DATURA Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) version 1.1 (last modified 7-9-98) brought to you by Crazy Kieri ------------------------------------------------------------------------ CONTENTS 1) What is Datura? 2) What are the typical effects? 3) What part of the plant do I use? 4) What is the method of ingestion? 5) What is the typical dosage? 6) How long does it last? 7) What are the active constituents of Datura? 8) Where can I find it? 9) Are there any other plants with similar properties to Datura? 10) So is there anything GOOD about this plant? 11) What are some medical applications of Datura? 12) How old is the history of Datura use? 13) Where and how is Datura still traditionally used today? 14) Is Datura easy to grow? 15) Where can I get Datura plants and/or seeds? ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1) What is Datura? Datura has been variously known as thorn-apple, prickly-burr, Jimsonweed, devil's weed, or toloache. It is a sprawling herbaceous shrub with fragrant, trumpet-shaped flowers which stand erect, and (usually) spiny seedpods. Some Daturas are perennials and some annuals. There are at least fifteen distinct species with many varieties as Daturas have been cultivated for centuries for their showy flowers and medicinal properties. Most originated in the New World, with the two notable exceptions of D. metel and D. ferox which originated in Eurasia. Daturas are members of the family Solanaceae which contains other ethnobotanicals such as tobacco and mandrake, and other common vegetables like eggplants, tomatoes, and peppers. Top ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2) What are the typical effects? Datura's main effects are caused by its anticholinergic properties. They include the following: Stimulation and/or anxiety. Extreme nausea. Dilated pupils. Blurred or fixed-focus vision. Rapid heartbeat. Extreme disorientation. Loss of memory. Loss of time. Delirium. Profound sensitivity to light and noise. Seamless crossover into a variety of realistic dream states. Extreme uncoordination, loss of body control, and vertigo. Extreme audio, visual, and tactile hallucinations. Apparent astral travel to familiar places. Interaction with friends, relatives, and other random people who are not physically present. Extreme drying and irritation of the mouth, throat, eyes, urinary tract, and other mucous membranes. Potential for uncontrollably emotional or violent activity. Inability to recall anything--even that you are under the effects of a drug--for quite some time. Top ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 3) What part of the plant do I use? All parts of the plant contain active chemicals. The flowers are generally the weakest going up in potency with the leaves, stems, roots, seedpods, and seeds. All parts can be used, but great care is necessary in determining the correct dosage, as alkaloid combinations and concentrations vary with each species and part of the plant. Top ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 4) What is the method of ingestion? The heaviest forms of ingestion include eating the seeds or drinking a tea of the leaves, stems and seedpods, and/or seeds of the plant. Other reported methods of Datura ingestion include smoking the leaves and flowers, snorting a powder made from the crushed seeds, or rubbing a paste made from the pounded plant materials on the body. Carlos Castaneda in his infamous book The Teachings of Don Juan: Yaqui Way of Knowledge describes several different Datura preparations using different parts of the plant including flowers, roots, and leaves. According to Don Juan, the different parts are taken to learn different lessons, and some parts, the flowers in particular, are never to be taken by the sorcerer himself; they are only used in hexing practices. Castaneda's account has led many unwitting people to try Datura without knowing what they were getting themselves into. Datura or Brugmansia is also known as an admixture to other shamanic preparations. It has been said by some that the tropane alkaloids in the daturas are potentiated by harmala alkaloids such as those found in Banisteriopsis caapi. In the Peruvian Amazon Brugmansia is often added to a brew of B. caapi to produce a tropane-ayahuasca. Similarly in the Peruvian Andes shamans sometimes add Brugmansia to San Pedro cactus (Trichocerus sp.) preparations known as cimora beverages. In India D. metel seeds are added to the Cannabis bhang drink or smoked with Cannabis for added intoxication and to simulate the union of Shiva, the male (Datura) principle, and Shakti, the female (Cannabis) principle. In Tanganyika seeds are added to beer. It is not recommended that any of these potentiating mixtures be undertaken without the blessings of a well-adjusted shaman, and even then with trepidation. Top ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 5) What is the typical dosage? Datura intoxication can last from a few hours to many days depending on what you use (species and part of the plant ingested) and how you use it (dosage and method of ingestion). The seeds are typically the most potent, followed by the leaves, flowers, and stems. Ten seeds is often enough for baseline to mild effects. Keep in mind, however, that various alkaloid fractions vary considerably among different species, among different parts of the plant of the same species, different ages of the plant, and even between the same part of the same species grown or harvested under different conditions. There have been extremely