Full transcript
0:00Thank you for providing us this
0:02medicine, healing us, and teaching us
0:04how to kill ourselves.
0:09>> I've done some pretty crazy things in my
0:11time making bias documentaries, but this
0:13is the craziest thing I've ever done.
0:17[music] Bufo can help you deconstruct
0:19all the beliefs, all the thoughts that
0:21are not working for you.
0:23>> Sorry. I'm sorry. And it's a cycle and
0:26you don't know how to stop.
0:29>> How aware were you of what you were
0:31doing when [music] you were under the
0:32effects of
0:33>> You're totally unaware of your body.
0:36When I took the hit, my soul left my
0:39body. I [music] feel like I died.
0:41>> That felt like being hit by a lightning
0:43bolt. There's no going back.
0:49[music]
0:53Taking buffo alvarius or [music] speed
0:55toading involves smoking the milked
0:57poison of the Soran desert toad in a
1:00glass pipe.
1:02Known for instilling total ego death,
1:04it's considered the most powerful
1:06hallucinagen in the world and it's
1:09increasingly being [music] touted as a
1:11remedy for mental illness and addiction.
1:13>> This should be for everyone because it
1:14can really heal. Now, growing numbers of
1:18psychedelic [music] tourists are
1:19traveling to Tulum, Mexico, where Buffo
1:22ceremonies are legal [music] in search
1:24of a life-changing experience.
1:26>> Each journey, I just leave and I feel so
1:29much better.
1:30>> It became the most significant
1:31experience that I have in my entire
1:33life.
1:34>> But for some, the experience can lead to
1:36lasting [music] trauma.
1:37>> This should not be administered if
1:39you've had a severe trauma. It did
1:41[music] the opposite of help. You know,
1:43I would never ever want to experience
1:45that ever again. [music]
1:47>> What's more, accusations against
1:50prominent shamans of sexual assault
1:52[music] and accidental deaths have
1:54shaken the Buffo community.
1:56>> People are taking advantage of women,
1:58taking advantage of tourists, taking
1:59advantage of the medicines.
2:01>> I'm seeing so often in different chat
2:02groups, watch out for this guy. Last
2:05high season, there was so much. [music]
2:09As its lure grows, I'm here to
2:11experience firsthand whether taking
2:14Buffo is really worth the risk. [music]
2:25We're about to arrive at the Buffo
2:26Alvaria sanctuary, which is basically
2:29where the hard cell to tourist begins in
2:31the form of billboards on the high
2:33street. Toad ceremony inside a shaman or
2:37facilitator will for a fee give you the
2:40world's most powerful hallucinogen and a
2:41teepee and you're back out within an
2:43hour.
2:43>> Hello.
2:45>> How's it going? Good.
2:46>> Are you Dr. Alvarius?
2:48>> Great.
2:48>> Matt, good to meet you.
2:50>> We can go straight in to see the place.
2:53>> Who's this?
2:54>> Ah, it's Mike Tyson with Dr. Jerry. He's
2:57one of the pioneers of serving BFO
3:00already like 15 years ago he started.
3:02>> Dr. Jerry. Dr. Jerry has popularized the
3:05drug around the world.
3:06>> The medicine does ego death.
3:08>> Picking up such fans as Mike Tyson.
3:10>> That took me to heaven and back. Man, it
3:12took me somewhere I never been before.
3:14Man,
3:14>> he sounds like someone I should meet
3:15then.
3:16>> Yes, absolutely.
3:17>> And how many people can you see in a day
3:20here?
3:20>> Up to 12 sessions a day. 1 hour private
3:24sessions.
3:24>> And how much does it cost for one?
3:25>> Uh 3,000 pesos.
3:27>> Is it a profitable [music] industry?
3:29>> Yes, I think everyone here is winning.
3:31What kind of qualifications do you need
3:33to administer buffo?
3:34>> There's not much theory to learn. It's
3:37just to serve enough and to protect them
3:40during their journey.
