All language subtitles for S02E05 - Frog And Toad Medicine.en

[MUSIC PLAYING]

As psychedelics are
gradually mainstreamed,

many mind-expanding substances
have been overlooked.

Bolivia, 2008,
ancient rock shelters

are excavated in the highlands
of the Sora River valley.

Inside, researchers uncover
shamanistic leather pouches

containing ceremonial
paraphernalia

used for the consumption
of psychoactive medicines.

In 2019, a paper published
with the National Academy

of Sciences detailed
research done

on the bundle of artifacts.

Lab work revealed
traces of bufotenine,

cocaine, and even harmine
and dimethyltryptamine,

which are two of the main
ingredients for ayahuasca.

Carbon dating aged the bundle
to over 1,000 years old.

The hippies, perhaps
more than any other social

phenomenon, brought the
drug issue to the surface.

For these adventurers,
the mind-expanding drugs

open a window in a
whole new frontier.

Synonymous with
the counterculture era

of the 1960s, cannabis, LSD, and
mushrooms containing psilocybin

remain at the forefront of any
discussion of psychedelics.

In recent years, awareness and
interest in ayahuasca and DMT

have been on the rise.

However, no examination
of consciousness-altering

compounds would be complete
without including snuffs

and the unique venoms found
in certain frogs and toads

and the realization that the
history of these medicines

reaches back thousands of years.

We know psilocybin and
mushrooms are 60,000 years old.

We know people have been
using them since probably

at least 6,000 BC.

Any of these kinds
of animal medicines,

as long as the animals
have been there,

we've been in that
relationship with them.

The more ethnobotanists
learn about these ancient

civilizations, it becomes
clearer that the indigenous

wisdom reaches into the
medicinal and shamanic

substances embedded in nature,
a wisdom that the West is only

just now beginning
to understand.

For decades, prohibition
has stymied research

into psychedelic medicines.

But recent pushes to
decriminalize have opened up

new possibilities for
mainstream medicine

to adopt these chemicals for
future monomolecular medicine.

Nature offers so
much more diversity,

and some of the lesser
known natural medicines

come not just from plants but
living, breathing animals.

Northwest Mexico,
from 300 to 1500 AD,

this region was populated by
the ancestral Sonoran Desert

people.

Highly skilled in
agriculture, they

created a complex system
of irrigation channels

from nearby rivers.

Many channels still
exist today, covering

an area roughly half
the size of Connecticut.

This also happened to
create the perfect habitat

for Bufo alvarius, the
Sonoran Desert toad.

These large toads can
live up to 20 years.

Several small glands
on the toad's body

release an intoxicating
venom to ward off predators.

Powerful enough to kill
small animals like dogs,

the toxin creates intense
psychedelic effects in humans

when dried and smoked.

The ancestral
Sonoran Desert people

appeared to revere
the toad, as evidenced

by its appearance in their art.

But no direct evidence
has been found

that proves whether
or not they knew

about the toad's potent venom.

The interesting thing about
the Bufo alvarius is that it

was an ancient medicine, maybe
around during a golden age

in our planet, because you
can see it in the iconography

of ancient Aztec and
Mesoamerican artifacts,

statues of toads with spirals
right around the glands

of where the venom of the toad,
which contains 5-MeO-DMT can be

found.

It's kind of one
of those medicines

that doesn't have a shamanic
lineage connected with it.

It doesn't have any
specific ritual,

although that can be disputed.

Exactly when humans began
to use the venom isn't known.

What is known is that
the effects on humans

are intense and, for
many, transformative.

It contains 5-MeO-DMT, which
is not to be confused with

N,N-DMT.

5-MeO-DMT is very
close to DMT chemically.

It's about 10 times more potent.

And the experience
is different, too.

Both of them are very
egoic dissolving.

They'll dissolve the ego.

What the main difference
is that, with DMT,

there's usually a very
strong visual component.

There's hallucinations
or inner visions.

With 5-MeO, that visual
component is missing.

There isn't really a visual
element to the experience.

There's just an
experience which you might

describe as total dissolution.

