Q: What is meant by "body load?" I've seen it all over the place, and have no idea what it means.
A: Body load' refers to the somatic -- or physical -- effects of a drug or plant. Examples of body load include muscle tension, tremors, nausea, pain, nystagmus (eyes twitching back and forth), dry mouth, diarrhea, altered heart rate, headaches, etc. The term is generally used to describe relatively minor, negative, physical effects (major problems such as heart attacks, convulsions, etc are not considered 'body load').



These type of effects can vary greatly from one substance to another, one experience to another, and one person to the next. It is not uncommon for some people to find that the body load of a particular substance outweighs the positive effects, making the overall experience unpleasant, and/or not worth repeating.



In some cases, body load can be an expression of the mind-body connection and a useful indicator of buried emotional material that deserves attention. For example, if someone ingests Salvia divinorum extract and suddenly is aware of an ache in their solar plexus, they might focus attention on the pain, "breathe into it," and see what comes up in their mind. There are many books and websites describing the mind-body connection. Of course, in many cases, simple pharmacological effects are responsible.