Natural Altered States The following categories designate a breakdown of the plants, shrubs, and trees of our planet, selected for their various uses and applications based on certain chemical/volatile properties and herbal extractions that produce altered and/or medicinally beneficial states of health consciousness. Botanical (Botany) – The biological science of plants Medicinal – Having the healing and curative properties of medicine Several natural herbs are used in the creation of fancy cocktails today. A few of the following herbs are listed in more than one category. Concoction – To invent, plan, or devise a preparation by the mixing of certain specifically chosen ingredients, blending together or to cook, creating an attractive tasting consumable recipe. Decoction – A water-based preparation of bark, roots, berries, or seeds simmered in boiling water. Distillation – A purification process, where the given mixture is heated to separate the volatile parts from its less active parts – Liquid >to Vapor >to Liquid Tincture – Plant medicine prepared by macerating herb in water and alcohol. Wildcrafting – Harvesting herbs from the wild. Aperitifs A term used for beverages consumed before a meal to stimulate the appetite Spirits include: Dubonnet (Rouge or Blonde) Fino Lillet Manzanilla Sherry Vermouth (Sweet or Dry) White Port Aphrodisiacs Excites libido and sexual activity Annatto Cacao, Cocoa Cardamom Damiana Gokulakanta Kava Kava Kola Nut Muira Puama Nutmeg & Mace Nikkar Nut Onion Palas, Flame of the Forest Patchouli Purple Orchid, Salep Sarsparilla Ylang Ylang Bitters Stimulates secretions of saliva and digestive juices Angostura Artichoke Baical Skullcap Balmony Bogbean Bugle Calumba Caper Centaury Chicory Chiretta Cinchona Cornflower Dandelion Elecampane Fever Bark Feverfew Holy Thistle Huan Fu Hua Iceland Moss Gentian German Chamomile Goldenseal Gotu Kola Hops Levant Wormwood Milk Thistle Milk Wort Oregon Grape Qin Jiao Qing Hao Quassia Roman Chamomile Skullcap Southernwood Turmeric Vervain Witch Hazel Wormwood Yarrow Yin Chen Hao Zhi Zi, Gardenia Spirits include: Aperol Branca Menta Calisay Campari Cynar Fernet Branca Underberg Unicum Detoxifiers The process of aiding removal of toxins and waste products from the body American Spikenard Balloon Vine Blue Flag, Wild Iris Cabbage Carrot Cleavers ( Goose Grass ) Common Nightshade Echinacea Figwort Goat’s Beard Grape Heather Hemp Agrimony Kumarhou Queen’s Delight Scarlet Pimpernel Scurvy Grass Soy Virginia Peppergrass Watercress Digestifs A beverage, usually with an alcohol base, consumed after a meal to stimulate digestion Allspice Bitter Orange Chervil Chicory Chufa Fennel Fringe Tree Galbanum Holy Thistle Kola Nut Mugwort Papaya Pennyroyal Pineapple Radish Sheep’s Sorrel Star Anise Star Grass Wormseed Spirits include: Bitters Campari Fernet Branca Grappa Madieras Ouzo Ports Elixers A liquid herbal preparation with a pleasant taste, due to the addition of fruit, and honey or sugar. Known as highly nutritive, invigorating tonics for the mind, body, and spirit. Elixer Tonics & Teas, out of Los Angeles, has this line of tonics: Depth Recharger – Replenishing the Deep Substance of Life – A blend of blackberry, boysenberry, pear, grape skin extract, lemon juice, with a proprietary blend of 12 herbal extracts. Liquid Yoga – A Chill–at–Will Tonic – A blend of apricot, white grape, and pear, with a proprietary blend of 5 herbal extracts. Mind over Muddle – Mental Prowess Power Tonic – A blend of plum, apple, red raspberry, hibiscus, and grape skin, with a proprietary blend of 5 herbal extracts. Power Plant – A Revitalizing Jump–Start Tonic – A blend of white grape and lemon, with a proprietary blend of 16 herbal extracts. Tame the Elements – A Fight–the–Good–Fight Tonic – A blend of white grape and lemon, with a proprietary blend of 10 herbal extracts. Virtual Buddha – Elation–by–the–Glass Tonic – A blend of peach and natural flavors, with a proprietary blend of 18 herbal extracts. Places to Contact, for purchase – The Store on Melrose – Phone: 310–657–9310 Website: www.elixer.net Business Office – Phone: 323–850–9450 Hallucinogens The psychoactive constituents of a medicinal plant or herb that may cause visions or hallucinations, depending on the amount consumed Ayahuasca Nutmeg & Mace Peyote, Mescal Sage Wormwood Herbals Liqueurs made of many herbs and spices, and impossible to acquire the usually long list that result in a complex, hard to duplicate collective flavor