Grow a Fern, Become a Shaman

Jurema

• that’s one pretty unassuming, scrubby plant
• but perhaps it’s not as innocuous as we think
• its name is Mimosa tenuiflora
• its leaves appear similar to the more familiar fern
• it can grow in either a tree or shrub form
• and and its native range spans from southern Mexico to the Brazilian Northeast
• sound’s pretty boring so far
• but wait
• the leaves and stems are used to make a tea to treat bronchitis
• root extracts also work well as a salve for burns and other wounds
• ok, we’re getting there
• the most exciting thing about M. tenuiflora
• is that the consumption of its root bark has hallucinogenic effects
• it’s used in shamanic, spiritual ceremonies to allow participants to connect with the supernatural world
• this bark actually contains the chemical DMT
• also referred to as dimethyltryptamine
• it’s an illegal psychedelic tryptamine that is actually naturally occurring in the human body
• the consumption of the root bark is actually a sacrament of some sects of Amazonian spirituality
• Jurema is the name used to refer to the different hallucinogenic concoctions made from M. tenuiflora

You can both cure your respiratory ailments and go on psychedelic adventures without even needing more than one plant species. Incredible! It can both heal you and get you sent to jail.