Mysterious Intoxicants Hidden in Nature That You Probably Don't Know About

Man's innate curiosity has led him to strange and wondrous places, even to those realms that exist not in the physical world but within his own self and consciousness. And nature has not disappointed.

Natural mind-altering substances grow in the wild which induce visual, auditory and even olfactory hallucinations, giving the person a 'trip' into sights unseen that feel real to one’s touch and smell. The effects of these psychedelics are so profound and surreal that many indigenous tribes have used these substances for insight into life and consider them sacred.

Evidence suggests that people have been using these substances as far back as 2,500 years ago. While these tribes hold these substances in high regard, it is important to acknowledge that fragile ecosystems carefully built on a mesh of traditions and an understanding of nature must not be trampled upon just in pursuit of a 'high'.

Take a look at the fascinating variety of natural intoxicants from around the world:

1. Ayahuasca

Deep in the Amazon rainforest, a hallucinogenic potion is brewed from ayahuasca vines mixed with chacruna leaves and other psychoactive plant components and boiled for 12 hours.

The murky concoction is used in a centuries' old ceremony after being blessed by sacred tobacco smoke blown over the cauldron. With tremendous psychoactive effects, the mixture is consumed to call upon Mother Earth for insight as the shaman sings icaros, which are native medicine songs. The term ayahuasca translates to the ‘vine of the dead’ which should give you some idea of how potent this is.

As with anything exotic and unknown, the use of ayahuasca has moved to the exclusive, elite circles of urban areas. Largely used as a cleansing experience and to deal with past trauma to move to a stage of transcendental healing, the concoction induces wild visual hallucinations with bouts of vomiting and diarrhoea for four to six hours.

2. Salamander Brandy

If candles, viagra and oysters aren't doing the trick, a fix of salamander brandy surely will. This legendary brandy, supposedly only found in Slovenia, will be one of the most potent aphrodisiacs you'll ever come across, if you manage to find it that is.

Salamanders are tossed into a barrel of fermented fruit, which then release a toxic mucous which can’t be very good for your nervous system. This toxin, in turn, awakens sexual arousal. The latter feelings get so extreme that most animate and inanimate objects such as lawn chairs, toasters, umbrellas and anything else you can think of, start looking erotic.

3. Psilocybin mushrooms

In the sylvan valleys of Kodaikanal grow magic mushrooms, containing the mind-altering substance psilocybin, nicknamed 'bullets'. Earlier used by natives as traditional medicine, the mushrooms have quickly caught on as a means of recreation. The mushrooms are consumed for a trip similar to a mild dose of LSD. What follows are hallucinations, euphoria, heightened senses, altered thinking or relaxation but a trip can easily go bad depending on one’s surroundings and company.

While psychoactive mushrooms grow wild and in variety all over the world, fly agaric, another psychoactive mushroom has cropped up periodically over time. It is said that for over 4,000 years, fly agaric has been one of the ingredients of the drink Soma used for immortality during Vedic rituals in India. It was also what Alice from Alice in Wonderland was probably tripping after she was offered some to eat.

Interestingly in Eastern Siberia, in some instances, the mushroom is taken by a participant, often a shaman in a group and the psychoactive urine passed by him is drunk by others for its effects. It is said that this minimises effects such as sweating and twitching, suggesting that some of the plant components responsible for this get filtered through the initial user.

4. Peyote

The Aztecs, Mexican Indians and Native Americans for over 5000 years have beheld the power of peyote during religious ceremonies, which takes them on a journey of sight where time and space melt and enlightenment awaits.

Peyote is a cactus that contains mescaline, a psychedelic compound in the plant which has hallucinogenic effects similar to LSD and shrooms.

Tribes traditionally cut off the top of the cactus, slice it and dry the disc-shaped pieces. These are then sun-dried or soaked in water. These tribes have communal ceremonies led by a shaman who sings ceremonial songs while participants chew the dried cactus pieces. Hallucinations can last for 10 to 12 hours and many face buried emotions and fears and have claimed to resolve them during this life-transforming trip.

5. Mad honey

Nestled in the upper reaches of the Himalayas, large bees buzz around in search of nectar from rhododendron flowers. They procure this nectar from over 700 varieties of rhododendron to create a natural hallucinogenic called deli bal.

The sweet psychedelic is collected by locals who scale these treacherous heights. The most famous type of mad honey is known as Himalayan red honey.

A small quantity is consumed for a person to experience hallucinations and euphoria. However, the honey has something called grayanotoxin which acts negatively upon our nervous system and is responsible for these psychoactive effects. Hence, overdose can result in disorientation, nausea and damaged consciousness.

6. Blue Lily

Blue lily is said to have been in use since ancient times owing to carvings and paintings of the flower found in Egyptian art. Found in the Nile delta, wetlands along the Nile and parts of East Africa, the flower is used to prepare a tea that arouses pleasant feelings of relaxation, euphoria and sexual stimulation. Sadly, the flower now is seriously endangered.

Humans have, quite accidentally, stumbled upon a few of these psychedelics in nature’s wilderness and (understandably) have had bad trips. Many still remain hidden within nature's secret recesses. All said and done, whatever you’ve been smoking, have nothing on these intoxicants. So remember to only consume these intoxicants under the eye of an expert and stay safe folks!

Disclaimer: This article does not suggest that you try intoxicants or drugs of any kind.

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