and aroma Aromatic – Plant with high levels of volatile oil Essential Oil – Distillation of volatile oils derived from aromatic plants Spirits include: Benedictine Certosa Chartreuse China Martini Izarra Strega Trappistine Narcotics A substance consumed for the relief of pain, but causes drowsiness or stupor Catalpa Deadly Nightshade Jamaica Dogwood Kava Kava Mandrake Opium Poppy Tobacco Sedatives A type of drug taken to reduce rate of activity and nervous excitement Baical Skullcap Bergamot Bitter Orange Black Cohosh Bugleweed Catalpa Catnip Chinese Angelica Club Moss Corn Poppy Corydalis Cowslip Crampbark Dan Shen, Red Sage Deadly Nightshade Evening Primrose Gotu Kola Greater Celandine He Shou Wu Henbane Hops Hyssop Indian Snakeroot Lady’s Slipper ( American Valerian ) Linden, Lime Melilot Mexican Poppy Motherwort Opium Poppy Papeira Passionflower Pulsatilla Saw Palmetto Scullcap St. John’s Wort Sweet Basil, Basil Tarragon Valerian Vervain Wild Lettuce Withania Yellow Jasmine Ylang Ylang Stimulants Something taken or consumed to increase rate of activity and nervous excitement Aloe Vera Arnica Balsam Fir Bay Laurel Betel Bitter Orange (Digestion) Buchu Cacao (contains Endorphins) Calamint Camphor Canella Catnip Cayenne Ceylon Leadwort Clove Codonopsis Coffee Cornflower Devil’s Claw Echinacea Ephedra Eucalyptus Fennel Fumitory Galangal Gentian Ginkgo Goldenseal Grains of Paradise Ginger Horseradish Huo Xiang, giant Hyssop Kava Kava Khat Kuth Lavender Lobelia Mate Matico Myrrh Nutmeg & Mace Oregano Peppermint Polypody Prickly Ash Quaking Aspen Ramsons Rosemary Safflower Sage Schisandra (Sexual) Senna Siberian Ginseng Sweet Flag Sweet Marjoram Tea Tree Turmeric Winter Savory Wood Apple Wormwood Yellow Dock Yohimbe Tonics Exerts a restorative or nourishing action on the body Strengthens and restores body systems American Ginseng Angelica Arjuna Ash Bai Zhi Bai Zhu Baji Tian Bearsfoot Black Hellebore Blue Cohosh Boneset Bugu Zhi, Scurf Pea Bupleurum Butterbur Butternut Cacao (Heart and Kidney) Calumba Canella Caraway Cayenne Cinchona Clary Sage Coca (Heart) Codonopsis Coleus Common Foxglove Condurango Damiana Du Zhong Fringe Tree Fuling, Indian Bread Gancao Ginkgo Goldenseal Gotu Kola Ground Ivy Hawthorn Iceland Moss He Shou Wu Myrtle Helonias Juniper Kava Kava Khat Kuth Lapacho Lemon Balm Lovage Lycium Muira Puama Nettle Night-blooming Cereus Oats Pellitory Pipsissewa Quaking Aspen Quebracho Quinine Radish Rehmannia Sage Salpan San Qi Schisandra Scullcap Scurvy Grass Squaw Vine St. John’s Wort Sweet Woodruff Tea Thyme Tree Lungwort Vervain White Peony Wild Candytuft Withania For a wider and more in depth reading of individual herb listings, check out Andrew Chevallier’s book entitled The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants. The following herbs are brought up in a more detailed breakdown of their origin and natural native use, shedding some light on the medicinal backgrounds and benefits, instead of them being shrouded in the darkness of illegalities. Ayahuasca Banisteriopsis caapi ( Malpighiaceae ) Part used – Bark Native to the jungles of the Amazon basin, it is cultivated by indigenous peoples, but the wild herb is preferred for medicinal use. A woody vine growing to 100 ft, with smooth bark, oval leaves, and bunches of small red or yellow flowers. Ayahuasca means “Spirit of the Dead”, indicating the awesome powers attributed to this plant. Another Native Indian name is nixi houi xuma, meaning “Vine from which the vision extract is made”. The bark is the primary hallucinogen of many Amazonian tribes, as it contains beta- carboline alkaloids (including harmine, harmaline, and delta–tetra-hycroharmine), which stimulate hallucinations. Ayahuasca is taken traditionally as part of a complex ritual that effects the healing experience. However, it is taken by the healer rather than by the patient. In the shamanistic societies of the Amazon, ayahuasca allows the healer to communicate with the spirit world where illness arises, interceding on behalf of the ill person and the community to restore health and harmony to all. Medicinal use of this plant is not advised. Coca Erythroxy coca ( Erythroxylaceae ) Part used – Leaves Native to Peru and Bolivia, coca grows in high-rainfall areas of the eastern Andes to altitudes of 5,000 ft. An evergreen shrub growing to 10 ft, with alternate oval leaves, small white flowers, and small red berries containing a single seed. The leaves are picked when they begin to