It's like total
dissolution of the self

for a temporary period,
for 20 minutes or so.

This is very much the
egoic death kind of thing.

Maybe it's a closer analog
to the near-death experience

even then DMT.

[CHANTING]

Many Indigenous people in
the Amazon have safely used

plant-derived 5-MeO
for thousands of years.

There are several different
sources of stuffs that are used

in the Amazon,
also in the Andes,

from different plant sources.

They contain DMT
and/or 5-methoxy DMT.

The traditional snuffs, the
ones made from Anadenanthera,

are quite ancient.

There's good evidence
that they were

used in Tiahuanaco culture that
goes back 6,000 to 8,000 BC,

even earlier.

Some of the iconography
at Tiahuanaco

actually shows a
cultural figure--

Viracocha is the name--

and he's actually
holding in one hand

a snuff tray and
the paraphernalia,

in the other hand
a glass of chicha.

Those snuffs are
very ancient, maybe

the most ancient of
the psychedelics that

have been used, probably
older than ayahuasca.

It's not uncommon for
other substances to be used

in conjunction with or in
preparation for the ceremonies.

When it comes to ayahuasca,
it's hard to say how old it is

because there's no real
archaeological trace.

It was served in vessels of--

lots of things were
served in vessels.

With the snuffs, though,
there's a specific set

of paraphernalia--

the snuff trays, the snuffing
tubes and so on-- that

let you put a date on
the use of the snuffs.

The Western world was
introduced to snuff in 1493

during Christopher Columbus'
second voyage to the New World.

On the expedition
was Friar Ramón Pané.

In what is now
known as Hispaniola,

he observed members of the
Taíno tribe using cohoba snuff,

injected up the
nose through reeds,

supposedly allowing them to
heal and commune with spirits.

Pané brought some back
when he returned to Europe,

where it gained popularity.

But today, as with other
mass-produced tobacco products,

snuff has little resemblance
to the sacred herbs

of pre-Colombian times,
with synthetic additives

and addictive chemicals.

In Amazonian traditions,
snuffs are often

used as an enhancement
to ayahuasca ceremonies.

Rapé and hapé--

it can be interchangeably used
depending on the tradition--

is a tobacco that is
made into a powder snuff.

And it's mixed with the
ashes of sacred ceremony

along with different sacred
plants from the Amazon.

Usually about a
pea-sized amount or more

is put into a device
called a tepi.

A tepi is almost like
this long, skinny tube,

kind of like a little
bit bigger than a straw.

And each side is blown--

so-- to blow the rapé
into the nostrils.

And what that does is it
cleanses and detoxifies.

It cleans negative thoughts
and negative energies.

It helps one to ground, and
it balances the left and right

hemisphere of the brain.

The first time that I
worked with rapé was before

an ayahuasca ceremony.

And when I saw it
being performed,

I was a little intimidated.

But once I felt the rush of
the powder of the snuff going

into both my nostrils, I
felt this wave over my head

of energy, and I literally
felt the medicine of the rapé

traveling all the way
down the back of my neck,

down my shoulders, and I could
feel it releasing all of these

energies.

And immediately after
that wave of maybe some

would consider discomfort,
I felt very present.

I felt very grounded.

You may be familiar with
the idea of licking toads

and experiencing
mind-altering effects,

an easy way to get high.

But it's rarely done.

Why?

It's extremely dangerous and
is most often ineffective

and can lead to nasty
viral infections.

Bufo alvarius secretions
contain other deadly chemicals

that can cause
paralysis or even death.

The actual practice
doesn't at all

resemble the stories
of licking toads.

New studies out of
China and Australia

have suggested that the
5-MeO-laden venom of the Bufo

gargarizan and the
cane toad may offer

profound medicinal potential
for modern diseases.

Like the smokable form
of 5-MeO, the venom

must be safely processed
before it can be ingested.

This is why, like with
any psychoactive medicine,

one must be certain that they
are getting the substance

from a trusted source and
that they are supervised

by an experienced shaman.

