The REAL Dreaming Herbs

by Bodhi Shaman on June 27, 2011

One aspect of human experience that I find particularly fascinating is the topic of Lucid Dreaming.  I’ve been so deeply invested learning lucid dreaming techniques from the very first lucid dream I had, where I realized that I was in a reality that was as real and as tangible as the one you’re reading this article in, while being fully asleep.  It was actually so real, that as I tromped through New York City seeking answers to Life, the Universe, and Everything, that I was determined to bring back a license plate with me.  Like any other topic I knew nothing about, I set out to find as much out about lucid dreaming as I could; I wanted this sleeping reality to be a place I could visit as often as possible!

My search initially led me to trying to replicate the experience.  I charted out what I ate the night before, what time I went to sleep, how I felt, and any other detail I could come up with.  It was truly one of the most exhilarating and exciting experiences of my life, and I wanted to get more than a cursory look into this incredible world that not only was completely mutable on thought, but one that literally was as real to me as my waking reality, if not more so.

I feverishly kept a separate Dream Journal, and charted out every dream I had.  Little did I know that the time, that this is one of the most powerful tools for inducing lucid dreaming.  Just like anything else; the more we practice something, the better we get at it.  I was practicing at recalling my dreams, which in turn, raised my awareness while shifting my waking focus to the act of dreaming.  I started to figure out details such as most of my lucid dreams happened in that morning twilight state before I really want to wake up.  I learned that I could set my alarm for 2-3 hours before I awoke, to bring me out of deep sleep into a lighter sleep state where lucid dreams seemed most-likely to occur.

I eventually found my way to the “Lucidity Institute” and then to an amazing device called the NovaDreamer.  Both were instrumental in helping me create a regimen for lucid dreaming, and the NovaDreamer actually induced lucid dreams within the first week of using it!  But, this article is not intended to speak to any of that.  If you are interested to know more about what I know about lucid dreaming, please visit my website called; DreamHerbs.com.  Yes, it’s got herbs on it we sell here at the shop, but lucid dreaming is truly one of my greatest passions in my eternal exploration of human consciousness.

One of the things I found along the way were natural herbal products that helped me lucid dream.  In my research, I discovered that several cultures placed a high value on lucid dreaming, so I looked to those cultures’ practices to discover what methods and perhaps herbs they used to help with lucid dreaming.  One culture that was of particular interest were the Xosa, the Samgoma, Karanga and South African shamans.  All have a long history of contacting ancestors through dreams.  Silene capensis is used by the Xhosa of South Africa to communicate with the ancestors. (Woolcott, 2011).  Imphepho (helichrysum odoratissimum) is used by the Samgoma to induce trance states and to communicate with ancestors. (National Digital Repository, 2011)  Synaptolepis kirkii is used by the Karanga and other shamans in South Africa to bring on visions and to treat epilepsy. (Ethnobotany Life, 2011)

Any culture that places such a high value on dreaming; it would make sense that they’ve explored every possible plant in their environment that may help induce lucid dreaming, and/or enhance dream recall to help bring those messages back. Upon research, this panned out to be true.  Using personal travel and subsequent experience with this ancient and sacred shamanic plants, this is how DreamHerbs has built it’s modest database of plants that help induce lucid reaming or help with the process of dream recall.

Two of the most powerful “Dreaming Herbs” I found for me were Silene Capensis and Entada rheedi.  Silene is easy to work with, but Entada rheedii is a different story altogether.  The seed is the most desired part of the Entada plant, and the seed is the size of a flattened golf ball.  And, the part of the seed that’s used is the “meat” of the seed.  This meat of the seed is like a giant sunflower seed, and can be difficult to blend with other herbs.  This is why I created the Dreamer’s Blend on IAmShaman and Shaman’s Garden.

I make a tea out of the Dreamer’s Blend and also roll it into a cigarette.  I make sure I’m in a state conducive to relaxation.  I have my Dream Journal next to me and review other dreams.  I take note of what I ate that day, what kind of mental state I’m in now, and write that as the first part of my entry for the evening.  Sometimes I think ritual gets in the way of achieving our desired goals, but this is a case where I think ritual has vastly increased my frequency of lucid dreams.

Anyway, find out LOTS more information on Lucid Dreaming on one of my sister sites called DreamHerbs.  It’s another labor of love, and one that wouldn’t have been possible without the efforts of both A. Szostek (article research) and Jake More (website design).

REFERENCES:

Woolcott, Ina. Silene Capensis, Ubulawu, African Xhosa Dream Root Induces Lucid Dreams. Shamanic Journey, Shamans and Shamanism. Web. 27 June 2011. <>.

