WHEN YOU NEED A SITTER
A sitter is absolutely essential if you are taking doses on which you may freak out, become confused, injure yourself, fall, or do anything that might harm others. Have a sitter present if you are new to Salvia, are experimenting with a stronger form than you have used before, or are using a more effective method of ingestion.
An experienced Salvia user who is chewing a quid, may often choose to do it alone, and may be quite safe in doing so. But having a pleasant, sensible, sober sitter is an absolute must if you are trying vaporization, smoking high doses of extract-enhanced leaves, or using pure salvinorin. Smoking leaves usually falls in between in terms of risk. Many people do so without a sitter, but a sitter is never a bad idea. Use sound judgment.
WHAT A SITTER SHOULD KNOW AND DO
The sitter must remember that no matter how strangely the person acts, the effects of salvia are short lived. don’t take the person to the emergency room (unless, of course, there is a true medical emergency). Keep the person safe and wait it out. If you can’t keep the person safe, get help. Otherwise keep the matter private. Within an hour or so (usually much less) the person will be back to normal. It is very reassuring to hold onto this knowledge if things get messy. It helps to have experienced Salvia yourself before sitting for another person. Experience with other visionary materials may be only partially helpful. The sitter should know that Salvia is different from these. Touching to “ground” the person works for some people on some entheogens, but may be frightening for someone on Salvia. If you plan on touching, clear it with the person BEFORE they begin their experience.
THE ROLES OF THE SITTER
The sitter has three essential jobs. The most important of these is to keep the person, and others who may be present, safe. This comes before all else. The main danger is accidental injury. Your job is to be a gentle guardian. Be as unobtrusive as possible, but remain alert in case the person should suddenly start moving about recklessly. Do not use physical force unless nothing else will do. Use of physical force may result in injury. It could be misinterpreted as an assault. NEVER LET SALVIA BE USED WHERE FIREARMS, KNIVES, OR OTHER DANGEROUS OBJECTS ARE PRESENT. Take the person’s car keys for safe keeping before the experience begins. Keep the person safe from falls, head banging, sharp objects, walking into walls, walking into furniture, walking through windows, wandering out into the street or other public areas, open flames, hot surfaces, and breakable objects. But let the person move about in a safe area. Do not grab or try to physically restrain him/her, unless absolutely necessary. Redirect. Speak softly. Gently take dangerous objects away. Use the minimum touching necessary (in their altered state, the person may think your touching is an assault and react to the imagined danger). You may have to handle unexpected intrusions of strangers and other awkward social situations.
The second job of the sitter is to reassure. Often, simple repeated explanations may help if they appear frightened, e.g. “You’re safe, I won’t let anything harm you.” “You’re just having a Salvia experience, you’ll feel better in a few minutes.” “Your name is………” I’m your friend ……..” If speech is not called for, be silent. Silence is often less threatening to the person than trying to decipher what a sitter is saying.
The third job of the sitter is to help the person to later recall the details of their experience. There are several ways. Use a notebook and record the person’s actions. Later you can ask about these. This may help jog the person’s memory about what was experienced. Another technique, if the person is not too far gone to talk during the experience, is to ask repeatedly “what are you experiencing now?” A notebook, or a tape recorder, can be used to record responses. Since some people will prefer that you remain silent and don’t record, clear it with them in advance.