The Seeker’s Guide to Bufo alvarius

and 5-MeO-DMT

The Seeker's Guide to Bufo alvarius was written for everyone interested in Bufo medicine. This could be anyone from the psychedelic curious to the experienced Bufo facilitator.

We aim to provide balanced, relevant, and practical information for those looking to learn about Bufo. Considering the unique lack of shamanic tradition associated with Bufo, information about safe practices needs to come from modern sources, rather than from indigenous wisdom.

This guide explains how to use Bufo responsibly and where to find a safe and responsible retreat. It also includes materials for preparation for a powerful psychedelic journey, tips for facilitators, and information on how to incorporate the experience from a Bufo ceremony into your daily life.

This guide is split into two sections.

1. Bufo 101. This first section provides crucial background information about Bufo and its history, allowing you, the seeker, to understand Bufo alvarius from a cultural and scientific perspective.
2. How to do Bufo alvarius. The second part includes information on what you should expect from an experience with Bufo, as well as the safety concerns and risks associated with this medicine, and harm reduction strategies. You’ll also learn how to choose a safe Bufo retreat center or facilitator.

Although Bufo alvarius is a potent psychedelic medicine that may not be appropriate for the majority of psychedelic seekers, we believe that those who do choose to use it should be well-informed on strategies to help reduce risk and enhance its healing potential.

We hope that with the help of this guide, you’ll be able to make the best and safest decision possible about your journey.

This guide was created as a labor of love, from the depths of our hearts to you.

With So Much Love,
Lorna Liana & the EntheoNation Team

Bufo alvarius venom was first chemically examined in 1965; the paper that showed that it contained the psychoactive substance 5-MeO-DMT was published shortly after. [2] In the mid-1980s, after the first description of smoking Bufo alvarius venom was published in the form of an extraordinary pamphlet titled “Bufo alvarius: The Psychedelic Toad of the Sonoran Desert,” smoking toad venom became a fringe, underground phenomenon.^[3]

5-MeO-DMT is a chemical with a history of shamanic use in the form of some plant-based snuffs. Most often, plants that contain 5-MeO-DMT also contain other psychoactive components such as DMT and bufotenin. Ground and dried seeds of plants such as Anadenanthera peregrina (yopo) and Virola elongata are ground up into a snuff which is blown into the participant’s nostrils by a shaman, in ceremonies using specially-crafted pipes. The practice of using yopo snuff has been found in Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Peru, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico. ^[4] These traditions date back thousands of years; bufotenin, a substance often found alongside 5-MeO-DMT in many plants, has been found in the remains of a shamanic pouch in the Andes mountains, dated at 1,000 years old. ^[5]

Because it was not included in the UN Convention on Psychotropic Substances in 1971, 5-MeO-DMT is not a restricted substance in most nations. However, this compound is a Class A/Schedule I substance in the United States and the United Kingdom. As a result, consuming Bufo venom in these countries may be considered unlawful.

Bufotenin, another psychoactive component found in Bufo alvarius venom, is likewise not controlled in most countries, but it is classified as a Class A/Schedule I substance in the US and the UK.

Bufo alvarius venom contains a number of toxic chemicals, including bufotoxin, that can kill small animals and do serious damage to humans. Thankfully, drying and smoking the venom destroys these toxins.

What is left is mainly 5-MeO-DMT and bufotenin, two chemicals with similarities to DMT. Both bufotenin ^[6] and 5-MeO-DMT ^[7] are powerful psychedelics; several times as potent as DMT, requiring much smaller doses to have the same effect.

Although very little research has been done on bufotenin, we know more about 5-MeO-DMT. Similarly to DMT and other classic psychedelics, 5-MeO-DMT activates serotonin receptors; and mainly the 5-HT2A receptor. ^[8] The boost in serotonin that 5-MeO-DMT causes is thought to be linked to the psychedelic effects.

A low dose of 5-MeO-DMT would be around 1-3mg when inhaled. Since most Bufo venom contains around 15% 5-MeO-DMT by dry weight, ^[3] this would involve vaporizing around 6-10mg of dried venom as a starter dose.

Smoking the venom produces an intense experience, often considered more intense than DMT due to the combination of 5-MeO-DMT and bufotenin. It only takes a few seconds for the effects to kick in, and they typically last about 15 minutes, usually subsiding after around 40 minutes. Some say the psychedelic “afterglow” can be felt for as long as days or weeks following the session.

