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Lucid Dreaming Herbs, Plants, Oneirogens
Dream Herbs, Supplements For Dreams
Job 33:14-18 kjv "14 For God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not. In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed; Then he openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their instruction, That he may withdraw man from his purpose, and hide pride from man. He keepeth back his soul from the pit, and his life from perishing by the sword."
Quick disclaimer: Before I jump into the subject of Oneirogens, I want to touch base on dreams in general, because it is sort of a pre-requisite in my mind for the oneirogen discussions on this page. I share a lot of facts about different cultures to emphasize that these practices and occurrences(observations) were normal back in the day, but in modern times they're viewed as much more taboo, or silly pseudoscience, and yet it is REAL science.
The Cultural And Spiritual Significance Of Dreams Across Cultures, And Their Connection To Both Divination, And Prophecy: Dreams have been cherished, embraced, interpreted, documented, and studied, by nearly all religions on earth, including Christianity.[10] All throughout history, various cultures have also observed that sometimes dreams can predict the future, whether through divination, or prophecy.[10][14][15][16] In Matthew 1:20-25, an angel visits Joseph in a dream, and then tells him about a future event before it happens!(the birth of Jesus Christ!). That's exciting isn't it? Desire that ye may prophesy! Many cultures have also utilized their own variations of what is called a dream dictionary, in order to help them understand dream symbols and master the practice of dream interpretation. Dream interpretation is also mentioned throughout the bible: In the book of Daniel 1:17, it says that: "God gave the four young men knowledge and skill in literature and philosophy. In addition, he gave Daniel skill in interpreting visions and dreams." I made a dream dictionary for my old website, and I will bring it back here on HerbsPedia! I will link to it from the internet archives. Based off of everything that I've learned about the science of these matters, and how they related to the pineal gland, I can tell you that both dreams and visions are connected to the pineal gland, and this is what the ancients believed as well!.[13]
More Cultural Beliefs Surrounding Dreams, Dream Divination, And Angelic Communication Through Dreams: As I pointed out in the previous paragraph, the bible too shares stories of angels(ministering spirits) communicating to people in their dreams(Matthew 1:20-25) but the nature of angels varies, as some are evil, others are not.. To illustrate this potential spiritual threat, I want to point out that the Egyptians were into occult magic, and used dreams to practice divination AND necromancy.[16] Beware of serpent spirits(angels) posing as allies... An angel is a ministering spirit, and it communicates to you without speaking.. Spirits speak to the heart, and through symbolic forms of communication. The holy spirit is no different. Exercise discernment in spiritual forces, so you can avoid deception and avoid being herded down the wrong path. I'm basically warning that you can recieve deliberately misleading information from the enemy if you're not in the shelter("the secret place") In modern times, too many people have lost touch with their spiritual nature, thanks to distractions, being a fortune-500 slave(over-worked, under-payed), thanks to being bombarded with pharmakeia(drug warfare), gmo foods, mRNA vaccines, "thca flower"(fake weed), tainted hemp products laced with neurotoxic proplyene glycol, pharmaceuticals, and toxic food additives like MSG, food colorings, fluoride in the water, etc.. These things take a tole on your spiritual health, because your temple is your body, and it is holy, and if you mistreat it, it will not function properly. This is why I expose dangerous pharmaceuticals and fluoride, and poisonous food additives on HerbsPedia. I want to empower you to take your health and cognition back.
