Many people have heard that the drink Absinthe will make them trip and hallucinate but is this true – Whats Absinthe effect on the body?

Absinthe, otherwise known as La Fee Verte or the Green Fairy, is the drink that was blamed for the madness and suicide of Van Gogh as well as being the muse of many famous artists and writers. Would the works of Van Gogh and Pablo Picasso be the way they are if they hadn’t consumed Absinthe while working? Would Oscar Wilde have written his famous “The Picture of Dorian Gray” without the help of Absinthe? Writers and artists were convinced that Absinthe gave them inspiration and even their genius. Absinthe even featured in many works of art – The Woman Drinking Absinthe by Picasso and L’Absinthe by Degas. It is claimed that the predominance of yellow in Van Gogh’s works was a result of Absinthe poisoning and that Picasso’s cubsim was inspired by Absinthe.

Wormwood (artemisia absinthium) is a key ingredient in Absinthe and is the reason for all the controversy surrounding the drink. The herb has been used in medicine since ancient times:-

– to treat labor pains.
– as an antiseptic.
– as a cardiac stimulant in heart medication.
– to stimulate digestion.
– to reduce fevers.
– as an anthelmintic – to expel intestinal worms.
– to counteract poisoning from toadstools and hemlock.

However, wormwood is also known as a neurotoxin and convulsant because wormwood oil contains the chemical thujone which acts on the GABA receptors in the brain.

A 1960s article from “Sweat” Magazine tells of how the French medical profession, at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, were concerned about “Absinthism”, a condition caused by prolonged Absinthe drinking. Doctors were convinced that Absinthe was far worse than any other alcohol and that it was more like a drug. Doctors listed symptoms of Absinthism as:-

– Convulsions and frothing at the mouth.
– Delirium.
– Hypersensitivity to pain.
– Loss of libido.
– Sensitivity to hot and cold.
– Insanity.
– Paralysis.
– Death.

They claimed that even occasional Absinthe drinking could cause:-

– Hallucinations.
– A feeling of exhilaration.
– Restless nights and nightmares.
– Trembling.
– Dizziness.

We now know that these claims are false and part of the mass hysteria of the time. Prohibitionists were desperate to get alcohol banned, wine producers were putting pressure on the government to ban Absinthe because it was becoming more popular than wine, and doctors were concerned about growing alcoholism in France. Absinthe was banned in 1915 in France but has since become legal in many countries around the world from the 1980s onwards.

Research and studies have shown that Absinthe is no more dangerous than any of the other strong spirits and that the drink only contains very small amounts of thujone. It would be impossible to drink enough Absinthe for thujone to have any negative effects on the body.

Even though it has been proved that Absinthe does not cause hallucinations or convulsions, Absinthe buyers and drinkers still need to be aware that it is a high proof liquor and so can intoxicate very quickly, especially if it is mixed with other strong spirits in cocktails. So, whats Absinthe effect on the body? A “clear headed” or “lucid” drunkenness is how getting intoxicated on Absinthe has been described by those who drink bottled Absinthe or who make Absinthe from essences like those from AbsintheKit.com. It can also cause a pleasant tingling of the tongue but no hallucinations!

There are so many discussion threads on forums about Absinthe and how to hallucinate by drinking Absinthe. Lots of people want to know what the best Absinthe to buy for hallucinating is and what is the Absinthe high like.

Unfortunately, these people are believing the propaganda from the late 19th century and early 20th century and also books like Doris Lanier’s “Asbinthe The Cocaine of the 19th Century: A History of the Hallucinogenic Drug and its Effect on Artists and Writers in Europe and the United States”. In this book Lanier talks about Absinthe being like opium and cocaine in its effects and that it caused a rapid loss of both physical and mental faculties. Is there any truth in this?

Absinthe was popular in a time known by some as “The Great Binge”, a time when heroin and cocaine were used in children’s medicines and in beverages. The medical profession realized that these chemicals weren’t as safe as they thought and they thought the same about Absinthe. They claimed that thujone, a chemical found in the wormwood in the drink Absinthe, was psychoactive and could cause psychedelic effects just like THC in cannabis. They alleged that Absinthe wasn’t just a drink that intoxicated people, it was also a harmful drug that gave you hallucinations and could drive you insane. Doctors even came up with a name for prolonged Absinthe drinking – “Absinthism”, which they said caused:-

– Convulsions
– Delirium
– Insanity
– Brain damge
– Paralysis
– Death

Really, “Absinthism” was just alcoholism, it was nothing special.

Many people blame Absinthe for Van Gogh cutting off his own ear and for his later suicide. But, can we blame a drink for Van Gogh’s madness when he had suffered from mental illness and depression since he was a child and when we consider that he mixed Absinthe with turpentine? I don’t think so. Absinthe cannot be blamed for the so-called “Absinthe Murder” either. A Swiss man murdered his pregnant wife and children after consuming two glasses of Absinthe BUT he had also consumed five liters of wine, six glasses of cognac and many other alcoholic beverages!

What is the Absinthe High Like?

The Absinthe “high” just doesn’t exist. We now know definitively from tests, that Absinthe is not an hallucinogen. Even pre ban Absinthe only contained very small amounts of thujone, nowhere near enough to cause any effect whatsoever. Yes, you will get intoxicated quickly drinking Absinthe, after all it tends to be about 70% alcohol by volume (140 proof) which is stronger than other spirits like vodka but you will not trip or get high.

Absinthe is called the Green Fairy but it will not make you see any fairies!. It does give you a different kind of drunkenness though. The blend of the high alcohol content, which acts as a sedative, and the herbs, which are stimulants, can give you a very strange “clear headed” or “lucid” drunkenness – an alcohol high. Perhaps this is what artists and writers were talking about when they described Absinthe as their muse, saying that it gave them inspiration and even their genius.

Make sure when you buy your first Absinthe that you buy a quality Absinthe or that you make your own from a kit from a reputable company. Some company’s herbal steeping kits claim to make an Absinthe which contains very large amounts of thujone, much larger than vintage Absinthe. Take a look at the essences from AbsintheKit.com which are also used by the Absinthe industry.

Although the answer to the question “What is the Absinthe high like?” might disappoint some people, Absinthe is a great tasting drink which should be enjoyed.