Smoking Bufo can be physiologically risky. It can cause muscle tremors, a reduction in breathing rate, and nausea/vomiting. The experience can be very intense, especially for people with heart conditions or who are naive to psychedelics. When additional medications or substances are brought into the equation, effects can be fatal. Do not combine Bufo venom, or 5-MeO-DMT, with MAOIs (including ayahuasca). There are several reports of deaths resulting from these combinations. ^[9]

The practice of inhaling Bufo alvarius venom has become increasingly popular in a variety of ceremonial settings in recent years, as neo-shamanic Bufo facilitators have begun offering to administer the medicine in ceremonies aimed at addressing spiritual or physical issues. However, compared to other psychedelics, research into 5-MeO-DMT is sparse, and there is not yet a consensus on its therapeutic potential.

Anecdotal evidence suggests that 5-MeO-DMT can be used to treat opioid dependence or other addictions. Some ibogaine treatment clinics combine 5-MeO-DMT with iboga to evoke a mystical experience in participants that can enhance iboga's anti-addictive benefits.

One study of proteins in artificial human organs found that 5-MeO-DMT reduced the levels of an addiction receptor (mGluR5), implying that it may have anti-addictive properties of its own,^[10] and another survey of 5-MeO-DMT users found that 66 percent of people with alcoholism saw improvements after taking the substance.^[11]

One survey of 350 people who had been participants in Bufo sessions showed that people who had been suffering from depression or anxiety were very likely to experience improvements in their conditions after the session. 80% of people with depression said that their symptoms were improved, and 79% of people with anxiety reported improvements. ^[12]

The Bufo experience comes with many risks, and should not be seen as a “magic pill” treatment of your issues. As with any intense psychedelic experience, there is a risk of psychological damage if adequate preparation and integration is not carried out. There are potentially deadly substance interactions, and some medical conditions that make Bufo use unadvisable. Poor facilitation of your ceremony can be fatal, with several deaths linked to facilitators engaging in unethical practices, or neglecting their participants. Read more in our section on Risks.

Still curious? Our Beginner’s Guide to Healing with Bufo Alvarius and 5-MeO-DMT has more in-depth information.

Bufo experiences are primarily sought out for personal development reasons. Seekers hope that the powerful mystical experience of complete ego dissolution and “One with the Universe” experience that it elicits will provide freedom and a new perspective that will allow the individual to break free of limiting patterns and the grip of old traumas.

Research has shown that the magnitude of the spiritual experience that accompanies some psychedelic trips is directly related to the healing benefits. ^[13][14] 5-MeO-DMT has been shown to effectively invoke a mystical experience in around 75% of people who take it, and the intensity of the experience is comparable to a high-dose magic mushroom trip. ^[15]

A sense of realization or awakening, a meeting with some form of universal truth or reality, and a sense of interconnection or timelessness are all common themes in mystical experiences. People frequently claim mystical experiences give them a new perspective on life, as well as new inspiration to make positive changes. Bufo journeys seem to generally fit the paradigm of a profound mystical experience.

You can start to understand why the mystical experience might be linked to healing after reading some 5-MeO-DMT experiences:

“I found myself floating in what I can only describe as an eternal, infinite void. In this ‘dimension’, there was no time, and no space. I forgot their meanings. I forgot my human senses, all of them. This perception was so direct and total, that it was beyond any sense; it was not visual, not tactile, not soniferous... It was everything at once and more. Unified, undefined, compressed. I forgot the life I had before. I forgot who or what I used to be. One thing only was certain: I was. I was this omnipotent flow of purity. When this realization popped out, it was so deep and clear, that I could only think ‘This is absolutely incredible,’ although it was a feeling rather than a thought. An obvious and undeniable feeling, a beam of unprocessed truth. Like opening my eyes to light for the first time. And discovering existence as what it truly is. I remained in this state for what felt like an eternity. Immersed in this divine light. One with it. The serenity I felt was of cosmic proportions. It was intense, even more so than the destructive energy of before, but this time, it was positive and healing. It felt like home. Home of the soul. The one and only place I ever wanted to end up within. While deeply mystical and mysterious, there was nothing to understand, nothing to analyze, nothing to conceptualize... It was the clearest, and the most obvious, and the most unquestionable feeling ever.”

