Stahl Shrine

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Stahl Shrine #

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Cover of LSI: Ancient LSD, Secret of the Eleusis Kykeon and Vedic Soma by Matthew Ray Stahl
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Orientation #

For millennia, what the ancients were brewing for their kykeon rites has stumped alchemists, chemists, and scholars alike. What follows is not a historical reconstruction (the ancients had neither coffee grinders nor 95% ethanol). It’s Stahl’s proposed adaptation for the modern era. Treat it as a strong hypothesis awaiting archaeological proof.

Kykeon is similar in effect to MDMA, but the euphoria extends far beyond the MDMA ceiling.

Kykeon tolerance is similar to ergine tolerance. It resets in about 4 days (X is a day of use, O is a day without): X O O O O X

Kykeon can be co-administered with THH.

🏗️ Under renovation. This shrine is being upgraded as befits its glory and wonder. Expect rough edges while the work is under way.

  1. Screen for contraindications

  2. Use the pharmacokinetics tool to plan your journey.

  3. Procure fresh young barley grass powder. Each serving should be in an individually sealed packet.

  4. Follow an aldehyde preserving diet starting at least 22 hours prior to administration. Optional if you instead inhibit ALDH directly with one of these (you don’t need both):

    • Quercetin: take 6g with at least 1 tablespoon of nut butter or a small avocado.
    • Kudzu extract: take 1 capsule of NPI-031, sold as Alkontrol-Herbal.

    Either one is taken with the first dose of barley grass.

  5. Extract ergine/LSA

  6. Practice meditation to ensure you’ll meet the kykeon in the best possible frame of mind. Kykeon isn’t like MDMA—indifferent to whatever mood you present.1 If you only feel buzzing stimulation (without euphoria), consider whether you prepared yourself sufficiently.2

  7. Implement plan from step 2.

Do not drink alcohol while aldehydes are in play. Ethanol is metabolized into acetaldehyde, a carcinogen and the main cause of hangover symptoms. The aldehyde preserving diet suppresses ALDH, the enzyme that clears it, so acetaldehyde would linger. Make sure the extraction ethanol has fully evaporated before you ingest the residue.

First-Time Dosing Recommendation #

  1. Start with 25 seeds.
  2. Wait 90 minutes.
  3. If things feel promising, take another 25 seeds’ worth (ergine only).

Pharmacokinetics #

What follows is a guess built from journey reports,3 implemented as a simulator to make specific predictions. Picture the body as three compartments. The pre-barrier pool (stomach plus bloodstream) holds ergine and barley grass aldehydes until they reach the blood-brain barrier. The blood-brain barrier either leaves ergine untouched or converts it into kykeon, depending on whether aldehydes are present.4 The brain, behind the barrier, is where the subjective effects happen.

Ergine takes about 30 minutes to get from the stomach into the bloodstream. Blood circulates past the blood-brain barrier repeatedly. Barley grass aldehydes get from the stomach through the bloodstream to the barrier fast, in about 5 minutes. Psychoactive effects depend on travel across the blood-brain barrier. Each pass converts ergine into kykeon only if aldehydes are present at the barrier. Otherwise ergine passes through unchanged. Aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) attacks aldehydes, gradually depleting them. Kykeon has a short duration in the brain. Residual ergine is largely cleared by the kidneys,5 and that requires drinking water. The simulator is an empirical fit that simplifies this physiology (it treats the barrier as a single pass, for instance), and many of the underlying mechanisms remain a mystery.

Drag the sliders below, click the timeline, and see what the model predicts.

During recovery, sip water (not so much during the kykeon experience itself) and move as much as you can to resist sedation and encourage your kidneys to clear residual ergine.5 Don’t forget that a hot shower can help persuade the bladder to loosen its grip.

Ergine/LSA Extraction #

Even beginning chemists will recognize this as a straightforward LSA extraction.

