DREAM · Observatory
Dream Herb Observatory: what our dreamers told us in 174 reports of the night
From 2019 to 2026, herb by herb, including those who noticed nothing.
Every morning, someone wakes up and tries to hold on to what they saw. Since 2019, at least 131 of our customers have written it down for us, in a review, between two words about the parcel. We reread all 1,928 reviews left on our dream herbs and kept the ones that describe a night: 174. Here is what they say, in numbers, including those who saw nothing. Every number on this page is counted from the data file published at the bottom.
The essentials, in five sentences
- 75% of the reports describe an effect on dreams: 130 of 174, left by our customers between 2019 and 2026.
- Most often, dreamers describe more vivid, longer or more numerous dreams: 52 reports out of 174 (30%).
- 15 reports (9%) describe a lucid dream; 8 others say they sought one without reaching it.
- 21 reports out of 174 (12%) noticed nothing in their dreams; adding the short “no effect” reviews, the share rises to 21%.
- Most-reported herb: Calea, with 40 reports, 31 of which describe an effect on dreams.
What the 174 reports describe
The same numbers as a table
| What dreamers report | Reports | Share of 174 |
|---|---|---|
| An effect on dreams | 130 | 75% |
| More vivid, longer, more numerous dreams | 52 | 30% |
| Better recall on waking | 29 | 17% |
| Meaningful dreams: symbols, messages | 28 | 16% |
| A lucid dream | 15 | 9% |
| An effect on dreams, no detail | 34 | 20% |
| Easier or deeper sleep | 41 | 24% |
| Waking rested, not groggy | 10 | 6% |
| Noticed nothing in their dreams | 21 | 12% |
| An unpleasant effect | 4 | 2% |
| Lucidity sought, not reached | 8 | 5% |
| Another sensation: images while falling asleep, relaxation | 8 | 5% |
| Not tried yet at the time of the review | 3 | 2% |
| About another herb from the same order | 3 | 2% |
The reports, year by year
- 52019
- 62020
- 352021
- 332022
- 422023
- 312024
- 192025
- 32026
Herb by herb
Each cell gives a number of reports. The darker it is, the larger the share among that herb’s reports. Below 10 reports the cell stays light: too few voices to speak of a share.
| Herb | Reports | Effect on dreams | More vivid | Recall | Meaning | Lucid | Sleep | Noticed nothing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calea | 40 | 31 | 11 | 11 | 3 | 6 | 4 | 5 |
| Undlela Ziimlophe | 28 | 23 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 3 |
| Blue lotus | 25 | 16 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 12 | 1 |
| Uvuma Omhlope | 14 | 13 | 6 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Imphepho | 12 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 3 |
| Yauhtli | 12 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 |
| Entada | 11 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 4 |
| Mugwort | 8 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| Bobinsana | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Mukanya Kude | 5 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Guayusa | 4 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Celastrus | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ajo sacha | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| First-edition elixirs | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Shatavari | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Uqume | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Reviews posted on one page that talk about another herb from the same order | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Calea: 40 reports, and 16 mention its bitterness
Calea, thle-pela-kano, the leaf of god of the Chontal of Oaxaca. 16 of 40 reports talk about its taste, often in the first line: it is very bitter, and those who love it tamed it with honey, lemon, a short steep, or smoke. 5 short reviews, outside the filter, say they noticed nothing.
“insightful dreams, lots of colour and symbols, amazing dream recall.” — Emily
“No instant lucid dreaming but after a few nights start having lucid dreams more vivid and real then before. But don’t expect a big shift.” — Dimitrias
“it still has no effect in terms of dreams... terribly bitter taste, but from the 4th day you get used to it a little” — Cinzia
The Ubulawu family: 48 reports, 12 of them about meaningful dreams
The roots of Xhosa and Zulu diviners, whipped into a white foam in cold water: Undlela Ziimlophe, the white paths; Uvuma Omhlope, the white messenger; Mukanya Kude, the tree that shines from afar; Uqume, the dream wood. With Uvuma, 7 of 14 reports speak of messages and symbols. With Undlela, 5 describe a lucid dream. 6 short reviews, outside the filter, say they noticed nothing.