NDR › National Digital Repository › Indigenous Knowledge › Stories › Imphepho. NDR › National Digital Repository. Web. 27 June 2011.

Uvuma-omhlope (Synaptolepis Kirkii) Profile. Ethnobotany Life. Web. 27 June 2011.

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Real Wild Dagga’s Effects

by Bodhi Shaman on May 21, 2011

I can’t count the number of times I wish I could sit down with each one of our customers and have a discussion about the many plants we have to offer here at the shop.  It’s so easy to be lured in by slick marketing or fancy product images, but if anyone takes just one thing away from anything I have to say, it’s this:

ALL HERBAL PRODUCTS AREN’T THE SAME.

One example that comes to mind is our Wild Dagga.  This is one of the plants we have to offer that I truly take great pride in.  Any of the Wild Dagga we have to offer, whether it’s the leaves or the flowers, are grown by me (Private Reserve), not only with lots of love, but with absolutely no harsh chemicals whatsoever.  Wild Dagga also happens to be one of those plants that’s beautiful at every stage of its growth.  When it’s concentrating its energy on growing leaves, the scent itself is intoxicating to my senses.  I even have a stack of Wild Dagga plants outside my office window which stand about 6 feet tall.  Part of the reason I have them there is because of the scent.

But, enough of that.  Partly because of my passion, and partly because I’ve been in this business for over 10 years now:  I know HOW MANY suppliers there are for entheogens, exotic botanicals, and herbal products and I know WHO they are as well.  I’ve probably dealt with all of them.  I also know the harvesting techniques of just about every supplier’s growers.  And, just as there are everything from Ford Escorts to  Porshe’s in the automotive industry, the same is true for the herbal industry.

Many growers know that all they need to do is grow as much as possible as fast as possible to fill demand.  Those are the growers who don’t care about the growing or harvesting process and the timing of both, as long as they’re getting products out the door.  The difference in quality and potency of herbal products is something that’s difficult to explain in the pages of an online shop.  I know how people often shop online because I shop online myself.  If a website looks professional, I will automatically be more likely to purchase from them.  If their prices are lower than the website next to them, I may choose to make my purchase there.  But, that’s no difference than going to a car dealer and picking the cheapest car, expecting it to place first at the Indy 500 (I know so little about car racing, but it seemed like a good idea to stick with the car analogies).

Wild Dagga is one of those plants where this is especially true.

For example, from our own testing, the leonurine content of Wild Dagga is at it’s peak when the leaves are about 4″ long.  We stagger our harvesting of leaves, and one at a time, we make sure we don’t harvest leaves when they’re too small or when they’re too large.  What’s even more interesting, though, is that in our in-house testing, leonurine content is also about the same throughout the leaves of the Wild Dagga plant when it’s flowering.  I couldn’t begin to answer why, but this allows us to harvest a large number of leaves when we’re harvesting the flowers.

Speaking of the flowers:  WIld Dagga flowers are like candy to me.  As you can see in the photo of one of our own plants (no, that’s not a stock photo), the base of the flower turns white.  Pulling the Wild Dagga flower out of the base reveals more of that white part of the flower.  Biting into this part, especially when freshly-picked, is wondrously sweet nectar.  The sweetness soon turns to bitterness, indicating the alkaloid content of the Wild Dagga flower.  The more bitter the taste at the finish, typically the more leonurine is present in the flower.

It’s this kind of care and attention that I give all of the products we have to offer here at the shop.  I am as passionate as one can be about choosing WHICH suppliers to work with.  And, we choose only those suppliers who can provide us with the quality I demand from my own garden/farm here in California.  So, what’s my point?  My point is simply this:

It’s also very easy to get inferior herbal products, and to then decide that an herbal product is a “scam” based on that one experience.  This is also why I wish I could sit down with each customer and their purchase, and share with them why I’m so passionate about any particular plant.  I wouldn’t offer any of the plants here at the shop if I didn’t personally believe in it.

Even with as much care as I take with our products, though, we’re always at the mercy of Mother Nature.  Sometimes, when I take as much care as I do with everything from Wild Dagga to any of the other potentiators we carry, sometimes there are batches that just aren’t as potent as others.  But, this is also why we offer our 100% Satisfaction Guarantee!  I want you to be happy with your purchase, and will gladly give you an exchange or a refund if you’re unhappy with any of the products we have to offer.

But remember: Herbal products are not an exact science, and part of the fun of working with them is to responsibly experiment with the ones that are intended for consumption.

