The Toad Venom That's Stronger Than DMT: Bufo | High Society

Thank you for giving us this medicine, healing us, and teaching us how to heal ourselves. I've done some pretty crazy things while making Vice documentaries, but this is the craziest thing I've ever done in my life. Bufo can help you deconstruct all the beliefs, all the thoughts that don't work for you. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. It's a cycle. And you don't know how to stop. How aware were you of what you did when you were under the influence of

bufo

? You are totally unaware of your body. When I received the blow, my soul left my body.

I feel like I died. It felt like I had been struck by lightning. There is no way back. Taking

bufo

alvarius or quick

toad

involves smoking the

venom

milked from the Sonoran Desert

toad

in a glass pipe. Known for instilling total ego death, it is considered the most powerful hallucinogen in the world. And it is increasingly promoted as a remedy for mental illness and addiction. This should be for everyone because it really can heal. Now, a growing number of psychedelic tourists travel to Tulum, Mexico, where bufo ceremonies are legal, in search of a life-changing experience. Every trip I leave and feel much better.

It became the most meaningful experience I have had in my entire life. But for some, the experience can cause lasting trauma. This should not be administered if you have suffered severe trauma. He did the opposite of helping. I would never want to experience that again. What's more, accusations against prominent shamans of sexual assault and accidental deaths have rocked the bufo community. People are taking advantage of women, tourists, medicines. We see each other very often in different chat groups. Be careful with this guy. Last

high

season there was a lot. As its appeal grows, I'm here to experience firsthand whether taking bufo is really worth the risk.

We are about to reach the Bufo Alvarius Sanctuary, which is basically where the hard sell to tourists begins in the form of billboards on the main street. Toad ceremony. Inside, a shaman or facilitator, for a fee, will give you the world's most powerful hallucinogen in a tipi and then you'll be back out in an hour. Hello. How are you? - Good. Are you Dr. Alvarius? - That's how it is. Mate. Nice to meet you. - Welcome. We can go directly in to see the place. Who is this? Oh, it's Mike Tyson with Dr. Gerry. He is one of the pioneers in serving bufo already 15 years ago since he started.

Doctor Gerry. Dr. Gerry has popularized the drug throughout the world. Medicine produces the death of the ego. Picking up fans like Mike Tyson. This guy took me to heaven and back, man. He took me to a place I'd never been before, man. So he sounds like someone you should know. Yes absolutely. And how many people can you see here in a day? Up to 12 bufo sessions a day, one-hour private sessions. And how much does one cost? 3,000 pesos. Is it a profitable industry? Yes, I think everyone is winning here. What kind of qualifications do you need to manage bufo?

There isn't much theory to learn. It is only to serve enough and protect them during their journey. And where does the bufo happen? Bufo we do it in the big tipi there. Can I take a look inside? Sure. Let's go in. Clients book this tipi for an hour, but an average bufo trip lasts around 20 minutes. So you came here to do bufo. This is an amazing experience here. And this is the second time I come to this place. What do you expect to happen? Every trip, I just leave it and feel so much better. My depression has helped me a lot.

I have less anxiety. I can deal with things a little better at home. So that's what I hope for, that peace. So, did you have clinical depression? - Yes. And did they medicate you for that? When you first took bufo, did you stop taking your medication? I stopped it before the ceremony because you're supposed to stop all that stuff two weeks before and I did it then. Did you go suddenly? More or less, yes. Are you nervous or apprehensive? I'm sure I was nervous the first time, but no, I'm not nervous. I know exactly what to expect, so I'm ready.

Bufo is 10 to 20 times

stronger

than DMT, so it's no surprise that Victoria doesn't want us to film her experience. Hey. How are you? I became one with the earth and this amazing light was coming out of me. And it just reminded me like it had always been inside me. Yes I thought I had lost it. But the light is still there and it is very strong. And I am so full of gratitude right now. And can you try to describe the experience? Some parts were very similar to being in an avatar. Like if you can think of the colors.

When you can hear colors and you can smell them, it's like you become one with the planet. And that's how I felt and I felt the light coming out of me. Wow. I kind of want what she had, you know, like she had a complete reboot. So if I can get that, that would be amazing. Many people seek bufo as a remedy for their mental health problems. You might think this places an enormous responsibility on those who administer it, but their approach is surprisingly lackadaisical. So there is no client you would turn away. Only if they have a serious illness, such as physical.

