1/2 OZ Silene Capensis Root (African Dream Root)

1/2 oz Silene Capensis (african dream root) `undlela ziimhlophe

The Xhosa call the plant "undlela ziimhlophe" which translates as "white ways" or "white paths." The Xhosa use the roots of this plant to induce prophetic dreams and to communicate with ancestral spirits.

Oneirogenic (onei·ro·gen·ic) (o"ni-ro-jen´ik) producing a dreamlike state; capable of causing dreams.
Oneiric (onei·ric) (o-ni´rik) pertaining to or characterized by dreaming or oneirism.
Oneirism (onei·rism) (o-ni´riz-?m) a dreamlike state of consciousness.

The use of the oneirogenic plant among the Xhosa of South Africa plays an important role in the initiation of Xhosa diviners (amagqirha) which is enshrined in myth. The root, which is called `undlela ziimhlophe in Xhosa and means literally "white ways or paths',is categorised as one of the plants known as ubulawu, which produce a frothy white foam when mixed with water and have a ritual provenience in traditional religion. Xhosa novice diviners ingest the root to induce dreams which, having personal and prophetic significance for the dreamer, are closely linked to the liminal colour white, the ancestral spirits and the practice of divination.