Wild Lettuce and Lucid Dreaming

History and Background Information on Wild Lettuce

Lactuca virosa, better known as Wild Lettuce or Opium Lettuce, grows quite tall, thrives in sunny locations, and is native to Europe, the Middle East, and North America. Its bright green leaves sprout from purple-spotted stems that, when scratched, produced a milky substance referred to as lactucarium. When lactucarium dries, it resembles Opium, the pain-relieving chemical from the seeds of the Poppy flower. Opium has been used since ancient times as a sedative. It is quite addicting. It is believed that Wild Lettuce delivers the same pain-relieving agents as the Poppy. However, it causes way fewer side effects as Wild Lettuce is not related to narcotic producing drugs.

Lactucarium contains lactucopicrin and lactucin, which are considered sesquiterpene lactones. It is these two chemicals that act on the central nervous system to relieve pain and cause sedation. Plants belonging to the Asteraceae family, such as calendula, chicory, and lettuce, all tend to contain these chemicals, which are derived from the milky substance in their leaves. Some sesquiterpenes have antibacterial and antitumoral properties, so it is thought that applying wild lettuce to the skin may have additional medicinal benefits.

In the early 19th century, Wild Lettuce was documented to have been used to support healthy nerve function, to relieve respiratory issues and pain, and promote restful sleep. A prescription created from Wild Lettuce can be found in the 1898 United States Dispensary. Furthermore, smoking dried Wild Lettuce has been reported to help with anxiety, insomnia, and migraines. Wild lettuce, because it is a bitter herb, also has some historical use as a digestive aid. Still, the question in this article is whether it works to provide lucid dreams. As it turns out, it can.

Lucid dreams occur when the person dreaming is aware they are dreaming while doing so, which provides them the ability to manipulate the dream. The individual dreaming can change the environment, the people or characters in the scenario, and exert control over the outcome. Most people, having had a lucid dream, admit they would like to experience another.

If one is determined to try Wild Lettuce for themselves, the following tips may come in useful.

• Wild Lettuce Extract may be mixed into a beverage, such as fruit juice or a smoothie.

• Fresh Wild Leaf Lettuce can be made into a tea. The lettuce leaves should be thoroughly washed beforehand. Place 3-8 grams of the leaf into a large mug able to hold two cups of boiling water. Set aside. Boil water and pour the two cups over the leaves. Steep for twenty minutes, and strain into a fresh cup. Reheat if necessary. Drink the entire contents of the cup within 30-60 minutes before bedtime.

• Dried Wild Lettuce can be rolled and smoked in the same way one would smoke marijuana.

Final Words on Lucid Dreaming Plants

There are other herbs also known to promote lucid dreaming. These herbs include: Dream Herb (Calea Zacatechichi), Peppermint, Valerian, Mugwort, and Wild Asparagus Root. Each is known to encourage lucid dreams. For example, Valerian root has been used since ancient times to relieve anxiety and as a sedative. It is proven to improve to enhance one’s dreams and to promote dream recall and is still widely used in the modern world. Although still, Wild Lettuce and Calea Zacatechichi are much more reliable for lucidity in dreaming.

Sources

Healthline.com, https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/wild-lettuce

Drugsandbadideas.com, https://drugsandbadideas.com/2017/06/legal-drugs-that-promote-lucid-dreaming/

Image Credits:

Lucid Dreaming [ID 52031956 © Agsandrew | Dreamstime.com]