curl. Coca contains cocaine and various other alkaloids, a volatile oil, flavonoids, vitamins A and B, and minerals. The plant’s stimulant and anesthetic action is due largely to the cocaine it possesses. As an isolated chemical, cocaine is extremely addictive. The indigenous peoples of the Andes carry pouches containing coca leaves and lime, which they chew throughout the day to help counter the effects of cold, exhaustion, and poor nutrition. In folk medicine, the plant is considered a treatment for toothache and gum problems. Coca leaf extract is still used as a flavoring for some cola sodas, but cocaine has long been banned from the drink formulas. The leaves play an important role in the culture and herbal medicine of the indigenous Aymara and Quechua peoples, as chewing of the leaves release small amounts of the active constituents, which act as a tonic. Coca leaves are also used in South American herbal medicine to treat nausea, vomiting, and asthma, and have been used to speed convalescence. The leaf is used as a heart tonic in Columbia. Khat, a tree native to the Middle East and the Horn of Africa, produces an effect (by infusing, smoking, or chewing its leaves) somewhat similar to that of coca leaves, as it is also taken as a stimulant, tonic, and appetite suppressant. Damiana Turnera diffusa syn. T. diffusa var. aphrodisiaca ( Turneraceae ) Part used – Leaves (fresh and dried) Native to the Gulf of Mexico, Southern California, the northern Caribbean Islands, and Namibia. Growing best in hot climates, the leaves are harvested in summer, when the herb is in flower. An aromatic shrub growing to 6 ft, with smooth, pale green leaves, and small yellow flowers. With traditional, historical use of the Mayan people in Central America as anaphrodisiac, it is also used as a general tonic, and its stimulant action is a remedy for people with mild depression. The leaves can also be used in a hot cup of water, as a pleasant tasting tea. Damiana is also the name of a liqueur from Mexico. It is used as a restorative to the reproductive organs (testosterogenic), antidepressant, and a mild laxative. Marijuana, Huo Ma Ren ( Chinese ) Cannabis sativa ( Cannabinaceae ) Part used – Flowering tops of female plants, seeds Native to the Caucasus, China, Iran, and northern India, marijuana is cultivated the world over, both legally (for the fiber and seeds) and illegally (for use as a recreational drug). Marijuana contains over 60 different types of cannabinoids, including THC (delta 9 – Tetrahydrocannabinol). It also contains flavonoids, volatile oil, and alkaloids. It is the only plant to contain THC, one of the main psychoactive constituents. Modern research shows marijuana to be an effective analgesic, sedative, and anti- inflammatory agent. Even though research has been primarily focused on the constituent THC, it is clear that the complex of constituents within marijuana has a significantly wider range of applications. The oil from the seeds (Hempseed Oil) contain the optimum balance of essential fatty acids, with the highest levels of Gamma Linolenic Acid (GLA), Alpha Linolenic Acid (Omega 3), Linoleic Acid (Omega 6), and Oleic Acid (Omega 9). To purchase the oil, go to: hempola.com With a long history as a medicinal treatment, it has been recommended at one time or another for almost every illness. As an analgesic, it relieves pain with minimal side effects. For those suffering from muscular illnesses, marijuana can reduce neurological overactivity and muscle spasm. It also relieves asthma, menstrual pains and cramps, stress, and the pain of arthritis and rheumatism. The plant also provides effective treatment for glaucoma, in which pressure within the eye is abnormally high, and is hypotensive, lowering blood pressure. Marijuana’s psychoactive benefits may have value as an antidepressant as well. Queen Victoria took marijuana as an analgesic. It’s use in India dates back to 800 BC, where it was recommended for congestion. In Chinese medicinal literature, it was described as a treatment for constipation and absent-mindedness. Opium Poppy Papaver somniferum ( Papaveraceae ) Part used – Latex Native to western Asia, opium poppy is now cultivated commercially around the world as the source of morphine and codeine, and as an illegal crop for the production of opium and heroin. The seed capsules are cut during the summer, and the white latex that exudes is gathered the next day and dried. A thick-stemmed annual growing to almost 3 