The Native Americans had their own dream interpretation system as well.[17] In a book called "Earthway", written by a real Native American, it includes a Native American Dream Dictionary. Beware, the book has occult graven images in it in a section on astrology. I'm not trying to mislead Christians, so I'm stating that flat out. but the book speaks a great deal on the significance of dreams in the Native American culture, and from a real Indian woman, and I wanted to cite it as a source for this page. The way that the Natives interpret symbols is the same way that I found to be true, and that is to let the symbols interpret theirselves. What I mean by that is, dream symbols are usually self evident(self explanatory). For example: A book represents knowledge, a red light means stop, school has to do with lessons and learning, etc. The bible and the Native American belief system are more closely related than you might think, as the bible itself refers to God as a spirit(St. John 4:24)[not a dude], and it says in Revelation 1:15 that his voice is "As the sound of many waters", which reminds me of the story of the great flood in Genesis. In this depiction, the biblical God is depicted from more of a pantheistic perspective, although I still don't subscribe to that belief it describes God less like a giant dude, and more like a spirit(the holy ghost). I believe it is very similar to what pantheism is describing, but not quite. Before we move on to the next paragraph however, I want to quote one more verse from the bible that describes more of a omnipresent spirit, than a giant dude in the sky, and that's in Exodus 19:16-19, where Moses would speak to the Ancient Of Days, and he would answer him in thunder... I don't believe in pantheism anymore, but gods(with an S) can inhabit the physical, so. The God of the bible can too. Pantheism is a doctrine which identifies God with the universe, or regards the universe as a manifestation of God.
I find comparing different belief systems interesting, and enjoy the insight that I get from looking at everything from all of the different cultural view-points. It helps to piece things together and get a more clear understanding of spirituality in general, and how it works. I've veared off topic, I apologize! Both Native Americans and Christians/Jews have a history of interpreting dreams and communing with Adonia(Elohim/Jehovah)/spirits(angels) in dreams. Note the difference between divination and prophecy however. I compare a lot of different traditions on here. I'll mention wiccans, shamans, witches, the bible, Jewish beliefs, mystics, and other indigenous cultures throughout this website. I compare, contrast, and use multiple belief systems to illustrate my points, the truth, and my beliefs, as well as what everything seems to point to in its self evident conclusions. Dreams, spirituality, ethnobotanicals, and oneirogens are all closely related to one another, and in a way you could say that they are all co-dependent. In a book that I cite, it discusses the significance of certain foods on the dreaming mind[10], which ties in with ethnobotanicals because food can be grouped in with ethnobotany as well. This is why oneirogens matter, because your food has pharmacology too, and certain foods are oneirogenic![10] Everything that I've stated on this page up until this point, was the pre-requisite for the next segment, my Introduction To Oneirogens. I hope you enjoy what you learn here today and that it benefits you in your life! I advise against the idolization of anything other than the true creator.
What Are Oneirogens? An Oneirogen is a drug, plant, or supplement(same thing), that is used to either stimulate, enhance, prolong the duration and memory thereof, or induce, dreams of a more vivid nature and intensity.[1] Different cultures from all walks of life have embraced dreams and plants that seem to stimulate them, which again, we call "oneirogens"(or dream herbs).[10] There is science behind these types of supplements as well[1], and I personally have much experience with them. I own a book by Albert Hoffman(the LSD chemist), and schultes(a famous ethnobotanist), called "Entheogens and the future of religion", that talks about oneirogens a lot. Another book I own on the subject is called "Salvia divinorum: Oneirogens, Drugs And The Dreaming Mind", and it has quite the academic bibliography in the back. I want this page to be the ultimate source on Oneirogens, so please check back because it is in the works.
Common Oneirogenic Plants And Or Ethnobotanicals That Work Well In Oneirogen Preparations: Again, an Oneirogen is something that's good for stimulating dreams. Calea zacatechichi(Dream Herb), Silene capensis(Xhosa), Synaptolepis kirkii, Entada rheedii(African Dream Herb), Imphepho(Helichrysum petiolare), Damiana(Turnera diffusa), Nutmeg, Passion Flower, Banisteriopsis caapi., Psilocybin, Nicotine, Coleus blumei, Alepidea amatymbica (Iqwili), Syrian rue(Peganum harmala), Ubhubhubhu(Helinus integrifolius), Salvia divinorum, Myrrh, even Cilantro(because of it being an antidote to heavy metals) Expect this list to expand. A lot of these are based on my own observation, as that is how the shamans and Native Americans would learn about drugs and medicine, by repeated consumption coupled with observation.[1][3][8][9] These cultures trained theirselves to be in tune with their body, so that they could pick up on subtle changes happening within their mind and biology, thus enabling them to become very familiar with the plants.[1][3][8][9] This is how I learned a great deal about ethnobotanicals, by hands on experimentation, observation, and taking notes. The training yourself to be in tune with your own biology aspect really helps to identify when your immmune system is down, or when you're in the early stages of an infection, so you can act.