  1. Grind the seeds to a fine powder in the grinder.
  2. In a shot glass, combine the seed powder with 30mg tartaric acid and the ethanol. Stir for ten minutes.
  3. Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes (1 hour is better), to let the seed fragments settle out of the solution.
  4. Pour only the clear liquid into the baking dish. Discard any cloudy liquid and spent seed matter. Let a dehydrator or hair dryer carry the alcohol away, keeping the temperature below 50°C (122°F).
  5. Once the alcohol has fully evaporated, scrape the residue from the dish into an oily blob with a spatula or razor blade.

Materials #

  • 25 Hawaiian baby woodrose (Argyreia nervosa) seeds6
  • 30mg tartaric acid
  • 30ml of 95% ethanol (or purer)

Tools of the Rite

  • Spice/coffee grinder
  • Shot glass
  • Refrigerator
  • Small glass baking dish
  • Dehydrator or hair dryer (on a low setting)
  • Spatula or razor blade
  • Magnetic stir machine (optional)

Aldehydes TLC #

Tender young barley grass aldehydes (isovaleraldehyde, valeraldehyde, and crotonaldehyde) are vulnerable to oxidation and metabolization. Prior to ingesting, freshness is paramount; each serving should be in an individually sealed packet. After ingesting, big bad aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) can prematurely degrade these little beauties. Some foods inhibit ALDH (helping preserve the aldehydes) while others invigorate it (accelerating their breakdown). So, food choices in the days around the rite are key.

Eat:

  • Fruits
    • Blackcurrant (Ribes nigrum)7
    • Chinese quince (Chaenomeles sinensis)7
    • Cocoa8
    • Dates8
    • Durian (Durio zibethinus)9
    • Gooseberry (Phyllanthus emblica)8
    • Lemon (yellow)7
    • Papaya8
    • Pineapple8
    • Pomegranate8
    • Starfruit (Averrhoa carambola)7
    • Wax apple (Syzygium samarangense)7
  • Vegetables
    • Spinach8
  • Grains and legumes
    • Millet8
    • Oats8
    • Peanuts8
    • Sorghum8
  • Spices
    • Cinnamon8
    • Garlic (Allium sativum)10
    • Ginger (Zingiber officinale)8
    • Pepper8
    • Peppermint (Mentha piperita) essential oil11
    • Turmeric8
  • Other
    • Vitamin C (ascorbic acid)8

Consider:

  • Grains and legumes
  • Fruits
  • Spices

Everything not listed under Eat or Consider above is effectively Avoid.

Avoid list (foods confirmed to invigorate ALDH)
  • Fruits
    • Coconut water8
    • Mango (Mangifera indica)14
    • Orange8
    • Pear8
    • Persimmon (Diospyros kaki)14
    • Sweet lime8
  • Vegetables
    • Asparagus (Asparagus officinalis)14
    • Cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cabbage, kale, etc.)15
    • Cucumber8
    • Onion (Allium cepa)8
    • Tomato8716
  • Seeds
    • Fenugreek seeds (Trigonella foenum-graecum)14817
  • Herbs and spices
    • Thyme (Thymus vulgaris)14
    • Tea8

This avoid list makes the point that there’s no obvious pattern separating Eat from Avoid. Pear and orange invigorate ALDH while gooseberry, pineapple, and pomegranate preserve it. Cucumber and tomato invigorate it while spinach preserves it. So don’t guess the classification (not “citrus” or “nightshades”). If a food isn’t on the Eat or Consider list above, treat it as Avoid.

We can guess why Stahl’s book has no chapter on ALDH-preserving foods: His default diet did not invigorate ALDH.18

Sample Rite #

Theory is nothing without a day to hang it on. Here’s how one rite might play out.