varied reported results, especially with smoking and snorting (ranging from mild headache to full-on delirium), and all forms of Datura ingestion are potentially hazardous. One should never experiment with Datura lightly or it will be your last time experimenting with anything. Start with low doses and be prepared to be intoxicated and disoriented for quite a while. A safe environment and a sober guide should be mandatory, as well as having a large supply of water readily available. Top ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 6) How long does it last? When ingesting any amount of Datura tea or other preparation, you should be prepared to be under the effects of the plant for 12 to 24 hours if not longer. The Datura "hangover" usually consists of blurred vision, moments of disorientation, and moments of stimulation or profound energy. Residual effects have been known to last from three days to a week. There have been some instances of blurred vision, dizziness, and disorientation lasting for many months after Datura ingestion. And, of course, there have been numerous instances of DEATH by ingestion of Datura, usually due to heart or respiratory failure. That having been said, smoking a Datura preparation will cause a rapid and uncomfortable body stimulation and drying of the mouth and throat that will last from thirty minutes to a few hours. Snorting a powdered preparation will cause more intense bodily irritation and delerium lasting for many hours. Using a Datura preparation as an ointment is potentially very dangerous because of the inability to accurately measure dosage and absorption rate. This is the "Flying Ointment" method used in traditional shamanism and witchcraft, and it is very powerful, with the delirium sometimes lasting for weeks. It should only be attempted by veteran users who are familiar with the plant, and even then at high risk. Top ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 7) What are the active constituents of Datura? Datura's effects are do to the presence of tropane alkaloids including scopolamine (hyoscine), atropine, aposcopolamine (apohyoscine), apoatropine, tropine, meteloidine and over twenty others. Typically young plants contain primarily scopolamine while older plants contain primarily hyoscamine, though the specifics vary by species. Tropanes act as muscarinic antagonists which block neurotransmission of acetycholine in the parasympathetic nervous system, thus leaving the body in a state of tremendous exitation. The main physical "side effects" of Datura ingestion including dry mucous membranes, flushing, rashes, hypertension, tachycardia, bronchodilation, blurred vision, dizziness, and vertigo are due to muscarinic antagonism. Incidentally, muscarinic receptors were named for muscarine, a chemical found in the mushroom Amanita muscaria, whose intoxication exhibits some similar effects to that of Datura. The two plants are often classed together as "delerient" drugs. Top ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 8) Where can I find it? Several species of Datura, including D. metel and D. stramonium, now grow wild in almost all parts of the world. Other species live exclusively in the dry parts of the southwestern United States and Mexico. Datura can most often be found in the wild in waste areas such as ditches along highways or other places where earth has been disturbed and few other plants can grow. In this sense Datura can be called a true "weed" in that, in general, it has very good germination rate in diverse environments. Top ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 9) Are there any other plants with similar properties to Datura? Genus Brugmansia, also knows as the tree daturas, used to be considered part of the genus Datura. After careful consideration, student of R.E. Schultes and esteemed botanist Timothy Lockwood but the debate to rest in 1979 (The Ethnobotany of Brugmansia. Journal of Ethnopharmacology 1(2):147-164). Brugmansias have flowers which more-or-less hang down while Datura flowers more-or-less point upward. Genus Solandra is also very similar in morphology and alkaloid content to Datura. See the article Yerba del Diablo for a description of Solandra and Datura in Huichol mythology. Solandra flowers, like those of Brugmansia, can often change colors over several days. This would surely have been a sign of power to ancient peoples. Also, the so-called "witching herbs" Atropa belladona (Deadly Nightshade), Hyoscamus sp. (Henbane), and Mandragora sp. (Mandrake) are members of the Solanaceae family and contain tropane alkaloids. It has been said that legends of mystical flight and tranformation into animals was a result of esoteric practices involving tropane intoxication. Medeival European witches even began using Datura in their brews along with other solanaceous plants. Top ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 10) So is there anything GOOD about this plant? Well, Datura has always been called "dark" and "evil" by those who would squelch indigenous practices of direct communication with divine power. Also, tropane rituals are frequently associated with nudity and "paganism", and early Christian sects were quick to point out the association with the "Horned God" of the hunt (by their accounts the evil Satan devil). Incidentally, Huichol mythology contains the horned figure... brother deer tail... who is intimately associated with Datura and Solandra. As there is nothing inherently evil in the world, there is nothing inherently evil about Datura. In