💫 Bufo Risks and Contraindications 

In some cases, the Bufo experience itself can be very traumatic, and hard to deal with after ceremony.  It is very important to recognize and seek for support and also allow any help offered to help heal and transmute the experience.

There have been other reports of people who suffered from a traumatic experience and being healed by the Bufo ceremony.

This can be beneficial if the participant is willing to deal with the reality of their capacity of being able to relive the trauma.

Also, beneficial if they are willing to go there with the intention of healing themselves at that time the trauma occurred, can forgive the situation or person, and be willing to get the support they need to heal the memory of that experience.

But if they are unable to heal it, then it can recreate the memory of the pain caused by the traumatic experience and create deep emotional and mental distress.

This happens because Bufo can shut off your ego, and things that have been hidden or suppressed can rise to the surface. We know that past trauma affects several generations and unless you are prepared to cut the karmic chain, you can really experience the impact of that in a Bufo journey.

Because during a Bufo journey, higher levels of consciousness are reached, the participant may not be prepared to make the changes necessary to improve the quality of their lives.  Therefore, the uneasiness of that awareness can create distress since now that they are conscious about a particular situation, they must make the changes.

Some other times when the Bufo experience is beautiful and profound, it can bring a feeling of guilt questioning if they deserve to have had such a magical experience.

In this case I say get over it and enjoy your bliss.

People that are more on a spiritual path or have less worries in their life, generally do best with this medicine.

💫 Other Risks of Bufo alvarius

Bufo alvarius is not a magic elixir and is not a risk-free entheogen, as with any form of medication, there are risks.  Some of these risks include, short-term loss of consciousness and respiratory depression have been reported along with fake shaman or leaders.

There are some pharmacological interactions to be aware of, but your general health should be good so you can withstand the profound experience, and you should have highly safety-minded and skilled facilitators.

To minimize these risks, make sure you are in good health before your experience, and only sit in ceremonies with facilitators who you have complete trust to take your safety as a priority.

“There are some drug interactions that could be dangerous when using Bufo alvarius venom or 5-MeO-DMT:

Lithium. This is sometimes given as a mediator in combination with some forms of medication. Numerous reports suggest that lithium can cause fatal seizures and heart attacks when mixed with psychedelics like 5-MeO-DMT. [20] Do not take Bufo or 5-MeO-DMT if you are taking lithium.

Tramadol. This is a synthetic opioid that affects the serotonin system and lowers the threshold for seizures. There appears to be a real risk of serotonin syndrome if you combine Tramadol with 5-MeO-DMT, [21] which can be fatal. Tramadol is also sold as Ultram.

SSRI medications. Currently there is no evidence that this combination is risky, although there is a theoretical chance of Serotonin Syndrome if high doses are combined. Don’t risk taking Bufo or 5-MeO-DMT with high doses of SSRI medications. Common SSRIs include Celexa, Lexapro, Prozac, and Zoloft.

MAOI medications. There have been several cases of deaths from the combination of 5-MeO-DMT with MAOIs. [9] Avoid being on any MAOI medication if you plan to take Bufo or 5-MeO-DMT. Also avoid any MAOI-influencing psychedelics, such as ayahuasca, in the week before and after a Bufo experience. Common MAOIs include Emsam, Marplan, Nardil, and Parnate.

Heart or blood pressure medications. Bufo can drastically affect your heart rate, and breathing. If you are on heart or blood pressure medications, consider getting a medical professional’s opinion before taking Bufo or 5-MeO-DMT.

It's crucial to recognize that any psychedelic experience comes with psychological risks in addition to the physical ones; it can be very intense to have your perceptions and ideas substantially altered by a chemical compound.

During a 5-MeO-DMT or Bufo session, people frequently experience intense dread and distress. Bufo alvarius, perhaps more than any other psychedelic, can be both traumatic and healing, and considerable preparation as well as awareness of the hazards are essential for a safe experience.

If you're working with a skilled facilitator and have a solid support structure in place, you're less likely to experience serious consequences.

If you've gone through a distressing experience, practicing proper integration strategies with qualified facilitators can help you avoid long-term psychological damage and help you perceive the journey in a positive way. In our Resources area, you can learn more about integration.”

-EntheoNation Resources

💫 Bufo Ceremony & Setting

One of the most important aspects of a Bufo ceremony is the safety of the participant.

Know who you are doing the ceremony with, do your homework, research the competence of the shaman, medicine woman/man, their experience and how professional are they in their practice.

It must be conducted with extreme care and attention by experienced professionals who stay lucid, attentive and focus on your journey. 

