Datura From www.erowid.

org, accessed 12/14/2011 Family: Solanaceaeincludes belladone, brugansia, others Common names: Jimson weed, thorne apple, stinkweed, devils weed, moonflower, toloache Effects: causes deliriumdeliriant Chemistry: contains tropane alkaloids-- atropine, scopolamine, and hyoscyamine. Scopolamine and atropine are anticholinergic deliriants. They black muscarinic receitpors, which in turn excites dopaminergic neurons. They are readily absorbed by humans, partially metabolized by the liver, and mostly eliminated in urine. With a half-life of about four hours. Also act as a painkiller. Atropine interferes with activity in the brain stem, ranging from motor impairment to tachycardia. Atropine can cause overheating of the body, by blocking sweat glands. When the body temperature is above 108 degrees, internal bleeding can occur. People can bleed to death in this way, and if bleeding occurs in the brain, it can cause stroke. When someone is bleeding internally, blood may run out of the mouth or anus. Description of plant: light green annual or biennial shrubby plant that grows 2-5 feet tall. Hairy leaves, spiny seedpods, white to purple-tinged flowers. Flowers are single and frangrant. Leaves are foul smelling. Grows wild all over the world. Uses: The plants, seeds, flowers and roots have all been traditionally used for medicinal or visionary purposes around the world. The dried leaves are smoked, sometimes in combination with cannabis or tobacco. Sometimes dried leaves smoked to combat asthma. All parts have been used to make teas and ointments. Datura is plentiful in many parts of the world. Datura is uncontrolled in the U.S. and most other countries as well. Its effects are generally considered unpleasant. Dose: the seeds and flowers are usually more potent than the leaves and roots. Potency peaks while the plant is fruiting. As few as 10 datura seeds taken orally or one leaf brewed into a tea can produce profound perceptual changes. 30-40 seeds is considered an extremely potent dose. Effects: the main effects are delirium, extreme disorientation, and realistic hallucinations. Users report periods of several hours in which they have no memory of what they were doing. Behavior is often irrational and accidental injury is a serious risk. Datura also causes physical effects including blurred vision/inability to focus the eyes (lasting up to severl days), dry mouth, sedation or excitement, inhibited digestion, inability to perspire.

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Onset: When taken orally, effects can begin in a little as 20-30 minutes, but may take as long as 2-3 hours, depending on dose and potency. When smoked, effects may begin as quickly as 5 minutes. Duration: a moderate datura dose lasts 8-12 hours, while strong doses can last 2-3 days. Visual effects: datura causes frank hallucinations, realistic to the person. The person cannot distinguish between the hallucinations and real objects. Elaborate visions and fantasies are common, sometimes including long conversations with imaginary people. Smoking phantom cigarettes is often reported, even by non-smokers. The visions are very different from those caused by peyote, which include swirls and brilliant colors. Problems: uses report experiences as unpleasant and often physically dangerous. Blurred vision. Severe, long-lasting disorientation, confusion, delirium and hallucinations. Accidents and self-injuries are common. Not physically addictive, nor likely to cause psychological dependence. Few withdrawal effects reported. Datura alkaloids can have toxic effects, including coma or death. 4-5 grams of Datura stramonium leaves can contain a lethal dose of alkaloids, while flowers and seeds are considerably more potent. Effects: Occasional euphoria Hallucinations, elaborate interactions with the world Auditory hallucinationsmore common than visual Smoking phantom cigarettes Expansion of bronchial passages (sometimes used to treat asthma) Loss of appetite and thirst Inhibited digestion Clipped, flat speech Slurred speech Loss of time Dizziness Dry mouth, eyes Blurred vision, sometimes flashes in peripheral vision Nausea, usually without vomiting Weak feeling Sedation, stupor Uncoordinated movement Fear, anxiety, panic Confusion, delirium, impaired cognitive function Amnesia Lack of sweat (very dangerous in the Lower Pecos) Difficulty breathing Numbness
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Cardiac failure due to large doses Pupil dilation due to atropine, for 6 hours to 3 weeksthis can be very pronounced and other people will notice Drunken feeling due to motor impairment Sometimes hallucinate that plants speak to them Other inanimate objects can speak to the person No significant emotional change weird floaty feeling muddled thinking

Personal accounts: The taste of datura smoke is unpleasant. A vaguely dirty taste. The tea is bright yellow, not very good tasting, with a mild spicy taste. Atopine does not break down in simple hot water. It would take extensive boiling for the chemicals to leave the plant and remain in the water. Check up procedure (what the shaman should do)the shaman should remain sober to guide the others 1. check the pulsehigh pulse rate indicates trouble 2. administer fluidsusers do not feel thirsty and forget to drink, which can be fatal 3. check for cuts and bleedingbleeding from the mouth is definite trouble 4. check users temperaturetoo high is trouble 5. feed the userthey do not feel hungrystarches are best 6. remember what happens to the user while highlikely they will not To stop the trip: (few alternatives available to the shaman) 1. induce vomiting 2. regulate the heart beat Erowid.orgsome Indian cultures actually use peyote to treat datura poisoning Steady, regular drumming said to aid in out-of-body experiences (trance dance) Shamanic uses: Desert thornapple used by Hopi shaman for divination Inoxia Don Juans Datura used by Yaqui bruhos for divination Metel used by Thuggee cult in India to drug sacrificial victims to Kali Sanguine-used by Aztexs in the Temple of the Sun (possibly to drug victims) Stramoniumused by Algonquins in ritual drink to introduce boys to manhood another account of this among the Huichol. Young men would return from the delirium with no memory of their mother, as if born into manhood with a blank slate.Erowid.com, Vivien Hilgrove, May 2002) Solanaceous plants added to magic brews in Europe

Why would ancient people take datura in the first place? To talk to the ancestors while they are under its effects. The rocks, the plants, the animals, the stars, the sun, are ancestors and kin.
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Talking to ancestors in this way conveys power. So people also do it for perceived prestige. Because taking it is uncomfortable at best, it is also a test of virtue or worthiness. Because it is a dangerous practice, many people are afraid of it. Peyote has come to be an accepted practice because it offers a safe way to see visions. These visions contain brilliant colors in great profusion rarely seen in the natural environment, and are therefore enjoyable. Peyote does not give the same ability to talk to ancestors as datura. Peyote does require the same courage as datura, however, so is seen as less worthy by some. Also since the voices of the ancestors are not as clear, that also makes it less powerful to shaman. When someone wants/needs to talk to the ancestors, they ask the shaman for the datura ritual. The old lady in the basket did this, and was delirious for days. She wandered in the desert and became dehydrated and overheated. When they open the basket and find her, blood is trickling from her mouth. She is in a fetal position and tied with cordage. The shaman kicked her off the cliff as a sign to the people in the cave. This was meant to intimidate and keep them under his power. The basket is decorated with feathers and beads like god-baskets. At this time the group has no peyote shaman. Instead the peyote hunt is lead by Kayaumari. In the beginning, he is just becoming a peyote devotee, but by the end he is the first peyote shaman. Peyoteros are seen as a threat to the existing order, even though people are disgusted with the datura cult because of the dangerous results in recent years. The people are afraid of the datura witches, and blame them for everything that goes wrong. This is a political and ideological struggle, much as we see today. After the old lady incident, people become really afraid. The buffalo jumpeven though it provides a bountyis seen as grossly out-of-balance. When Chochi dies in the buffalo stampede, Kayaumaris anger rises and he kills Kieri, the datura shaman. With that the datura cult goes underground and disappears into folklore, while the peyoteros grow in strength and numbers. Eventually the incident enters mythology and Kayaumari becomes a culture hero. He is seen as the same as deer and peyote.

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