Peyotl

Description

It is small a Cactus globulous with developed root and whose stem can reach 20 cm in height on 10 of diameter. It is of color grisâtre at the base and green ashed in the upper part. The flowers are solitary and of pink color to white.

It only pushes or groups some in the arid zones in altitude, mainly in the shade of a thorny shrub.

Surface of distribution

One finds it at the origin in south-west of the the United States (Texas and New Mexico) and on the Mexican plate central.

It since extended geographically with the increase from its consumption.

Properties

It contains many Alcaloïde S of the type Phényléthylamine, of which most notable is the Mescaline, primarily localized with the periphery of the stem. But it contains also lophophorine which causes cephalgias, a Vasodilatation and puffs of heat; anhalamine, anhalonidine and the anhalonine which have a sedative action ; peyotline and peyonine which are also sedative. This composition is very variable as well from one cactus to another quantitatively as qualitatively.

The complexity of its composition makes it possible to explain the differences between the effects of the peyotl and those of the Mescaline only.

Use

Pharmacology

It can be used to extract mescaline by artisanal methods (maceration in the ethanol or cooking with the bain-marie).

Medicinal use

Because of its crowned character, it is recommended like a kind of universal cure in particular like Stimulant, antidote against the venom of snakes, etc

According to Richard Evans Schultes

Peyotlic intoxication

This chapter is intended to present the sensory experiment following the catch of peyotl, in order to better include/understand the following chapter on the characteristics of the experiment at the Huichols. It is about a census starting from 22 case of Western observers. The visions obtained the closed eyes are different from those obtained the open eyes. The other directions can have an acuity either decreased, or increased. In this last case, it appears sometimes peyotlic Synesthésie S : coloured hearing, translation in images of the tactile feelings. For some, there is impotence to modify the visions, for others that is possible. Outside brings also images which are transformed in the visions.

At the culminating point of the Intoxication, the driving facilitation is transformed into incoordination. Breathing is affected generally little, although a Polypnée was described. A respiratory depression was also announced the driving deceleration parallel to. Can also exist a hyperactivity sympathetic nerve like a congestion of the face, a redness of the eyes. Mental faculties can reduce themselves (attention, concentration, memorizing, creativity). Split personalities are not rare (feeling to be apart from oneself and to look at themselves). No case of visions in erotic matter was announced. Peyotlic intoxication lasted at the subjects of 2:30 to 6:00 for the men, and of 7:00 to 8:00 among women.

After intoxication, some undesirable effects were announced: heaviness, languor, Cephalgia S, Tiredness, persistence of a visual hyperesthesy. The subjects had a very strong memory of this experiment.

Culture

All the species of Lophophora have increasing very slow, up to 30 years to reach the age of flowering in natural environment. The specimens cultivated by the man push more quickly, generally from 6 to 10 years of sowing to the adult seedling. Certain people to accelerate her growth graft it with another cactus the such San Pedro ( Trichocereus pachanoi ) in order to accelerate her growth of it, by this technique it is considered that the plant reached the adulthood in less than 3 years, certain people bring back specimens reaching this stage in one year from the use of this technique. Because of this slow growth and of its intensive gathering, the peyotl is considered in danger of extinction in nature.

In order to produce Psychotropic S, the plant must be exposed with the Ultraviolet S, the horticultural plants thus do not have generally any interest for this use.

Cultural and historical aspects

The peyotl is used since centuries in religious ceremonies, divinatoires or therapeutic by the Chaman S of the tribes of Indians of Mexico. Archaeological excavations on sites of Central America updated remainders of peyotl in sites dating of more than 3.000 years.

The conquistadors and the Spanish catholics denounce of it the use which they compare to an act of superstition as of 1591 and prohibit it towards 1620 but its use persists clandestinely

Towards 1870, the first uses are announced in the south of the United States. It describes in particular the use of the cactus at the Chichimèques. The first publication goes back in fact to 1591, by Juan Cardenas. Then it is at the 17th century that various Jesuits and chroniclers describe the use of the peyotl by Mexican Indians. The first complete description of the cactus is reported by Francisco Hernandez in 1651 (study Ethnobotanique), doctor of the king Philippe II of Spain, which was interested in Aztec medicine. It called it Peyotl zacatecensis . Its monumental work describes also all the plants of the new world. At the end of the 18th century, Carl Lumholtz describes the ceremonies of Peyotl at Huichol and Tarahumaras.

It is in 1896 that the American doctor Silas Wein Mitchell publishes the first medical description of his hallucinogens effects. In this paragraph, are concerned only Huichols of the Nayarit, those having preserved a typical tradition of the worship of the peyotl. Other share of many documents testify to the tradition.

Huichols are people semi-hunters semi-farmers. In this direction the worship of the peyotl is closely associated with the Chasse and the Agriculture. It belongs to the trinity peyotl-stag-corn. For Huichol, each one of these three terms is equivalent and represents the same thing.