Bufo ceremonies may be conducted in group settings or private 1:1, they both have its benefits. In a group setting everyone is on the same vibe, a sense of tribe or community is created in the space and the idea of “One for all & All for One” is the beauty of the dynamics of a group.  The private 1:1 ceremony has its benefit, as the focus is on a dive deep ceremony with a healing or expansion of consciousness goal in mind.

This medicine can be administered in different settings, but must be administered in a safe space, if outdoors, it should be free of hazard items like rocks and trees and in areas where there is no potential danger.  

If the ceremony is conducted indoors same applies, clearing the space of potential hazard or danger is a must.

💫There are 3 phases to any sacred ceremony

First phase:  is the call, to sit in with the medicine, preparation and intention.

Second phase: is the experience of the ceremony

Third phase: is integration and process.

💫PHASE ONE: 

Preparation and Intention to prepare for the Bufo ceremony?

Because Bufo is not processed through the digestive system, it goes directedly to the bloodstream. It does not require the same level of preparation as an ayahuasca ceremony or other sacred ceremonies requires.  It is wise to follow a protocol that helps the participants in their journey.

A Bufo Medicine Ceremony can be a profound and strong experience, it is highly recommended that you are fit and get lots of rest on the days leading to the ceremony.

You will be giving additional instructions to prepare fully for the ceremony.

Preparing physically, emotionally and mentally for a Bufo ceremony is very important.

Eating a light breakfast on the day of the Bufo ceremony is recommended as some people do experience purging.

Keeping calm, nature walks and meditation to settle your mind and calm the nerves is also advised. Meditation can calm your mind.

One other point to highly consider, is to pay full attention and respect, the Ceremony Guidelines and regulations set by the shaman, the facilitators, helpers, or organizers of the ceremony.

This mutual respect and consideration will set a divine alignment so that you and all involve in the ceremony can be in complete harmony with the overall sacredness and energy of the ceremony. 

For yourself individually is important to know your intentions, your physical, emotional and mental health or states.  

Health History

Knowing and having a full understanding of any pre-existing health conditions, your health history and sharing this information with the shaman is important.

Fill in the Bufo Intake & Waiver form

Be accurate about what medications you are taking is important as some prescribed drugs are contra-indicated for Bufo. 

Note: some serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), for example, can be lethal if combined with Bufo.

Dietary Restrictions and/or Allergies

I advise the shaman, of any dietary restrictions or allergies you have.

Refraining from using alcohol, meat, and processed foods for several days prior to Bufo.

Electronic devices

Only use any tech devices if you must, try not to be distracted by technology, make time for thoughtful self-reflection in order to cultivate awareness and intention.

Meditation

If you have a regular meditation practice, continue, if not set small slots of time to sit quite, contemplate your life and focus in your breath

Questions to ask are:

Why am I doing this ceremony?

What do I intent to accomplish?

Did I do my research completely? 

Is this medicine for me? And why?

Did I find the right shaman, professional to journey with?

💫PHASE TWO: 

Ceremonial Experience

Bufo ritual and how is administered

The medicine that is extracted from the toad’s substance glands is evaporated.

The shaman prepares the toad medicine in a glass pipe, and offers the medicine to the participant, who will then inhale the medicine. After full exhalation, the participant, takes a gentle small puff, the medicine is held in the lungs for some time before exhaling it fully.

The medicine then enters the bloodstream and activates the matrix of energy within our body.

Higher levels of consciousness may be reached, and the expansion of its effect can give us the opportunity to unfold the mysteries within ourselves for healing, divination, expansion and evolution.

The ceremony is usually accompanied by various shamanic rituals, frequent burning of incents, Sage, Palo Santo, tabacco or other sacred leaves. There are most likely curas (healings), drumming, sound healing, playing shamanic music, invocation, and blowing smoke over the participant’s body for energy cleanse.

 The ceremonies of Bufo we conduct, are used for healing or spiritual purposes only.

Bufo Journey and duration

Most psychedelic substances involve hours of hallucination or purging, Bufo may only last 15-45 minutes, however, the experience can be very strong and/or intense.

Everyone’s experience is unique. Some participants may experience a faraway journey, while others feel connected and grounded. Some may have revelations, answer to their life questions, while others experience moments of euphoria.

Some may experience a better state of being than before, while others may find it challenging to cope with the messages or experience.

I have seen so much in ceremonies, nothing surprises me now, (parte del paseo en ceremonia) part of the ceremony journey.  Some people experience their journey in a meditate state, quite calm, while other may experience it in a more physical way, like, talking, crying, laughing, spiting, rolling around, kicking, etc.

