In this video in English, you will find tips & suggestions from me, an experienced facilitator, on how to prepare for your Bufo Alvarius experience. How to prepare, practically, but also how to approach it from mindful perspective.
If you have any questions, please feel free to either post them below in the comments, here on this blog, or on the video page, or by emailing me through the Contact page on this blog.
I try to answer all questions, but please bear with me as i am not always able to do so immediately. Thanks for your patience. 😉
All the best,
Yann
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Yann with Ayahuasca 
Sep 02, 2021 @ 21:53:36
Thank you so much for this video, it really helps me. I am trying Bufu for the first time and attending my first ceremony in a few days and I appreciate the information.
May 11, 2022 @ 23:48:08
Hey there, I came across your video on YouTube. I’m participating in a bufo alvarius ceremony this Sunday. I’m incredibly nervous. I have a good guide and I’m not concerned about my physical safety at all. I’m more concerned with the experience. Should I be nervous? Is there anything I can do about my nerves?
May 12, 2022 @ 08:59:03
Hello Tyler, thanks for reaching out. You are not the only one! And there is nothing wrong with it. In fact, i tell my clients that it is a good thing. Because we take it seriously, and we do it ceremoniously, in a proper, respectful setting, and not hedonistically or for entertainment in some bar after a few beers. Were people not taking it seriously, the medecine would get abused, and these people would be abusing themselves in the process.
And let me tell you, almost everyone i have ever met is nervous before doing this, my assistants & myself included. It’s a good thing, and it’s perfectly normal.
What i do for clients who are particularly nervous, is i offer them a smaller “handshake” dose. They get to feel the medecine, without getting a full-on experience, and when it starts to fade away, they feel much more trusting towards the medecine and more relaxed, more calm. Then they are always open to trying a bit more. And we do this maybe 3 times, sometimes more when necessary. It takes longer, but that’s what you get when your facilitator gives your experience all the time it requires. Patience & understanding.
Be sure that after your experience you shall almost certainly immediately feel more calm & more peaceful, no matter what happens in your experience. If you don’t feel good despite the medecine, then you may simply need to sit with the feelings & not run from them, this is what integration is : not rejecting any part of you, but rather feel it, accept it, and you’ll feel it getting softer. Your facilitator should be able to help you with this, IMO. I’m not a specialist at this, i know i will improve still, but using the Tibetan singing bowls and the bodywork that i do usually really really helps. Sometimes talking & relaxing is all that is needed.
Bottom line? Trust the medecine, and trust yourself. As a facilitator, i think that helping you achieve that by trusting me is a big part of my job.
Finally, please be sure to respect all contra-indications : NEVER EVER take Bufo Alvarius or 5-Meo-DMT with SSRI’s or Benzodiazepine or other pills of that nature. Do NOT mix with serotonin boosters such as 5HTP. Always do your own research, and inform your facilitator of ALL the pills & supplements you are taking.
Also, high blood pressure is a no-go : your pressure will increase during the experience, so it must be normal or lower than normal but not higher before the experience.
Any doubts? Get in touch. 🙂
All the best,
Yann
Jan 02, 2024 @ 08:49:51
Hi Yann, I’m on a daily SSRI. How many days in advance of the ceremony should I stop taking them?
Jan 02, 2024 @ 09:21:37
Hi Stan, thank you for your question.
First of all, please note that nothing from me is ever medical advice, your actions & choices are your responsibility, and in this case i would suggest coordinating with whoever prescribed these things.
One thing you should know is that going off them very slowly & progressively is usually a must. One friend of mine took 7 months to ween himself off of 7 years of SSRI’s. He is doing great, much better than he was with them, however, and i don’t think he would ever go back.
You would need to find out the half-life of the molecule you are taking. I believe that several weeks are usually a requirement, and of course weeks or months of progressive dosage reduction prior to that.
Getting off them too quickly can be extremely dangerous and totally counter-productive, beware.
I hope that helps. If not, please contact me again.
All the best to you in 2024 🙂
I do consultations on psychedelics in general, should you have any other questions or doubts relating to these ‘medicines’.
Mar 08, 2024 @ 16:28:46
hi. Really enjoyed listening to video and reading questions.. How about for autistics? I was diagnosed late in life, but Asperger’s is now part of AS. Anyway, how does this work for neurodiverse brains? Hoping it will go ok, doing ceremony tomorrow, if I haven’t chickened out again.. thanks for page. Good information that’s helpful.
~jo
Mar 09, 2024 @ 06:58:27
Hi, do let us know how it goes, and how the facilitator works. Both are important and useful to know. 🙂
I can’t say i have much experience with autism, but i don’t like the label, and this being about consciousness & feeling, i would say it should both work fine and be beneficial.
Please update us when you can.
All the best,
Yann
Mar 09, 2024 @ 18:45:44
hi. It went ok.. was very intense.. had alot of good people helping me through it.. lots of crying.. lots of feeling sick to stomach; made it through without too much mess.. don’t think I had the experience others talked about, but it’s a good start to healing and learning to let go.. met good people and had very good facilitators.. having supportive environment and people really does help, couldn’t have done it otherwise..
So overall, intense, kinda scary experience, but also glad I tried it..
Apr 16, 2024 @ 00:22:10
Hi
I’m soon to attend a 3 ceremony Aya retreat. On the final morning, there is the option to meet the Bufo in ceremony.
The way the retreat is scheduled, the aya becomes more intense each ceremony, so that people get a chance to trust the medicine. I have attended this particular retreat before, and it’s very well held.
My question is this, is it safe to experience Bufo after 3 nights of Aya, especially as the final ceremony is particuarly intense.
I’m sure the facilitators know their stuff, and they have been holding these retreats monthly in at least 3 different countries for many years. I assume they haven’t encountered any serious problems, or they wouldn’t offer it, but I’m doing my due dillegence, as I know this is a profound experience !
Look forward to your views on this.
Peace x x x
Apr 16, 2024 @ 01:45:06
Thanks for your question, Rich. The answer is no, it is IMO not safe to take Ayahuasca before Bufo Alvarius. Is this by any chance a center in Ireland? If so, then i personally reached out to them to warn them of the risks, and they didn’t seem to care. They were then warned multiple times more when posting in FB groups i administer.
Surely lovely, well-intentioned people, but why not simply do it in the safe order? I also submitted that same question, to no avail.
The risk is serotonin poisoning, ie excess serotonin, instant death…you simply do not want to mix MAOIs with 5-MeO-DMT.
Plus, to be frank, each of these medicines requires its own integration time & process. When you take something after something else, you interrupt the ongoing & unfinished process, losing its benefits. More is not always more, far from it. Patience & feeling the process all the way through are far more valuable than some unnecessary dubious cocktails.
Safety should ALWAYS be the number 1 concern.
Be safe!
Apr 16, 2024 @ 05:59:06
Thanks for your reply, much appreciated !
This was my feeling, so it’s good to have it validated. I remember a girl who was at the same retreat 4 years ago, missing the final ceremony so that she could experience Bufo, and it always stuck with me.
I’ll follow your advice, and seek the Bufo experience elsewhere, as and when I feel called.
Thanks again
Rich