Not if they had schizophrenia? Yes, even schizophrenia. I don't think it's... it absolutely can be cured with this too. What happens if they take antidepressants? Addiction to these antidepressants can also be solved here. Would you tell them to stop taking their medications? Of course, if you can do it, it is advisable to stop using them a few days before. Isn't it a little dangerous to just stop taking the medication? Yes, if you are suicidal, you might kill yourself if you stop taking it. It can be lethal to mix antidepressants with bufo. But quitting cold turkey without medical supervision is equally dangerous, as is giving such a powerful psychedelic to people at risk of psychosis.

My preconception about taking a psychedelic as strong as ayahuasca, which this is, is that you go to the jungle, there's a shaman, there's probably some drums playing. This is next to a Burger King. Away from the main street, there are independent shamans who administer the drug in more natural settings. This practice, the way I serve it, is not something I took a course or training to facilitate. Amin was a corporate banker from Mexico City who was so profoundly transformed by bufo that he left his job to manage it for others. When you are in that situation of administering the most powerful hallucinogen in the world, what do you feel?

Man, it's the most satisfying job I've ever had. Today one of his clients drinks bufo for the first time. Wow, I definitely think it's a sacred medicine, it can help you deconstruct all the beliefs, all the thoughts that don't work for you. The effects of bufo on her are not immediately visible. But internally, a psychedelic experience is unfolding as his ego begins to leave his body. How aware were you of what you did when you were under the influence of bufo? Like not at all. Yes, not at all. No, no, not at all? You were kind of laughing and drooling a little.

Almost like a happy baby. In fact, at one point, you had a rattle. I did. I felt like a happy baby. I was like. At one point you said: 'Thank you, Pacha Mama.' Thank you Pacha Mom. Pacha Mama is Mother Earth. And I think I felt really caught up in that whole experience of being out of my body. I wasn't going to fall into a hole of, you know, out of nowhere. Mother Earth provides everything we need to feel safe here. Ansley had a positive experience and seemed comfortable with Amin. But putting yourself in such a vulnerable state carries some risk.

Unfortunately, there are many people who practice without security or are simply transactional. So there are risks involved. People who drown, people, heart disease, you know, or who take other medications that can give you serotonin syndrome and you can die. People get sick a lot. Right OK. -Yeah. And what kind of sick person? Such as vomiting, fever, chills. You know, like their bodies don't react well. I guess you really have to trust that person because they are giving you some very powerful medicine. Yes, I think you are completely unaware of your body. And, if someone, yeah, I mean, if someone was touching me, I wouldn't be able to do anything about it.

Have there been cases of sexual abuse? Yes, many facilitators, I know, use medications to try to get involved with girls or even brainwash them. As if there were many stories. Shannon knows how easy it is for her to fall into the hands of a fake healer. There are so many vulnerable people here and it's so easy to take advantage of them. Many of the tactics are fear or flattery. You know, I can see how special you are. I can see that this can be changed. And if you come and work with my medicine and we do these things together, you will definitely finally be able to live the life you want to live.

And I've been in that position. And the difficult thing is that there is already so much shame around sexual abuse, and then you add psychedelics and abuse of power to it. And I feel like everything gets complicated and there's even more guilt and shame and, you know, maybe I brought this on myself and I want to talk about these things? And people come here looking for healing and sometimes you run into the wrong people. It is quite obvious that bufo is an incredibly powerful substance, but also that the people who administer it, the shamans, interact with people at their most vulnerable moment.

There is one shaman in particular that we keep hearing about. Who is this? —Mike Tyson with Dr. Gerry. How did you first learn about Doctor Gerry? He was watching a Mike Tyson podcast. Tracy had an experience with Dr. Gerry that he says affected his mental health. It took me six months to recover. He would fall asleep to me. Then I would wake up because this giant portal would open, you know, and vibrate in front of me. I could not sleep. I was having panic attacks all day. My mind was so fractured, like I couldn't drive anywhere.

I could not do anything. That fear from that bufo experience did not disappear. A series of accusations against Dr. Gerry Sandoval were published in a 2019 open letter. These include lack of aftercare, rape and sexual assault. We have even heard accusations that someone medically died while in his care and was brought back to life with CPR. My soul left my body. My heart stopped. He had to do CPR. I feel like I died. We managed to get Gerry to meet us on the shores of Lake Bacalar before taking a boat to a remote island to witness a bufo ceremony.

