Kambo · Sacred Mushroom · 5-MeO-DMT

Kambo is the secretion of the Phyllomedusa bicolor — the giant monkey frog of the Amazon basin. It is not a psychedelic. It is a purgative sacrament used for centuries by Amazonian peoples for physical cleansing, immune strengthening, and spiritual preparation.

The secretion is applied to small burns on the skin. Within minutes, the body responds with intense heat, nausea, and purging. The process is uncomfortable and brief. What follows — in the hours and days after — is what participants consistently describe as a profound physical and emotional reset.

Within our ceremonial framework, Kambo serves as the opening sacrament: a clearing of the body's terrain before deeper sacred work. Many participants describe what follows as the first time in years they felt genuinely present in their own body.

Ceremony Details

Duration

30–45 min ceremony · 2–3 hr total

Setting

Outdoor or semi-outdoor · Small group (4–8)

Prerequisite

None — typically the first ceremony

What to Expect

• Intense heat and flushing within 2–3 minutes of application
• Nausea and purging — this is the intended effect, not a side effect
• Swelling of the face and extremities (temporary, resolves within 30 min)
• Deep calm and clarity in the hours following
• A sense of renewal and presence in the days after

Contraindications

• Heart conditions or serious cardiovascular disease
• Addison's disease or low cortisol
• Active chemotherapy
• Pregnancy or breastfeeding
• Serious mental health conditions without prior assessment

Psilocybin mushrooms have been used as sacraments in Mesoamerican spiritual traditions for thousands of years. The Mazatec velada — the all-night mushroom ceremony — is among the most sophisticated sacred rituals in the human record. Our ceremonies draw from this lineage.

The Sacred Mushroom responds to what the participant brings — their history, their readiness, their intention. It illuminates what is ready to be seen. This is not always comfortable. It is often the most significant encounter of a person's life.

Our ceremonies are held in a carefully prepared sacred space with trained facilitators present throughout. Music, darkness, and silence are used intentionally. Participants are supported before, during, and after the experience with integration conversations that help translate what was encountered into lasting transformation.

Ceremony Details

Duration

4–6 hr ceremony · Full day commitment

Setting

Indoor ceremonial space · Small group (4–8) or individual

Prerequisite

Kambo ceremony or prior psilocybin experience with documentation

What to Expect

• Onset 30–60 minutes after ingestion
• Visual phenomena, emotional amplification, altered sense of time
• Possible encounter with difficult inner material — grief, fear, the unknown
• Profound states of connection, meaning, and clarity
• Peak experience 2–4 hours, gradual return over 1–2 hours
• Integration conversation within 48 hours, followed by 6-week support

Contraindications

• Personal or family history of schizophrenia or psychosis
• Active lithium use (dangerous interaction)
• Severe uncontrolled cardiovascular disease
• Active suicidal crisis with plan
• Current MAOI use

5-MeO-DMT is the active compound in the secretion of the Bufo alvarius — the Sonoran Desert toad. It produces what is widely regarded as the most intense non-ordinary state of consciousness accessible to human beings: a complete dissolution of the sense of self, followed by re-emergence.

This is not a recreational experience. It is not appropriate for those who have not done significant prior work — with us or elsewhere. The dissolution it produces can be profoundly healing for those who are ready. For those who are not, it can be destabilizing. This is why we require completion of both prior ceremonies before offering this sacrament.

The experience itself is brief — typically 15–30 minutes. What participants encounter in that time is difficult to describe in language. Many report it as the most significant experience of their lives. Many report a complete resolution of the fear of death. Many report a fundamental shift in their relationship to suffering. Integration of this experience requires time, care, and support.

Ceremony Details

Duration

15–30 min ceremony · 3–4 hr total with preparation

Setting

Outdoor desert setting · Individual or pairs only

Prerequisite

Both Kambo and Sacred Mushroom ceremonies completed

What to Expect

• Rapid onset — effects begin within 30–60 seconds
• Complete dissolution of ego and sense of self
• Non-dual states — unity, vastness, absence of separation
• Physical trembling, involuntary movement, vocalization
• Return to ordinary consciousness within 15–30 minutes
• Extended integration support — minimum 8 weeks post-ceremony

Contraindications

• Any MAOI use — this is a life-threatening interaction
• Serious cardiovascular conditions
• Active psychosis or recent psychiatric hospitalization
• Incomplete integration of prior psychedelic experiences
• Incomplete prior ceremonies in our program