Mescaline is a psychoactive substance extracted from various types of cacti, such as peyote and the San Pedro cactus. Mescaline entered mainstream Western culture during the ‘60s hippie era, when experimentation with various psychedelic plants was the norm amongst the counterculture community. However, mescaline has been used for spiritual purposes by tribes in South America for much longer.

As a unique psychoactive substance, mescaline generates trippy visuals—various patterns on objects seem to move in interesting ways, colours blend into each other and divide, things that seem trivial somehow come to life with more meaning. Geometric patterns behind closed eyelids can put on quite a show. Here at Zativo, you can purchase various cacti comprising mescaline. In this article, we’ll go over the process of making tea from mescaline-rich cacti. You must, of course, abide by the laws of your country of residence. That all being said, let's get into this psychedelic recipe.

HOW TO MAKE MESCALINE TEA

Before you begin with making mescaline tea, here’s what you need:

• Your cacti of choice (Peyote, San Pedro, Peruvian torch, Bolivian torch)
• Slow cooker
• Pliers and thick gloves (if your cactus has spines)
• Water
• ½ Lemon
• Cheesecloth
• Sieve (at least 10cm in diameter)

1. First of all, cacti differ in their mescaline content. Familiarise yourself with the mescaline content of each cactus before purchasing and slicing it open. The dosage necessary to produce an ideal psychedelic experience greatly varies from person to person. Factors such as previous mescaline consumption and tolerance, body weight, and set/setting all play a role in facilitating a pleasant trip. Read through this entire blog before making your mescaline tea to maximise your chances of a delightful and blissful trip.

2. Slice your cactus in even 13mm slices. If your cactus comes with spines, put on your gloves and use pliers to remove them. Spines should not be included in the mix.

3. Pour around 2-3 litres of water into the slow cooker, and squeeze the lemon into the water. The acid from the lemon will help the body absorb the mescaline.

4. Place the sliced cactus into the slow cooker and simmer overnight on a very low heat setting. If additional water is needed, just add some more.

5. In the morning, the cactus “soup” will have a glue-like texture. Now, you need to filter the mixture into another container through the cheesecloth, which is placed over the sieve. This will allow pure liquid to pass through. Consider that the mixture may be burning hot, so be careful.

Now you have pure cactus tea water.

6. Sorry to inform you, but this tea tastes horrible—you want to consume as little of it as possible. Simmer the drained liquid on low heat until it is concentrated into an appropriate amount for a tea cup (or several tea cups, depending on how many participants are involved), and voilà! There you have it, an old-school psychedelic brew.

BEST TIME TO DRINK Mescaline Tea

There are a couple of things to consider before consuming this psychedelic beverage. Mescaline tea should be taken on an empty stomach to enhance the absorption of the substance. Nausea often occurs after drinking the tea, which is not pleasant on a full stomach. If this is your first time taking mescaline, start off with a humble dose, wait for around 2 hours, and top up with more if you want to intensify the experience. The classic mistake when consuming any psychedelic drug is taking more of the it before the first dose even takes effect.

It can take between 30mins–3hours before you start to feel the effects, so hold yourself back from consuming more until the effects of the initial dose cool down from the peak. It’s best to experience mescaline somewhere outside of the city’s confines. Going into the woods with optimistic friends that you trust and feel safe around is definitely the best setting for a mescaline trip.

Mescaline can stay in the body for 12 hours, so it’s best to consume the tea in the morning and clear the schedule for the day. Consider that the experience may be very profound and life-changing—all the unresolved inner conflict rises to the surface, things which were suppressed now stare you in the face—it's the perfect time to confront your troubles and worries with a peaceful mindset. Because the psychedelic experience can be powerful, it’s advised to limit big events in the three days that follow the trip.

A great tip is to turn off your phone, so that your boss or family members don’t call you while you’re surfing the cosmos. All this advice obviously depends on your previous experience with psychedelics. Veteran consumers will have a clearer picture of what the experience might be like.

Take Care When Consuming Mescaline Tea

Just like with any other drug, take caution and ensure you’re not just taking it just because your friends are doing it. Psychedelic drugs are not really “recreational” in the sense that they don’t always go hand-in-hand with crowded and loud places. It’s often more of an intimate or introverted experienced, which is further enhanced in the presence of a beautiful, natural setting. It’s best to have a “trip-sitter”, someone’s who's sober or semi-sober, if you are new to tripping on mescaline or psychedelics in general. This individual is there to make sure everything goes smoothly and to keep you from feeling anxious.