Kambo
The intricate customs of traditional indigenous culture pertaining to different communities through the course of their rich history are composed of countless ceremonies, mesmerizing artwork, religious beliefs, folk tales, unique diets, outstanding means of production, popular hymns, and, of course, natural forms of medicine.
One of such common customs is the use of the Kambo Frog medicine. Just to name a few, indigenous groups such as the Yawanawá, the Katukina, and the Kaxinawá, all located in the Brazilian northern state of Acre, have traditionally made use of this medicine in rituals of healing, primarily to boost their immune system and cleanse the body of certain toxins, according to historical records and statements of those who’ve partaken in such ceremonies.
short report video from ABC News to learn more about this sacred tradition.
The healing and benefits of Kambo’s therapeutic medicine can be an organic alternative to those going through the ups and downs of dealing with certain mental illnesses such as depression or addiction, and the practice of using this frog medicine has spread across cultures other than South and Central American indigenous groups, reaching all the way to the United States and certain European Countries, even as far as Australia.
Although the use of the Kambo frog’s detoxifying ritual is either restricted or banned in certain countries, practitioners and appreciators of natural, sacred healing should all take some time to learn about the marvel of this amphibian cure that has been present in the history of Amazonian culture for centuries now.
It is through this knowledge that we come to deepen our respect for indigenous culture, how we strengthen our connection with Mother Nature and the divine, all the while widening our horizons to welcome different customs and beliefs into our daily lives that may refine our wellbeing, both physically, spiritually, and mentally.
Join us in acknowledging the cultural significance and healing power of the Kambo Frog
What is Kambo
Putting it simply, Kambo is the secretion of the giant monkey frog, also called giant leaf frog Phyllomedusa bicolor that serves the purpose of a defense mechanism that can either subdue or even kill other animals that pose a threat to the frog.
The animal presents nocctural habits, which might make catching it a bit more difficult; still, the frog possesses a very distinct call, which helps shaman hunters in locating their nests. Once captured, the secretion is collected primarily from its back and legs by carefully scraping the wax-like substance onto wooden sticks, which will be left to dry afterwards. The frog is then released back into the wild.
Kambo contains several different compounds, but it is, undeniably, a poisonous substance. Yet, if used correctly and following procedures and the teachings of Pajés (shamanic healers) of indigenous groups that have been using this secretion as a cleansing and boosting medicine, it can promote certain health benefits to the body, mind, and spirit.;
The primary use of Kambo is to purify the body, and the search for this specific medicine can be motivated by different reasons: to simply cleanse the body if someone is feeling particularly ill or uncentered, or to repel negative energy and attract good luck, but also as part of the preparation hunters undergo before embarking on their journeys, as the secretion can help heighten their senses and stamina. Some even believe the powers of Kambo can help with conditions such as diabetes, infertility, anxiety, HIV and AIDS, chronic pain, and even vascular issues, among others.
Scientific research has been conducted to observe and define the effects this indigenous medicine can have on the human body. It has been concluded that the giant monkey frog’s secretion is rich in biopeptides, including deltorphins and dermorphins, that interact with opiate receptors, meaning it can help deal with pain. Its main effects can be felt on muscles (contraction and relaxation of certain muscle groups), blood vessels (dilation), and brain cells (stimulation).
Studies have shown that, amongst its components, Kambo also presents molecules like dermatoxins, dermaseptins, phylloseptins and plasticines, which, according to research conducted in laboratories, can prevent and terminate fungi, bacteria, protozoans, and vermins, showing considerable potential in dealing with superbacteria, which are resistant to regular antibiotics.
Some define this sacred medicine as being a powerful source of healing that works for the body, the mind, and the spirit, and for that very reason, can bring a sort of unique sense of balance and all-around cure.
Like many forms of medicine, both natural and pharmacological, Kambo may present certain side effects, such as sweating, vomiting, and increased heart rate among others. It is important to always take it under expert supervision and after proper preparation, including diets and getting enough sleep.
The Story of Kambô
Master Gilson, of the Huni Kuin, our beloved txai (brother) and long time partner has been a master Kambo shaman for decades now. He’s part of a family that’s been traditionally connected to this forest medicine and, to his people, Kambo is a great solution for when people are much too lazy or getting too thin, losing their strength. He tells us that this medicine is a very potent one, offering more disposition and even helping people gain healthy weight.t;
This Kambo is really good and heals everything. It heals illnesses, it takes away laziness. That’s why the Huni Kuin use it so much,” he told us. His own family makes frequent use of this secretion: having eight children of his own, Gilson showed us that both his 12 year old son and daughter can already take precisely 12 Kambo dots, and then explained that they follow this age/Kambo dots logic for all in their family.