Is there science behind Oneirogens? YES! While it depends on the specimen, most popular oneirogenic ethnobotanicals have been studied in the lab.[1][4] One such study, was conducted on the common Calea zacatechichi, also known by indigenous shamans as "Leaf Of God".[1][3][4] The study shows some great insight into what the oneirogen is actually doing in the brain, and the results are interesting. The research shows, that in what the scientist call "human doses", organic plant extracts of C. zacatechichi induce the EEG and behavioral signs of somnolence.[4] Somnolence is "is the quality or state of being drowsy".[5] Large doses induce more undesirable effects, such as salivation, ataxia, and even vomiting in some cases.[4] Ataxia is "an inability to coordinate voluntary muscular movements that is symptomatic of some central nervous system disorders and injuries and not due to muscle weakness".[6] Keep in mind, in my experience I have noticed zero negative effects from the use of Calea z. but I didn't take an extremely potent extract that's far more potent than ground up herb, or capsules taken orally.. The research also went on to illustrate that Calea z. has a much different way of interacting with the brain than hallucinogenic-dissociative drugs like ketamine, quipazine, and phencyclidine.[4] Please note that "hallucinogenic-dissociative drugs", is a fancy way of saying "a deliriant"(which is a psychoactive poison that induces insanity, basically). It's good news that the dream herb doesn't work like this.
Another interesting fact is that in healthy human volunteers, low doses of the extracts given to subjects in a double-blind study, tested against placebo, did note a increased reaction time and time-lapse estimation.[4] What that tells me, is that Calea z. increases alertness while you're dreaming. The study also tested participants during stages of sleep, and took note of spontaeous awakenings that it seemed to induce.[4] Please note that in the book "Dreams Of Awakening", the author cites academic sources on how forcing yourself to wake up in the middle of the night increases your chances of having a lucid dream.[7] "The results illustrated that Calea extracts do in fact increase the superficial stages of sleep, and the number of spontaneous awakenings. The dreams reported by the vounteers were significantly higher than both placebo and the man-made "diazepam" drug, which tells us that it increases hypnagogic imagery that's taking place during superficial sleep stages."[4]
My own personal experience: The science proves that Calea makes you sleepy, that's a good thing. In my own personal experience, Calea z works well beyond my wildest dreams(pun intended). Ceal z. doesn't necessarily give me results every single night, but I would guestimate that around 6-7 out of 10 doses wind up with me having very vivid dreams. Some of the most vivid and interesting dreams of my life were induced thanks to this supplement. I feel it only fair to warn against any type of occult teachings associated with this plant and others. I grow my own, and don't feel that it is unsafe, however the occult does have its own applications for Calea z and many other oneirogenic plant species, and I don't want to see anyone fall for these snares and wind up cursed like I did. Remember not to idolize plants. I also want to add that In my O.G. observation: I've noted that Calea z works over time, and not necessarily the first night you take it. Take it every night for a week, and you'll notice results. I just use a gram or two of dried powdered plant material, and take it raw with a drink to chase it down. It taste horrible.Medicine is not supposed to taste good, and dream medicine is no different. See also Job 33:14-18
Here's some more facts coming your way. Did you know that Plants and fungi with oneirogenic activity(dream stimulating properties) have been used to connect with the spirit world, practice necromancy(Deut 18), and talk to gods(spirits,fallen angels), for thousands of years. The practice was believed to faciliate the gaining of divinatory(and or prophetic information), heal, or to assist one in seeking higher levels of spiritual awareness. These oneirogens and the substances that they produce, have been used to facilitate lucid dreaming or uncover hidden aspects of the psyche.[1][9][10][11] Source number eleven is the primary source for those statements,. Before the Christians get all offended, the occult has its own applications for cinnamon and chamomile too, and those two are certainly not "bad". Different cultures use different ethnobotanicals differently, and the Jewish and Christian religions are no different, as ethnobotanicals are also a part of those religions(frankincense, myrrh, and the fruit from the book of Genesis, as well as "manna"... to name a few.)