- account from actualized.org ^[16]

 ^[2]“From beyond the center of my being issued forth two distinct and inseparable projections. With the fury and potency of all of the pain and all of the ecstasy of creation, came a scream that shook the very foundations of matter itself. From beyond the portals of time and space issued an orgasm that was the birth of stars, galaxies and Universes. With it came an effluent, projectile emission that was the healing, furious waters of Ma Ganga, pouring from the center of heaven’s gate to wash away all of the sins of the ancestors of humanity, to purge all of the holiest places and to asperge every sacred rite performed throughout time. And in this I was born into Being. Born into the birthright of every child, into pure bliss riding the waves of Divine Consciousness, the joy of innocence that cannot be lost because it is inherently what we ARE, reclaiming the lila of the Goddess for every misplaced child of creation, transported through laughter, through tears and through songs sung in words that have been buried long ago in the sands of time, obliterated in the dust of stars. She welcomed me into Her Manifest Fullness. All that was, was the knowing: Shivaa’Ham – Divine, Sacred Feminine, I Am That..”

- account from Erowid ^[17]

“[There] was an immediate complete dissolution of any identity and a merging into the Oneness, timeless, pure awareness and light energy of the Universe. An enlightenment experience. Complete clarity. I also had the experience of energetically dumping everything that I had been holding onto from the past up to that point in my life. There was a knowing that all of my previous ‘suffering’ was designed perfectly and got me to this point in time where I could have such a direct experience of my (our) true nature.”

- account from Erowid ^[18]

The increase in the popularity of Bufo ceremonies has created corresponding pressure on toad populations, and raised the question of long-term sustainability.

Although Bufo alvarius is not an endangered species, its numbers are declining, ^[19] probably due to the increase in human interest. Since Bufo alvarius spends most of its time underground, hunters search for the toad during its short mating season.

Although the milking of the venom itself does not harm the toads, if done responsibly, the toads’ habitats are being encroached upon by fervent venom hunters, and this will undeniably have an effect on this species. Additionally, some black market vendors are selling the toads in order to establish farms, taking the largest and most fertile toads out of their native ecosystems. ^[19]

Synthetic 5-MeO-DMT is a sustainable alternative to milking Bufo alvarius toads, and appears to have very similar psychedelic effects to smoking Bufo venom. Dozens of plants are a natural source of 5-MeO-DMT, and present a more sustainable option than the milking of toads.

If you attend a Bufo retreat, make sure to ask where the venom was sourced, and if it was done responsibly and sustainably. Ideally, the venom would have been obtained from non-farmed toads, who were milked harmlessly, and returned to their native habitat.

For details on conservation efforts that you can donate to, see our Resources section.

The first step is to pick where and how you want to experience Bufo. Although some people prefer to take Bufo without the assistance of a facilitator or sitter, we don’t recommend doing this. The intensity of the Bufo experience can be substantially higher than that with many classical psychedelics, so it's always essential to have a sober sitter - and preferably an experienced facilitator.

Many Bufo alvarius retreats provide the opportunity to take Bufo in a ceremonial, guided setting. These differ in terms of the level of luxury they offer and the amount of mysticism imbued in the ceremony.

Bufo novices may benefit from retreats in that they (ideally) provide the level of care and support needed for an introduction to this powerful psychedelic. When choosing a retreat, you should assess the following factors:

 Once you’ve found a retreat that appears like it’ll be a good fit for you, it’s important to ensure the retreat and its facilitators are trustworthy and safety-conscious.

The effects of Bufo can be extremely overpowering and have been fatal in the past when combined with poor facilitation or inadequate medical supervision. There have been cases of abusive facilitators (such as Octavio Rettig and Gerry Sandoval) directly or indirectly causing deaths and injuries at their retreats.

You should conduct extensive research into your chosen retreat to ensure that they have a good track record and take the safety of their guests seriously:

Remember that a competent Bufo facilitator should strictly  be a supportive and passive presence during the ceremony, and should not interact with you in any manner other than to keep you safe.

Facilitators who give their participants electric shocks, rapé, or pour water into their lungs during the experience, should be avoided. You might think that would go without saying, but some facilitators (including Octavio Rettig) have been responsible for several deaths due to these dangerous methods.

Also keep in mind that a Bufo facilitator should be totally focussed on you during the entire experience. Avoid ceremonies or retreats where one facilitator has their attention split between multiple participants at once. It can only take a moment for a Bufo experience to turn deadly, so choose a facilitator who you know won’t take any risks.

 Retreats aren't for everyone, and if you've used psychedelics before, you might think you're capable of setting up your own trip environment.

When using a potentially harmful entheogen like Bufo venom, however, it’s always recommended to have a sitter present.