“After just one use, I remembered four dreams in one night, including a dream within a dream where I met an entity.” — Cleo (Undlela Ziimlophe)
“This stuff will give you some serious symbolic dreams. A whole story line.” — Salem (Uvuma Omhlope)
“on the first day of consumption, when I woke up I remembered several scenes from my dreams. But the days that followed were not the same.” — Tadjou (Undlela Ziimlophe)
Blue lotus: 25 reports, 12 of them about sleep
Blue lotus, the flower of the Egyptian priestesses, is also told through the night itself: 12 of 25 reports mention falling asleep more gently or sleeping more deeply. 6 short “no effect” reviews come on top, outside the filter.
“My dreams are more detailed and longer!” — Yami
“I sleep like a baby and have very symbolic dreams.” — Emilio
“I noticed no effect on my dreams, but I don’t really care much about that aspect, frankly - I was just looking for a natural sleeping aid.” — Silvia
Imphepho: 12 reports
Imphepho, the Zulu and Xhosa everlasting, the flower that does not wilt, burned by the sangoma to call the ancestors. Its dreamers speak of their sleep (6 reports) as much as of their dreams (7).
“I’m already a dreamer, I dream every night. What I needed this to do was give me more information in my dreams and it did just that.” — Crystal
Yauhtli: 12 reports
Yauhtli, the Mexican tarragon of the Aztecs. 8 of 12 reports describe an effect on dreams; one person reports an upset stomach.
“A gentle yet potent guide for navigating the dream time” — Evan
“this herbal tea disagrees with me, upset my stomach, I’m not sure why.” — Zoe
Entada: 11 reports
Entada, the dream seed that crossed the seas. 6 of 11 reports describe an effect on dreams, 4 noticed nothing in their dreams, 4 mention gentler sleep.
“Nice in a tea before sleep, I like the relaxing effect, no noticeable impact on dreams though” — Michael
Mugwort: 8 reports
Mugwort of the European herbalists. 4 of 8 reports speak of more vivid dreams, 3 of better sleep. 2 people say they sought lucidity without reaching it.
“the herb does give you stronger dreams that are also easier to recall. I haven’t had any luck with lucid dreaming” — Mirna
“I dream a lot more now, and yet I actually feel fully rested after sleep.” — anonymous review
The other herbs
Bobinsana (5), Guayusa (4), Celastrus (3), Ajo sacha (1), First-edition elixirs (1), and Shatavari (1): too few reports to draw a trend. We share them for what they are.
“on the first night I had dreams for the first time in a long time.” — Jasmine (Bobinsana)
“For me personally the tea had no effect.” — Anastasiia (Bobinsana)
Those who noticed nothing
21 of 174 reports saw no change in their dreams; 6 of them still slept better. 20 more reviews say so in one sentence, without mentioning the night. Counting them, that is 41 reviews out of 195: 21%.
We count them, because a plant answers each person differently: dose, preparation, expectation and the night itself all play a part. Several dreamers say it themselves: lucidity is prepared, with a journal, an intention, a few nights.
FAQ
Do dream herbs actually do anything?
In our reviews, 130 of 174 reports (75%) describe an effect on dreams, and 21 (12%) noticed nothing; counting the short “no effect” reviews, it is 21%. These are testimonies with no control group: they show what people lived through without proving an effect. For Calea, a 1986 double-blind trial is summarised in our dream herbs guide.
How long before noticing something?
At least 12 reports describe an effect from the first night. Others place it on the second or third night, after a few nights, or around day eleven. One dreamer says the first night’s effect did not repeat.
Which herb for lucid dreaming?
15 reports describe a lucid dream: Calea (6), Undlela Ziimlophe (5), Blue lotus (1), Uvuma Omhlope (1), Entada (1), and Mukanya Kude (1). 8 people say they sought it without reaching it. For many, lucidity is cultivated, and the herb supports that practice.
Is Calea really that bitter?
Yes: 16 of the 40 Calea reports mention it. Dreamers advise a few leaves, a short steep, honey or lemon, or smoke.
Were any unpleasant effects reported?
4 reports out of 174, plus 1 review outside the filter: upset stomach (Yauhtli; Uvuma for two weeks), a dazed feeling with a numb mouth (Calea), light-headedness after two blue lotus flowers, tiredness (Imphepho). Start with small amounts. Pregnancy, breastfeeding, ongoing treatment: abstain. Each herb’s precautions are on its page.
