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classification of drugs >>> indole hallucinogens >>>

Indole hallucinogens

Harmala alkaloids

The mane of the “Harmala alkaloids” comes from the plant called “Peganum harmala”, which grows from Morocco to Tibet.

It is hard to say whether this plant has used as a hallucinogen before or not. But this is definitely true for the South American liana “Banisteriopsis caapi”. People make a beverage from its bark which is also called “caapi”. Apart from the liana a lot and different spices are also added but the purpose of all of them is to cause a hallucinogenic effect. This beverage has been used for centuries by the most primitive tribes in South America, but today it is used also by the white people in the countries where the liana grows. A new strange cult also has been established around this plant in Brazil – the country where the make-up of new cults is almost as popular as football. The alkaloids contained in the beverage make it glow in blue light, which makes it look even more mysterious. Of all the fantastic legends told about the “caapi” the one, about its ability to help people acquire telepathy, is the most interesting.

The beverage is usually drunken when with friends or in a family circle. When this ritual is performed at least one should stay sober to help the others who have unpleasant experience. After the usual malaise come the visions. The eyes are usually closed and the experience represents the changing of different images, dominated by bright colors – blue, green and crimson. The perceptions are almost stable; there are very few cases of manias or inability to cope with reality. There is an amusing story about a pilot, whose plane was not very big, who tried to impress the Indians by showing them some films. But the Indians were very disappointed from what they have seen and said that they have already seen “such films” and even much interesting things when they were under the influence of the “sipo”(this is how they called the “caapi”). The effect of the beverage depends very much on the everyday life of the person and on his mentality. It is unknown anyone to have developed dependency towards the beverage or to have suffered from any severe damages.

The active substance in these potions is the alkaloid “harmine”(telepatin). It, as well as the harmaline from the “Peganum harmala” inhibits the brain MAO that results in increasing of the concentration of some of the nerve-mediators. The effect of the potion depends also on its ingredients. The inhibition of the MAO by the harmala alkaloids slows down greatly the metabolism of the bufotine and of the DMT. The Indians shamans, as good connoisseurs of the medical reactions, knew that when caapi and jopo are mixed the newborn mixture is very powerful. In this composite the harmala alkaloids serve not as hallucinogens than rather as substances that ease the hallucinogenic manifestation of DMT and other labile indolic derivatives. On the other hand the inhibiting effect on the MAO may lead to serious poisoning, if meanwhile food full of the amino acid “tyrosine” is taken in. For example such products are red wine, chocolate and cheese.

Scientists are not very familiar with the pure alkaloids. But it is known that the harmaline may be active when it is smoked or when 25-100 mg of it are injected or if 300-400 mg are taken in orally. The harmine is about two times weaker. The two alkaloids are relatively weak toxins; the lethal doses are thousands times bigger than those, which cause hallucinations.