In an exclusive interview for Sacred Medicine, he told us that the reason why he’d become a Master Kambo shaman was his father, who preceded Gilson for this title, and taught him about the powers of Kambo in a very peculiar way.
Gilson says that he “liked to drink cachaça (a Brazilian drink somewhat equivalent to moonshine), [I’d] drink it every Saturday.” And when he got home from one of his outings, his father told him: “tomorrow, you’re going to take Kambô. And not just a little, a lot.” In the following morning, Gilson’s father applied the medicine on the young man, who was just 18 at the time and, according to Gilson himself, “it really wasn’t just a little. There were 205 dots, total, on my arms. I collapsed, spent the entire day sleeping. It was around 3PM when I woke up again.
When he awakened, Gilson’s face was quite swollen, and he could really feel all the effects of the Kambo medicine. Still, his father informed him that they’d repear the ritual the next day. And told him that, if he were to leave drinking aside, he was ready to become a Master of Kambo himself. “And that much was true,” recalled our good friend, “I really did stop drinking, and to this day I haven’t drunk cachaça anymore. I’m old now, but I’m still working every minute of every day. I’m a hardworking man.
He explains that this disposition for work is deeply rooted in his experience with Kambo, when he was a young lad, and that it was precisely because his father started him on this path that, nowadays, he no longer feels lazy. He’s always eager to work, to care for his plantations that add up to over a hundred plants each harvesting season, and to provide for his family.
The Frog and the Sloth
Our partner and friend Francisca, whose knowledge of the history of Kambo is as rich as her works of ritualistic application of this sacred secretion, has also taken some time to sit with us and explain how this ceremony was made decades ago, by the Master Kambo Shamans of her people. This story has been passed on to younger generations that start their path into the world of Mother Nature’s healing.
Explore the details of this amazing narrative:
“ In older times, people used to take Kambo often. Those who took this medicine were hunters and those with fevers. And when an elder applied the frog medicine on them, these people would immediately fall to the ground, they would faint as if a portal to another world had been opened and they had crossed it.
Whoever experienced the Kambo cleans would embark on a great journey of regression. They would walk, walk, and walk some more, and in the distance they would see a house. Then, they’d walk and walk even further until they reached the house. It was a small house, and inside it, they’d find an elderly woman, cooking on her stove. She would be cooking the animal we nowadays refer to as Sloth.;
That person, the guest experiencing this Kambo ritual, would sit at the table and, if the elderly woman became fond of them and thought of them as deserving of this blessing, she’d offer them the head of the Sloth that was being cooked. And if they were strong enough, they would then open the head and ingest the animal’s brains, and then they would become a great hunter.
Whenever they were done eating, the elderly woman would rise and offer them Caiçuma* made from manioc. They would then drink the Caiçuma, take a very deep breath, and they’d embark on the journey back to our world.
This whole journey and blessing would only happen once, rather than every time someone took Kambo. Once they had experienced this first journey, they would retain that luck for their entire lives. Like magic, it only happens once in a lifetime.
That person takes a lot of Kambô, and then they travel in their dream. When the old lady frm the dream offers them the sloth head, and they open it up and eat the brains, they manage to rid themselves of their own sloth. This person also becomes very lucky, and very healthy. And not just anyone can embark on this journey, only chosen ones.
Caiçuma is a fermented drink that is common among indigenous groups of the Amazon Forest.
When we get to know these stories, we become more apt to understanding just how sacred and mystic this healing is, as it unifies the physical well-being offered by the chemical properties of the Phyllomedusa bicolor’s secretion with all the spiritual and religious power of the journey people embark on when they take Kambo dots.
We also understand why the warriors that take this medicine, even before being blessed with the luck and power of Kambo, already possess enormous physical strength and willpower. The effects of this medicine considered poisonous when taken in excessive amounts are incredibly potent, as are the benefits offered by it, and greatly demand from the human body in the moments immediately following application.
While nowadays it is more common to take a few dots of this medicine, the people in the stories shared by our friends Gilson and Francisca would take over 100 dots. Admirable, isn’t it?
What Is Kambo Ceremony
The Kambo Cleanse Ceremony. People who wish to partake in the healing powers of this amphibian derived cure subject themselves to the infliction, by the experienced hands of a shaman or Pajé, of a few small blisters upon the skin by means of pressing a hot stick, usually to the shoulders, as a way to open small and treatable wounds. Legs, arms, back, and even the feet are sometimes also locations chosen by either the healers or the practitioners for Kambo to be applied on. Some modern practitioners also like to apply Kambo to chakra points around the body.