Screen for Contraindications #

Ergine belongs to the ergot alkaloids, and ergot’s classic danger is ergotism: sustained vasoconstriction that starves the extremities and organs of blood. It comes in a gangrenous form (numb, painful, blackened fingers and toes) and a convulsive form (spasms, seizures, hallucinations). Historically it struck people who ate rye contaminated with the Claviceps fungus, a chronic and heavy exposure far beyond anything in this protocol. Still, you should take the vascular risk seriously.

Do not proceed if any of these apply:

  • Cardiovascular disease, including coronary artery disease, prior heart attack, angina, or uncontrolled hypertension
  • Peripheral vascular disease or Raynaud’s phenomenon
  • Pregnancy, or trying to conceive (ergot alkaloids can contract the uterus)
  • Breastfeeding
  • Liver impairment, since ergot alkaloids are metabolized there
  • Taking strong CYP3A4 inhibitors (certain macrolide antibiotics, azole antifungals, HIV protease inhibitors), which can raise ergot levels dangerously
  • Taking triptans or other vasoconstrictors

Stahl himself is a heart attack survivor, yet he reports no vasoconstriction when he uses kykeon. His ALDH enzyme seems to be unusual, so his experience may not transfer to you. Do not treat it as evidence that the protocol is safe for a damaged heart.

Ergot alkaloids aren’t known to be bioaccumulative. The liver breaks them down (mostly via CYP3A4) and the body clears them within days. Humans have no known delayed illness from an exposure that felt tolerable at the time.

Lest We Forget #

We lost this knowledge for a couple of thousand years. Let’s not make it a habit. Write it down and pass it on. Keep the kykeon flowing.

Notes #

  1. MDMA is used to treat people struggling with complex PTSD because it is indifferent to their initial condition. Even a deeply distressed person is met with warmth and openness. ↩︎

  2. Stimulation signals you set the correct conditions for kykeon (steps 2–5). Otherwise you would feel sedation. You’re feeling the kykeon but not meeting it fully. Here’s how to get it wrong: Set your alarm way too early, like 4am. Roll out of bed groggy and sleep deprived. Don’t comb your hair. Proudly keep pristine bed-head. Take ergine before you’ve fully woken up. Definitely don’t practice meditation. Extra credit if, in addition, you’ve been sleep deprived for the last 3-4 days. ↩︎

  3. Deepest, most fervent thanks to Hamilton Morris—intrepid psychonaut who marched fearlessly into the ergine-aldehyde unknown so the rest of us wouldn’t have to. May his blood-brain barrier be forever blessed. Read the saga in The Kykeon Cold Case. ↩︎

  4. Metabolic conversions like this usually happen in the liver, but Stahl’s self-reports can’t be reconciled with that account. For most people, ALDH clears the barley grass aldehydes, so the kykeon effect fades and the ergine effect reasserts itself. Stahl’s ALDH seems to leave the aldehydes alone, so he feels kykeon throughout and never feels ergine. Yet ergine is certainly in his bloodstream, and ergine can ordinarily pass the blood-brain barrier. That he feels none of its effects points to ergine being converted into kykeon as it enters the brain. ↩︎

  5. This rests on anecdotal reports. A systematic review of LSA found no evidence on how ergine is eliminated. Drinking water is low risk even if it doesn’t help. Castro, P. S. C. C., Leopoldo, K., Pedro, M. O. P., Takitane, J., Bombana, H. S., Negrão, A. B., Scholz, J. R., & Castaldelli-Maia, J. M. (2025). Lysergic acid amide (LSA), an LSD analog: Systematic review of pharmacological effects, adverse outcomes, and therapeutic potentials. Pharmacy, 13(4), 98. ↩︎ ↩︎

  6. Fewer than 25 seeds is not recommended. A low dose can open you emotionally without much euphoria. Twenty-five seeds is a handshake dose, barely perceptible. Like MDMA, kykeon has a threshold the dose must clear. Below it, the experience is like approaching climax without being able to land it, so 50 seeds is the next step. ↩︎