Anyway, this sort of primitive way of learning about drugs reminds me of my own observation in regards to what Marijuana does. Cannabis sort of lights up hidden aspects of the psyche that you probably weren't so aware of before using it. In my experiences in my early twenties, I believe that psilocybin does this as well. Cannabis seems to turn up the volume on your observatory abilities to precieve your own cognitive consciousness(ie: whats going on in your mind) An academic researcher named Claude rifat is a big name in Cannabis, Kratom, and Psilocybin research. He classifies cannabis and psilocybin as "pre-oneirogens".[1] His findings indicate that pre-oneirogens increase the production of hypnagogic imagery as well as hypnopompic imagery.[1] In my own personal experimentation I have also found that what I could consider micro-doses, or very light doses of a sharp Cannabis sativa, can have a stimulating oneirogenic effect on dreams, especially when coupled with passion flower(passiflora incarnata). This can only work if one is extremely self disciplined, and the dose is very small, and heavy chronic daily use is avoided. Persuant to the ardnt sultz medical rule, it makes sense that going over-board would do the opposite, because this medical law tends to teach us that, as the patterns in medicine are in alignment with this doctrine of signature style observation.[x]#leftoffat I'm adding citations right now, real time.
Trial And Observation, How The Natives Learned About Drugs And Medicine: Part of being a medicine man to me, is about being your own scientist, and conducting your own experiments. I've learned herbal medicine through almost three decades experimentation, almost three really, and from studying from books written by scholars, native americans, and others, and academic sources, but mostly hands on trial and observation. This is exactly how the Native Americans and Shamans would learn about medicine as well![8] I've taken the knowledge of medicine, passed down from culture to culture, modern scientific findings thanks to phytochemistry, combined these with my own observation, and used all of it to my advantage for optimal health and well being(Keeping in mind there's physical health, and mental health(I use cannabis for mental health)). I can't emphazise enough that spiritual health and physical health and enhancement are not the same thing. Taking supplements will not fill the void for your spiritual life, so please seek the correct God on matters of righteousness. Note that the word "spiritual" does not denote good or evil, so please consider that "spiritual" things are not necessarily good. Out of all of the medicinal, psychoactive, and oneirogenic plants that I have learned about and experimented with, Calea is ONE of my all time favorites. I highly suggest to anyone to add this plant to your garden. It's very rewarding! There's never been a better time to spend less money by gardening, and becoming independent.
Mixing plants for their oneirogenic properties: This has been my favorite part of learning about Native American, shamanic, and other cultural uses of plants. As I have studied herbal medicine, and its phytochemistry and pharmacology for over ten years now, I learn to recognize what herbs synergize well with one another. For example, Ginkgo biloba is good for memory, so I thought why not try combining Ginkgo and Calea zacatechichi.. The results were amazing. I've experimented around with tons of combinations, and the results only get better. I really feel like I am very skilled at this. I'm thinking of making tincture blends for my new upcoming business. Nothing has been more fun to me in learning herbalism, than creating blends for oneirogenic use(as a dream supplement). In my experiments, I mostly just powder the plant material, and wash it down with a drink, but I also make tinctures, and full on elixirs. Tea's can be evaporated to a syrupy consistency, as can tinctures, to concentrate them. It's best to combine the two, so you can get the most phytochemicals extracted from the plant material as possible, because water is polar, and alcohol can dissolve non-polar molecules as well. Ethnobotanical medicine is the best medicine on earth! It's made by God and not the serpent on the side of the ambulance too.
