage

Light Dose 3 – 6 mid-sized buttons 50 – 100 g Typical Dose 6 – 12 buttons 100 – 150 g Strong Dose 8 – 16 buttons 150 – 200 g Heavy Dose 15 + buttons 200 + g

Dried Peyote Dosage

Light Dose 3 – 6 mid-sized buttons 10 – 20 g Typical Dose 6 – 12 buttons 20 – 30 g Strong Dose 8 – 16 buttons 30 – 40 g Heavy Dose 15 + buttons 40 + g

Mescaline, the main psychoactive alkaloid in peyote produces a wide range of psychological and physical effects including but not limited to the following; hunger and thirst suppression, hallucinations, profound altering of reality and self awareness. Increased suggestibility and heightened senses. One may become highly emotional and may experience hysterical laughter and or uncontrollable crying. In the right set and setting, mystical type experiences can be achieved and other worldly entities may be contacted. Physical side effects include bodily distress and discomfort, nausea, sweating and purging may occur. Physical symptoms typically persist for the first or second hour, after the initial discomfort is over a sense of calm, acceptance and oneness with all will commence. The psychological effects of peyote usually begin to occur after the first or second hour once the physical effects begin to subside. The effects of peyote have been compared to the effects of LSD and Psilocybin also known as Magic Mushrooms. If you’ve ever taken LSD or Psilocybin you already know what to expect. 7

Appropriate Set & Setting for a Personal Peyote Ritual

Let’s consider set and setting and how this will make a world of difference for you and your plant medicine journey. First, you should understand that the, “set” refers to your mind set. Your mindset should be pure and good so think of the reasons why you are taking this medicine in the first place. The, “setting” refers to the place or location where your plant medicine journey will take place. Taking peyote to, “trip balls” is definitely the wrong mindset. This could lead to a bad trip and can also contribute to short term and or sustained psychosis. The right set would be, taking the medicine to heal your body, mind or spirit from addiction or illness. To ask the plant teacher for guidance in figuring out what your life’s purpose is or why you are here. This may sound silly for some of you but indigenous cultures refer to certain plants as master teachers.

Thanks to Dr John Halpern a psychiatrist from Harvard Medical School and his study which was funded by The National Institute Of Drug Abuse. There is an increasing body of evidence indicating that peyote has real therapeutic benefits in the treatment of psychological disorders such as depression and anxiety. Peyote has also been used to successfully treat alcoholism and drug addiction as well as gastrointestinal issues.

These are all good examples of having the right mindset. As for the setting I would definitely recommend going away from the city to avoid nosey neighbors and or any unwanted distractions or interruptions. Renting a cabin at the mountains or a little house in the desert is an ideal setting. Surrounding yourself with nature is the best way to go about healing yourself with peyote and other plant medicines as well. I like to bring my crystals, drums, shakers and lots of wood for burning a bonfire outdoors. I usually start plant ceremonies by clearing the space with Copal or Sage incense. I go around the house and say in a confident voice, “into this smoke I release all energies that do not serve me, all negativity that surrounds me and all fears that limit me. So it is.” I have any participants repeat, “So it is.” I also change “me” to “us” I do this three times in every room of the house. I also do this for each participant, myself and my dog. If you are burning a bonfire outside that will clear your outdoor space. Fire is a sacred element that I find to be a great ally when working with plant medicines. Be warned that fire is a trickster and he will try to trick you into touching him. I usually just laugh at his attempts and say, you can’t trick me but thank you, thank you for keeping me warm and lighting the night for me, I love you. It is a good idea to cultivate a relationship with each of the elements. Dress comfortably because mescaline is an all day event lasting anywhere between 8-12 hours and even longer depending on dosage. If you are inexperienced with this medicine it is not recommended that you tend to a fire during your journey. This can become a safety hazard for the inexperienced practitioner and would be best to avoid all together at first.