EFFECTS OF WILD DAGGA

Finally, I’m getting to the section I started out writing this post about; the effects of Wild Dagga.  From my extensive experience with Wild Dagga, I would have to conclude that the effects are more mild when the leaves and flowers are dried, but there is, without question, a pleasant repose that Wild Dagga offers all on it’s own.  For me, my favorite thing to do is to harvest a couple of handfuls of flowers and extract the nectar and alkaloids from them.  This turns into clear, sweet-smelling liquid that I place into a dropper bottle.  That liquid is perfect for dropping onto my other favorite herbs.  Why?  Because Wild Dagga is something called a “potentiator,” which in technical terms, is also called a “vasodilator.”

The active alkaloid in Wild Dagga (as mentioned earlier) is Leonurine.  Leonurine happens to be (among other things) an alkaloid that dilates blood vessels.  This means that whatever herb it’s blended with, it will make that herb more potent than the herb on its own.  For example, if I want to intensify the effects of my Blue Lotus flowers, if I blend them with Wild Dagga, the effects of the Blue Lotus will be more noticeable and in smaller amounts than if I had decided to work with Blue Lotus on its own.  The possibilities are endless, and again, part of the joy of all of these herbs is to work with them, to blend them, to find what works best for you.

So, if you don’t want to go through the process of extracting the alkaloids from the Wild Dagga flowers, the whole flower can simply be blended with any herb you’re working with, whether you’re smoking it or making it into a tea.  It’s the same with the leaves; although not typically as potent as the flowers, the power of Wild Dagga leaves are when they’re blended with other favorite herbs.

I’ve been working with all the exotic botanicals we have to offer for a number of years now, and I’m still not tired of playing with different blends of herbs.  My Dreamer’s Blend isn’t some random blend of exotic botanicals, it’s a blend that I finally settled on after countless personal experiments with dream recall and ludic dreaming.  Wild Dagga is something that I found helps increase the

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Calea zacatechichi for Lucid Dreaming

April 19, 2011

There are so many mixed reviews regarding one of my favorite plants in the world that I couldn’t help writing a post about it: Calea zacatechichi.  An avid lucid dreamer since my first spontaneous lucid dream when I was in my early 20′s, lucid dreaming has become one of those key aspects of my life [...]

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3 Lotus Paste for Meditation

March 13, 2011

As I’ve posted several times before; we pride ourselves on the growing number of unique Shamanic Tools from around the world, and from many traditions. One of the items we’re most proud of as well is the Three Lotus Paste from Tibet. People don’t always believe us when we tell them that this unique and [...]

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Shaman Rattle Root for Visions

January 11, 2011

We pride ourselves on the growing number of unique Shamanic Tools from around the world, and from many traditions.  One of the items we’re most proud of is the Shaman Rattle Root.  It’s one of those rare items that’s both an instrument for helping to induce trance when used as a rattle, as well as [...]

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How Fresh Are Your Products?

July 26, 2009

There are actually several factors that go in my ability to confidently say that not only are our products fresh; they’re both the freshest and of higher quality as well.  Bear with me as I explain why I can make such a bold statement: First, we fill more orders in a day than most other [...]

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How to Extract Entheogens & Ethnobotanicals

December 27, 2008

This is an EXTREMELY complex topic that is wrapped up in legality as well as an immense amount of diversity, so I will simply offer as general a response as possible to cover as many areas as possible: EXTRACTABLE HERBS Since some of the products we offer are clearly labeled as non-consumable, this topic will [...]

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“So Much Kratom – Which One’s for Me?”

April 18, 2008

Yes, one of the most common “problems” many of our new customers or new spiritual explorers have, is the sheer variety of products we have here at the shop.  The main reason we have so many different types of products to choose from, especially when it comes to Kratom, is because it is such a [...]

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“How Do I Choose a Dreaming Herb?”

March 7, 2008

It all depends on the person, really.  The Dreamer’s Blend works great for some people, and has a variety of dreaming herbs in it, making it less concentrated, but more effective for a wider range of person. The Calea zacatechichi is just that; pure Calea and nothing else.  But, some find the taste offensive, and [...]

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“Full Spectrum” or Isolated Alkaloid Extractions?

January 26, 2008

We often get asked about what the difference is between “Full Spectrum” extractions as opposed to “Isolated Alkaloid” extractions, so I decided to tackle that one here.  In the world of botanicals, it can be quite difficult to know where to begin when contemplating any kind of extraction in the first place, because different active [...]

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