While there is speculation that Sapo, also known as Bufo or the toad medicine has been used historically by Mesoamerican ancient people, it is only now regaining popularity due to the rising awareness around psychedelic medicine. The substance which is derived from the Bufo Alvarius, is a psycho-spiritual medicine that is said to offer a transformative experience to those who use it. In this blog post, we'll dive deep into the world of Sapo, exploring its origins, uses, and effects.
About the Sonoran Desert Toad
The Bufo Alvarius or Sonoran Desert toad is a nocturnal amphibian that remains underground during hot days.
They can be found mainly in the Lower Sonoran Life Zone, but also occur in the Upper Sonoran, ranging from about sea level to 1,500 meters above sea level.
The toads only come out when there are repeated significant rainfall events. So they are quite elusive little creatures!
What is Sapo?
Sapo, also known as Bufo, is a secretion extracted from the gland. The milky-white liquid is extracted (the toad is not harmed in the process) and dried until it becomes a powder. It is then vaporized in a flask with heat and inhaled in the form of smoke. It produces an incredibly intense entheogenic experience of incredibly short duration.
The venom not only contains 5-MeO DMT but also a variety of bioamine compounds that make the difference in regards to the entheogenic experience. So far there are 21 compounds or biogenic amines found, some of which have never been deeply studied. At least half of them are tryptamines, meaning hallucinogenic.
Sapo and Its Compounds
One of the main compounds in Sapo is 5-MeO DMT, also referred to as the "God Molecule". It’s no surprise that smoking toad medicine is said to be similar to "free-base jumping into the heart of God".
5-MeO DMT is a natural neurotransmitter found in every mammal and human and plays a role in both mammalian evolution and human consciousness. The molecule belongs to the tryptamine family and is a "super oxygenated form of DMT" that can cross the blood-brain barrier faster and more potently than other tryptamines.
5-MeO DMT and DMT are two different molecules, with 5-MeO DMT being at least 5 times stronger than DMT. The effects of DMT are more visionary and dualistic, while 5-MeO DMT is more of a spiritual or religious experience.
5-MeO DMT has also been found to have anti-inflammatory effects and could be a promising candidate for future pharmacological therapies in chronic inflammatory and autoimmune conditions.
Preparing for the Toad Experience
Before taking toad, it is important to prepare yourself mentally and emotionally. A preparatory phase that includes a mental exercise of relaxation and preparation is necessary. A slight meditation and a prayer might be enough. Blessing of the sacred space is vital. It’s imperative to clear the space from any influence, vibe, energy, memory, or whatever may have an outer effect on the participant.
The Role of Facilitators in Toad Experiences
Guiding or facilitating someone on an entheogenic journey as powerful as toad is sacred work. Facilitators must act like shepherds guiding the flock back home.
There are known maps that have thrown some light to safe routes of exploration and transfiguration, and when taking toad, we want to be as protected as possible to be able to experience unfiltered Light and Unconditional Love without any interference or influence of any sort.
During the ceremony, it’s really important you’re accompanied by an experienced facilitator, who can envisage what you are going through, and share their positive energy with you during the journey.
What does Sapo feel like?
Toad venom is known to have breakthrough life-changing effects on people, but the way people respond to toad and to their experiences varies immensely. The experience is said to involve dissolving all self-produced perceptions and connecting with the source of consciousness.
The toad experience is fluid and ever-changing. The first period is that of complete transcendence- beyond words, beyond space-time, beyond self. There are no visions, no sense of self, no thoughts. There is only pure awareness and ecstatic freedom from all daily life quotidian involvements.
The second lengthy period involves the self, or reality – in sharp exquisite clarity. The final period involves the return to routine reality and the self. For most persons, the second stage is the longest and involves issues with integrating back into their established or fixed reality.
The whole experience can last anywhere from a few minutes to an hour. This all depends on the willingness of the participant to surrender, the correct amount of smoke inhaled (when too much is inhaled, a participant is unlikely to remember their experience at all), and other factors contributing to their internal world happening during the experience.
When someone is going through the medicine process, we can observe expressions of emotions that do not necessarily relate to what’s going on inside themselves. When we see someone cry, it does not mean they are having a bad experience, or when they laugh we can not deduce what this means. It is often surprising to hear people talk about their experience when it can be far removed from their physical reaction.
Some people use the words “life-changing” to describe their experience, while others do not appear to be changed in any significant way. It seems there is a certain degree of ability needed to contextualize the breakthrough experience, and often, there is no easy way to do it.
After taking the medicine, there is no hangover or harmful effect and a pleasant psychedelic afterglow appears quite regularly.
The Brain and Toad
In regards to enlightenment and the brain, the neocortex (the thinking-intellect-part), the limbic system and thalamus (the feeling-emotion-part) and the medulla oblongata (the intuition-unconscious part) attain a previously non-existent but always possible mode of intercellular communication.
Shamanistic healing practices achieve this integration-communication by physically stimulating systematic brain wave discharge patterns that activate affects, memories, attachments, and other psychodynamic processes of our paleomammalian brain.
Who Should Not Take Toad
Not everyone will benefit from taking toad. The following personalities do NOT benefit from taking toad such as people with psychotic, schizophrenia, or any schizophrenic disorders. People who take it in a recreational manner are in for a huge surprise, and people who are taking any kind of antidepressant medication or SRSIs, serotonin receptor reuptake inhibitors, or Dopamine, tricyclic medications, are all CONTRAINDICATED at least in regards to toad medicine and should be off this kind of medications for at least one month.
The Goal of the Medicine
The real benefit of this medicine is that it can help heal traumatic experiences, release energetic karmic residues, and energetic blockages to expand fully into one’s true energetic state. It supports us to perceive and experience the fundamental energetic unity of all things life and consciousness, achieve personal clarity into one’s true nature and reach liberation from all personal imaginary limitations and ego-produced perceptions and fears.
If you want to go deeper into understanding toad medicine, here are some helpful books:
"The Toad of Dawn: 5-MeO-DMT and the Rise of Cosmic Consciousness" by Dr. Octavio Rettig Hinojosa, which examines the use of the Bufo Alvarius toad as a powerful tool for personal and spiritual growth.
"The Toad Medicine" by J.D. Arthur, which is an in-depth exploration of the ancient use of the Bufo toad in spiritual and healing practices in the Amazon and its modern applications.
"Sapo in Soup: A Study of the Use of Bufo Alvarius in Northern Peru" and "The Toad and the Jaguar: A Field Report of a Trip Through Time Among the Yachaks of the Northwest Amazon" by Peter Gorman. These books explore the use of the Bufo Alvarius toad in traditional Amazonian shamanism and provides a detailed account of the author's personal experiences with the medicine.
We serve Sapo at our retreats in the Amazon and Sacred Valley in Peru as well as our Yucatán, Mexico location. This can purchased as an add-on to your Ayahuasca journeys. Sapo and the other medicines are not served together but we do find that Sapo helps open people up even more on their internal healing process.
We’re also highly aware of the pressure on the toad population, so we only work with an established toad reserve that puts the preservation and health of the toad population as its number one priority.
If you have any further questions about an experience with Sapo, do reach out to us as we’re always ready to help.
If you feel the call to join us, you can check out our retreats here.