Gerry? -Hey. Matt, nice to meet you. —Nice to meet you, man. He has agreed to answer our questions about the allegations against him, but not in front of his clients. Adam, nice to meet you. So the people here, are they all going to make fun of you today? That's right. What kind of reasons do you have to do bufo? They can say it themselves, right? -Yeah. In my personal life, my daily life, I deal with a lot of anxiety, so I just look to get outside of myself that way. I just have at least one point of reference so that in the future I can make some significant change.

I hope to simply continue my journey of self-improvement. I feel like the breakthrough, the near-death experience that you experience has the potential to help in that way. To heal our soul and heal our body and our mind too. So it is a complete combination of body, mind and spirit. And what is your connection with Gerry? I am his wife. Are you his wife? I am his wife, yes. I'm facilitating bufo today. I've done it with Gerry before. For the first time six years ago, I had a really intense trip, but it was exactly what I needed.

How many milligrams do you give each person? I give it about 90 to 100 mg. It is the minimum effective dose to completely dissolve the ego. You're not supposed to be here. You're supposed to be out of here. Who will go first? Oh yes, I'll go first. Adam is a buffo enthusiast and today he is here in hopes of curing his social anxiety. It seems as if his soul is repeatedly pressing the snooze button on a reality-programmed alarm clock. Pacha Mama, Pacha Mama. Pacha Mama, Pacha Mama. After 20 minutes, he returns. Back to reality. If you think psychedelics lead exclusively to altruism, his following comment may surprise you.

Give all the credit to Ayn ​​Rand. One of my goals is to live to be 200 years old and I truly believe that biomedicines have an important role in that journey. While it is unclear so far whether Adam's journey has brought

society

closer to immortality, he reported that it did help his social anxiety. Can you get under my arms? Gerry's next client is Jordan, a 25-year-old trainee yoga teacher. Oh, you missed the pussy cleaning. but that was really very important. Why is it important to clean your pussy? Because this is my power center and my energy center, and it is what makes me me.

I hope to have a very orgasmic and happy experience. Spiritual guides. Transdimensional beings of light. Allowing me to be a clear and open channel of your infinite love, light and wisdom. Healing energies and Christ Consciousness. Peace on Earth begins today and it begins within me. Two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine. Simply hold it over your nose and mouth. Eight. Seven, six, five, four, three, two. Oh. As soon as Jordan inhales Dr. Gerry's 100 milligram dose of bufo, he loses complete control of his body. His teeth chatter. Where does it come from? Well,When the medicine arrives, it starts in the feet, manifests itself as a small nervous movement and ascends to the head.

It's very important not to confuse it with seizures, because a lot of people say, "wow, she's you." know. No, it's completely normal. It is expected. It is the ascension of medicine towards the brain. Oh yeah. It's easy to see how important it is that people with intense reactions like Jordan are cared for carefully. Oh. I need help. I need help. - You're sure. I do not need help. - Clarity is on the way. Yes Yes it is. - Yes. - Good girl, yes, yes. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I don't know how to let it go.

In the midst of all this, Jordan seems to gain some lucidity. Can I have more? Or should I just...? Do you want the second round? That's ok? Let's ask the Doctor. Doctor Gerry. She would like another one. No, she had a huge process right now. We don't want more. She asked for another one, but you said: No. No. She had a process, clearly. So if we give her another one, then she would be at

high

risk of having integration problems. A lot of constant reactivations and stuff. There is no need for that. Yes, good. That's why it's important to know when enough is enough.

I'm sorry. Minutes later, she returns to her trip. I don't know how to let it go. She resisted the initial phase. When you finally relax completely... The pain is in my heart. then the toad takes you for a second ride. —The pain is in my heart. Which is the case right now. —The pain is in my heart. I thought it was over. But coming back from that is very easy. I thought she was done. Jordan's experience seemed difficult on the surface, but when she finished, she felt ecstatic. Had she achieved inner peace or was she happy because the traumatic thing was over?

So what will happen to her next? Well, she has a good chance of having a revival tonight. Does she have a support network that can help her with that over the next few days while she does this? Absolutely. We will contact her to see how she is doing. But no, she had a beautiful process. I am very happy with her process. She did it. The third person who is going to bufo with Gerry today is going to do it while floating in the water. Let's hope she doesn't have a reaction like the last person. Water contains the secret of eternal life.

