“The Best Meditation Supplement and Psychedelic Potentiator I’ve Ever Taken”
“Then Zarathustra said: ‘Reverence to Haoma! Good Haoma, well-created Haoma, properly created Haoma, good, curative, well-built, beneficent, victorious, yellow-colored, having tasty stalks – so that Haoma is best for the drinker and the best provision for the soul.’ ” — Avesta’s Yasna 9:16
Nietzsche, Human Potential, and The World’s Oldest Religion
I have a confession…
I’m into the philosopher Nietzsche. (I’ll get back to the supplement review shortly, I promise.. Stick with me here).
For me, Nietzshe’s most impactful book was Thus Spoke Zarathustra, in some ways, the first modern western book about human potential and transcending limitations.
The name “Zarathustra” comes from the prophet of the world’s oldest practicing religion, Zoroastrianism.
So when I was offered a new “meditation supplement” based on a secret elixir, Haoma, at the heart of the ancient Zoroastrian mysteries, I couldn’t refuse.
I had to know more.
The Secret of Haoma
The mystery elixir of truth “Haoma” is mentioned in sacred Zoroastrian texts Gathas (Old Avesta) and New Avesta (like Soma in Vedic scriptures). The only problem is that nobody knows what exactly it was.
The two sages behind the supplement company Magi wanted to find out, so they approached the enigma like a Sherlock Holmes mystery––searching for clues, eliminating possibilities, and drawing conclusions.
The botanical identity of Haoma has been searched for over 100 years and there has been multiple speculations about it. Based on the descriptions of the Haoma, its subjective effects and a proprietary neuropharmacological in-vitro modeling, Magi’s team created a short list of possible plants, including the sacred ones. Then they looked at what was naturally available in the lands of their ancient Zoroastrian ancestors.
Through the process of screening and searching, they have been able to reconfirm that the subjective experience, receptor binding model and physiological symptoms match mostly the effect of beta-carbolines that is abundant in the ancient plant Espand (Peganum Harmala or Syrian rue)
What Makes Espand Magical?
This herbaceous plant has a high concentration of biologically active alkaloids known as beta-carbolines, which include monoamine oxidase inhibitors, or MAOi’s.
MAOi’s have well-documented antidepressant, anti-anxiety, and psychoactive properties. Naturally occuring in the Ayahuasca vine, MAOi’s block DMT from being broken down too quickly in the body. This action allows people to experience hallucinogenic effects for up to eight hours.
Most Southwest Asian and North African cultures utilize Syrian Rue as a cleansing incense. In Iran, they burn its brown seeds to revert evil’s eyes today. Only a few remote indigenous Amazonian tribes use the plant as a medicine by itself.
And that’s where Magi’s products get interesting…
Next-Level Supplement Research and Development
The Magi team has a background in pharmaceutical drug development. So they applied their industry skills to developing a meditation supplement.
First, they extracted and purified the Syrian Rue’s beta-carbolines, removing the toxic compounds and made it Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) level.
Then the team dug into biochemical and neurophysiological research to discover how each compound worked and what each chemical did in the brain. Then Magi’s scientists used brain scans with volunteers to discover the neural network each compound activated, comparing this with qualitative data from user-experience interviews.
This process is already way beyond anything any other supplement company does for its products. But Magi didn’t stop there.
Next, they recombined the compounds in specific ratios to dial in the supplement’s effects. Again, more testing and refining with user experiences and brain scans.
They created four products, Stard, Ameretat, Haoma, and Mang, as a result.
Stard is a meditation supplement that really works! This is their flagship product and the one I experimented with the most. I share my experiences with it below. It is a mini dose, and you will feel the effect.
Interestingly, Stard is an old Pahlavi word in Zoroastrian texts that describes a subjective mindstate. It literally means your mind to “spread out” to broader consciousness and that’s why Magi’s team has picked this name for this product.
Mang is a lucid dreaming aid. I’ve experimented with lucid dreaming over the years, so I was skeptical about this. I didn’t become fully lucid, but my dreams were noticeably deeper, more vivid, real, and immersive. With a little more practice and attention, I’m sure it’s helpful for lucid dreaming.
Ameretat is a lighter formula to promote neurogenesis and neuroprotection. It has a noticeable effect, but not as intense as Stard.
Haoma is a deep sleep aid, but I didn’t try it, so I can’t comment on it here.
My Personal Experience with Stard
About thirty minutes after taking one dose of Stard, I could feel my mind becoming quieter. My quality-conscious presence felt deeper, more rooted, but also dream-like.
Breathwork reliably takes me to an activated place of calm and openness. I love doing it before meditation. I wanted to see how Stard would affect my usual meditation routine, so I did a few rounds of Wim Hof-style breathwork and settled into meditation.
I was blown away.
The breathwork and meditation with Stard were on another level. I dropped into an endless ocean of pure being. No beginning, no end. Not even breath. Just beingness. Not a “mystical experience,” but a great meditation.
As a meditation supplement, Stard works. However, I did experience a bit of nausea, which was distracting at times.
Now my curiosity was piqued, so I decided to try a few experiments.
Before I get more into my own personal experiences, it’s important to note that every body and mind is different. Some people may be very sensitive. Others may require 2-3 capsule to feel anything. Other people experience no nausea at all. Like everything, start low and go slow to calibrate your dosage for what works for your unique physiology.