Your sitter should ideally be an experienced Bufo facilitator who knows how to assist trippers through intense and demanding experiences while also keeping them safe throughout the peak.

The sitter should, at the absolute least, be sober and:

• Know the space. Know where the amenities are, as well as where to get food, water, and outside help. Help maintain a comfortable environment and ensure the tripper’s safety.
  
  
• Know the medicine. Know how much Bufo is an optimal dose, how long it’ll last, and what kind of side effects to be prepared for.

• Know how to keep the tripper safe. Bufo can have intense effects, and trippers often lose control of their body. A good sitter must prepare the environment to be able to control any wild movements and calm the tripper down if they are in distress.
  
  
• Know the tripper. Recognize why they're taking Bufo and what they may require during the journey. Set any precise physical contact boundaries beforehand.
  
  
• Be a gentle presence. A good sitter doesn’t steer the tripper in a specific direction unless there's a definite necessity for it. They are a silent, supporting presence who offers gentle reassurance when necessary. They are not a therapist; their main job is to just be there and keep the tripper safe.

Some basic tips for setting up an at-home Bufo experience are:

• Prepare the space. Make sure you’ll be comfortable, and keep any sharp or dangerous objects out of the space. Make sure no one will interrupt you. If you are tripping outside, make sure it is a familiar place that has no hazards (i.e. deep water, cliffs).
  
  
• Follow the usual preparations as if you were attending a retreat. See the section below and prepare yourself to have a transformational experience.
  

Spiritual practices can assist you in setting your intention, which is an important element of any psychedelic journey. Having a clear aim in mind for what aspects of yourself or the world you want to explore during your experience can boost your chances of learning something impactful.

Make sure you don't mix up "intentions" and "expectations." You could spend days or weeks focusing on a specific goal, just for Bufo to decide it won't be helping you work on that this time. Consider your intentions as a foundation - a safe place to return to if you fall off track. However, don't expect Bufo to follow those intentions as a rule of thumb. Expect to lose control and be taken to unexpected places.

Bufo venom is not a risk-free entheogen. Not only are there some pharmacological interactions to be aware of, but your general health should be good so you can withstand the profound experience, and you should have highly safety-minded facilitators.

Most deaths associated with Bufo use involve poor or negligent facilitation. Due to the intense nature of the experience, participants often lose their ability to move or breathe properly. Deaths have resulted from facilitators not paying adequate attention to participants who were in distress, and unable to breathe; and other deaths have been due to irresponsible practices such as forcing water into participants’ lungs, or using electric shocks. See our Resources section for a link to an open letter denouncing these practices.

To minimize these risks, make sure you are in good health before your experience, and only trip with facilitators who you have researched and who you trust to take your safety as a priority.

There are some drug interactions that could be dangerous when using Bufo alvarius venom or 5-MeO-DMT:

• Lithium. This is sometimes given as a mediator in combination with some forms of medication. Numerous reports suggest that lithium can cause fatal seizures and heart attacks when mixed with psychedelics like 5-MeO-DMT. ^[20] Do not take Bufo or 5-MeO-DMT if you are taking lithium.
  
  
• Tramadol. This is a synthetic opioid that affects the serotonin system and lowers the threshold for seizures. There appears to be a real risk of serotonin syndrome if you combine Tramadol with 5-MeO-DMT, ^[21] which can be fatal. Tramadol is also sold as Ultram.
  
  
• SSRI medications. Currently there is no evidence that this combination is risky, although there is a theoretical chance of Serotonin Syndrome if high doses are combined. Don’t risk taking Bufo or 5-MeO-DMT with high doses of SSRI medications. Common SSRIs include Celexa, Lexapro, Prozac, and Zoloft.
  
  
• MAOI medications. There have been several cases of deaths from the combination of 5-MeO-DMT with MAOIs. ^[9] Avoid being on any MAOI medication if you plan to take Bufo or 5-MeO-DMT. Also avoid any MAOI-influencing psychedelics, such as ayahuasca, in the week before and after a Bufo experience. Common MAOIs include Emsam, Marplan, Nardil, and Parnate.
  
  
• Heart or blood pressure medications. Bufo can drastically affect your heart rate, and breathing. If you are on heart or blood pressure medications, consider getting a medical professional’s opinion before taking Bufo or 5-MeO-DMT.

It's crucial to recognize that any psychedelic experience comes with psychological risks in addition to the physical ones; it can be very intense to have your perceptions and ideas substantially altered by a chemical compound.