ft, with numerous, broadly oval, dull-green leaves, pink to purple or white flowers, and globe-shaped seed capsules. Cultivated for its medicinal properties for at least 4,000 years, it contains over 40 opium alkaloids, including morphine, narcotine, codeine, and papaverine, having well established therapeutic actions. The opium poppy yields a resin that has long been smoked for its narcotic effect. The main active constituent, morphine, was first isolated in the laboratory in 1803, and is known as one of the most powerful analgesics of all. The dried latex of opium is a potent narcotic, analgesic, and antispasmodic, and has been taken to relieve pain of all kinds. Herbal traditions regard it as a powerful remedy for colds, reducing physical function, and sedating or suppressing nervous overactivity, pain, and severe coughs. Due to its strong addictive nature, opium is mainly used after other less powerful analgesics have failed to bring relief. The Corn Poppy contains similar alkaloids to those in the opium poppy, but have much milder effects. The California Poppy, even though widely cultivated as a garden plant, is also closely related to the opium poppy, but has a different effect in the central nervous system, and is not a narcotic. Rather than disorienting the user, it tends to normalize psychological function, being more of a gentle sedative overall, relieving nervous tension or anxiety. The Mexican Poppy contains isoquinoline alkaloids, similar to those in the opium poppy, but the whole plant in general is a mild painkiller, as well as the oil in the seeds acting as a purgative, while the flowers are expectorant in their medicinal action. Peyote, mescal Lophophora williamsii ( Cactaceae ) Part used – Whole plant Native to northern Mexico and the southwestern United States. A cactus plant, growing to 2 in, with a squat gray-green body with tufted hairs, and pink or white flowers. Peyote contains alkaloids, principally mescaline, and has been used in Native American religious ceremonies for over 3,000 years, for its hallucinogenic powers, and popularized by Aldus Huxley in his book The Doors of Perception, which is where the legendary late 60’s rock band The Doors acquired their name. Peyote is a shamanistic plant, taken in Native American rituals to deepen spiritual understanding, playing an important role in the emotional and mental state of the community. It is also used to treat fevers, paralysis, and as a painkiller for rheumatism. Peyote can also be applied as a poultice for snake bite, wounds, and fractures. Even though the use of peyote and mescaline is illegal in most countries, it can be purchased in some of the brown cafe’s in Amsterdam. Wormwood Artemisia absinthium Part used – Fresh leaves, aerial parts (fresh and dried) Native to Europe, it now grows wild in central Asia and in eastern parts of the U.S. It is also cultivated in temperate regions worldwide. A perennial reaching 3 ft, with gray-green stems and feathery leaves, both covered in fine hairs. The aerial parts are harvested in late summer. There are seven other species of artemisia with a medicinal use. In the past, wormwood was one of the main flavorings in vermouth (whose name is German for wormwood). Wormwood was called absinthium by the Romans from the Latin word absinthial meaning “bitter”, and the Anglo-Saxon word wermode meaning “waremood” or “mind preserver”, and the Old English wermod meaning “spirit mother”. The Greeks dedicated wormwood to the goddess Artemisia, claiming it counteracted the poisons of hemlock and mushrooms. Contained within the leaves and aerial parts, and during the medicinal extraction of, is an essential oil of wormwood containing the chemical constituent thujone (“tou - zhon”), a known hallucinogen and stimulant to the brain when excessive doses (or drinks) are consumed. Other herbs containing thujone are sage, tansy, and arbor vitae (up to 60%). Due to its aromatic bitter actions, it has a strong tonic effect on the digestive system, increasing stomach acid and bile production, therefore improving the absorption of nutrients.This makes it beneficial for those who suffer from anemia. If a tincture is taken regularly, it slowly strengthens the body to return to full vitality after a prolonged illness. It also acts as an anti- inflammatory and as a mild anti-depressant. Wormwood has been used medicinally to expel intestinal worms for over 3,500 years. |
Negroni
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