The longest standing
traditions using 5-MeO

originate in the Amazon.

Yet these practices rarely only
revolved around one substance

or even one organism.

Another amphibian containing
a number of bioactive peptides

can be found in this region,
not on the ground like a toad

but higher up in the trees.

This is Phyllomedusa bicolor,
or the giant monkey frog.

Like with the
Sonoran Desert toad,

the frog secretion known as
kambo is scraped off the frog.

Kambo is an interesting
medicine in that it has no

psychoactive
effects on the body.

The primary purpose
of working with kambo

is to cleanse, detoxify,
and purify your body.

It's a big detox for
your liver, your organs.

Your liver works really hard,
and it pumps out a lot of bile.

It's kind of like liver surgery.

This is not a
party to be prepared.

Yeah, it's not a
recreational drug.

Kambo is not psychedelic at all.

It's a purgitive.

You're literally cleaning
out your body, energetically,

spiritually, physically on
a cellular level by purging.

This medicine, many times
it's dried on these sticks

and reactivated with water.

Before the medicine
can be applied,

a small, tiny
burn, a little dot,

is applied on the
skin in the area

where the frog
poison is applied.

Burn marks are made to
the upper layer of skin.

And then tiny amounts
of the frog's venom

is applied to the marks.

The effects of the
venom arrive quickly.

A detox process begins.

Within several minutes,
your heart starts to race.

You start to feel waves
of nausea in your body.

Many people also get
puffiness in their face

and in their body.

And you throw up for
somewhere around 20 minutes.

And in that process, you're
purging so many things.

It's happening so quickly,
but you definitely

feel this presence of
this spirit of this frog

and it teaching you,
throughout the process,

for whatever intentions you
came in to work with it for.

[NON-ENGLISH SINGING]

Most people, if they're fairly
clean and healthy, emotionally

able to release and
express, then the purging

normally comes.

[NON-ENGLISH SINGING]

It can be a very violent purge.

[NON-ENGLISH SINGING]

If you carry a lot
of anger or toxins,

it's a really good way
to release connections

with people that might be
unhealthy, past relationships,

attachments that are actually
siphoning your energy.

And after a half an
hour, normally you

have purged enough.

You can feel when you're
fully clear and empty.

You feel so grounded
and so relaxed.

The dragon's blood,
which is a plant,

it's applied on the dots.

And typically, if
done properly, it

shouldn't leave any scarring.

But many people, shortly after
doing the kambo treatment,

they have these kind
of little red dots.

And it's definitely a symbol
of a warrior initiation.

[VOCALIZING]

It's so good.

Thank you.

What's coming up is just
these stored emotions.

It was good to let that go.

I feel more just in a
loving place in my heart.

Those who use kambo report
to feel more grounded, pure,

clear thinking, and powerful
in body and mind afterwards.

They also claim
their immune system

strengthens exponentially.

However, this practice
can be harmful

if one isn't properly
hydrated and isn't

under the careful watch
of a veteran practitioner.

Using kambo does
come with risks,

especially if you have certain
underlying health conditions.

And in some cases,
kambo can exacerbate

symptoms of these disorders.

Often, another plant substance
is used in conjunction

with kambo and
ayahuasca ceremonies--

Sananga.

Derived from the Tabernaemontana
shrub of the Upper Amazon,

Sananga is not necessarily a
psychedelic medicine but rather

an indigenous tool to
clear negative energy

and focus perception.

Sananga is a medicine that's
been used in South America

for ages for not only healing
eye disorders and sharpen

eyesight for hunting, but to
remove energetic disturbances

that can kind of accumulate
in the auric field.

Like kambo, Sananga is
administered in a unique

fashion.

It's not eaten or smoked
but taken through eyedrops.

When you place these
drops in the eyes,

at first it will burn.

It will burn for a few minutes.

But the burning will
stop, and that fades away.

And then you get
all of the beautiful

after effects of this medicine.

The person usually feels a
really deep sense of relaxation

and a kind of lightness.

And it's a little
hard to describe

because it's like an energetic
lightness in the body.