A few more notes on mixing botanicals: One thing I must warn against is using Ginkgo daily, as I have observed that it leads to insomnia after daily use over a certain period of time(4-5 days). I like to combine nootropics that are good for memory with known oneirogens like Calea z. and others, but not ones that will keep me awake, and not long term(obviously). I experimented with these for years and years and came up with a lot of cool recipes. I find making use of Damiana, Calea z, Silene capensis, micro-doses of ginkgo(not every night though), and anything that's good for the pineal gland, like a small micro-dose worth of Echinacea, some mullein, ginger, and myrrh, works the best. Damiana is definately an oneirogen, and I picked up on that on my own. I want to grow it this year. In this segment, I will share a few more idea's, and then we'll move on to more scientific facts regarding these botanicals. Rhodiola root, and bacopa monnieri are something I like to use during the day, as I prepare for the end of the day, and for sleep and dreams. You want to float into sleep as Charley Morley puts it, not "fall asleep".[7]
Food Pharmakeia, The Pineal Gland, And Defensive Drug Warfare: For me, making use of oneirogens is as much about optimizing the pineal gland as it is stimulating the parts of the mind responsible for dreams. When I mix botanicals, I keep this in mind. When you wake up in the morning, and throughout the day, everything that you put into your body will effect your sleep and dreams that night. I make use of ethnobotanical supplements for memory and detox during this time. Another critical aspect of mastering your dream abilities(we're all wired to dream), is avoiding pharmakeia in food and pharmaceuticals, as well as combating it. I find detox critical for having an optimal dream life. I've observed that some drugs, even tylenol, can disrupt dream recall. A large number of poisons that target the pineal gland can be found in fortune-500 prepared foods, and I expose those much more in great detail on the food page, and quote and cite scholarly sources there as well. Learn about the dangers of pharmaceuticals, and how they may be disrupting your cognition, discernment, sleep, and preventing your mind and body from experiencing fullness of health, wellness, and joy in your life.
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Academic citations:
[4] Mayagoitia, Lilian, José-Luis Díaz, and Carlos M. Contreras. "Psychopharmacologic analysis of an alleged oneirogenic plant: Calea zacatechichi." Journal of ethnopharmacology 18.3 (1986): 229-243.
[8] https://www.nps.gov/glac/learn/education/native-american-plant-use.htm
[11] Cooke, Justin. "Oneirogens: Substances That Make You Dream (Natural & Synthetic)."
[12] St John, Graham. "The DMT Gland: The Pineal, The Spirit Molecule, and Popular Culture." International Journal for the Study of New Religions 7.2 (2016).
[13] Castro, Jennifer Emblom. Exploring the Ancient Mysteries of the Pineal Gland: A Doorway to Expanded States of Consciousness. MS thesis. Pacifica Graduate Institute, 2023.
[14] Thompson, Laurence G. "Dream Divination and Chinese Popular Religion." Journal of Chinese Religions 16.1 (1988): 73-82.
[15] Zulliger, Hans. "Prophetic dreams." The International Journal of Psycho-Analysis 15 (1934): 191.
[16] Ritner, Robert K. "Necromancy in ancient Egypt." Magic and Divination in the Ancient World 2 (2002): 89-96.
[1] Toro, Gianluca, and Benjamin Thomas. Drugs of the dreaming: Oneirogens: Salvia divinorum and other dream-enhancing plants. Simon and Schuster, 2007.
[3] Richard Evans Schultes, and Albert Hoffman. Plants of the Gods : Their Sacred, Healing and Hallucinogenic Powers. Rochester, Vt, Healing Arts, 1979.
[7] Morley, Charlie. Dreams of Awakening : Lucid Dreaming and Mindfulness of Dream and Sleep. Australia, Hay House, 2013.
[9] Heaven, Ross, and Howard G. Charing. Plant spirit shamanism: Traditional techniques for healing the soul. Simon and Schuster, 2006.
[10] Devereux, P., & Devereux, C. (1998). The lucid dreaming book: How to awake within, control and use your dreams. Boston, MA : Journey Editions.
[17] EArthway: A Native American Visionary's Path To Total Mind, Body, And Spirit Health. Book By Mary Summer Rain ISBN-13: 9780671706678
Encyclopedia Sources:
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oneirogen
Dictionary Sources:
[5] https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/somnolence
[6] https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ataxia
Other resources:
M.A.P.S. Ethnobotanical Studies By Scholars
PubChem - pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov