-- The Sacred Journey in Dynastic Egypt: Shamanistic Trance in the Context of the Narcotic Water Lily and the Mandrake, Dr William Emboden
A test was carried out to see if there were any narcotic effects of the blue water lily. There were no known psychotropic substance found in the flower itself. In The Mystery of the **** Mummies Rosalie David ('Keeper of Egyptology, Manchester Museum') says that "we see many scenes of individuals holding a cup and dropping a water lily flower into the cup which contained wine". The assertion by Dr Andrew Sherratt, based on these depictions, is that he believes that when the flower was infused with wine, that the chemical content might change and become the ancient Egyptian party drug or a shamanistic aid.
The lilies were flown from Cairo to England, and nineteen of them opened after the sun came out. The flowers were soaked in the wine, and after a few days, two volunteers - who claimed to know nothing about ancient Egypt - drank the lily-wine:
On August 24th 1998, on British TV, the last of a 4-part series called "Sacred Weeds" was broadcast ... This last program investigated the blue water lily (Nymphaea caerulea) which had never before been scientifically tested for psychoactive properties.
... It contains a substance called nuciferine, soluble in alcohol but not known to be psychoactive.
Nineteen fresh flowers of the lily were soaked in wine for a few days. The flowers were then removed and the wine drunk by two volunteers, Marie and Robert. Their experiences proceeded as follows: 5.25pm They drank the wine.
5.40pm Rob: "I feel good, I feel quite excited now."
Marie: "I feel fine...slightly flushed...a lot more relaxed. I do feel a bit giggly...a bit more chatty."
Rob: "I feel very happy, very laid back...I feel good."
Marie: "I never felt like this before."
6.00pm Rob and Marie felt restless and went out for a walk even though it was raining.
6.37pm They sit down in a porch out of the rain.
Rob: "I'm certainly on something now, definitely."
Marie: I feel very chatty."
7.40pm Rob felt the effects were wearing off.
Marie: "You do pick out things quite clearly to listen to...I keep going off and staring at things."
8.10pm Rob and Marie ate the flowers and the effects seemed to return.
8.37pm Rob: "It alters your perception for the better...you can notice more things."
At the end of the day they both felt very tired. The next morning they were quite well except for faint headaches.
Marie: "My mind felt very alert, yet at the same time I was very physically relaxed."
Rob: "...contentment, relaxation, happiness, cheekiness, increased awareness."
A pharmacologist present summarized the effects as being "euphoria with tranquilization." Another specialist claimed the effects were similar in some ways to MDMA (ecstasy).
-- The Blue Water Lily, Colin Byrne
