Hawaiian Baby Woodrose Seeds (HBWR): Naturally-Occurring LSA

Hawaiian baby woodrose seeds have the highest concentration of LSA (lysergic acid amide) found in nature.

Oct 02, 2023

Hawaiian baby woodrose (Argyreia nervosa) — AKA "HBWR" — is a perennial climbing vine with beautiful trumpet-shaped flowers.

Despite its name, HBWR is not native to Hawaii — rather, it comes from India. It's since spread all over the world, thriving in tropical, humid climates like the Pacific Islands, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Southeast Asia.

Like many other trumpet-shaped flowers (see Datura, Brugmansia, and morning glory) — the HBWR plant is a renowned psychedelic.

The seeds feature several active compounds in the ergine family — the main one being d-lysergic acid amide (LSA).

This psychedelic compound is often compared to LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide), but for all their similarities, there are some drastic differences between the two. As interest continues to grow in using these seeds as a source of a "legal" high, it's important to understand its various ins and outs.

One major misconception about LSA is that it's a lighter, easier psychedelic than LSD. While this can make sense in smaller doses, even moderate ones can quickly become overwhelming. It also has a lot more physical effects, which can make the experience much more challenging than LSD or other synthetic lysergamides.

LSA and LSA-containing plants are certainly psychedelic, but their effects are much more "lucid" and dreamlike than typical lysergamides like LSD. Most people who use HBWR report the experience was enjoyable and mellow. It's a very "chill" psychedelic overall — but only when used at or below what we consider the "standard psychoactive dose," — which is around 8 HBWR seeds.

High doses of LSA are very similar to LSD and can be unexpectedly powerful — producing intense visions, ego-death, and out-of-body experiences. The visuals share similarities to LSD and magic mushrooms but have a unique characteristic to them as well. LSA visuals usually involve haziness or fuzziness, light streaks, and trail lines.

LSA also has a stronger body load than many other psychedelics.

Body load refers to the effects of a psychedelic substance on the body. It can make the limbs feel heavy or numb and sometimes produces feelings of fullness or pressure in the abdomen during the come-up, which can be very uncomfortable. It's common for people to feel nauseous for the first 1–2 hours after taking LSA-containing seeds.

HBWR seeds contain a variety of other lysergamide compounds as well. Examples include:

Isoergine
Ergometrine
Lysergic acid hydroxyethylamide
Isolysergic acid hydroxyethylamide
Elymoclavine
Ergometrinine
Chanoclavine

Traditional Use of HBWR Seeds

Though many other plants containing LSA have a traditional history of usage (see Ololiúqui) — HBWR doesn't seem to have been popular until around the 1960s.

While there have been very few reports of this plant being used as an entheogen, it was popular as a medicine in India. Evidence exists that links several parts of the plant as medicine (primarily as an antimicrobial) — but not the seeds.

The only claims of traditional entheogenic use come from Hawaii, where it's reported that shamans from the New Age religion, Huna, used the plant as a core part of some of their ceremonies. This religion has been largely discredited as culturally appropriative and not a genuine representation of traditional Hawaiian spirituality or beliefs.

Regardless, the psychedelic potency of these seeds and widespread availability in tropical climates make it seem far-fetched that nobody discovered them at all until the 1960s.

LSA vs. LSD

LSA is a naturally occurring alkaloid in the lysergamide family that shares much in common with LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide) — but with several key differences.

Structurally, LSA is less complex. LSD features the same base structure but with two additional ethyl groups attached. These differences increase the potency of LSD by about 8x compared to LSA. The average psychoactive dose of LSD is just 100 micrograms (0.1 mg). For LSA, it's closer to 800 micrograms (0.8 mg).

From a subjective effects perspective, LSA is far less visual than LSD. Many users report feeling a heavy body load that translates into a feeling of "couch-lock."

Users essentially feel like they're stuck wherever they're sitting or lying down, unable to move or get anything done, often falling in and out of sleep.

