Jurema

Mimosa tenuiflora (syn. Mimosa hostilis)

A thorny tree or shrub of the pea family with feathery leaves and white, fragrant flower spikes. The root bark contains much DMT. Taken by mouth, DMT normally does not work without an MAO inhibitor; why the jurema drink is still said to work is not clear.

Safety notes

Can cause vomiting and severe anxiety; life-threatening together with antidepressants, MAO inhibitors and other substances that act on serotonin. Animals can also be harmed by it. DMT is on list I of the Dutch Opium Act: preparing the drink or DMT from the bark is a criminal offence in the Netherlands. External use of tepezcohuite is not covered by this. This information describes traditional use and is no encouragement or advice. Use is at your own risk; the makers of this site are not responsible for the consequences. Never alone, never together with alcohol, other drugs or medicines, not in pregnancy, with heart disease or mental illness (also in the family), and do not drive. In an emergency call 112.

Cautions by tradition (1)

Healing traditions of the Americas: Life-threatening with antidepressants. Use at your own risk; never alone and not with medicines. Illegal in the Netherlands.

Preparation

Traditionally the root bark is beaten loose and pounded, then soaked in cold water and wrung out into a red, foaming drink, vinho da jurema, which is drunk in rituals. For remedies a handful of bark is boiled in water, as a drink for cough and bronchitis. In Mexico the ground bark, tepezcohuite, is laid on burns and wounds.

Use in traditions

In northeastern Brazil jurema is at the centre of rituals of Indigenous peoples such as the Kariri-Shokó, Pankararu and Fulni-ô, often with the song and dance ceremony toré. The drink is also used in Jurema Sagrada, an Afro-Brazilian and Indigenous religion, where the jurema is a sacred tree and a world of spirits. In Mexico tepezcohuite became known when it was used for burns after the San Juanico gas disaster in 1984.

Applications

Use by tradition

How different herbal traditions describe this herb. Amounts are traditional guidelines checked for obvious errors; they are not medical advice. For poisonous plants no dosage is given on purpose.

Healing traditions of the Americas

Attributed effects

In rituals such as the toré and in Jurema Sagrada; for cough, and externally for burns and wounds.

Preparation and amount

Pounded root bark soaked in cold water and wrung out into vinho da jurema; the bark boiled as a cough drink, or ground onto burns.

Caution: Life-threatening with antidepressants. Use at your own risk; never alone and not with medicines. Illegal in the Netherlands.

Ways to prepare herbs: Powder and kitchen

Sources

All herbs from South America →