Ololiuhqui (Rivea corymbosa)

Rivea corymbosa (common synonym: Turbina corymbosa), belongs to the group of morning glory plants which are native to Latin American countries, from Mexico in the North to Peru in the South and it is widely naturalised elsewhere. Its seeds grow out into a perennial climbing vine with white flowers, often planted as an ornamental plant.
Ololiuqui belongs to the LSA seeds, which means it has some qualities similar to LSD, as well in chemical structure as in results.

For a long time not many others than the Indians of Mexico had knowledge about the use of ololiuhqui. In this area it was the most widely used hallucinogenic. Today you can find the seeds in almost all the villages of Oaxaca, where they serve the natives by providing help or answers to them. The seeds are used for their psychedelic purposes by the Aztec priests in order to communicate with their gods. Ololiuhqui is also used in traditional Mexican medicine as a cure for flatulence, to remedy venereal troubles, to dull pain, and to remove tumors. It's been said to work miracles, when properly propitiated.

Albert Hofmann in 'LSD, my problem child': "With the studies of ololiuqui, my work in the area of hallucinogenic drugs nicely came full circle. It now formed a circle, one could say a magical circle; the starting point was the studies on the production of lysergic acid amides of the type of the naturally occurring ergot alkaloid ergobasin. These led to the synthesis of lysergic acid diethylamide, of LSD. The work with the hallucinogenic substance LSD then led to studies of the hallucinogenic magic mushroom teonanacatl, from which the active principles psilocybin and psilocin were isolated. The concern with the Mexican magic drug teonanacatl led to work on a second Mexican magic drug, ololiuqui. In ololiuqui, lysergic acid amides, including ergobasin, were once again found to be the hallucinogenic substances, and this closed the magical circle."

Effects

Ololiuhqui does not produce such direct hallucinations like LSD or shrooms, the trip is comparable to the hypnotic state produced by morning glory. The Indians report powerful visions, even at lower doses. This is possibly due to cultural conditioning and the guiding of shamans. 

The most essential psychoactive substance is ergine. It has been demonstrated that this produces a dreamlike trance or even a twilight sleep with vision images.

Usage

The traditional and most suitable method of preparation is to soak the finely ground or chewed seeds in half a cup of water for several hours, then consuming both the water and seeds.

The traditional dose consists of 14 to 22 seeds (R. Gordon Wasson, 'Ololiuhqui and the other hallucinogens of Mexico' in 'Homenaje a Roberto J. Weitlaner'. 1971). There have been experiments where these amounts elicited no effects among Western subjects. Eventually they ingested up to 60 - 100 seeds. Higher dosages led to nothing but vomiting and several other undesirable side-effects.

Warning

Do not drive vehicles and do not take part in traffic. 
Do not use ololiuhqui seeds if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. 
Persons that feel depressed, afraid, sad or down must not use oloiuhqui. 
Persons with a family history of schizophrenia should be very careful, use of these seeds may trigger mental problems.

Links

This information is based on the Turbina corymbosa chapter in The Encyclopedia of Psychoactive Plants, Christian Rätsch, 2005: 513 -518.

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