Healing happens in mysterious ways sometimes, for example if you have experienced trauma, the medicine may bring it forth as an opportunity to heal the root of the suffering you are harvesting.

This medicine can unlock the ego constrains and unveil things that have been suppressed and bring it to the surface.  There has been so much human suffering the effects of it the trauma can affect up to seven generations, as you see the imprints in some of these journeys.  

Psychedelic medicines, like sacred Bufo, can really benefit someone who is eager to work past trauma. At your will, and eager to face the challenge, the medicine can give you the courage to face and breakthrough those traumatic experiences.

This is way this medicine is mostly used, because it will circle you back a blissful space of forgiveness, love, compassion and oneness with the universe.

Becoming one with the divine source is described as Samadhi, Samadhi is a Sanskrit word and more than a word is a state of higher mind or a blissfully divine experience.

In these states of consciousness is where the ego and mind dissolve. A journey of pure consciousness that feels limitless/infinite, that is how I can describe the Bufo Experience.

Dosage

The Bufo dosage will depend on where the individual is at. An average dose is 5-10 mg.

It is important to inform the shaman, and it is recommended to start with smaller amounts if you fell you are sensitive. 

What is a Bufo experience?

The Bufo ceremony can be a powerful experience. Many users report this as a mystical euphoric experience, but everyone’s experience is unique.

Some participants may experience a faraway journey, a connection to the cosmos, while others feel connected and grounded to Mother Gaia.

Some may have revelations, answer to their life questions, while others experience moments of ecstasy and harmony.

Some may experience a better state of being than before, while others may find it challenging to cope with the messages or the experience they perceive.

While under the influence of the Bufo medicine there is common sense of rebirth or recalibration, a feeling one with the universe.

Among these sensations, some users describe their experience with the medicine as an intense emotional reactions and release. It can create ecstasy, spasms, and many forms of purging.

For the very few seconds of ingestion, there may be a sense of surrender, followed by peace and tranquility.

Ending circle

The ceremony will end when the shaman is ready to close the ceremony and open the ending circle. Here everyone is encouraged to share a brief description of what they experience, their feelings and/or other sensations openly.

A state of “Oneness” helps create and continue to build the spiritual-healing community or social connectedness among the participants. It is a valuable tool in ceremonies, like having family or close friends sharing stories at the dinner table. 

💫PHASE THREE: 

Integration & Process

Taking the time before and during ceremony is good, but equally important is to give yourself time after the ceremony to process and integrate the experience.

Integration & Process

Keeping in touch with the tribe or community is key.

Studies on the psychosocial and some indigenous tribes find one thing in common was the sense of belonging and community play a big number on healing, the individual and the society.

This medicine will shed light on areas in your life in which you will need to dedicate your attention and efforts to.

You will receive an email from us with some tips and sacred baths to do that will help you integrate, also my ongoing support for those who need it. You are very welcome to maintain an open channel of communication to help you process the experience afterwards and stay connected with a growing community of spiritual warriors who are on the path to self-healing and evolution. 

In the days, weeks and months following ceremony, you may continue to receive powerful intuition and guidance in the form of synchronicities, vivid dreams, and important memories.

💫Warning of and Sustaining the Bufo alvarius population

According to article:

The ethical and ecological considerations of inhaling bufotoxins from Incilius alvarius. Psychedelics Today, retrieved from: https://psychedelicstoday.com/2018/10/03/ethics-ecology-bufotoxins/, June 2019

“The increase in the popularity of Bufo ceremonies has created corresponding pressure on toad populations, and raised the question of long-term sustainability.

Although Bufo alvarius is not an endangered species, its numbers are declining, [19] probably due to the increase in human interest. Since Bufo alvarius spends most of its time underground, hunters search for the toad during its short mating season. 

Although the milking of the venom itself does not harm the toads, if done responsibly, the toads’ habitats are being encroached upon by fervent venom hunters, and this will undeniably have an effect on this species. Additionally, some black market vendors are selling the toads in order to establish farms, taking the largest and most fertile toads out of their native ecosystems. 

Synthetic 5-MeO-DMT is a sustainable alternative to milking Bufo alvarius toads, and appears to have very similar psychedelic effects to smoking Bufo venom. Dozens of plants are a natural source of 5-MeO-DMT, and present a more sustainable option than the milking of toads.

If you attend a Bufo retreat, make sure to ask where the venom was sourced, and if it was done responsibly and sustainably. Ideally, the venom would have been obtained from non-farmed toads, who were milked harmlessly, and returned to their native habitat.”

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