While asleep, the dreams produced by LSA tend to be vivid and trippy. Many people use lower doses of HBWR or other LSA-containing plants to assist in lucid dreaming.

Other Sources of LSA

While Hawaiian baby woodrose contains the highest concentrations of LSA, it is not alone in the natural world.

Morning Glory Seeds (Ipomoea violacea)
Sleepy Grass (Achnatherum robustum)
Ergot Fungus (Claviceps purpurea)

What Are the Expected Side Effects of HBWR?

Users can expect a range of side effects when taking Hawaiian baby woodrose. While these are not dissimilar from other hallucinogenic drugs, many report a higher intensity with HBWR.

Some of the common side effects that users can expect when consuming these seeds are:

Anxiety, paranoia
Changes in body temperature, cold sweats, shivering
Clenching of the jaw and hands
Nausea and vomiting
Tiredness and heaviness in the body

For the most part, adverse effects ease up after the initial adjustment period. Preparing yourself by eating healthy foods for the few days before and fasting for 12–24 hours can help ease many of these.

What's the Right Dosage for Hawaiian Baby Woodrose?

LSA is significantly less potent than LSD, but the higher concentrations in HBWR enable it to have a big effect with just a few seeds. Effects can vary drastically with each increase in dosage, so do so slowly.

The main problem with doing HBWR or other natural sources of psychedelics is that every seed contains a different mix of chemicals. All HBWR seeds contain LSA, but the potency compared to other constituents will vary depending on how and where it was grown, stored, and prepared.

With that aside, the general guidelines for dosing are as follows:

How to Prepare Hawaiian Baby Woodrose

HWBR seeds don't require any special preparation to work, but there are some things you can do to reduce the chances and severity of side effects, like nausea or lethargy.

Cold water extraction is the most popular method, as it helps to separate the active psychedelic components from the seed husk that causes most of the negative effects.

Here are the 3 most popular methods for consuming HBWR:

Eat the seeds — The simplest way to take HBWR is to chew the seeds to a pulp and swallow them.
Sublingual absorption — Some people prefer to hold the seeds under the tongue for a few minutes before swallowing.
Cold water extraction — This step requires extra care in preparation but helps reduce nausea from consuming the seeds. Learn how to prepare HBWR cold extraction here.

What Does Hawaiian Baby Woodrose Feel Like?

At high doses (7–9+ seeds, depending on your physiological makeup), HBWR can produce strong dreamlike visions with at least some resemblance to LSD. Due to the sedative nature, many have a difficult time staying awake after taking Hawaiian baby woodrose.

Some reports include people sleeping through the entirety of their trip because they have fallen asleep at the beginning. While the tiredness tends to wear off, the body load may last the whole time.

Additionally, couch lock and upset stomach sensations may continue throughout the trip.

Even when users fall asleep after taking HBWR seeds, the dreams they experience are notoriously bizarre. Some people like to use this plant as an oneirogen to help them experience more vibrant and visual dreams.

The Art of Lucid Dreaming 💭 🦋

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Hawaiian Baby Woodrose Seeds Are NOT the Same as LSD

Many reports online detail Hawaiian baby woodrose as a hellish experience with no upside. Some places even might call it a "weaker, worse LSD." But is this warranted?

HBWR gets a bad rep, but many of the negative trip reports seem to come from people who didn't know what they were getting into. Since so many people compare it strongly to LSD, users go into the trip with an expectation that the experience will be the same.

When the stomach cramps hit, and they start feeling like they can't keep their eyes open, they start to regret the choice to try it at all. However, there are also many reports of people who educated themselves on what to expect and had a delightful or even life-changing experience.

As with all psychedelic experiences, the main issue is always your mindset going into the experience and the setting you are in. If your mindset isn't prepared for the body load of Hawaiian baby woodrose, it's hard to have a good time while on it.

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