Anadenanthera peregrina

Tree native to the Caribbean and northern South America whose seeds contain a powerful mix of bufotenine, DMT, and 5-MeO-DMT. The seeds are roasted and ground into the snuff known as yopo, used in shamanic ceremonies of the Orinoco basin.

Dry forest and savanna tree, growing to ~20 metres. Naturally occurs across the Orinoco basin and parts of the Caribbean.

The names this organism has been given by the cultures that have lived alongside it. Each carries an entire relationship — what is sacred is never simply translated.

• Yopo
  Piaroa · Piaroa and other Orinoco peoples
• Cohoba
  Taíno · Taíno (Caribbean)
• Niopo
  Otomac · Otomac

• Central to the snuff ceremonies of the Yanomami, Piaroa, and other Orinoco-region peoples — preserved continuously for at least a thousand years

Yopo is administered through a hollow bone or bamboo blowpipe by a partner — never by oneself. Archaeological evidence of Anadenanthera snuff use in the Andes dates back nearly 4000 years.