When we connect to water being in a higher state of consciousness. Your mind and body become completely loose. I am you. And you are me. Hello. Long time no see. Yes, it was about 20 minutes. Much more than she thought. Was there any particular trauma that you had that you felt was coming up? I think about losing my father at a young age. When I was nine years old, he passed away. He was in a tragic motorcycle accident. And I thought I was done crying about that. And I guess I just tell myself I am and move on.

And I really am not. I don't know if you knew, but you said: I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Do you know why you were apologizing? So I feel like I was still very much in my head and ego, and I was just apologizing for not giving up because it's a pattern that I feel like I do over and over again. And then I punished myself. And then a cycle occurs. But I think the thing about mental health issues is that you're trying too hard. It's a cycle. And you don't know how to stop. But it's not about being perfect and it's not about trying to put on an act or trying to say what you think people want to hear.

All those things. So I guess I was just apologizing for judging myself. At a point. I think you were a little terrified and wanted this to be over. Alright? Oh no no. -Well. If anything, I wanted more because I think I just. I wanted to... take it to another level. But I think there is a whole life for that. And I believe that healing is a process and this is just the beginning. Dr. Gerry's clients today seem positively transformed. Yes. Well done everyone. But some of his previous clients claim that his experiences were much worse. There was no help.

In fact, he told me to eat a cheeseburger, take Xanax, and take a cold shower. One even claimed that she had medically died under his care. I started in bed and everything went one way. And then I woke up on the floor with Gerry standing over me, like he was panicking. I knew something was wrong. We contacted several of the accusers about the content of the 2019 Open Letter, but none of them were able to provide a source for the sexual assault allegations that would be recorded. Although one woman said she woke up topless with his crotch in her face.

A letter was published about you. Absolutely. What's the story with that? Allegations of rape and fraud are simply false. All my organizers, especially the women, are always present when I administer medicine to a woman. As an official doctor, I have the obligation as an obstetrician-gynecologist, as a gynecologist. If I'm going to scan a woman, there has to be a nurse or a female figure there, you know. We spoke to two women who stated that their pulse stopped completely or they became unresponsive altogether while carrying bufo with them. And one of them thinks that maybe they even had to give them CPR.

No, all of that happened in her mind. She went through a powerful ego death and when she came back she thought I had raised her from the dead. I never moved from where she was, but all of that happened in her mind. We spoke to another woman who says that when she came to, she had her top off and her head was close to your crotch. No, but it is very common because that is the exhibitionist reaction. Many people, when exposed to the molecule, become naked. And of course, if that happens, if a woman undresses, I could very humbly and politely take a sheet and cover her.

There have been some people who claim that they have had psychosis or long-lasting mental effects after taking bufo with them. If you see the number of people I see, which is thousands of people, of course it is expected that a minority will have complications. There are certain diagnoses, mental illnesses that will not benefit from this experience and may in fact end up in a worse place before exposure. So what kind of precautions are taken to make sure people like that don't come to drink bufo? —Well, we examined them. You know, initially we do an evaluation. I do a medical interview to evaluate that they are in good condition for the medication.

But at the end of the day, you never know. People can always lie. My only regret is not having had enough time to spend with them, but I think I have done much more good than harm. It is conceivable that, given the power of the drug, one could imagine that any scenario could have happened while they were under the influence of it. Unfortunately, that becomes the perfect smokescreen for any accusation, whether true or not. The only admission we got from him was that, to some extent, he regrets not being there for the people who now say that after taking bufo with him, they have lasting mental effects.

It is clear that there are huge risks around bufo because it puts vulnerable people in an even more vulnerable state. But I keep hearing these stories about how it has profoundly improved people's lives. I feel that to understand if bufo is really worth the risk, there is no way to avoid trying it myself. I signed up for one of the most premium shamanic bufo packages in the industry. But even before I am introduced to a bufo shaman, I am told that I must first follow a comprehensive program of spiritual foreplay. Complete with Kundalini activation exercises, a Mayan sweat lodge, and a cenote dive.

I wonder, how many of the random things we're doing are actually important before ingesting the toad

venom

? Yes very good. That was really good. In fact, I had never been stepped on before. But yeah, right now it feels like a bit of a parade of new things. I've heard of these little dwarfs called Lucia. So Lucía's are the Mayan spirits of the jungle. I didn't used to believe in them until I saw one myself. Well. Everyone keeps saying, like when you take bufo, a part of you dies and a part of you is reborn and you change.