It is a good idea for beginners to bring sitters along that will remain sober while you are on the plant medicine journey. They can tend to the fire and be present for you if you experience any difficulties. It is also a good idea to clean your environment and shower before getting started. I would also recommend that you meditate before and after your journey in order to prepare and integrate what you have just experienced. Personally, I work with all five elements when going on a plant or fungal journey. In my space I have live fish to represent the element of water. Outside I will hang wind chimes to invite the element of wind to make music with me. Crystals or even a dog or cat represent the element of earth and they also make great trip sitters. I haven’t worked with cats but I know from experience that my dog always knows when I or one of my participants is having a difficult experience. He will walk right up to me or one of my participants and either kiss them or nudge them with his head. This usually redirects a difficult experience into a happy and positive experience. If you can’t have a bonfire for whatever reason you can always invite the element of fire with a candle please use caution when working with fire. Lastly, the element of spirit will be present with all of the others and your good intentions. For your journey you can create your own elemental invocations or you can research some online. If this seems very complicated to you it is probably a good idea to seek out an experienced practitioner or better yet, go to a Native American Church to experience an authentic peyote ceremony. 8

Who Should Not Consume Peyote

The relationship between the Huichol people and the peyote cactus is sacred. It is an ancient story of cultural heritage that belongs to these people. We hope that this is enough for an outsider to understand why peyote use should remain exclusive for these and other native American tribes. After thousands of years they are well versed in the safe use of this sacred cactus. One should not try to use these plants without the acceptance or guidance of a real shaman or medicine person.

Huichol woman have been taking peyote throughout their entire pregnancy for thousands of years. Even though we find this information fascinating we do not encourage pregnant woman to take Peyote during their pregnancy.

Taking peyote may be a health risk for people with high blood pressure and should be avoided. Do not take peyote with alcohol or any other drugs that may cause contraindications such as, blood pressure regulators and immunomodulators.

We would recommend that you take San Pedro instead due to the endangered status of peyote. San Pedro is readily available and it grows vigorously in the wild or cultivated. If you do decide to go with San Pedro, honor the cacti by planting the remaining cuttings in your garden. San Pedro and peyote both contain Mescaline but their effects differ slightly. The effects of San Pedro have been compared to what many refer to as “candyflipping” or “hippy flipping” which is just a term to describe the mixing of LSD with MDMA “candyflip” or Psilocybin with MDMA “hippie flip.”

If you absolutely have to take peyote please find a sustainable source or grow your own. If you do take peyote from the wild at the very least plant three cacti for every one that you consume.

Final Thoughts

Please use common sense when working with such medicines and seek out bona-fide medicine people or shamanic practitioners in an authentic and sustainable setting such as a Native American Church. It looks like soon, licensed psychotherapists will be able to begin treating patients with mescaline and other psychedelics as well. Science is definitely on board with plant medicines and the science affirms what indigenous cultures have known since before recorded history. They will provide a similar setting that will include a comfortable environment, meditation and an integrative psychotherapy session which is loosely based on indigenous traditions.

There are several Native American Churches throughout the U.S., Mexico and Canada that offer peyote healing retreats that fall within the legal guidelines of the U.S., Mexican and Canadian governments. A simple Web search should yield sufficient results.

1. Chemistry of Peyote 2. Lower Pecos and Coahuila peyote: new radiocarbon dates 3. Powerful Hallucinogenic Cactus 4. A Brief History of Peyote 5. Mexico’s Peyote Endangered by ‘Drug Tourists’ 6. Racist Thinking Still Shapes How We Understand Peyote Drinking 7 Peyote Dose 8 Hallucinogenic Cactus Found Benign In Study 9 Stacy Schaefer: Peyote – Plant Medicine for the Body, Mind, and Soul 10 Diana Negrin: Peyote Dreams, From Collective Ritual to Personal Treatment? 11 Battle in the Mexican desert: silver mining against peyote and indigenous spirituality 12 An Indigenous Mexican People are Battling Cartels and Peyote Tourism