3:42>> And where does the buffo happen?
3:43>> Buffo, we do in the big tepee there.
3:45>> Can I have a look inside?
3:46>> Sure. Let's get in.
3:49>> Clients book this tepee for an hour, but
3:52an average buffo trip lasts around 20
3:54minutes.
3:55>> So, you've come here to do buffo.
3:57>> This is an incredible experience here.
3:59and this is my second time coming to
4:00this location.
4:01>> What are you expecting is going to
4:02happen?
4:03>> Each journey I just leave and I feel so
4:06much better. Um my depression has helped
4:08a lot. I have less anxiety. I'm kind of
4:10able to deal with things at home a
4:12little bit better. So that's what I'm
4:14expecting that piece.
4:16>> So did you have clinical depression?
4:17>> Yes.
4:17>> And were you medicated for that?
4:19>> When you first did BUFFO, did you stop
4:21doing your medication?
4:22>> I stopped it before the ceremony. You're
4:24supposed to stop all of that 2 weeks
4:25before and I did then. So
4:27>> did you go cold turkey? Pretty much.
4:29[music] Yeah.
4:29>> Are you nervous at all or apprehensive?
4:31>> I was nervous the first time for sure,
4:33but no, I'm not nervous. I know exactly
4:35what to expect, so I'm just ready.
4:38>> Buffo is 10 to 20 times stronger than
4:41DMT, so it's no surprise Victoria
4:44doesn't want us to film her experience.
4:46[music]
4:49Hey,
4:52how are you?
4:54I just became one with the earth and
4:57this amazing light was coming out of me
5:00and it just reminded me like it's always
5:03been inside of me
5:06and I thought I had lost it but the
5:08light is still there and it's very
5:10strong and I'm just so full of gratitude
5:12right now.
5:13>> And can you try and describe the
5:15experience at all?
5:18Parts of it was very much like being an
5:20avatar. Like if you can think of the
5:23colors and you can hear colors and you
5:27can smell colors. It's like you become
5:29one with the planet and that's how I
5:31felt. And I felt the light coming out of
5:33me.
5:34>> Wow.
5:36I kind of want what she had, you know,
5:38like she's had a full reset. [music] So
5:40if I can get that, that would be
5:41amazing.
5:45Many people seek bufffo [music] as a
5:47remedy to their mental health issues.
5:49You might think that places a huge
5:51responsibility on those who administer
5:52it, but their approach is surprisingly
5:54blasze. So there's no customer that you
5:57would reject.
5:58>> Only if they have some serious like um
6:01physical
6:02>> [music]
6:02>> illnesses.
6:03>> Not if they had schizophrenia.
6:04>> Yeah, even schizophrenia. I don't think
6:06it's absolutely can be healed with this
6:09as well. [music]
6:09>> What about if they're on
6:10anti-depressants? The addiction of these
6:12anti-depressants can be also resolved
6:15here.
6:15>> Would you tell them to stop taking their
6:18medication?
6:18>> Yeah, if they can do it, it's it's
6:20advisable to to stop using them a few
6:23days before.
6:23>> Isn't it a little bit dangerous just to
6:25stop taking your medication?
6:30[music]
6:31Yeah, you are suicidal. Maybe you
6:34suicide if you stop taking. [music]
6:37It can be lethal to mix anti-depressants
6:39with buffo, [music] but going cold
6:41turkey without medical supervision is
6:43equally dangerous, as is administering
6:45such a powerful psychedelic to people at
6:47risk of psychosis.
6:50[music]
6:51My preconception about taking a
6:53psychedelic as strong as Iaska, which
6:55this is, is that you go into the jungle,
6:57there's a shaman, there's probably some
7:00drums being banged. This is next door to
7:02a Burger King.
7:06>> Away from the high street, there are
7:07freelance shamans who administer the
7:09drug in more natural settings.