During a 5-MeO-DMT or Bufo session, people frequently experience intense dread and distress. Bufo alvarius, perhaps more than any other psychedelic, can be both traumatic and healing, and considerable preparation as well as awareness of the hazards are essential for a safe experience.

If you're working with a skilled facilitator and have a solid support structure in place, you're less likely to experience serious consequences.

If you've gone through a distressing experience, practicing proper integration strategies with qualified facilitators can help you avoid long-term psychological damage and help you perceive the journey in a positive way. In our Resources area, you can learn more about integration.

The comedown is also relatively quick, with a return to earth and human form happening within a few minutes after the peak of the experience. From here, the tripper might feel a gradual subsiding of the experience lasting for some time. Due to the profound and intense nature of the trip, Bufo participants can find themselves struggling to grasp the meaning of the experience for days, weeks, or months following the ceremony. In this case, integration practices are especially recommended.

During a Bufo experience, it's possible to have shocking, unpleasant, or distressing sensations and thoughts. That's understandable: most of us aren't used to coming into such close communion with powerful spirit medicines, and it's unusual for someone to have a completely pleasant experience with no difficulties.Letting go is the key to not allowing the intense or negative aspects of the experience to overwhelm you. Try to let go of control and trust that you will be taken care of. 

That doesn’t mean that you are expected to not have any trepidations about your upcoming journey. Fear is a natural reaction to unfamiliar experiences. As Terence McKenna put it:

“[The fear] marks the experience as existentially authentic. [...] A touch of terror gives the stamp of validity to the experience because it means, ‘This is real.’ We are in the balance. We read the literature, we know the maximum doses, and so on. But nevertheless, so great is one’s faith in the mind that when one is out in it one comes to feel that the rules of pharmacology do not really apply and that control of existence on that plane is really a matter of focus of will and good luck.”

- Terence McKenna ^[22]

So it's natural to be afraid when you're thrown out of your typical frame of reference, since all of a sudden, the firm ground beneath your feet transforms into a plunge into the unknown. It’s important to be able to accept this new and frightening scenario.

Instead of thrashing about in the nothingness underneath you, remember that this is a normal part of the psychedelic experience, and the thing that will help you most is letting go. Lean into the fear and embrace this new reality.

Remember that you are safe and that you are being looked after. Welcome the difficulties and the joys, the ups and the downs of the experience. Try to give up your sense of self to Bufo and recognize that it knows best. Take the lessons it teaches you in a humble and open manner.

The Bufo experience can be so unique and profound that a conscious effort is needed to effectively integrate it into your life. This process can take days, weeks, or even years, and it starts right after your journey.

Some facilitators will reach out to you after the ceremony to talk about your experience and assist you in interpreting parts of it that you’re having difficulty with. After the main ceremony, most good retreats will include time for a sharing circle, when you can hear about other people's experiences and express your own.

It's a good idea to keep up any spiritual activities you were doing before the encounter in the days and weeks afterward, and see how they feel different. Through these practices, revisit the experience and consider which aspects of your Bufo journey you wish to incorporate into your life and how.

If words don’t seem to be doing the job, try expressing yourself through art or music. And, if your retreat allows it, keep in touch with your facilitator or guide. Consider seeing a trained integration provider if you're having trouble processing certain aspects of the experience; they're a growing class of professionals who specialize in helping individuals process their psychedelic experiences. For further information, see our Resources section.

Read our in-depth Psychedelic Integration Guide for Bufo & 5-MeO-DMT for more details.

As far as the Bufo toads go, harvesting them is possible and legal with a few restrictions. In New Mexico, only state residents may collect them without a license. In Arizona, both residents and non-residents may harvest a maximum of 10 Bufo toads with a valid fishing license. In California, where their numbers are much lower, it’s a misdemeanor to collect toads and possession is against the law. The Bufo toad is a threatened species and we do not support their capture.

As for 5-MeO-DMT, Canada and Mexico have the substance unregulated, but it's illegal in most other Western countries. ^[23]
Extracting the venom from the toad for use in psychedelic purposes in any country where 5-MeO-DMT is a scheduled substance is illegal.

For many people, the period following their first Bufo experience feels like a fresh start. You may feel as though some of your demons or issues have been exposed and cleaned, or the world may feel rejuvenated. You might have received a new purpose in life, or you might have been reminded of one you already had.

Bufo can set you on the path to a long journey in various ways. There will always be more to learn, more ways to develop, and more healing to take place.

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