Sitting with Kambo is not a psychedelic experience. It does not induce visions or euphoria. Instead, Kambo is a traditional Amazonian medicine known for its intense purgative effects. It offers deep detoxification and powerful support for the body’s immune, endocrine, and energetic systems.

To sit with Kambo is to enter a ceremony of confrontation, cleansing, and spiritual honesty. This sacred ritual is rooted in Indigenous wisdom. It is offered in devotion to your highest alignment. It is not meant for escape or performance.

Honoring the Lineage and the Frog

Kambo comes from the secretion of the Phyllomedusa bicolor, known as the giant monkey frog. Found in the upper Amazon, this secretion has been used by the Matsés and other tribes for generations. They use it to remove what they call panema, a fog that dulls the mind, weakens the spirit, and clouds intention.

The frogs are treated with great care and reverence. Their secretion is gently harvested by stimulating their skin. This is done with wooden sticks before the animal is safely returned to its natural habitat. As recipients of this medicine, we bear the responsibility of ensuring ethical sourcing and proper ceremonial conduct.

To learn more about the legal and ethical framework surrounding this work, please see Kambo: Legal and Ethical Practices.

How Kambo Works with the Body

Kambo contains a complex mix of bioactive peptides. These small protein-like molecules communicate directly with the body’s systems. Key peptides include:

• Dermorphin and deltorphin: natural opioid peptides that assist with pain relief and mood regulation

• Phyllocaerulein and sauvagine: vasoactive peptides that influence blood pressure, digestion, and stress hormones

• Adenoregulin: thought to affect cellular metabolism and immune function

  
  

When Kambo is applied to the skin, these peptides rapidly enter the lymphatic system and bloodstream. Many recipients report a strong purgative response. This is often followed by clarity, improved energy, pain relief, and heightened immunity.

The Effects of Kambo

Scientific studies show that Kambo does not produce psychedelic states. However, its subacute effects often mirror the “afterglow” reported from serotonergic psychedelics. This may include elevated mood, focus, and personal insights.

Kambo works to cleanse and boost your overall well-being. This is where its power lies.

The Role of Intention

Your intention is crucial. It's not about trying to control the experience, but about orienting your system towards healing. Kambo responds not to perfection but to sincerity. While intention helps give the medicine direction, it is vital to remember that we get what we need, not always what we want.

Intentions rooted in emotional honesty are the most powerful. Instead of vague statements like “I want to heal,” try something more specific: “I want to reconnect with my intuition” or “I wish to clear the shame held in my body.” During the ceremony, I will assist in setting a powerful intention. For deeper preparation, I recommend reading The Power of Intention. Together, we will set an intention to transmute what you're ready to let go of into energy you can embrace.

Preparation and the Dieta

Preparation is essential for a successful Kambo experience. Before sitting with Kambo, you’ll follow a dieta—a 7-day regimen supporting physical, mental, and energetic alignment. This dieta involves abstaining from:

• Pork, red meat, and fried or processed foods

• Alcohol, cannabis, or recreational substances

• Sexual activity, including masturbation

• Fermented foods, refined sugar, and caffeine

• Fear-based or stimulating media

  
  

It is vital to remember that it's not solely about what we eat. The emotional and mental content we consume matters just as much. Movies, news, conversations, and digital overstimulation can all leave their mark. The dieta aims for a full-spectrum reset, ensuring that your body and spirit can hear the medicine clearly.

After the ceremony, continue with a 7-day post-dieta. This allows for full integration and recovery.

The Pre-Purge: It Starts Before You Sit

The powerful spirit of Kambo starts to work as soon as you commit. Many people experience signs of the medicine acting even before application. This phenomenon is known as the pre-purge. It may manifest as:

• Fatigue or insomnia

• Anxiety or emotional waves

• Strong cravings for difficult-to-avoid foods

• Resistance, fear, or doubt about the ceremony

  
  

Kambo often begins by loosening what is ready to release. While confronting, this process can also be incredibly clarifying.

Inside the Ceremony

The ceremony is structured with multiple layers of support. Sacred tools such as sage, Mapacho, and Agua de Florida are used to maintain the energetic integrity of the space.

• Sage clears stagnant or chaotic energy.

• Mapacho serves as a grounding and protective tobacco spirit, guiding and containing the purge.

• Agua de Florida, often called “spiritual gloves,” creates an energetic boundary and may be applied to the body to activate or support the purge.

  
  

You will be seated comfortably. After intention-setting and prayer, Kambo is applied to small superficial burns on your skin called “dots.” The medicine acts rapidly, entering the bloodstream within moments. Many experience heat, dizziness, purging (vomiting or bowel movements), or emotional waves. Reactions vary; some cry, others laugh, some even faint.

As your facilitator, I will be there to offer support. My role is to guide the process and help you stay present. However, the medicine meets you where you are. It is your work to embrace the experience courageously.

After the Ceremony: Integration

After the purge, stillness often follows. The acute experience typically lasts 25 to 30 minutes. This is usually followed by a brief rest and reflection period after the medicine is removed. However, its effects can ripple for weeks.

Integration means more than just journaling. It requires listening deeply to your body, honoring what was revealed, and making shifts in your life that reflect the clarity you've gained. Without proper integration, the ceremony risks becoming a performance rather than a genuine transformation.

Closing Words

Sitting with Kambo places you at the edge of a threshold. Healing is not simply handed to you. Instead, you are invited to earn it with presence, humility, and courage.

The medicine has the power to purge the body, awaken clarity, and strengthen both the immune and energetic systems. However, only you can decide to make lasting changes afterward.

If you are preparing to sit with Kambo, begin your dieta. Set your intention. Remember, this journey is not just about what leaves you. It is about all that you are finally ready to become.