Hello fellow Salvianauts and those who seek to be. My experiences in getting to Salvia Space are very consistent with the good NON extract enhanced leaf marketed in Doc Kunda's Eclectic Emporium, and even better with the varied strength Extract Enhanced Leaves.
It dismays me to hear reports from those who get nothing out of smoking salvia. Often the main problem is in the procedures followed. If you smoke the Salvia D leaves like MJ or like pipe tobacco, with moderate sized hits and a minute or two between hits, or if you take a bunch of small to moderate sized hits over time, it will not work as anticipated. You are attempting to get to a certain threshold of Salvinorin A in your body in a short period of time. It dissipates quickly. 10 hits over 30 minutes will do far less than 3 hits in 60 or 90 seconds. Everybody's susceptibility to besagement varies as well. Here is what I have found works well. It is a 2 dose/hit method that sends me to level 4 (see Salvia D user guide) almost every time with just plain leaves.
Prior to lighting anything I turn the lights out and put some soft meditative or rhythmic music on. This is critical as any distractions like a Television being on or somebody trying to talk to you will interrupt the experience and or keep it from materializing all together. Isao Tomita has some spacey stuff and the song I find most perfect is "Echoes of the Andes" by him (find a sample of it on Kazaa). I follow this song on my play list with some R. Carlos Nakai who plays meditative shamanic songs and ambient and mystical flute music.
I use a pipe with a bowl big enough to hold at least 3 big hits/draws/puffs. I take a few tiny puffs on the pipe over about 5 seconds just to get the pipe stoking without inhaling any of it. Then I take a BIG BIG hit keeping the lighter over the bowl of the pipe the whole time I am drawing in, as Salvinorin A only vaporizes at a high temperature. I only hold this hit for 20 to 30 seconds and although I could hold it longer I purposefully exhale. This is to enable the administering of the next dose in short order. I take a quick breath or two over no more than 5 seconds and immediately take another BIG BIG hit. I then hold this second hit, taken within the same minute as the first, as long as I possibly can. Prior to exhaling, I typically find myself in deep Salvia Space.
Another main factor is in knowing what you are looking for and going with it when it happens. Trying too hard to "get off " can prevent it from happening. Once you become familiar with the level that the experience hits you on and its immediate precursor sensations, you can actively facilitate its manifestation. This often takes many experiences with various doses smoked different ways before an individual can zero in on what works for them. Often people find that it takes less and less salvia over time to gain the same effect. Some say this is an increased sensitivity to salvia. I say it is more likely an increased sensitivity to the other dimension. The plant is a teacher and helper to enable us to see what else IS. Many spiritual disciplines use other plants or other non plant meditative methods for achieving the same state of mind. The easier it is for you to let go of your 5 common senses, the easier it will be for you to get into salvia space. If after smoking it you may feel like you are going down a drain, go with the spin and you may emerge on the other side in a place that will rock your old world.
It is a wild experience to emerge into this other dimension while listening to Echoes of the Andes. It usually ends within 5 minutes. I can then repack the bowl and repeat. Choose you own music, just Keep it ambient or relaxing meditative type music. Soft rhythmic drumming or a nature tape will do the trick as well. Good wishes and may you have numerous and rewarding journeys with this teacher plant, Salvia Divinorum.
Here are some additional Salvia Divinorum related links for you to check out.
Open Letter to Greater Sensibilities Regarding the Hallucinogen Control
Act of 2002, "Drug War Hysteria" vs. Sanity, Reason, and
Religious Freedom.
www.sagewisdom.org. the most informative and authoritative site for information regarding Salvia Divinorum.
www.erowid.org, another superb site dedicated to providing factual and complete information about Salvia Divinorum.
Salvia Divinorum Legal Status Information
, thanks to Joshua Tinnin
Salvia Divinorum Action Center - HR 5607
Salvia Divinorum Defense Fund
Yahoo Salvia Divinorum Group.
Yahoo Salvia D Group.