About Balam Seer

Balam is descended from a lineage of medicine women from Mexico and Guatemala from his mothers' side. His great, great grandmother Mama Rosa and great-grandmother, known as Mama Linda were curanderas they lived and learned traditional healing modalities from the Maya of Chiapas Mexico. His mother and aunts still use some traditional recipes that have been verbally passed down their lineage for ages. His father is descended from the Kaqchikel Maya of Guatemala. Balam has survived eight near-death experiences including two that required time in the ICU. At the age of sixteen, he had an initiation experience with psilocybin mushrooms and soon after began to grow his own. During the past twenty-four years, he has facilitated hundreds of mushroom journeys for friends and family. He has witnessed young men in danger of becoming gang members change and find purpose in life. He has witnessed mean, violent people become gentle, loving souls. He has helped many people beat depression, anxiety, addiction and most importantly suicidality. Balam has successfully navigated through extreme trauma and abuse. He has beaten several addictions and severe PTSD. With experience, he has created a nontraditional, modern midnight mushroom ceremony. It is his firm belief "If you have a teen that has already attempted suicide you owe it to yourself and your child to at least try a mushroom journey. At this point what do you have to lose? Sometimes you have to do what you have to do to get a person out of the danger zone."

thank you for the thoughtfully written and insightful article…where do you offer the journeys of which you speak? much light to you brother

You say below in your article on the NAC that “There are several Native American Churches throughout the U.S., Mexico and Canada that offer peyote healing retreats that fall within the legal guidelines of the U.S., Mexican and Canadian governments. A simple Web search should yield sufficient results.” I don’t know why I can’t find any contacts at all online. The only church that comes us is the Okeluheva group, but when I look into them there is a lot of criticism that they are not a legitimate church. They mix all the psychedelics in their practices, and the church is supposed to be for peyote only. They are also said to be doing shady things with all the money they raise from online memberships. Also, when I’ve checked in with them, the closest sessions they have to where I live are thousands of miles away in Toronto… and they are for ayahuasca.

Do you know some contacts that would be close by to Alberta, Canada? I want to know that teachers and the meetings would be legitimate ones, otherwise I couldn’t trust in the processes.

When you join the NAC you are granted database access and a chance to know where more sites and groups are located. That was my experience, I was in Southern California at the time.

I’m really interested in wanting to try this and not for abusing the drug myself deals with a lot of mental issues I deal with depression anxiety I’m also struggling with addictions and I heard about peyote so I am interested in learning more and we’re and how I can proceed to find who can help me with it.

Excellent article. Clearly informative and interesting.

Is there a way to contact Balam? I have some direct AND important questions, or anyone who may have additional information on peyote AND Body Dysmorohia, Eating Disorders.

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Matador Original Series

Everything you need to know about peyote, the natural hallucinogen from texas and mexico.

R evered by some and feared by many others, peyote is one of the most recognized psychoactive plants in the world. This cactus plays a central role in the traditions of indigenous groups all across North America. It’s also one of the most consumed natural hallucinogens and the center of innumerable controversies among governments and groups fighting for their self-determination rights. It is spiritual medicine and one of the so-called master plants associated with shamanic practices in ancient religions.

The importance of peyote is undeniable. Not only is it a fundamental part of the worldview and spiritual life of different indigenous groups, but it has also been the center of countercultural movements and heated discussions between governments and people fighting for their self-determination. More than a hallucinogenic plant, peyote is a cultural element of great importance for peoples indigenous to North America as a physical and spiritual medicine, as well as a tool for personal growth for those who consume it responsibly.

Here’s everything you need to know if you’re considering trying peyote.

What is peyote and where does peyote come from?

Peyote ( Lophophora williamsii ) is a plant that grows in northern Mexico and southern Texas, mainly in the desert strip that surrounds the Tropic of Cancer. In Mexico, peyote is principally extracted from the Wirikuta Desert in San Luis Potosí.

It’s a small cactus that’s bluish green in color, and, unlike so many other cacti, it does not have any spines. Peyote is a widely used hallucinogenic plant, and it’s also recognized for its medicinal properties and has historically been used to treat arthritis, stomach problems, asthma, influenza, diabetes, and poisonous animal stings and snake bites .

The lack of spines leaves the little peyote vulnerable to predators in its natural habitat. It instead has an unpleasant taste to try and prevent desert animals from eating it. Behind this peculiar taste are more than fifty substances known as alkaloids, many of which have psychoactive properties that alter the perception of reality when consumed in adequate amounts. The best known of these substances — and the one responsible for the effects associated with the consumption of peyote — is mescaline.

What does it feel like to do peyote?

Photo: Apple_Mac /Shutterstock

The active substance of peyote is mescaline, an alkaloid capable of causing strong hallucinations and uncontrolled states of ecstasy. The experience differs depending on the amount of mescaline consumed. A low dose can cause euphoria with extended periods of concentration and relaxation, accompanied by strong feelings of empathy. Higher doses cause visual hallucinations characterized by the presence of bright colors, geometric figures, and synesthesia (the perception that your senses are mixing with each other).

The strongest hallucinations involve loss of time-space context, depersonalization, and what many describe as the presence of the divine.

A trip with peyote can be enriching, but also dangerous. When consumed as a hallucinogen, peyote produces some physical reactions such as changes in heart rate and blood pressure, suppression of appetite, nausea, and vomiting. All of these symptoms are mild in nature and rarely pose a risk to the consumer. The biggest problem with the consumption of peyote is related to the psychological alterations it produces. These can cause changes in personality and states of excessive euphoria that could put the life of the user at risk if they are not under proper supervision.

This is why people familiar with using peyote have so many preparation rituals around the consumption of the plant. If you’re going to consume mescaline, do it with someone who has had previous experience with the drug rather than trying it on your own.

While studies are limited, research hasn’t found negative effects from longterm peyote use.

How is peyote used?

Photo: kikpokemon /Shutterstock

To experience the effects of peyote, one must consume the mescaline from several heads of the plant. Up to three heads of peyote is considered a low dose (depending on the size of the heads and the concentration of alkaloids). Marakame and other priests often consume more than 10 buttons to experience deep alterations of consciousness.

Peyote is extremely bitter, and is usually accompanied by a sweet drink to make the taste more bearable. It is usually consumed fresh, but it can also be dehydrated, preserved with honey, or prepared as an infusion. The effects of peyote start appearing one or two hours after consumption and can last up to eight hours.

In traditional medicine, peyote can be applied topically — either fresh or as an ointment — to relieve pain in muscles, bones, and joints, as well as to treat skin infections and superficial wounds.

Who uses peyote?

Photo: Javier Garcia /Shutterstock

Ritual consumption of peyote is associated with the Wixarika or Huichol people in northern Mexico, but also with the Náayeri, the Tapehuánes, and the Rarámuri. In the United States, some Native American groups, such as the Kiowa, Diné, and Comanche, have also been historically associated with ritual uses of the plant. According to pre-Hispanic accounts, the Chichimecas and Toltecs in Mexico long knew about the hallucinogenic properties of peyote. There is plenty of proof that different groups have used peyote on a regular basis for at least 5,000 years .

Today, the Native American Church, founded in the late 19th century, is responsible for the largest consumption of peyote in the world. Popularly known as the peyote religion, the church has followers throughout the United States and Canada who mix Christian ideology with elements of Native American religions.

The Wixárika and other Indigenous groups treat peyote as a sacred plant and consume it for spiritual growth. However, Western societies have in most cases treated it as an illegal and dangerous plant.

In colonial Mexico, scholars demonstrated academic interest in traditional medicine and herbalism practiced by Indigenous peoples, but peyote was always viewed with disfavor. This is because the relationship of Indigenous groups with the plant contrasted with the use of other medicinal herbs. The visions and knowledge obtained from peyote and its importance within the indigenous cosmovision were not well received by the Catholic Church. Its use was immediately condemned and the plant got labeled as dangerous, sinful, and illegal. In Mexico, the Holy Inquisition vetoed any use of peyote by the 17th century, and the colonial government implemented measures to eradicate the plant and its consumption.

For the past several decades there has been a boom in spiritual tourism related to peyote. Although it is not possible to divide the world between people who should or should not have access to peyote, new age practices centered on the plant — carried out excessively and inappropriately — promote conflict between indigenous groups and local authorities, putting in risk the future of ritual practices and the self-determination of the indigenous groups associated with peyote.

Is peyote sustainable?

Photo: Vogelfotograf /Shutterstock

Peyote is threatened by habitat loss, but also by the increased demand of plants for psychotropic and ritual experiences. Like all cacti, peyote has an extremely long life cycle and the lack of regulation in its extraction could put the natural populations of peyote at risk, and also affect the health of entire ecosystems.

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