Cebil And Yopo (Anadenanthera spp.)
Anadenanthera spp. Information
Anadenanthera is a genus of trees in the botanical family Fabaceae (also called Leguminosae). The Fabaceae family is more commonly known as the legume family. The Anadenanthera genus contains two species of trees used for their hallucinogenic properties.
These two trees (Anadenanthera colubrina and Anadenanthera peregrina) have both been widely used to make powerful psychoactive snuffs. These snuffs (called cebil and yopo) have long been used in South American Indian cultures.
In South America cebil and yopo are known by a number of names including angico, cohoba, hisioma, huiica (vilca, vilica), niopo, and yupa.
Scientific Classification Of Anadenanthera
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Genus: Anadenanthera
Anadenanthera colubrina occurs in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, and Peru.
Anadenanthera peregrina occurs in Brazil, Colombia, Guyana, Paraguay, Venezuela, and the West Indies.
History Of Cebil And Yopo
During his second voyage to the New World (1493-1496), Columbus was mystified by a snuff powder that the Taino Indians (from the island of Hispaniola) were using.
The snuff caused the user to become intoxicated to such an extent that it was one of the reasons Columbus commissioned a friar to study the customs of the Taino Indians.
The report by the friar stated that the snuff was so strong that those who took it lost consciousness. Upon gaining consciousness they believed they saw the room turn upside-down and men walking with their heads downwards.
A 1560 report mentions Indians in Columbia using yopo snuff for the intoxicating effect it produced. In a letter written in 1599, the author describes Indians chewing yopo and going "out of their minds".
In 1741, a Jesuit wrote about Indians in the Orinoco region (between Columbia and Venezuela) getting intoxicated on yopo by taking it "through the nostrils".
In 1801 by A. von Humboldt (a German explorer and naturalist) reported the Maypure Indians in Venezuela making yopo snuff. (reference 1)
The intoxicating yopo snuff (that these reports talk about the Indians preparing and using) was made from the seeds of Anadenanthera peregrina.
In Argentina, Bolivia, and Peru a similar snuff called cebil (made with seeds of Anadenanthera colubrina) was being used by Inca shamans at least as far back as the 16th century. (reference 2)
It must be assumed, by the fact that the first reports of the use of cebil and yopo date back from the first time European explores who made contact with native Indians, that cebil and yopo had been used for hundreds (if not thousands) of years prior.
Samples of snuff were taken from a tomb at Solcor 3 (approximate date AD 780) and the resulting chemical analysis revealed the presence of the psychoactive substances bufotenine, DMT, and 5-MeO-DMT.
As the other major hallucinogenic snuff of South America (Virola) does not contain the alkaloid bufotenine, the snuff from the tomb was identified as deriving from Anadenanthera.
Seeds that were found in tombs that lay nearby were also definitively identified by Richard Schultes as belonging to the Anadenanthera genus.
Extracts from Anadenanthera are one of the four most widely used types of psychoactive substance in traditional South American Indian cultures. Other psychoactive substances commonly used include tobacco, ayahuasca and species of virola. (reference 3)
Description Of Cebil And Yopo
Anadenanthera colubrina occurs in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, and Peru. Cebil is made with seeds of Anadenanthera colubrina.
Anadenanthera peregrina occurs in Brazil, Colombia, Guyana, Paraguay, Venezuela, and the West Indies. Yopo is made with seeds of Anadenanthera peregrina.
In Bolivia, Anadenanthera seeds are buried along with other items in the foundations of a newly constructed house in order to bring good fortune to the occupants.
However, the seeds primary role in native societies are as a hallucinogen to induce altered states of mind that help the user communicate with spirits. Sometimes adult males will take it in small doses for the stimulant effect. It is also given to hunting dogs to increase their alertness. (reference 3)
Images of Anadenanthera colubrina (cebil):
--- 1 anadenanthera colubrina
--- 2 anadenanthera colubrina seeds (in pod)
Images of Anadenanthera peregrina (yopo):
--- 1 anadenanthera peregrina
--- 2 anadenanthera peregrina seeds
Chemistry Of Cebil And Yopo
Cebil and yopo are quickly metabolized so the effects don't last long. When inhaled in the form of a snuff, peak effects usually last 20-60 minutes and lesser after-effects can last another 2-3 hours, or slightly longer.
It is accepted that the primary psychoactive chemical found in cebil (Anadenanthera colubrina seed) is bufotenine. DMT and 5-MeO-DMT may be present in trace amounts, but they probably have limited, if any, influence on the level of intoxication.
When it comes to yopo (Anadenanthera peregrina seed), there is some confusion over the amount of bufotenine, DMT, and 5-MeO-DMT present. Most of the more reliable information about yopo indicates that it is nearly identical to cebil in chemistry.
However, there are some experienced yopo consumers that have encountered yopo that has DMT in significantly larger quantities than usual. In some cases, DMT (and possibly 5-MeO-DMT) may have been the main psychoactive constituents of product sold as Anadenanthera peregrina seed.
There are enough people who know what they are talking about to leave the possibility open that DMT and possibly 5-MeO-DMT may occur in higher concentrations than previously measured. This may be due to a subspecies or variety of Anadenanthera peregrina that has a different chemistry than other members of the species.
This is not such a large leap of faith when one considers the cannabis genus (that marijuana plants belong to) is made up of three species that have interbred to produce dozens of different strains (a cross, hybrid, subspecies, or variety) with varying cannabinoid concentrations.
Medical Use Of Cebil And Yopo
Anadenanthera colubrina and Anadenanthera peregrina seeds have a number of medical applications. They are used in the preparation of medications used in treating such things as coughs, infertility, influenza, and urinary disorders.