Is this a scientific study?
No. These are spontaneous reviews, classified by us with the help of an AI, with their biases. The method is right below, so anyone can judge.
Can I reuse these numbers?
Yes, freely, under the CC BY 4.0 license: credit the source, INFUSE, with a link to this page. The CSV and the JSON are downloadable below.
Method
- Source. All the reviews published on our 18 dream-herb pages that have any, left by our customers on our shops, from April 1, 2019 to September 24, 2026: 1,928 reviews. No review was solicited for this page, and none was paid for or exchanged for a discount.
- Selection. An automatic filter kept the 264 reviews that contain a word about dreams or the night in one of our 11 languages. We read them one by one and kept those that describe a night: 174. The other 90 used the word in another sense.
- Classification. Each report received one or more categories (more vivid, recall, lucidity, meaning, unspecified effect, sleep, next day, noticed nothing, unpleasant effect, not tried yet). The classification was done in a single reading, against a grid written in advance, with the help of an AI, then reviewed.
- What we added out of caution. Short negative reviews (“No effect.”) slip through the filter, having no word about the night. We found 20 of them, plus 1 that reports a stomach ache: we count them separately, outside the data file. Short positive reviews of the same kind (“works great”) are not counted.
- No negative review removed. The reviews hidden on these pages are all 5-star (duplicates and special cases).
- Limits. These are spontaneous, self-reported testimonies, with no control group and no protocol: neither a clinical study nor proof of an effect. People who write a review are often the happiest or the most disappointed. Many took several herbs at once, and 3 reviews posted on one page talk about another herb from the same order. Doses, preparations and expectations vary. Most reviews are in English. At least 131 people wrote these 174 reviews: some left several.
- Anonymity. First name only, or “anonymous review”. The data files hold no name and no review text. Quotes are copied word for word, mistakes included.
- Updates. The numbers on this page are recomputed from the data file at every update; the date at the top of the page is the date of the latest one.
The data
The coding table of the 174 reports is published with no name and no review text: one row per report, one column per category (1 if the report falls under it, 0 if not). The JSON holds the same rows, with the collection counts and the totals by herb.
Download the CSV (174 rows)Download the JSON
Free to reuse, with credit: CC BY 4.0
The columns
| Column | What it says |
|---|---|
recit | Report number, 1 to 174 |
fiche_produit | The product page where the review was left (infuse.earth/en/product/…) |
annee | Year of the review |
langue_avis | Language of the review (empty when the database does not say) |
note | Rating left, 1 to 5 stars |
plus_vifs | More vivid, longer, more numerous dreams (0/1) |
souvenir | Better recall on waking (0/1) |
lucide | A lucid dream (0/1) |
sens | Meaningful dreams: symbols, messages (0/1) |
effet_non_detaille | An effect on dreams, no detail (0/1) |
sommeil | Easier or deeper sleep (0/1) |
lendemain | Waking rested, not groggy (0/1) |
rien_remarque_reves | Noticed nothing in their dreams (0/1) |
lucidite_cherchee_non_atteinte | Lucidity sought, not reached (0/1) |
effet_desagreable | An unpleasant effect (0/1) |
autre_sensation | Another sensation: images while falling asleep, relaxation (0/1) |
pas_encore_essaye | Not tried yet at the time of the review (0/1) |
autre_plante_de_la_commande | About another herb from the same order (0/1) |
effet_sur_les_reves | An effect on dreams (0/1) |
Cite the Observatory
For an article, a dissertation or a thesis:
APA
INFUSE. (2026). Dream Herb Observatory: what our dreamers told us in 174 reports of the night (version of October 2, 2026) [Data set]. https://infuse.earth/en/dream/dreamers-accounts
BibTeX
@misc{infuse_observatoire_2026,
author = {{INFUSE}},
title = {Dream Herb Observatory: what our dreamers told us in 174 reports of the night},
year = {2026},
url = {https://infuse.earth/en/dream/dreamers-accounts},
note = {Data set, 174 reports, version of October 2, 2026, CC BY 4.0 license},
}Press and research
Journalists and researchers: for a question about the method or an interview, contact@infuse.earth.
The herbs of the Observatory
Each page tells where the herb comes from, how to prepare it and its precautions. All our dream herbs are gathered in our dream herbs guide.