Ken Kesey, the author of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest reports taking peyote prior to writing his novel. Mescaline has been used by many notable figures. As with LSD, synesthesia can occur especially with music. Mosaics and spirals have been reported to morph into sentient beings. Recurrent visual patterns and intensely brilliant colors are noted by many who have ingested the substance. Mescaline effects are generally felt within 45-90 minutes and can last from 10-12 hours and can produce altered states of consciousness with visual hallucinations and alteration in the experience of time being commonly reported. Although mescaline is classified as a Schedule I controlled drug, peyote is used by Native Americans freely in the United States due to the 1994 American Indian Religious Freedom Act. Mescaline has been an integral part of religious ceremonies for countless indigenous tribes. Mescaline can also bind to dopamine receptors. Mescaline binds to nearly all serotonin receptors in the brain and is structurally similar to LSD. The seeds or fruit is then removed and dried and subsequently eaten whole or in tea form. The psychoactive mescaline is found on the button-shaped seeds or fruit that is on the outside of the cactus. These cacti are native to South America, Mexico and the southwest United States. Mescaline also known as 3,4,5-trimethoxyphenethylamine is a psychedelic compound found in the fast-growing San Pedro cactus, Trichocereus pachanoi, Peruvian torch cactus Trichocereus peruvianus as well as the spineless ground-hugging cactus Peyote, Lophophora williamsii).

The Secret of the San Pedro Cactus, Or the Rediscovery of Mescaline

Peyote cactus music