They have been utilized as a remedy for depression, fever, headache, and similar problems. They also have been consumed for their emetic, laxative, and purgative qualities.
The ground-up seeds were probably taken by the Incas as a longevity drug. Some legends say taking ground-up Anadenanthera seeds allowed a person to reach ages of up to two hundred years.
How To Use Cebil And Yopo
Cebil (Anadenanthera colubrina seed) has a history of being smoked and used as a snuff. Archaeological evidence shows that Anadenanthera colubrina seeds have been smoked since about 2500 BCE in the Puna region of Argentina.
Waika shamans in Venezuela use yopo snuff (Anadenanthera peregrina seed) by inhaling it through tubes made from hollowed out plant stems. Before inhaling the snuff, the shamans gather and chant, hoping to invoke the spirits the are attempting to communicate with later, when they are intoxicated.
The snuff is blown by a fellow shaman (using a tube) into the nose of the user. The effects are almost instant. At first there is a profuse flow of mucus from the nasal passages. There may be a quivering of muscles (especially arms) and a contorted expression on the face.
This period quickly gives way to one where the user calls to the spirits (Hekula) by motioning with the body and shrieking violently. This lasts about 30-60 minutes, and when finished, the shaman falls into a trance-like stupor. This is the period in which communication with spirits are experienced. (reference 4)
Smoking Anadenanthera colubrina or Anadenanthera peregrina seed may produce some mildly psychoactive sensations. When smoked, the entire seed should be consumed. Some users say smoking the seeds can produce powerful visuals but very little in the way of mental stimulation. Nasal inhalation will produce a stronger mental experience.
Seed from either Anadenanthera peregrina or Anadenanthera peregrina may be used to make psychoactive snuff. It is recommended that you use whatever seed is cheaper to obtain. 14-28 grams will provide enough material to conduct experiments for several sessions.
If you have no source for them, you can buy Anadenanthera colubrina seeds to make cebil, and Anadenanthera peregrina seeds to make yopo. You may also want to buy lime or shells, if you need them. The company that sells them ships from the USA to most other countries
In order to be absorbed by the body, the seeds must be prepared prior to use. The directions below have worked for me, but it is recommended you do some online research and find alternatives. You may prefer trying another method.
--- use 1-4 seeds per person
--- heat seeds on low heat until they pop
--- separate the outer seed from the inner seed
--- the inner part of the seed is used
--- discard the outer seed shell
--- heat the remaining inner seed on low
--- stop heating when it is hard and crunchy
--- crush the seed
use a coffee grinder, mortar and pestle, etc.
--- mix the following
2 parts seed
1 part lime or shell
1 part baking soda (optional)
--- add a few drops of water to form a paste
--- mix well and heat on low until material dries
--- crush dry material into a fine powder
use a coffee grinder, mortar and pestle, etc.
Fresh seeds will puff up and pop (revealing the inner part of the seed) when lightly heated (may take up to 20-30 minutes). A small pot or pan works well, a lid will help retain heat. After the seed pops, separate the outer seed from the inner seed and discard the outer seed, or smoke it.
The outer seed is psychoactive but is hard to reduce to powder. The inner part of the seed is then crushed into a powder and mixed with lime (or shells), and optionally baking soda. A small amount of water is added to the mixture to form a paste. Mix the paste well, so that all ingredients are combined together.
Then put in a pot or pan and supply low heat to evaporate the water from the paste. When the paste dries into a powder, use a coffee grinder or mortar and pestle to crush the mixture into a fine powder that can be inhaled.
It may take a while for the mixture to dry, a fan can help speed things up. Edible lime or shell (containing lime) must be added to the mixture in order to be absorbed by the human body effectively. Baking soda added to the mixture may also improve bodily absorption.
The reason cebil or yopo snuff is sometimes blown by a fellow shaman into the nose of the user (see image) is because it is unpleasant. A helper can force a larger amount of the drug into the recipients nasal cavity, than the user would be able to consume alone.
You can make your own inhalation tube with a straw, some hollow plant stem, or something else that will allow you to inhale the powder you have produced. Most people report a pleasant experience, if the user can overcome the nasal discomfort and nausea.
There will most likely be some degree of an uneasy feeling in the stomach. Extreme nasal discomfort is guaranteed unless something is done to reduce or minimize it. Just prior to ingestion, a small amount of cocaine (1/16 of a gram or less) can be inhaled to numb the nostril(s) that will be used for the cebil or yopo.
Cocaine will ease most of the unpleasant nasal discomfort associated with use of cebil or yopo snuff. If you can not force yourself to ingest enough powder to produce the desired effect, a helper can force-blow a large amount of cebil or yopo into your nasal passage.
For a majority of the population, 1-2 seeds worth of powder will have a stimulating effect. Inhalation of 3-4 seeds worth of powder will produce a period of stimulation lasting about 20-40 minutes, followed by a sedative period where hallucinations will probably be experienced.
The first time you try, start with 1-2 seeds worth of snuff and see what you think. If you like the experience, you can increase the dose on your next try. Do not increase the dose size more than 1-2 seeds over the amount of your previous attempt.
Even a small amount of cebil or yopo will cause some degree of nausea in most people. As the dose size increases, so does the severity of nausea. A first time user may get stomach sick if they consume more than 1-2 seeds. A limited number of people may even get sick on a small 1-2 seed dose.
Overdose causing death is possible when very large quantities are ingested. To reduce the chances of negative effects, start small and increase the dose size gradually. Doing so will help you judge how much your body can tolerate. A sitter who is not using the drug is always a good idea.
References
reference 1 - psychedelics encyclopedia
reference 2 - pharmacotheon: entheogenic drugs, their...
reference 3 - the encyclopaedia of psychoactive substances
reference 4 - plants of the gods
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