Salvia divinorum: a psychopharmacological riddle and a mind-body prospect.
Current Drug Abuse Reviews March 1, 2013 DOI: 10.2174/18744737112059990004 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Ethnographic field research with multidisciplinary review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Mazatec traditional practitioners and users of Salvia divinorum |
| Topics | Salvia divinorum |
| Keywords | Consciousness research Mind Perception Cognition Mental states Insights Psychoactive compounds Sacred plant Divination Sensory shifts Vivid imagery Psychedelics Hallucinogens Entheogens Psychotropic substances Therapeutic applications Analgesics Antidepressants Drug-abuse treatments Drug development Mental health Pain relief Addiction treatment Therapeutics Medical research Neural networks Receptors Brain receptor activity Neurobiology Neurology Brain engagement |
| Citations | 17 |
| Key findings | Salvia divinorum's mental effects—including depersonalization, sensory shifts, and vivid imagery—are attributable to salvinorin A but cannot be fully explained by its kappa-opioid receptor activity alone, requiring a broader neural network approach. |
Abstract
The multidisciplinary research on Salvia divinorum and its chemical principles is analyzed concerning whether the ethnobotany, phytochemistry, mental effects, and neuropharmacology of this sacred psychoactive plant and main principle clarify its experienced effects and divinatory uses. The scientific pursuit spans from the traditional practices, continues with the botanical identification, isolation of active molecules, characterization of mental and neural effects, possible therapeutic applications, and impinges upon the mind-body problem. The departure point is ethnopharmacology and therefore the traditional beliefs, ritual uses, and mental effects of this Mazatec sacred mint recorded during a 1973- 1983 field research project are described. A water potion of crushed leaves produced short-lasting light-headedness, dysphoria, tactile and proprioceptive sensations, a sense of depersonalization, amplified sound perception, and an increase visual and auditory imagery, but not actual hallucinations. Similar effects were described using questionnaires and are attributable to salvinorin A, but cannot be explained solely by its specific and potent brain kappa-opioid receptor agonist activity. Some requirements for a feasible classification and mechanism of action of consciousness-altering products are proposed and include the activation of neural networks comprising several neurochemical systems. Top-down analyses should be undertaken in order to characterize such neural networks and eventually allowing to explore the differential ethnic effects. As is the case for other consciousness-altering preparations, a careful and encompassing research on this plant and principle can be consequential to endeavors ranging from the mind-body problem, a better understanding of shamanic ecstasy, to the potential generation of analgesic, antidepressant, and drug-abuse attenuating products.
Comparable studies
Other qualitative studies on salvia divinorum, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ethnopharmacology of ska María Pastora (Salvia divinorum, Epling and Játiva-M.). Mazatec Indians of Oaxaca, Mexico | 1983 | Ethnographic and pharmacological review | |
| Legally tripping: a qualitative profile of Salvia divinorum use among young adults. Young adults who use Salvia divinorum | 2011 | Ethnographic study | |
| Regulating a novel drug: an evaluation of changes in use of Salvia divinorum in the first year of Florida's ban. Young adults in Florida and law enforcement personnel from the state's most populated... | 2012 | Mixed methods: three self-report surveys and qualitative interviews | |
| Novel use patterns of Salvia divinorum: unobtrusive observation using YouTube™. YouTube videos depicting Salvia divinorum use | 2011 | Qualitative and quantitative analysis of online videos | |
| Subjective effects of Salvia divinorum. Salvia users | 2007 | Qualitative study | n = 10 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 11
- From local to global-fifty years of research on Salvia divinorum. Journal of Ethnopharmacology February 3, 2014
- Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics of Salvinorin A and Salvia divinorum: Clinical and Forensic Aspects Pharmaceuticals February 3, 2021
- DARK Classics in Chemical Neuroscience: Salvinorin A. ACS Chemical Neuroscience December 2, 2020
- Antinociceptive effects of Salvia divinorum and bioactive salvinorins in experimental pain models in mice. Journal of Ethnopharmacology February 10, 2020
- Peculiar plants and fantastic fungi: An ethnobotanical study of the use of hallucinogenic plants and mushrooms in Slovenia PLoS One January 7, 2021
and 6 more in the library
Cites 10
- Salvinorin A: a potent naturally occurring nonnitrogenous kappa opioid selective agonist. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences September 3, 2002
- The Hallucinogen N,N -Dimethyltryptamine (DMT) Is an Endogenous Sigma-1 Receptor Regulator Science February 13, 2009
- Salvinorin A, an active component of the hallucinogenic sage salvia divinorum is a highly efficacious kappa-opioid receptor agonist: structural and functional considerations. Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics March 1, 2004
- Divinorin A, a psychotropic terpenoid, and divinorin B from the hallucinogenic Mexican mint, Salvia divinorum The Journal of Organic Chemistry November 1, 1984
- Pattern of use and subjective effects of Salvia divinorum among recreational users. Drug and Alcohol Dependence November 8, 2006
and 5 more in the library