fact, Datura has many medicinal uses (see below) as well as its commonly accepted poisonous and deleterious ones. But remember, Datura dissolves boundaries of fantasy and reality and prolonged use can lead to a blurring of these extremes with sometimes alarming results. The easiest way to insure the best Datura has to offer is to grow the plants for their beautiful, intoxicating flowers. More than a little energy exchange will be involved and lessons can be learned without ever ingesting any part of the plant. Top ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 11) What are some medical applications of Datura? Datura has been used medicinally probably as long as it has been used as a visionary plant. D. inoxia has been used as a poultice and analgesic by the Zuni for treating bruises and minor wounds. Similarly it was used by the Aztec for such matters as skin ulcers, hemorrhoids, and anesthesia for setting bones. Arthritis, rheumatism, and general swelling are conditions frequently treated with Datura by various groups. The Yucateco and Lancondon Maya prefer the rarer D. inoxia to the common D. stramonium for medicinal purposes and cultivate it in secret gardens. Datura leaves and flowers have been smoked for centuries to alleviate athsma and other pulmonary conditions, and it has been shown by modern research that scopolamine happens to be an excellent bronchiodilator. Today scopolamine is commonly used to treat motion sickness. Top ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 12) How old is the history of Datura use? Remains of Datura seedpods and seeds have been found in ritual context in the Pecos River area of southern Texas dating to at least 2000 B.C. These plant remains are often associated with remains of other known hallucinogenic plants including peyote (Lophophora williamsii), Texas mountain laurel or mescal bean (Sophora secundiflora), and Mexican buckeye (Ungnadia speciosa). In addition, petroglyphs in this region dating from 2200 to 950 B.C. depict many shamans holding "Datura staffs." Iconographic depictions of Datura in Mexico date from 2500 B.C. associated with the Olmec people. D. metel has been known as a hallucinogen in the Old World since early Chinese and Sanskrit herbals. The 11th century Arabian physician Avicenna also knew of Datura. Taoist legend calls D. metel one of the circumpolar stars, and the Hindu's believe it is the "tuft of Shiva" and as such is often depicted on statues of Shiva in his headdress. Top ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 13) Where and how is Datura still traditionally used today? The bastion of Datura cult use is still in the American Southwest and northern Mexico. Datura is, however, still used in Africa, India, China, and virtually anywhere else it can be found. The rituals involved vary considerably... from pubery initiation to divination. For a full discussion see Yerba del Diablo. In Mexico the groups using various daturas include the Huichol, Yaqui, Tarahumara, and at least several Maya groups including the Lacondon. In the Southwestern United States the Chumash (now extinct), Navajo, Zuni, Yokuts, Mohave, Yuma, Desert Cahuilla, Western Mono, Shoshoni, Kitanemuk, Luiseno, and Hopi have used or still use Datura in some way. I'm sure there are others as well. In Africa the Tsonga use Datura in female puberty initiation rites. The Algonquin of Michigan traditionally use a brew of D. stramonium for divination. In general, in addition to being used medicinally, Datura is freqently used to aid in acquiring a dream helper/guardian (often during puberty initiation), divination of illness, locating lost objects, gathering personal power, and various forms of "sorcery" including love magic and poisons. These uses are not unique to Datura or even solanaceous plants and in fact many diverse entheogenic plants find similar uses in varying cultures. Top ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 14) Is Datura easy to grow? In general Daturas are very easy to grow. D. metel and D. stramonium now grow wild all over the world as "weeds." The germination rate of these species appears to be very high. Other species may be more difficult to germinate but typical techniques will work. Click here for basic cultivation strategies for a few of the Datura and Brugmansia species. Click here for a link to general germination advice for amateur ethnobotanists. Top ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 15) Where can I get Datura plants and/or seeds? There are many companies who sell seeds and/or plants of Datura, Brugmansia, and other interesting solanaceous plants. Below is a non-exhaustive list with some of the species listed as being carried by each vendor. No claim is made by this author as to the service of the company or quality of these products. * Legendary Ethnobotanical Resources (L.E.R.): metel, stramonium, inoxia; sanguinea, candida, x candida, versicolor * Native Habitat Ethnobotanicals Landscaping: Specializes in many varieties of Brugmansia; also Datura plants and seeds * JLF Poisonous Nonconsumables: D. inoxia, D. stramonium (dried foliage) Also: Atropa belladona, Hyoscamus niger, Nicotiana sp. (dried foliage); Mandragora officinarum (root) * Allies of Botanical Significance (formerly ...Of the Jungle): 4 Dat (incl. ceratocaula) and 9 Brug varieties No website yet. Mail $2 for catalog to: Allies, P.O. Box 2422, Sebastapol, CA 95473, U.S.A. Top ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The Datura FAQ http://entheogen.com/datura/faq.html Datura homepage