Mescaline
Mescaline (3,4,5-trimethoxyphenethylamine) is the classic naturally occurring psychedelic phenethylamine found in peyote, San Pedro and related cacti. It produces a long, gradual visual and emotional psychedelic experience and is the archetype from which the entire scaline family is derived.
01 Overview
Mescaline is one of the oldest documented psychedelics, with a long history of traditional ceremonial use in the Americas and a body of early- to mid-20th-century human research. Onset is slow (often 1-2 hours) and the experience typically lasts 8-12 hours, characterised by rich visual patterning, emotional openness and comparatively clear cognition relative to shorter phenethylamines.
Because it is the parent structure, mescaline anchors dose and duration expectations for the synthetic scalines. Doses are large by psychedelic standards (hundreds of milligrams orally). It is comparatively physiologically well tolerated but produces marked nausea in many users during onset.
02 Mechanism
Acts as an agonist at serotonin 5-HT2A receptors, with contributions from 5-HT2C and 5-HT1A, driving the characteristic psychedelic alteration of perception and cognition.
03 Dosing
| Tier | Dose | Route | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Threshold | 50–100 mg | Oral | Barely perceptible. |
| Light | 100–200 mg | Oral | |
| Common | 200–400 mg | Oral | Hydrochloride salt; sulfate doses run higher. |
| Strong | 400–600 mg | Oral |
04 Effects
| Effect | Magnitude | Evidence | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visual geometry and colour enhancementFlowing geometric patterning and intensified colour, building slowly over the first hours. | Prominent | Observational | |
| Emotional openness and introspectionA warm, reflective headspace frequently described as gentler than LSD. | Observational | ||
| Long durationExtended experience requiring a full day's commitment. | 8-12 h | Observational |
05 Side effects
| Effect | Severity | Frequency | Evidence | Countermeasures |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sympathomimetic stimulationMild rise in heart rate and blood pressure, pupil dilation and tremor. | Mild | Common | Observational | |
| Nausea and vomitingPronounced gastrointestinal upset during the onset phase, especially with cactus preparations. | Moderate | Most users | Observational | |
| Anxiety / challenging experienceAcute anxiety, fear or confusion, more likely at higher doses or in poor set and setting. | Moderate | Dose-dependent | Observational |