Stard as a Psychedelic Potentiator
NOTE: The protocols below were NOT encouraged or recommended by Magi. This was purely for my own exploration.
MAOi’s are well-known potentiators of psychedelic experiences. Psilohuasca, for example, is an ayahuasca-like experience combining psilocybin mushrooms with Syrian Rue.
Changa is a smokeable mixture with DMT, a few different herbs, and harmaline, the same MAOI as in Syrian rue. Ayahuasca has an MAOi that makes DMT orally active.
I wanted to see how Stard worked with microdosing other psychedelics.
LSD Protocol: Two Capsules of Stard with an LSD Microdose
It was a beautiful evening in San Diego. I took two capsules of Stard and a 10-microgram dose of LSD and headed off to the beach.
Usually, an LSD microdose is very stimulating for me. It makes me want to move and engage my body. Typically it opens me to new creative ideas and insights.
The Stard softened the experience and balanced it out. During a walking meditation, I dropped into an effortless state of no mind. It was pure perception. No thoughts or judgments. No imaginary conversations or thinking about projects or the future.
Just beingness with a broad, open focus. I was immersed in total clarity of mind, sensing each ripple of the wind, each subtle variation in the crashing waves.
Gorgeous.
Yes, Magi’s Stard supplement works. But again, I had some gastrointestinal distress at the beginning of the experience. Not so pleasant, but ultimately worth it.
LSD Protocol: One Capsule of Stard with an LSD Microdose
The experience with two capsules was so good I wanted to try it again with just one capsule of Stard to compare.
Again, I dropped into a deep state of mental calm and clarity. My habitual compulsion to check my phone and email vanished. I was just here, in the moment, experiencing all that was. Time seemed to slow down. I had a thirty-minute meditation that felt more like three.
It was a worthwhile experience, but it wasn’t as memorable as the first experience with two capsules, though there was less GI discomfort.
Mushroom Protocol: One Capsule of Stard with Psilocybin Microdose
The next experiment was with a psilocybin microdose. I took one capsule of Stard with a 100mg microdose of psilocybin mushrooms.
I noticed some discomfort in my stomach after about twenty minutes, which lasted about half an hour. After that passed, I eased into a relaxed, contemplative mood. I didn’t have an “agenda” for this experience, so I took a walk.
I felt a deep sense of peace and ease. I gazed at the trees. I felt the fullness of my breath.
In my conversations with people, I felt truly present, as if I was listening to what they were communicating underneath the words more than to the words themselves.
There was a curious moment in a situation that typically would have triggered me and made me reactive and defensive. Instead, I watched as it passed right over me like water.
Honestly, I wish I could always respond like that in a challenging conversation.
The overall experience was similar to a “normal” psilocybin microdose, but deeper and more rooted. There’s definitely something worth exploring here.
Ameretat and Daily Life
I also tried Magi’s lower dose product, “Ameretat.” The label says it “promotes neurogenesis.” I haven’t done the research to confirm the claim, but based on my experiences with this company, Their website also cites all the scientific and medical papers used in their studies. So, I’m inclined to believe them.
I found this product more practical for daily life.
Stard is something I would save for special occasions or intensified meditations when I have blocked off time. Ameretat is something I can use in regular day-to-day life.
I began noticing the effects after 30 min or so. My mind slowed down and I became more attuned to my inner state. I was less prone to distraction.
It’s as if it dropped me into a state of mind that felt like I had just had a deep breathwork session and a warm bath. I was calm and relaxed. My center of awareness felt like it was located deeper in my body instead of all up in my head.
At the same time, none of this was so strong that I couldn’t function. I handled calls and emails, took care of business and kept moving forward on projects. Just with a more centered state of awareness. After all, Ameretat is also a microdose product and is supposed to be subperceptual.
Mang: A Lucid Dreaming Aid that Actually Works
Years ago I got into the practice of lucid dreaming.
I kept a dream journal, practiced active recall, and regularly questioned whether or not I was dreaming. It was a fun time. The training worked.
I haven’t practiced for years and while I still have an active interest in my dreams, I only go lucid once every few months.
So when the folks at Magi told me about their lucid dreaming supplement “Mang”, I was definitely curious. I’ve tried “lucid dreaming supplements” in the past with disappointing results.
Magi, however, is a different company, and Mang is a very different product.
Every single time I’ve used it, I end up recalling 3 or 4 exceptionally vivid dreams. The dream experience is so engrossing, the narrative so compelling, the sensory details so real I end up sleeping much longer than intended just to see what would happen next and keep the story going.
So while I did not personally have a lucid dream with this product yet, I have no doubt that with a little extra training and intention this is a fantastic aid for that practice.
Save 10% on Magi Ancestral Supplements
All in all, Magi delivers high-quality, effective meditation supplements. Most supplements don’t have noticeable effects. Magi’s do. They are fantastic tools for exploring new contours of a meditation practice.
There is also a lot of room for experimentation if you are a more experienced individual.
If you’d like to try them yourself, go to ancestralmagi.com and use the code paul10 at checkout to receive a 10% discount.
*Quotes edited for clarity.
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