Jerome
Kava Lover
I don't think it replaces alcohol in the sense that you will get the same effect from alcohol as you will get from kava. It replaces alcohol in that people trying to stop or cut back on booze find it relaxing and pleasant, enough so to not feel the need to self medicate using the more conventional method of booze (at least for many of us).
It is definitely different than alcohol, much more subtle, much more pleasant in my opinion. If I sit down and drink a glass of four or five ounces of 80-100 proof liquor, I notice a strong ethanol effect which is predictable, expected, reliable and potent. My problem is I also enjoy following up the moderately consumed 5 ounces with another half dozen glasses more.
Now you can get some kavas that make it difficult to walk in a straight line but most of them affect your mood in a hypnotic sense. The Mo'i kava for me puts me in another world, BUT only as long as I can be allowed to drift off into that world. If someone talks to me, or if I need to drive or work, or any concentration is required, I pop out of that hypnotic state. Kava works great, for me, when the weather is warm, and I'm quietly watching the sun set over the water.
It is very subtle, and often times so subtle its effects can be overlooked perhaps out of unrealistic expectations or due to an individuals inability to sit in silence. Its not really a social beverage unless the whole crowd is drinking kava and in the same frame of mind (i.e. a traditional kava party or ceremony). When people are doing tequila shots and listening to loud music, kava doesn't do much for me!
That being said, the emptiness of the stomach is very important. I usually go for at least five hours with no food of any sort (no calories from liquid or solid sources).
I also doubt reverse tolerance. I remember clearly the first time I tried kava nearly twenty years ago. I was surprised at how the corners of my mouth turned up and all was well with the world. I also remember my first experience with liquor (and I was far too young), I got stupid, my face was numb, and I spilled my lunch all over myself.
You can use it in place of alcohol, but it won't replace alcohol, they're different animals.
It is definitely different than alcohol, much more subtle, much more pleasant in my opinion. If I sit down and drink a glass of four or five ounces of 80-100 proof liquor, I notice a strong ethanol effect which is predictable, expected, reliable and potent. My problem is I also enjoy following up the moderately consumed 5 ounces with another half dozen glasses more.
Now you can get some kavas that make it difficult to walk in a straight line but most of them affect your mood in a hypnotic sense. The Mo'i kava for me puts me in another world, BUT only as long as I can be allowed to drift off into that world. If someone talks to me, or if I need to drive or work, or any concentration is required, I pop out of that hypnotic state. Kava works great, for me, when the weather is warm, and I'm quietly watching the sun set over the water.
It is very subtle, and often times so subtle its effects can be overlooked perhaps out of unrealistic expectations or due to an individuals inability to sit in silence. Its not really a social beverage unless the whole crowd is drinking kava and in the same frame of mind (i.e. a traditional kava party or ceremony). When people are doing tequila shots and listening to loud music, kava doesn't do much for me!
That being said, the emptiness of the stomach is very important. I usually go for at least five hours with no food of any sort (no calories from liquid or solid sources).
I also doubt reverse tolerance. I remember clearly the first time I tried kava nearly twenty years ago. I was surprised at how the corners of my mouth turned up and all was well with the world. I also remember my first experience with liquor (and I was far too young), I got stupid, my face was numb, and I spilled my lunch all over myself.
You can use it in place of alcohol, but it won't replace alcohol, they're different animals.
