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What are Yopo Seeds?
Yopo seeds are indigenous to South America and the Caribbean and were traditionally crushed and used in a snuff pipe (rapé or cohoba) for powerful psychedelic experiences. Yopo seeds contain the powerful psychoactive substances DMT, 5-MeO-DMT and bufotenine.
In tropical regions, the yopo plant grows into a 20-metre high tree. The leaves have a fern-like structure and large pods grow on the branches. Around 10 seeds grow in each pod.
Cultivating Yopo
It’s not easy to cultivate Yopo. But if you can manage it, that’s fantastic! Allow the seeds to soak in distilled water at room temperature. For germination, the seeds need an ambient temperature of at least 22º C. Our germination set can help you achieve germination. You can find this in the recommended products and when checking out purchases.
Once your seed has germinated, you can put it in a pot like the Spongepot An ideal place is on a windowsill in a north-facing room: plenty of light but not in the full sun. Water it every day and ensure good ventilation and drainage to prevent mould and rot.
Preparing Yopo
To prepare yopo, the seeds are traditionally roasted, crushed and mixed with ash or special lime. For a more modern approach, you can try the following preparation method.
But be warned: snuffing yopo is not for beginners and we are unable to recommend it to you. We just want to give you correct instructions so that you don’t go looking yourself for a guide which proves to be wrong.
Take 1 to 3 seeds per person and heat the seeds in a flame. You can do this by firmly holding the seeds in tweezers in a candle flame. Use an oven glove to protect you from the hot tweezers. Hold the seed in the flame until is bursts. Extract the inside from the seed and throw away the husk. Now heat the inner part of the seed in the same way until it becomes hard and granular. Put 2 parts seeds, 1 part baking powder and 1 part calcium hydroxide in a mortar and crush the seeds. Add a couple of drops of water and mix it all into a doughy consistency. Heat the dough until it becomes hard and dry. Final step: back in the mortar and make it extra fine! The finer the powder, the better it works.
Using Yopo
By tradition, yopo is blown into the user’s nose by a shaman with a special Y-shaped snuff tube. A shaman can blow in a larger quantity than you yourself can snort. Snorting it yourself is almost impossible and you should realise that it is also not a particularly pleasant experience.
Even so, they do say that if you can get past the whole shaman/snuff tube concept, yopo will provide you with a very special experience. As yopo contains DMT, a session can be mystical and offer you insight in a (mostly) good way.
Effects of Yopo
An experience with the constituents of yopo is definitely unique. Because it is traditionally snorted, the effect is triggered faster than in the case of most smart drugs which you eat or drink. The first phenomena start within 5 minutes and the whole trips lasts around 75 minutes. A Yopo trip is described as being short but highly intense; somewhere between smoking DMT and a heavy ayahuasca session. Hallucinations, letting go of ego, encounters with godlike beings and powerful visions are all part of the picture. Not for the faint of heart!
Package contents
- 5 grammes (quantity 50 approximately) Yopo seeds (Anadenanthera Peregrina).
Seeds for the Psychedelic Garden
These seeds are meant to be put in the soil. They will sprout fine exotic plants that are known for their fantastical effects. However, these seeds by themselves don’t exhibit effects when ingested. So be patient and have fun growing them!