 |
MonstrasAuthor: Brenda and Orquidea
Brenda Salguero and Dr. Orquidea Morales use their expertise and experiences, to explore the world of Latin American and Latinx folklore, horror, and monsters Language: en Genres: Science, Social Sciences, Society & Culture Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
Listen Now...
Sacred Plants: Mescaline
Episode 61
Saturday, 7 November, 2026
In this episode of our sacred plants season, we explore mescaline, the natural compound found in cacti like the peyote of Mexico and the southern U.S. and the San Pedro (huachuma) of the Andes. We break down what these plants look like, where they grow, and how mescaline works in the brain, from synesthesia and kaleidoscopic visions to why it isn’t considered addictive. Plus, a very strange 1983 experiment involving cats! We also explore how these cacti were used for around 5,700 years, including the Wixárika (Huichol) origin story of three goddesses who journey to the sacred desert of Wirikuta, and the central role women play in peyote traditions. Sources Vamvakopoulou, I. A., Narine, K. A. D., Campbell, I., Dyck, J. R. B., & Nutt, D. J. (2023). Mescaline: The forgotten psychedelic. Neuropharmacology, 222 (PDF in folder) Jay, Mike, and EBSCOhost. Mescaline : A Global History of the First Psychedelic. Yale University Press, 2020 Bender, Eric. “Finding Medical Value in Mescaline.” Nature (London) [London], vol. 609, no. 7929, September 2022, pp. S90–91 Zamberlan, Francesco. “On the Quest for Mescaline.” Nature Chemical Biology [New York], vol. 20, no. 7, July 2024, pp. 796–796, Dobkin, Marlene. “Folk Curing With a Psychedelic Cactus in the North Coast of Peru.” International Journal of Social Psychiatry [Thousand Oaks, CA], vol. 15, no. 1, January 1969, pp. 23–32 El-Seedi, Hesham R., et al. “Prehistoric Peyote Use: Alkaloid Analysis and Radiocarbon Dating of Archaeological Specimens of Lophophora from Texas.” Journal of Ethnopharmacology [Shannon], vol. 101, no. 1, October 2005, pp. 238–42 Psychedelic Support. (2023, March 21; updated 2025, January 13). Mescaline substance guide. https://psychedelic.support/resources/mescaline-substance-guide/ Schaefer, S. B. (2019). Beautiful flowers: Women and peyote in indigenous traditions. MAPS Bulletin. https://maps.org/news/bulletin/beautiful-flowers-women-and-peyote-in-indigenous-traditions-spring-2019/ Daly, M. (2019, May 15). The fascinating history of mescaline, the OG psychedelic. VICE. https://www.vice.com/en/article/history-of-mescaline-mike-jay/
