- Region
- South America
- Origin
- The Caribbean and northern South America, especially the Orinoco basin of Colombia, Venezuela and Brazil
South America · Herb · № 907
Anadenanthera peregrina
Herb · South America
Yopo
Anadenanthera peregrina
A tree of the pea family with flat pods. The seeds contain a lot of bufotenine and also DMT and 5-MeO-DMT. As snuff they cause almost immediate muscle twitching, nausea and short visions in which things often seem very large.
Safety notes
Has strong physical effects: vomiting, a fast heartbeat, high blood pressure and shortness of breath; dangerous with heart and vascular disease. DMT is on List I of the Opium Act. 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: Strong physical effects; dangerous with heart and vascular disease. Use at your own risk; never alone and not with medicines. Illegal in the Netherlands.
Preparation
Traditionally the ripe seeds are lightly moistened, kneaded into a cake and roasted over a gentle fire, then ground and mixed with lime from shells or plant ash. Someone else blows the powder into the nose through a bamboo or bird-bone tube, or it is snuffed by the user, mostly by healers in healing and rituals.
Use in traditions
In 1496 Ramón Pané, an envoy of Christopher Columbus, described how the Taíno of Hispaniola used the snuff cohoba to speak with their gods, the zemis. In the Caribbean the practice disappeared with the Taíno themselves. In the nineteenth century Alexander von Humboldt and Richard Spruce described how peoples along the Orinoco prepared yopo. A related species, Anadenanthera colubrina, was used as vilca in the Andes and as cebil in Argentina.
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
By healers in healing and rituals, and formerly by the Taíno to speak with their gods.
Preparation and amount
Roasted, finely ground seeds with lime or plant ash, blown into the nose through a tube as snuff.
Caution: Strong physical effects; dangerous with heart and vascular disease. Use at your own risk; never alone and not with medicines. Illegal in the Netherlands.
- Ways to prepare herbs
- Powder and kitchen