Belladonna

What is Belladonna?

Belladonna, also known as deadly nightshade, is one of the most dangerous psychoactive plants in Europe. Its scientific name is Atropa belladonna, a reference to Atropos, the Greek Fate who cuts the thread of life.

Belladonna is not a psychedelic.
It belongs to the same category as datura and mandrake: deliriants.

It does not expand awareness.
It removes it.

Where does Belladonna come from?

Belladonna is native to:

• Europe

• North Africa

• Western Asia

It has appeared throughout history in:

• Ancient medicine

• Poisons and assassinations

• Witchcraft and folklore

• Early anesthesia

Despite its dark reputation, belladonna was widely used before its dangers were fully understood.

Why is Belladonna called “deadly nightshade”?

Every part of the plant is toxic, especially:

• The berries

• The leaves

• The roots

The berries look harmless and sweet, which made them especially dangerous.

Historically, belladonna caused:

• Accidental poisonings

• Fatal overdoses

• Long-term mental damage

The name is not symbolic.
It is literal.

What makes Belladonna psychoactive?

Belladonna contains tropane alkaloids, mainly:

• Atropine

• Scopolamine

• Hyoscyamine

These substances:

• Block acetylcholine in the brain

• Shut down normal memory and awareness

• Create fully realistic hallucinations

• Remove insight into what is real

This leads to true delirium, not a controlled altered state.

What does Belladonna do?

Belladonna causes a complete break from reality.

Mental effects

• Severe confusion

• Loss of self-awareness

• No ability to reason

• Memory blackout

Perceptual effects

• Seeing people who are not there

• Talking to imaginary beings

• Performing normal actions in a hallucinated world

• No awareness that anything is wrong

Physical effects

• Extremely dry mouth and skin

• Dilated pupils and blurred vision

• Rapid heart rate

• Overheating

• Risk of seizures, coma, or death

Belladonna does not feel symbolic or meaningful.
It feels real, wrong, and uncontrollable.

What does a Belladonna experience feel like?

People who survive belladonna poisoning often report:

• Days of missing time

• Acting normally while hallucinating

• Confusion that lasts long after

• Fear, paranoia, or distress

There is usually nothing to integrate, because there is little memory and no insight.

Belladonna does not teach.
It erases.

Why was Belladonna ever used?

Historically, belladonna was used:

• As a poison

• As a sedative or anesthetic

• In witchcraft and magical rituals

• In cosmetics (to dilate pupils for beauty, hence “bella donna”)

These uses came at a high cost. Many were abandoned as knowledge improved.

Is Belladonna safe?

No.

Belladonna is extremely dangerous.

Risks include:

• Fatal overdose

• Permanent cognitive damage

• Heart failure

• Severe overheating

• Accidental injury or death

Dosage is unpredictable.
There is no safe recreational use.

Belladonna vs psychedelics

Belladonna is often confused with psychedelics because of its hallucinations, but the difference is critical.

Psychedelics:

• Preserve awareness

• Allow reflection

• Create symbolic meaning

Belladonna:

• Destroys awareness

• Removes insight

• Replaces reality completely

This is why belladonna is considered poisonous, not enlightening.

Belladonna in modern times

Today, belladonna is mainly:

• A historical and botanical subject

• A cautionary example in toxicology

• A reminder of pre-modern medicine

It has no role in modern spiritual or therapeutic practice.

A final note

Belladonna is not misunderstood wisdom.
It is understood danger.

Its long history is not one of insight, but of loss, confusion, and harm.

Respecting belladonna means knowing its story and choosing distance.

Some plants expand consciousness.
Others show us why limits exist.

Belladonna is one of them.