With its glossy black berries and elegant bell-shaped flowers, Atropa belladonna

commonly known as deadly nightshade is as beautiful as it is lethal. This plant has

woven itself through history as a tool of assassins, a cosmetic enhancer, and a

forbidden gateway to altered states, yet its use comes with extreme risk and a

narrow margin between ritual and tragedy.

Belladonna contains a powerful cocktail of tropane alkaloids primarily atropine,

scopolamine, and hyoscyamine which block acetylcholine receptors in the nervous

system. This leads to a range of physical and psychological effects: dilated pupils,

dry mouth, rapid heartbeat, confusion, vivid hallucinations, and delirium. Unlike the

introspective and often spiritually framed experiences of classic psychedelics,

belladonna’s alterations are frequently described as disorienting, frightening, and

physically dangerous.

Historically, the plant earned its name (bella donna meaning “beautiful woman” in

Italian) from its use as a cosmetic eye drop to dilate pupils a sign of beauty and

allure in Renaissance Europe. But its role extended far beyond vanity. It was

incorporated into witches’ flying ointments, used in ancient Roman poisonings, and

employed in some traditional European rituals for its vision-inducing properties.

However, these practices required precise knowledge, as miscalculated doses could

easily lead to paralysis, respiratory failure, or death.

Unlike plants such as psilocybin mushrooms or ayahuasca, belladonna does not

gently guide the user into expanded awareness. Instead, it imposes a state of

delirium often marked by amnesia, physical discomfort, and a loss of connection to

reality. These factors make it one of the most hazardous psychoactive plants known