And this is actually
addressing how

it's removing some of these
things that accumulate

in our energetic fields.

So they call it-- it's
like cleansing the aura.

It also gets the pineal gland
moving a little more fluidly.

So it can open up the inner
vision in some people, as well.

While there is no
mainstream scientific consensus

for Sananga's benefits, the
shamans proclaim that the real

transformation is happening at
a deeper level of reality than

only with the physical body.

Many cultures consider
spiritual hygiene to be

as important, if
not more important,

than physical hygiene.

And so this is one of the
medicines they use for that.

Smokable tobacco, mapacho,
also plays a role in many

ayahuasca ceremonies.

So mapacho tobacco, the
tobacco is regarded to be

another master plan,
another teacher plan,

a strong spiritual teacher
highly regarded throughout

the Americas.

Here in North America,
tobacco is highly respected.

It's something you can
commune with that can help you

in your spiritual work.

Obviously, huge risk of
abuse and destruction.

And the cigarette industry--

very different from
the ceremonial use.

That a teacher plant like
tobacco has become corrupted

by commerce could serve as
a cautionary tale for other

medicines as they gain
interest and acceptance.

So I think tobacco, for
me, is a very beautiful,

sacred plant.

There's ways to bring that
back and that reverence and all

that stuff.

But you have to bring in other
values besides just how much

money you can make off of it.

You have to bring other
values to the table.

The modernization of the
world and our insatiable

appetite for resources
has placed many species

of amphibians and
teacher plants in peril.

Also, the growing public
interest in these medicines

does call into question
the imposing stresses

that psychoactive tourism places
upon these fragile ecosystems,

where the native flora
and fauna are sought out

in increasing demand.

Over time, mankind evolved,
technology advanced,

and the population boomed.

But the planet has
paid a terrible price.

We deplete precious resources.

We've polluted our
soil, water, and air.

As the climate
shifts, wildfires have

become commonplace
throughout the world,

threatening some of our most
fragile and complex ecosystems.

The massive fires in California
made headlines in 2020.

But large parts of Australia
and the Amazon burned as well.

For amphibians like
the Sonoran desert

toad and the giant monkey
frog, the future is grim.

In 2019, a study published
in "Current Biology"

laid it out in stark terms.

Human activities have
put more than half

of the world's amphibians
in danger of extinction.

As interest in
psychedelics rises,

could we be
unnecessarily endangering

some of these
creatures even more?

Many in the community
have begun to discuss

the long-term sustainability
of animal and plant-based

psychedelics and that these
animals should be treated

with respect and not
just a means to an end

to experience a spiritual trend.

There is a growing interest
in psychoactive substances all

over the planet.

And it has become many
people's livelihood.

Although there are many
benefits for this happening

in our society, it is putting an
increased burden on the planet

to provide these substances.

So the challenge
we face is there's

overharvesting of things
like peyote or ibogaine

and some of the
DMT-secreting toads.

And some of these plant
and animal species

are in danger of extinction.

So we need to bring
this to the awareness

of the psychedelic community.

And although they
bring many benefits,

we have to honor the
ability of the planet

to provide these substances.

Many eco-conscious
psychedelic advocates have

encouraged the use of
synthetically-produced 5-MeO,

which is structurally identical
to what's found in toad venom.

However, like with
synthesization

of any organic compound,
ingestion or use of 5-MeO-DMT

may cause unforeseen
hazards given its novelty

to human brain chemistry.

We have now serious problem
because of this extreme

interest in plants and
harvesting toad venom

in the Bufo alvarius that
contains 5-MeO-DMT that I

believe that, if we carefully
study what these plants truly

contain, to synthesize them
to recreate the experience.

So in an effort to preserve
some of these endangered

species, we know that there
are analogs that can be created

in labs that can replace some
of these substances and have

similar or the same effects.

And I think that
there is a debate

of the chemical creation of
this versus the natural world.

But we have to look at
the big picture of Gaia

and honoring her
creation and the gift

that we get from these
substances versus the challenge

we face in overharvesting and
overusing what is provided.

