FAQs

Kambo is very safe but should always be taken with a properly trained practitioner administering and supervising the treatments at all times. Certain health conditions prevent some people from taking Kambô just like some situations require special precautions. Please read carefully the following lists, it is very important that you disclose your whole health history to your practitioner. If something is not clear or you don’t understand, please ask.  

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CONTRAINDICATIONS 

The following may not safely take Kambô:

• People with serious heart problems

• People who have had a stroke

• People on medication for low blood pressure

• People who’ve had a brain hemorrhage

• People who have aneurysms or blood clots

• People who lack the mental capacity to make the decision to take Kambo

• People with serious mental health problems excluding depression and anxiety

• People undergoing chemotherapy or radiotherapy for 4 – 6 weeks afterward

• People who take immune suppressants for an organ transplant

• Women who are pregnant or may be so

• Women who are breast-feeding a child under 6 months old

• People with Addison’s disease

• People with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome

• People with current and severe Epilepsy

• Are recovering from a major surgical procedure

• Under 18

• Animals

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CAUTIONS

Caution is also required in the following cases:

• People taking immune suppressants for auto-immune disorders.

• Active drug or alcohol addiction.

• Long-term or water fasting for 7 days before or after Kambo other than the required fasting.

• Colonics, Enemas, liver flushes, or any water-based detox should be avoided within 3 days on either side of taking Kambo.

• If someone has taken Bufo 5-MeO-DMT within 28 days.

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ESOPHAGUS

Because Kambo can cause violent vomiting we need to have some caution around certain conditions that could weaken the esophagus. These do not necessarily preclude you from experiencing Kambo but it is advisable to make sure to let your practitioner know if you have been affected by any of the following: 

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• Boerhaave’s Syndrome 

• Severe injury, trauma to the esophagus from endoscopy, or injury to the neck.

• Tumors, or Ulcers in the throat

• Those who have or have had bulimia

• Gastro-intestinal Reflux

• Chronic inflammatory response syndrome due to mold exposure

• Untreated eosinophilic esophagitis

Yes, it is legal in the U.S. and most other countries. And as long as we continue to practice responsible facilitation of Kambo, it will remain legal. This is another reason to seek out trained practitioners with in-person experience

Nature’s poisons have been used for medicinal purposes for millennia. Small doses of opium, mandrake, henbane, and hemlock numbed the pain of surgery for more than 1,000 years.

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“What is a poison?” asks Mark Siddall, curator of the special exhibition The Power of Poison. “It’s a substance that interferes with normal physiological processes, that alters or stops them, or makes things happen. That is essentially what medicines are, too.”

Kambo is non-psychoactive, and will not get you "high" in the traditional sense.  You may experience some psycho-spiritual effects and you'll be encouraged to foster a personal connection to the spirit of the frog

The frog is not harmed during the harvesting of Kambo. It is considered bad luck to do so. After calling in and capturing a frog, a shaman collects the waxy secretions, or Kambo, from its legs. They will carefully scrape the secretions onto wooden sticks and leave them to dry. Once the shaman has collected the Kambo, they aim to release the frog, relatively unharmed, back into the forest. It takes about 6 weeks for the "tie marks" on a frog to disappear. A good shaman knows to look for a recent "tie mark" and not milk a frog that was recently used. 

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) endangered species database lists them in the "Least Concern" category, given their wide distribution and large population. The biggest worry is not for the number of frogs in the wild but their disappearing habitat - Unbelievably, more than 200,000 acres of rainforest are burned daily. More than 20 percent of the Amazon rainforest is already gone! 

Customs, medicines, and rituals have always crossed continents, carried by the innate human drive to explore beyond our boundaries. Perhaps this cross-pollination of knowledge is more intrinsic to our survival as a species than we have previously understood. Is it ultimately any different from the behavior of migrating birds and beasts across vast acreages? Where it goes wrong is when humans turn to conquering rather than sharing.

I believe in respecting roots - this is the shamanic way.   I've traveled deep into the Peruvian Amazon for cultural exchange with the tribes that cultivate this medicine and to meet the frog.  I've received permission and blessings to carry this medicine.  I've also committed to creating a cycle of abundance by honoring the jungle communities where the Kambo frogs live.  I donate a portion of my monthly proceeds to the Matses of Peru to support their clean water and land title initiatives.  This money supports the tribe's efforts to thwart deforestation by multinational corporations. 

There are many forms of releasing during a Kambo ceremony. Laughing, crying, shaking, sweating, throwing up, and using the restroom. You may or may not throw up. You may even experience the "Golden Purge," when you release from both ends!  Each session is different - come in with no expectations, just an open mind.  

Every Kambo session is different. Sometimes clients leave fully energized and ready to run a marathon! Other times they feel emotionally drained and physically exhausted.  I serve Kambo from my meditation studio in Crown Point which is surrounded by Sail Bay and Mission Bay. My recommendation is to take a walk down to the water and reflect on your session and any insights that might have come up. There's an excellent acai bowl shop downstairs if you're feeling hungry (which you probably will after fasting).

Rapé (pronounced ra-pay) is a sacred shamanic snuff that has been used by multiple tribes of the Amazon for hundreds and possibly thousands of years. Tobacco is used as the base for most rapés for its protective qualities. In the Amazon, tobacco is revered as a protector and is used to clear out dense energies and dark entities. The ashes of medicinal plants and trees are added to create different blends of rapé, which each offer different benefits and qualities. Rapé holds a powerful grounding quality and depending on the blend, it can also support alertness, focus, and connection to spirit by opening the third eye or crown chakra. Rapé is administered by blowing it into the nostrils, via a kuripe for self-administration or a tepi if it's administered by someone else. 

Sananga is a powerful Amazonian plant-based eye drop remedy, traditionally used by indigenous tribes for various purposes. It is made from the roots and bark of the Tabernaemontana undulata shrub, which is found in the Amazon rainforest. Sananga is known for its potential to sharpen vision, both physically and spiritually, as well as alleviate ocular conditions and negative energies. The eye drops can cause a strong, temporary burning sensation, but are believed to offer deep healing and cleansing benefits.

The Kambo points slowly fade over time. Depending on location and how your skin reacts, it may permanently scar. A tree sap resin called Dragons Blood is applied to any skin openings after your session, which is a natural antibacterial that promotes healing.  We will discuss the placement of your gateways prior to beginning the ritual.