Why Salvia Divinorum Should Be Taken Seriously (And with Caution)

If you're considering trying Salvia divinorum, I really can’t stress this enough—it’s not something to take lightly. Salvia can be intense, really intense. It’s not like other psychedelics that bring you on a euphoric journey or a blissful ride. No, Salvia does something different. It strips everything away. Your identity, your beliefs, your sense of self, it all just disappears. That’s why I think it’s crucial to approach it with the right mindset and respect.

Before I even begin, let’s talk about one of the most powerful aspects of Salvia—ego dissolution. It’s one of the things that makes Salvia stand out. At higher doses, Salvia can completely dissolve your sense of self to an extent that other just psychedelics don't. I’ve had experiences where I forgot I even existed, like I wasn’t Callan anymore, just pure consciousness itself. For first-time users, that can be a really unsettling experience if you’re not prepared for it. It’s not just a trip. It’s a complete shift in how you experience reality. That’s why mental preparation is essential before using it.

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It’s so easy to jump into something like this, thinking it’ll be another typical psychedelic experience. But trust me, Salvia isn’t like that. You can’t just pop in and expect a smooth, easy ride. It takes some preperation. I’ve learned the hard way that taking a few minutes to clear your mind before using Salvia makes all the difference. I’ve also found that meditation or just sitting quietly beforehand helps set the tone for the experience. You don’t want to be in a distracted state when you start. It will just make everything feel more overwhelming.

And then there’s the importance of your setting, the space you’re in. If you’re in an unfamiliar or unsafe space, it’s going to affect the experience in a big way. The environment can either calm you down or send you into panic mode. For me, I’ve always felt more comfortable using Salvia in a familiar, peaceful space where I know I’m safe. It gives me a foundation to trust the experience, no matter how weird or intense it gets.

But here’s the thing. Salvia doesn’t usually deliver those nice, euphoric feelings you might expect from other psychedelics. It’s about experiencing reality in a way that’s raw and unfiltered. It strips everything away—your attachments, your identity, all the labels you’ve placed on yourself. Suddenly, it’s just you and pure existence, and that can be pretty jarring. But that’s also where it gets interesting. For me, Salvia has been like peeling back layers of the world I thought I knew and revealing something much deeper. Sometimes, it’s a beautiful realization. Other times, it’s a bit unsettling. But either way, it’s just so incredible and profound.

One of the most intense experiences I ever had with Salvia was when I felt myself being taken out of my body and placed into the void, watching reality itself being created by external intelligences beyond our comprehension. That’s when it hit me. It’s all been an illusion this whole time. Salvia doesn’t just make you hallucinate. It rips apart the veil and shows you that life itself is the trip.
It wasn’t just a visual distortion or a weird feeling. It was as if my very self had ceased to exist, and I had peeked into a layer of reality I wasn’t ready for. There was no sense of self, no body, no time, just a vast, endless void of possible realities, and I could see my old reality, this one, being constructed like it was all just an elaborate illusion. It felt like I wasn’t supposed to be there just yet, like I had stumbled into something I wasn’t meant to witness, something even they weren’t ready for me to see.

It kept pulling me deeper and deeper. It wasn’t scary in the usual sense, but it was so far beyond human comprehension that it left me completely shaken. I wrote about that experience in more detail here if you want to read more.

That’s why I think it’s so important to approach Salvia with respect. It’s not something you casually play with. It’s a tool, one that can show you incredible things about yourself and reality, but only if you’re ready for it. The intensity of the experience means it’s something that needs to be handled with care. If you’re not prepared, it can throw you off completely. And while the plant itself is non-toxic physically, the mental challenge it presents is no joke.

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You might come out of it feeling shaken up or confused, but with the right preparation, it can be a really transformative experience. And speaking of preparation, there’s a difference between smoking Salvia and chewing the leaves. Smoking it hits hard and fast. It’s immediate and powerful, sometimes too powerful depending on the dose. Chewing the leaves, on the other hand, is slower and more meditative. It doesn’t launch you straight into another reality, but instead unfolds gradually, allowing for a deeper connection with the plant.

I haven’t had a truly deep experience from chewing the leaves yet, but I’m still learning how to work with this method. Dried leaves aren’t ideal for this—they’re weaker, harsher, and harder to chew. Fresh leaves would be much better, as they’re more potent and easier to work with. There’s still a lot for me to learn with this approach, and I don’t feel like I’ve fully tapped into it yet.

If you’re thinking about using Salvia, just know that it’s not a game. It’s not a fun psychedelic for a casual trip. It’s deep, sometimes difficult, but it can also be incredibly eye-opening. It’s all about how you approach it. Take the time to mentally prepare, choose a safe and familiar space, and respect the plant for what it can show you. It’s a powerful tool for self-discovery, but it’s not something you can just jump into without thinking it through.
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​Salvia is intense. But if you approach it with caution and care, it might just teach you things you didn’t even know you needed to learn. It’s not easy, but it’s definitely worth it when you’re ready.

If you're looking for a way to have a bit more control over your Salvia experience, I think The Salvia Pipe from Salvia Healings is worth considering. It’s designed to help you manage your intake, which can be really helpful when dealing with something as intense as Salvia. I don’t personally have one just yet, but from what I’ve learned, it allows you to take smaller, more controlled doses, which could make a big difference in how the experience unfolds. It’s all about being able to ease into it rather than getting hit all at once, and that’s something I can see being pretty valuable, especially if you want to stay grounded during the experience.

Check out my other blogs:

• How to Prepare for a Salvia Divinorum Experience – What you need to know before you try it.
• I Was Ripped from Reality on Salvia Divinorum And I Almost Didn’t Come Back – A raw, intense experience.
• Why Psychedelics Are Illegal: The Hidden Truth About Consciousness and Control – The real reasons behind the war on psychedelics.​
• ​How Salvia Divinorum Completely Changed My Life and Creative Process – How it flipped everything upside down.​​
• 6 Common Misconceptions About Salvia Divinorum You NEED to Know – Debunking the myths surrounding Salvia.

The Salvia Pipe

For a mindful Salvia experience, The Salvia Pipe can be a valuable tool. Designed by Christopher Solomon, a somatic Salvia guide with over a decade of experience, it’s the only pipe made specifically for Salvia, allowing for a more controlled journey.
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​Learn more [HERE]
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