  7. Zhang, Y. J., Wang, F., Zhou, Y., Li, Y., Zhou, T., Zheng, J., Zhang, J. J., Li, S., Xu, D. P., & Li, H. B. (2016). Effects of 20 selected fruits on ethanol metabolism: Potential health benefits and harmful impacts. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 13(4), 399. ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

  8. Srinivasan, S., Dubey, K. K., & Singhal, R. S. (2019). Influence of food commodities on hangover based on alcohol dehydrogenase and aldehyde dehydrogenase activities. Current research in food science, 1, 8–16. ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

  9. Maninang, J. S., Lizada, M. C. C., & Gemma, H. (2009). Inhibition of aldehyde dehydrogenase enzyme by Durian (Durio zibethinus Murray) fruit extract. Food Chemistry, 117(2), 352-355. Dose-dependent inhibition of yeast ALDH, up to 70% at 0.33ppm, attributed to durian’s sulfur-rich compounds—the same mechanism behind disulfiram-ethanol-like reactions when durian is eaten with alcohol. ↩︎

  10. Iciek, M., Bilska-Wilkosz, A., Górny, M., Sokołowska-Jeżewicz, M., & Kowalczyk-Pachel, D. (2016). The effects of different garlic-derived allyl sulfides on anaerobic sulfur metabolism in the mouse kidney. Antioxidants, 5(4), 46. Diallyl trisulfide (DATS), one of garlic’s organosulfur compounds, significantly decreased ALDH activity in mouse kidney (p = 0.018); diallyl sulfide and diallyl disulfide had no significant effect. ↩︎

  11. Elder, T. D., Segal, S., Maxwell, E. S., & Topper, Y. J. (1960). Some steroid hormone-like effects of menthol. Science, 132(3421), 225–226. ↩︎

  12. These foods do not seem to cause issues in informal testing. No published research is available. ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

  13. Myristicin, present in both mace and nutmeg, is psychoactive in its own right. So treat these as an unknown wildcard rather than a straightforward ALDH-preserving spice. ↩︎ ↩︎

  14. Wang, F., Li, Y., Zhang, Y. J., Zhou, Y., Li, S., & Li, H. B. (2016). Natural products for the prevention and treatment of hangover and alcohol use disorder. Molecules, 21(1), 64. ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

  15. Ushida, Y., & Talalay, P. (2013). Sulforaphane accelerates acetaldehyde metabolism by inducing aldehyde dehydrogenases: relevance to ethanol intolerance. Alcohol and Alcoholism, 48(5), 526–534. ↩︎

  16. Srinivasan et al. (2019) placed tomato under “Avoid” (ALDH-invigorating). But Zhang et al. (2016) measured a 46.14% decrease in hepatic ALDH activity in mice given tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) juice after alcohol dosing, which would suggest “Eat.” In view of the disagreement, keep under “Avoid.” ↩︎

  17. Srinivasan et al. (2019) measured a 62.40% decrease in ALDH activity for fenugreek seeds, which would suggest “Eat.” But Wang et al. (2016) reported that fenugreek seed polyphenolic extract upregulated ALDH expression in alcohol-treated liver cells. In view of the disagreement, keep under “Avoid.” ↩︎

  18. Stahl (pp. 216-217): “For as long as I can remember I have followed a ketogenic diet consisting of proteins like eggs, chicken, flank steak, brisket, turkey, pork, hamburger meat, fish. Fats consisting of olive oil, avocados, the fats in meats, salad dressing such as blue cheese, sour cream. Low carbs consist of non starchy vegetables like broccoli, spinach, cauliflower, squash, zucchini and cabbage.” But he must be eating minuscule amounts of broccoli and cabbage (ALDH-inducers). We should not follow Stahl here: Keto diets carry serious risks and few benefits. ↩︎

  19. Seltzer help clears the barley grass taste and aftertaste. This is more than a nicety: A lingering grassy taste is a distraction that could contribute to nausea. ↩︎

November 8, 2026