What is Salvia Divinorum? Everything You Need to Know
Written by Callan Hansen | Published on
This article is for informational purposes only and does not endorse or encourage the use of Salvia divinorum. I am not recommending you try this. Some people come out of a Salvia experience genuinely traumatised. I have heard many stories from people who struggled to feel like themselves again or wished they had never tried it at all. What I describe in this article was meaningful to me, but that does not mean it will be for you. Please read everything here before you even consider it.
Salvia divinorum isn't like any other plant, and I don't say that to make it sound more interesting than it is. I mean it in a fairly literal sense. It didn't feel like an altered state so much as a completely different vantage point on everything I'd taken for granted my whole life. That's difficult to explain without sounding like you've lost the plot, but I'll try to do it justice below.
If you’re here just looking for basic info, I’ll cover that. But I’m also going to tell you what it actually feels like, because that’s the part nobody really explains properly. A lot of what you hear about Salvia is either people fear-mongering or saying how overwhelming and terrifying it is, usually because they went in unprepared or took way too much. That doesn’t mean those experiences aren’t real, but it’s not the full picture either. Salvia is very direct, and whatever she shows you, she doesn’t sugarcoat or guide you through it. For me, it felt like everything I normally identify with was being pulled apart, like the character I play every day isn’t actually the full truth of who I thought it was.
Its history stretches back centuries, deeply embedded in the traditions of the Mazatec people of Oaxaca, Mexico, who have used it for spiritual and healing purposes.
Who Should Not Try Salvia
Before anything else, I want to be direct about this. Salvia is not for everyone, and for some people it could cause serious harm.
You should not try Salvia if you have a personal or family history of psychosis, schizophrenia, or bipolar disorder. The experience can be very destabilising and there is real risk of triggering something that doesn't go away when the experience ends.
You should not try Salvia if you are under 25. Your brain is still developing and the kappa-opioid system Salvia acts on is not fully understood. This is not worth the risk.
You should not try Salvia if you are on antidepressants, SSRIs, or any opioid based medication. The interactions are not well studied and that alone should give you pause.
You should not try Salvia if you are in a vulnerable mental state, going through grief, trauma, or a crisis of any kind. Salvia will not help. It is more likely to make things significantly worse.
If any of this applies to you, please stop here.
Here's everything you need to know about Salvia divinorum:
What is Salvia Divinorum?
Salvia divinorum is a species of sage in the mint family, native to the Sierra Mazateca region in Oaxaca, Mexico. It has been used for centuries by the Mazatec people for spiritual ceremonies and healing practices. The plant contains a potent psychoactive compound called salvinorin A, which is responsible for its powerful effects.
What makes Salvia pharmacologically distinct is how it works. While classical psychedelics like LSD, psilocybin and mescaline act on the serotonin system, salvinorin A targets kappa-opioid receptors in the brain. It is the first naturally occurring compound known to work this way, which is part of why researchers have taken an interest in it despite how little is still understood.
From my own experience, it feels completely different to other psychedelics as a result. After Salvia, other psychedelics started to feel more structured by comparison, more guided somehow, while Salvia felt like it existed outside of that entirely. It can feel disorienting and hard to describe afterwards, but there is usually this lingering sense that something meaningful just happened, like you have seen something that normally sits just outside your awareness.
How is Salvia Used?
Salvia is most commonly consumed by chewing fresh leaves, smoking dried leaves, or using extracts that are more concentrated.
The method of consumption greatly affects the intensity and duration of the experience:
Chewing the Leaves:
This is the traditional method of ingestion. The leaves are chewed for around 20 minutes to release the salvinorin A. This method produces a mild experience, often used in spiritual or healing contexts.
Smoking:
Smoking dried Salvia leaves or extracts is the most common method for people seeking intense effects. The effects come on quickly, often within seconds, and are more intense than chewing.
Salvia Extracts:
These concentrated forms are typically smoked and can be much stronger than Salvia leaves. They come in various strengths. Extra caution is advised, especially for people with limited experience or a history of mental health issues.
What Does Salvia Feel Like?
The clearest way I can describe it is that your sense of being an individual self, a continuous person with a name and a history, is temporarily snipped away. What replaces it is hard to put into words. Something like awareness without the character doing the being aware. Most people find this either deeply meaningful or deeply unsettling, sometimes both at once. The world we attach ourselves to becomes a visible construct, a narrative you can observe from the outside.
The experience might only last 5 to 30 minutes, but the impact sticks with you long after.
Is Salvia Divinorum Safe?
Like any psychoactive substance, Salvia carries risks, particularly for those who are unprepared for its intensity. The experience can be overwhelming and may lead to confusion, anxiety, even intense fear or panic. However, Salvia is not considered physically addictive, and it's not associated with long-term physical health risks.
Even experienced users can find Salvia extremely intense and potentially life changing. It is not something to use casually or for fun since it can fundamentally alter your sense of self, which many people find frightening.
Safety Tips:
- Always use in a safe, comfortable setting with a trusted friend if possible.
- Start with a small dose, especially if you're new to psychedelics or Salvia.
- Avoid using Salvia while under the influence of other substances or if you have a history of mental health issues.
Read my blog on How to prepare for a Salvia divinorum experience.
The History and Cultural Significance of Salvia
Salvia divinorum has been used for centuries by the Mazatec people in Mexico, primarily for religious rituals and healing purposes. Shamans or curanderos would use Salvia to communicate with spirits, divine insights, or assist with healing ceremonies. The plant is still used this way today, though outside those traditions its reputation has been shaped by viral videos and casual use that often ignore the cultural and ceremonial context and the preparation required.
Is Salvia Legal?
Salvia is legal in most countries, but restrictions have been growing over the past two decades, so it is worth knowing where things actually stand before you do anything.
New Zealand
Illegal since the Psychoactive Substances Amendment Act 2014.
Australia
Banned since 2002 and classified under Schedule 9, the strictest category available. Possession, sale and supply are all prohibited.
United Kingdom
Under the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016, producing, supplying or selling Salvia for human consumption is illegal. Personal possession is not explicitly criminalised, but it sits in a grey area and is not worth testing.
United States
Not scheduled under federal law, but individual states have moved on their own. It is currently illegal in at least fifteen states including Florida, Illinois, Ohio and Virginia. You need to check your specific state before assuming anything.
Most of Europe and elsewhere
Legal status varies significantly by country. The Wikipedia page on Salvia's legal status is kept reasonably up to date and is a good starting point if your country is not listed here.
Conclusion
Salvia isn't what most people expect. It isn't colourful or euphoric or something you'd want to do with a group of friends. It's brief and strange and often leaves you sitting quietly afterwards not entirely sure what just happened.
Whether that's something worth pursuing is a genuinely personal question and not one I'd try to answer for anyone else. What I would say is that it deserves more seriousness than it usually gets, both from people who write it off and from people who treat it like some kind of shortcut to enlightenment. If you're considering it, read as much as you can, be honest with yourself about where your head is at, and don't go in alone.
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