Frankincense is another psychoactive which is in common use for other purposes, most frequently as incense. It is in fact a resin, obtained from trees of the genus boswellia, and according to Wikipedia has been “traded on the Arabian Peninsula for more than 6,000 years”.
Its reputed properties as an analgesic, anxiolytic and tranquilliser are cited in a number of journals, and it is also known for a variety of uses in Chinese medicine. However, as I embarked upon the experiment I expected little, even though I had exerted quite a bit of effort obtaining what was allegedly a good quality supply.
Although it definitely delivered a degree of psychoactivity, what I found was indeed relatively unexciting. Chewing approximately 3g, I gradually became more relaxed and contented, as the sticky substance slowly disintegrated in my mouth. Later on I smoked repeatedly from a bong, which slightly intensified the experience for a while.
Overall it was quite a pleasant ride, but not enough for me to contemplate repeating the exercise on a regular basis. I will probably use the rest of my supply for its regular purpose.
Finally, this does raise an interesting question relating to the traditional use of frankincense incense in religious and other ceremonies: does prolonged and collective inhalation of apparently sub-threshold doses have a sub-conscious psychoactive effect? If so, is it being used or has it been used purposely as a means of cohesion, ultimately bestowing an enhanced measure of suggestive influence*? If there aren’t any published papers considering these questions, perhaps there should be.
*Note that I received a bit of flak when I first posted about this on Reddit, so I should stress that (IMHO) this is not even an issue if people pro-actively choose to expose themselves (to both the psychoactive agent and the potential for subsequent suggestion), but this choice should be explicit and understood. Scientific research would surely help to inform this, and not least in the determination of whether or not it is a false hypothesis.