This identity is found in the myth of the birth of the peyotl: the Jikuri (or Hicouri or Hikuri ), i.e. the peyotl, was born from the fall of the horns of Paritzika , the God-Stag (the Large Hunter), which itself was born in the bowl crowned from the Maïs. The tradition makes also to Paritzika the Large Shaman ( Mara' akame ) what means that the worship of the peyotl is of chamanic nature .

the whole of the religious ceremonies concerning the peyotl does not occupy less than four months of the year. The Jikuri conditions the social life and nun according to a cycle which starts with the harvest of the Maïs, at the end of September, and finishes at the period of the sowing, in May or June. The corn can be sown only when Offrande S in the form of powder of peyotl were given to the ground.

The harvest of the Jikuri is carried out on the ground of the ancestors, in the desert of San Luis Potosi, which is located at 400 km of their dwellings in the mountains of the Sierra Veined. It is the occasion of the annual Pèlerinage which lasts on average 30 days and which takes place after the harvest festival of corn. The harvest of the Jikuri is allowed when the chief sees appearing the peyotl in the shape of a hart. The cycle continues then with the ceremony of the return: distribution of the cacti to the families, processions, paintings on the faces and night communion with the peyotl. Then the restrictions imposed at the time of the pilgrimage end.

the great festival of the Jikuri has in April place or May and lasts three days. The various moments the are beaten preliminary one of the stag, the dance of the peyotl, the blessings of the fields, the rite of roasted corn and the sacrifice of the squirrel. During this festival, the huichols consume much cactus and are let go to an emotional explosion. The children also take part in it.

Thus the crowned cycle of the peyotl finishes. The peyotl is not used like dopes sensory. It is always consumed in group, within the framework of the beliefs and the religious practices. It makes it possible to support tiredness and to keep a bond with the ground of the ancestors for the continuity of the tradition. It gives capacity and divination with the chamane, makes it possible to know the origin of the diseases and to give care.

Visions at Huichols

, visions of corn ears, etc To the fear of the Westerner in connection with the loss of control of oneself answers the fear of the huichol which fears the gods. When this last fears the ire of the gods because it made a sin, it can see a snake or a jaguar. The rock crystals are the " crowned pieces of the divinité" Tayoppa , Our-Father-Sun. Contrary to the Westerner, the visions of the huichols are neither incoherent, nor fragmentary. There exists a continuity in the accounts, showing an interference between reality and the imaginary world, i.e. between the vision itself and the account of this vision. It happened that certain Indians had the same vision. The visions thus have a direction which are described as follows:

*choix of the new religious authorities and civil,

*acquisition of the function of Shaman by the vision of God Sun (it is sometimes about an essential condition to become Shaman and be recognized as such by his),

*compréhension of the tradition, until there incomprehensible (for example paramount events of creation), and revelation of the secrecies of the universe,

*passage in the crowned world, the world of in-high (rise of a tree, celestial voyages in the shape of an eagle or a falcon),

*apprentissage, for example of a hymn,

*pouvoirs of divination.

The use of the peyotl is always carried out within the religious framework:

for the Shaman, during the harvest of the Jikuri (peyotl) during the pilgrimage, during the religious ceremonies, during the phases of training, at the time of the great festival of the Jikuri . It is interesting to note that certain individuals only are brought to to hear the gods: the comprehension of the tradition is not given to everyone, only the huichols promoted with the function of Shaman can it. Where the layman sees only fragmentary colors and visions, the Shaman communicates with the gods. That quite in conformity with the fact that peyotlic intoxication can be directed by certain individuals, like is mentioned in the preceding paragraph.
for the Indian in general (and the Shaman also), that enables them to resist tiredness at the time of a walk or a prolonged effort. The peyotl is also used for the blessing of the fields.

Huichols prètent with the peyotl therapeutic properties, of which most known are the treatment of the punctures of vipers and scorpions, of the infections, of rheumatisms, certain forms of mental diseases.

Coras and Tepehuanes

The worship of Peyotl seems to be in perdition. The tribes do not go any more in pilgrimage, and prefer to buy it in Huichols. Sometimes one of the members joint with ceux-ci.
La festival of the Jikuri was still celebrated. Tepehuanes replace sometimes the cactus by Indien hemp.

Tarahumara S

The rites and the use of the peyotl resemble those of Huichols. There exists also a pilgrimage for the harvest of the cactus. Preparations and the great festival of the different Hicouri only by some details. Just like Huichol, they sell in Coras peyotls against a sheep or a chèvre.
Les Tarahumaras believes that the plants have a heart like the men. Thus when the Father Sun separated from the Earth to gain the Sky, it left behind him the peyotl to make it possible the man to look after itself.

Random links: