Kambô Sessions with Michael in Sedona

Overview

Phyllomedusa bicolor, also known as blue-and-yellow frog, bicolored tree-frog, giant monkey frog, giant leaf frog, and waxy-monkey tree frog, is a nocturnal, arboreal, hylid frog. It is found in the Amazon basin as well as some other surrounding areas. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) endangered species database lists them in the “Least Concern” category, in view of their current wide distribution and large population.

Kambo, the gelatinous secretion produced by the skin glands of Phyllomedusa bicolor, has been considered an “ancestral medicine” by the indigenous tribes of the Western region of the Amazon for over 2000 years.

Brief History

This Huni Kuin legend tells that members of the tribe became very ill and their Pajé (medicine man) had done everything possible to cure them. All known medicinal herbs were used, but none helped. Under the effect of sacred plant medicines, the Pajé entered the forest and whilst there, received a visit from the Grandmother. She brought in her hands a frog, from which she took a white secretion, and taught the Pajé how to apply it. Returning to the tribe and following the guidelines that he had received, the Pajé was able to cure his brothers and sisters. From then on he was known as Pajé Kampu, or Kampum. After his death, his spirit lived on in the frog where it continued its mission to protect the health of those who defend the forest. The secretion became known as Kambo, which some tribes call Sapo, Dow-Kiet, Kampu or Vacina da Floresta.

Whichever the mythical origin, Kambo has long been uses by indigenous Pano-speaking groups in the Amazon, including the Katukina, Asháninka, Yawinawá, and Matsés. It may have also been used by the classical Maya, whose art depicted tree frogs next to mushrooms. Traditional uses include increasing strength and stamina, and dispersing negative energy. In the rainforest, Kambo is used as a hunting aid, reducing the need for food and water and minimizing the human scent.

The first Westerner to witness Kambo use in the Amazon was the French missionary Constantin Tastevin, who stayed with the Huni Kuin in 1925. Studies on indigenous tribes using Kambo began in the 1930s. The first bioactive peptide produced by Phyllomedusa bicolor was discovered in 1966 and since then, the discoveries of these peptides have grown exponentially. It was the anthropologist Katharine Milton and journalist Peter Gorman who, around 1980, supplied samples of Kambo to the biochemist Vittorio Erspamer of the University of Rome. He was nominated twice for the Nobel Prize and is considered to be the first scientist to analyze Kambo in the laboratory, concluding that Kambo contains a “fantastic chemical cocktail with potential medical applications unmatched by any other amphibian.”

The Science

The gelatinous secretions produced by the skin glands of Phyllomedusa bicolor contain a large number of highly concentrated, biologically active compounds. Most of these molecules are bioactive polypeptides consisting of chains of between 4-50 amino acids. The main families of bioactive peptides identifies in the Kambo secretion so far include:

Phyllomedusin - such as tachykinins (which also act as neuropeptides) - produce contraction of smooth muscle and increase the secretions of the entire GI tract (salivary glands, stomach, small and large intestine, pancreas and gallbladder. These are the main peptides responsible for the deep purge produced by the administration of Kambo.

Phyllokinin & Phyllomedusins - potent vasodilators, increasing the permeability of the blood-brain barrier. Also have antimicrobial and antifungal properties.

Caeruleins & Sauvagines - produce a contraction of the colon and urinary bladder, as well as a drop in blood pressure accompanied by tachycardia. Stimulate the adrenal cortex and pituitary gland, contributing to greater sensory perception. Powerful analgesics - increase physical strength, the capacity to confront pain, stress, disease, and diminish the symptoms of fatigue.

Dermorphin & Deltorphin - selective agonists of the opiate delta receptors. 4000x more potent than morphine and 40 times more potent than endogenous endorphins.

Adenoregulins - work through adenosine receptors, a fundamental component throughout all human cellular fuel. May offer target treatment of depression, stroke, and cognitive loss diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

Dermaseptins - show lethal effects against filamentous fungi responsible for severe opportunistic infections that accompany immunodeficiency syndromes. Also show lethal effects agains a broad spectrum of bacteria, yeasts, fungi, and protozoa. Effective in killing certain types of cancer cells by inhibiting the angiogenesis of tumor cells with select cytotoxicity for these cells.

Bradykinins - hypotensive due to producing vasodilation. Cause contraction of the non-vascular smooth muscle and increase vascular permeability.

Bombesins - stimulate the secretion of HCL by acting on the G cells of the stomach. They also increase pancreatic secretion, intestinal myoelectric activity, and smooth muscle contractility.

Ceruleans - stimulate gastric, bile and pancreatic secretions.

Tryptophilins - opening new perspectives on how the human brain works.