PEYOTE

Peyote is a small, spineless cactus, whose principal active ingredient is the hallucinogen mescaline. From earliest recorded time, peyote has been used by natives in northern Mexico and the southwestern United States as a part of traditional religious rites. Mescaline can be extracted from peyote or produced synthetically. It is used by the top of the cactus that consists of disc-shaped buttons, being cut from the roots and dried. These are then usually chewed or soaking in water to produce an intoxicating liquid.  The come-up time for Peyote can range from two to four hours, peaking around the five hour mark with a usual plateau of three to five hours, and the total experience lasting ten to twelve hours after the onset of effects.

Short term effects

Once ingested, peyote can cause feelings of nausea before the desired mental effects appear, which are altered states of perception and feeling. Other effects can include increased body temperature, heart rate, blood pressure; loss of appetite, sleeplessness, numbness, weakness, tremors. Effects can be different during each use due to varying potency, the amount ingested, and the user’s expectations, mood and surroundings. On some trips, users experience sensations that are enjoyable. Others can include terrifying thoughts and anxiety, fear of insanity, fear of death, or fear of losing control.

What are its long-term effects?

Some users experience “flashbacks”, or hallucinogen persisting perception disorder (HPPD), which are reoccurrences of hallucinations long after ingesting the drug. The causes of these effects, which in some users occur after a single experience with the drug, are not known.

Religion

Most formal peyote ceremonies mix drumming, singing, prayer, and stories as a means of offering thanks and as a way of sharing this blessing with the Creator and their fellow communicants. Deeply meaningful and highly personalized inspirational revelation is often a very important part of the individual's experience. Participants in such peyote "meetings" often grow in empathy and in friendship with the people who have shared the peyote night with them. Lifelong associations are made in this way.

The use of peyote in ceremonies among Mexican tribes was a well established tradition by the time of the European entrance into the new world. This pre-historical religious use eventually diffused into the North American regions. Along with this evangelistic migration came changes in the basic ceremonies associated with peyote.

Positive	Natural	Negative
feelings of insight	general change in consciousness (as with most psychoactives)	nausea and/or vomiting
brightening of colours	loss of appetite	chest and neck pain (in early stages of experience)
closed and open eye visuals	change in body temperature regulation	shortness of breath
mood lift, euphoria	unusual thoughts and speech	uncomfortable changes in body temperature (sweating/chills)
increased giggling and laughing	unusual focus on either small details or large concepts; changes in meaning or significance of experiences	confusion, difficulty concentrating, problems with activities requiring linear focus
increase in energy (stimulation)	mild to extreme distractability	difficulty communicating
increased tactile sensation	changes in perception of time	inhibition of sex drive
happy, dreamy feelings	changes in perception of "reality"	insomnia
feelings of hope or rejuvination	changes in self control, body tremors, urge to urinate	unpleasant or frightening visions
increased access to spiritual ideation; deep esoteric experiences	unusual body sensations (facial flushing, chills, goosebumps, body energy)	unwanted and overwhelming feelings, depression, anxiety
	ego softening	paranoia, fear, and panic