While you may have heard of ayahuasca or other psychedelic practices originating from south of the border, there’s one such medicine growing in popularity that yields no hallucinogenic effects at all — but will make you vomit repeatedly. The skin secretion of the phyllomedusa bicolor tree frog, more widely renown as kambo, has been reportedly used by residents of the Amazon rainforest to purge their bodies of toxins and disease. Today in the U.S., people are using kambo to treat physical ailments such as autoimmune and inflammatory disorders, as well as emotional challenges like anxiety and depression.
But this isn’t just a substance you consume and forget — feeling the healing benefits of kambo takes work! Join Healing Powers host Mareesa Stertz as she meets certified kambo practitioner Caitlin Thompson for a medicinal ceremony in San Diego to experience the sensations of tree frog secretion for herself.
Kambo exerts a strong effect on the stomach, which practitioners claim is the frog secretion working its healing magic on bad bacteria within the gastrointestinal tract. While it’s not always a pleasant practice, Mareesa takes the ride to see if kambo can really enhance her physical and emotional wellbeing, with promising results. Check out her journey to better health in Episode Two of Healing Powers now.
For more information on kambo, or to find a certified healer in your area, visit the websites of kambo practitioner Caitlin Thompson as well as the International Association of Kambo Practitioners. And to catch up on Healing Powers, watch the first episode here!