And I'm really worried that the part of me that's going to die is the part that doesn't believe in little dwarves. And the part of me that will be reborn is a new part that will. And I quite like the part of me that doesn't believe in little dwarves, and I really don't want it to go away. Now I'm ready to meet a bufo shaman, next to a replica of an ancient Mayan pyramid. I feel like I'm about to go on an extreme ride at Disneyland. Hello. Hello. -How are you? I'm very well. And you? Good.

Good. So, are you the shaman who is going to give me the medicine? I'm the healer, yes. So how do you decide what dose to give people? Basically, I am a very intuitive person. The way I commune and serve is by connecting with your higher self. And what was my higher self telling you now? You have about 40, 45 milligrams. Well. Yes. Just make sure you're ready to let go of everything you don't need. Well. It's fun. Are you ready to die? No. Well, let's see. Just when I'm ready to take the hit. A last minute surprise is that Rodrigo takes the hit first.

It is definitely not common practice for a sober guide to ensure the safety of a participant. Bufo smoke feels painless, like air. And the flavor I can only describe as primordial. It instantly felt like the most profound thing that had ever happened, as if up until that moment I had only experienced a small, limited fraction of reality. I also felt extremely vulnerable, like I was an egg and God had just turned me into a frying pan. At first I thought this, but when I finally gave in, it was pure bliss. I felt a gust of wind on my body.

And then that gust of wind rose through the canopy. It's like dissolving into the ground around you. I remember you telling me something like: Oh, you don't have to do it if you don't want to. And I thought: That kept echoing in my head, tying me back to reality. Well, it's an incredible experience. Did you see the elves? I didn't see any elves, but the elves were nothing compared to what I saw. So I just woke up from the craziest dreams I've ever had in my life. And I have to say, I feel amazing. I feel like the colors are more vivid.

It's like there's a road overgrown and then cut off. And now you know you can follow that path. Because the effects are so far-reaching, many shamans now offer an integration session to help you digest your experience. How was your dream? Yes, I slept very, very well. Things seem a little less stressful. So if I called you in a couple of weeks and said, you know, I've had some kind of reactivation or flashback or I'm finding something difficult, would you be there to... Sure, yeah, for sure. That's what I encourage. What about the dark side? What about people who administer bufo incorrectly?

What are the risks there? Sleep paralysis, depression or schizophrenia? There are many irresponsible sexual activities. Is it true that there have been cases of sexual assault during bufo ceremonies? There are many types of abuse. It takes two to tango as if they were not the resonance of a victim if there were no perpetrator. Also analyze what led that person to that experience. So, in situations where women allege that they have been sexually abused, are you saying that the woman could bear some responsibility? Yes. Actually? Yes, I have been to ceremonies that are not my property and that girl comes in skirts.

Like miniskirts. Well. And bringing this into this environment creates a reaction from the man, of course. But we are talking about a terrible, incredibly traumatic crime, perpetrated against a woman, whether she is wearing a skirt or not. That doesn't mean her. I know, but either way he deserves it. -I want to intervene, because I think that maybe, you are confused with what he is trying to say? Do you mean that when someone is under the influence of a girl they are trying to influence the man? It sounds like you're victim blaming, which is worrying if you're in a position of power.

No, no, I'm not. Give someone a powerful drug. Sometimes there is a language barrier. So I don't think that's what he means. If a woman is abused in a ceremony and was wearing a skirt, does she have any responsibility for that? We have to take responsibility for the experience we enter. If she went into a cave and I fell to my death, who is responsible? Me? Because I entered the cave. I was feeling great this morning, but integration therapy has left me feeling weird. He literally said it takes two to tango, it takes two to tango, but it takes one person to commit sexual assault.

That is an absolutely crazy point of view from someone who is administering a powerful drug to people at their most vulnerable moment. He is drugged when he performs these ceremonies. So if there's no third party there and the person administering the medication has that point of view, it's a pretty worrying situation. It kind of makes you think, you know, to what extent are those opinions spread among shamans here? And is there essentially a rape culture among Tulum shamans? It is clearly clear that the wellness industry is growing and growing. Tourists not only want to have fun and live aadventure.

Now they want an experience that changes their life and makes them feel better. And they've found something that can potentially do that. But what used to be a substance that you had to walk into the jungle and find a shaman to administer, is now available on one of the main tourist streets. I have seen the potential this drug has in both other people and myself. I feel better. I feel truer, happier and more at peace. The power of that medicine cannot be underestimated, but with the substance that makes you so vulnerable, there needs to be some form of regulation, some type of system that prevents traumatic experiences from happening.

Oh, miracle. And telepathy.