So I think the way that this
challenge can be overcome

is through using ceremonial
and clear intention

and the right set and setting.

Any of these chemicals,
whether they're

lab derived or
harvested from nature,

can have the effect intended.

A philosophical divergence
among psychedelic advocates has

emerged between purists
who prefer medicines from

the natural world and those
open to lab-derived compounds.

I don't think that people
will have the same energetic

experience with a
lab-derived compound.

But I think that there
could certainly still

be healing derived from more
artificial compounds that

don't take advantage of
our natural resources

and deplete them.

In Western culture, we are
very accustomed to having

what we want when we want it.

And in Indigenous
cultures, the way

that these medicines and plants
and animals were worked with

was seasonal and it was
a very sacred process.

We have to be very
mindful in the way

that we come with respect
and reverence and awareness

so that we don't ravage these
beautiful sacred medicines.

The key to sustainability
might be honing our ability

to produce some of these
chemicals on our own.

You see, it isn't
just the amphibians

that can create 5-MeO-DMT.

In the summer of 2019,
the University of Michigan

released a study that concluded
that the brain produces

DMT at higher levels
than previously expected.

Not only would this support
Dr. Rick Strassman's theories

about the pineal
gland secreting DMT,

it expands on them
as the neurons

necessary for creating
DMT were also found

in other parts of the brain.

But why?

Is it possible endogenous DMT
is necessary for brain health?

There are some data from
Hungary which indicate that DMT

is what is called
neuroprotective in conditions

of low levels of oxygen in
the brain, which means that,

if you're not providing your
brain with enough oxygen,

your nerve cells begin to die.

And DMT seems to
inhibit the bad effect

of a low level of
oxygen. And that's

why the DMT, theoretically,
is being released.

The human experience
is a human trip.

We're tripping on the endogenous
chemicals all the time.

And they're in three different
categories, neurotransmitters

and enzymes and hormones.

So the body is a
lab, and the body

runs on chemicals
and on electricity.

But exercising, breath work,
doing yoga, meditation,

singing, dancing
are various ways

to alter consciousness to
learn about who we are.

So this is definitely
something worthy of exploration

to rely on the inner
pharmacy that's

within us, on the
alchemical process

to become our own apothecaries.

What if the future of
psychedelic use belongs not

in earthly resources but the
discovery that our bodies are

psychedelic chemical factories
capable of generating its own

consciousness-altering
substances?

Breath is one of the most
important things in life.

And so any intention that
we can bring into our breath

and connecting to our breath
and becoming better at breathing

is incredible for our spiritual
growth and development.

And so when we look at this
idea of holotropic breathwork,

for example, we are activating
that in and out breath

within us.

And in that, we start to
produce endogenous DMT.

We produce serotonin,
pinoline, 5-MeO-DMT, and that

gets released within our body.

And we start to have
these powerful states

of transcendence.

I started calling
it holotropic,

which means moving
toward wholeness,

that actually we are missing
something very significant

because our perception is very
limited in our ordinary state

of consciousness.

We are experiencing
just a small fraction

of our experiential potential.

So it really is fulfilling.

It brings us to full
understanding of who we are.

It's all well documented
in psychedelic research

and confirmed by
holotropic breathwork.

If you would still
think that somehow

a result of these
exotic substances,

then when we work with
holotropic breathwork,

it's faster breathing, music,
and certain kind of body work.

It can't be much simpler than
that, much more elementary

than that, you know?

And you still have the same
kind of range of experiences.

I think it's so profound and
exciting that we ourselves are

able to achieve these mystical
states without any external

compounds or plants.

We can do it even on our own.

With their histories
of ceremonial use,

each spanning back
thousands of years,

snuffs and amphibian venom can
help people unlock profound

experiences.

But the need for conservation
of these creatures

and their habitats
reminds us that we too

have the ability to produce
some of the same compounds

ourselves.

Up next, as cannabis gains
widespread mainstream

acceptance, we
learn more about how

its gifts can change the future
and how commercialization could

threaten to bring it all down.

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