The Spirit of Salvia with Martha Allitt

The Spirit of Salvia: Science, Culture & Bizzare Phenomenology of Divine Sage 

“This plant is the great secret of our tradition,” - Pharmako/Poeia (Pendell, 1995)

A popular legal high in the 90s, best known for its mind-boggling and often rather terrifying effects, Salvia divinorum hasn’t quite made the same trajectory of enthusiasm as other psychedelic substances.

Yet, despite modern-day horror stories, the Mazatec communities of Oaxaca have long used salvia for divinatory and healing purposes. Rather, the diviner’s sage is panacea-like for the Mazatec, taken in ceremony and used to cure a host of physical, psychological, and spiritual illnesses.

So how is it that this tender healer, capable of producing sacred states of bliss, is the same salvia behind a YouTube phenomenon of people rolling around on floors screaming? 

In this talk, Martha will look at the past and future of salvia, from its mysterious origins to its therapeutic potential in healthcare today, and investigate why the commonly reported weird and distressing smoked salvia experience can be so vastly different from the Mazatec methods of ingestion.

Drawing on modern clinical research and personal stories, join us as we discover and discuss, who is the spirit of salvia?

About Your Speaker

Martha Allitt

Martha is a freelance writer and journalist in the psychedelics space. 

With a BA in Neuroscience, her written media primarily discusses our ongoing evolution toward understanding and advancing psychedelic therapies, as well as wider issues concerning policy and ethics, on which she has given multiple talks. 

Martha is a co-owner of the UK Psychedelic Society, for which she hosts and curates events around psychedelic science and mental health. As a qualified yoga teacher, she also facilitates various embodiment and wellness workshops within her home city of Bristol. 

Furthermore, she is a volunteer with the charity PsyCare UK, offering drug-related welfare and harm reduction at music festivals.

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