The blistered skin is then carefully scraped off so that, when the Kambo secretion is applied over the blister, it can enter the body through the lymphatic system and the bloodstream, which makes it possible for its effects to begin unfolding. The effects of this medicine can be felt nearly instantly, and usually provoke vomiting and sweating. Once the process starts, it’s common for the users of Kambo to receive more water or even tea to help rid the body of toxins while rehydrating.
The amount of blisters inflicted on the body, as well as the amount of Kambo that is applied, will vary from person to person, and also from ritual to ritual. Age, height, previous experience with the ritual, gender, and intent for the ceremony are all taken into consideration before deciding on how much of the medicine each person can take, and how.
After the Kambo dots (the small amounts of medicine applied onto the blisters) are removed, the wounds are then dressed with an organic tree sap to help with the healing process, preventing infetions as well. It is common for practitioners to feel “regulated” within an hour or so. While it is rarer for lasting scarring to occur due to this process, some practitioners seek ways on how to keep Kambo marks as a memento of their experience.
How to Prepare for Kambo Ceremony
To prepare for the Kambo Ritual, practitioners drink about a liter of either water or Cassava soup (a brew that is made primarily of Cassava, a root vegetable rich in nutrients such as vitamin C and copper) to hydrate and ready their bodies for the effects of the giant leaf frog’s Kambo. Before the ceremony starts, the shaman responsible for the ritual will assess all practitioners, physically, mentally, and spiritually, making sure they are ready to take on the journey.
Since it is a powerful medicine, it is wise to start with lower dosages to assess how one’s body reacts to the secretion, slowly building up resistance to its possible side effects as well. It is also very important to emphasize that Kambo should not be mixed with other medicines or medicinal rituals during the same session, including rapé, ayahuasca, and other natural alternatives of organic healing and detoxifying.
In terms of diets, the preparation for taking Kambo frog medicine is similar to that required before other purging rituals: clean diets, avoiding red meat and processed or fried food, and a prior feasting of around 8 hours is required before the actual ceremony starts. In addition to these physical preparations, it is a good idea to spend some time focusing on one’s intentions for the ritual; what is it that they desire to purge, what brought them to seek this medicine, how helpful it can be for them, and how important this ritual is to countless communities spread across the globe.
While it is important to keep the body hydrated before partaking in the Kambo Ceremony, drinking too much water can result in certain complications. Therefore, it is ideal to drink up to a maximum of one (1) liter of water before the ritual, and no more than one and a half (1.5) liters of water or tea afterwards.
Because it derives from a secretion that is poisonous, the process of healing offered by Kambo can cause certain physical effects that are considered unpleasant by some, yet it is still important to remember that, like many other cleansing and purifying rituals, this process serves precisely the purpose of purging the body of toxins and harmful substances or energy, meaning there will be a physical manifestation of such ailments leaving the body.
Accounts from those who’ve taken part in the Kambo ritual describe the first effects to be a feeling of intense heat and an increased redness on the face. Then, it is likely that nausea, vomiting, loss of bladder control, and diarrhea may occur, along with muscle contractions, abdominal pain, certain degrees of dizziness and heart palpitations. Some people experience a sort of “lump” in their throats and trouble swallowing, while some end up, momentarily, with swollen lips or eyelids.
It is of prime importance to really do serious and in depth research before partaking in Kambo Rituals. Get to know and understand the possible side effects and how any underlying conditions of each individual may react to this sacred and very powerful medicine, take some time to prepare and follow through the preparations before and after Kambo, and take all precautions to minimize any possible risks of more serious complications.
Remember to buy Kambo for reputable sources, and to experience the ritual as part of a group or community that has experience dealing with such a ceremony and, preferrably, learn thoroughly from them before attempting to work on Kambo individually.
How long does Kambo last
The side effects caused due to the absorment of this sacred secretion by the body usually last from 5 to 30 minutes, though some note that they’ve experienced them for up to several hours only in rare occasions.
Is Kambo Legal
Laws regarding the use and sales of Kambo vary from country to country. In the United States, Kambo is technically legalized, yet it is not among the substances regulated by any health organizations, such as the FDA (Food and Drug Administration). In Australia, Kambo was banned in October, 2021, as per decision of the Therapeutic Goods Administration. Across Europe and most South American countries, there are no known laws that prohibit the use of this substance.