7:12This practice, the way I observe it,
7:14it's not something that I took a [music]
7:16course or a training to facilitate.
7:18>> Aean was a corporate banker from Mexico
7:20[music] City who was transformed so
7:22profoundly by Bufo that he left his job
7:25in order to administer it to others.
7:26[music]
7:27When you're in that situation of giving
7:28the world's most powerful husin, what
7:30does that feel like for you?
7:32>> Man, it's the most fulfilling
7:35job I've ever had.
7:36>> Today, one of his clients is taking
7:38BUFFO for the first time. Bufo, I
7:42definitely believe that it's a sacred
7:44medicine. It can help you deconstruct
7:46all the beliefs, all the thoughts that
7:48are not working for you.
7:53The effects of Buffo on her aren't
7:55immediately visible, but internally a
7:57psychedelic experience is unfolding as
7:59her ego begins to leave her body.
8:14How aware were you of what you were
8:17doing when you were under the effects of
8:19>> like not not at all?
8:21>> Yeah. Not at all.
8:22>> You were sort of like giggling and
8:24drooling a little bit. Almost like a
8:26happy baby. In fact, at one point you
8:28actually had a rattle.
8:30>> I bet I felt like happy baby. I was like
8:34>> at one point you said gracias patch
8:36mama.
8:37>> Gracias.
8:38>> Patcha mama is mother earth. And [music]
8:41I think I felt really held in that whole
8:43experience being outside of my body. I
8:46wasn't going to fall through a hole, you
8:48know, of like nothingness. Mother Earth
8:50provides everything that we need to feel
8:52safe here.
8:55>> Ansley had a positive experience and
8:57seemed comfortable with Aean, but
8:58putting herself in such a vulnerable
9:00state carries some risk.
9:02>> Unfortunately, there are a lot of people
9:04practicing with no safety or it's just
9:07transactional. So, there are risks
9:09involved. people drowning, people harsh
9:12conditions, you know, or taking other
9:14medications that can give you a
9:15serotonin allergic syndrome and you can
9:18die.
9:18>> People get really sick,
9:20>> right? Okay.
9:20>> Yeah.
9:21>> And what kind of sick?
9:22>> Like vomiting,
9:24fever, chills, you know, like their
9:27bodies don't react well.
9:29>> I guess you really have to, you know,
9:31trust that person cuz they're
9:32administering such a powerful medicine.
9:34>> Yeah. I think you're totally unaware of
9:36your body and like if some Yeah. I mean,
9:39if someone was touching me, like I
9:40wouldn't be able to do anything about
9:41it.
9:42>> Have there been any instances of like
9:43sexual abuse? Yeah. A lot of
9:45facilitators I know that they use
9:47medicines to try to get involved with
9:49the girls or even brainwash them like
9:52there are a lot of stories. [music]
9:58[music]
10:05Shannon knows how easy it is to fall
10:08into the hands of a fake healer.
10:10>> There are so many vulnerable people here
10:13and it's really easy to take advantage
10:15of them. A lot of it the tactics it's
10:18either fear or flattery. You know, I can
10:21see how special you are. I can see that,
10:23you know, this thing can be changed and
10:25if you come and work with my medicine
10:26and if we do these things together, then
10:29absolutely you're going to finally be
10:30able to live the life that you want to
10:32live. And I've been in that position.
10:34And what's tough is that there's so much
10:37shame already around sexual abuse. And
10:40then you layer psychedelics into it and
10:42the abuse of power. And I feel like it
10:44just gets complicated. And there's even
10:46more guilt and shame. And you know,
10:48maybe did I bring this on myself? And do
10:50I want to talk about these things? And
10:52people come here looking for healing.
10:54And sometimes you stumble into the wrong
10:56people.
11:00It's pretty obvious that buffo is an
11:02incredibly powerful substance, but also
11:05that the people who administer buffo,
11:07the shamans, they're interacting with
11:09people at their most vulnerable. There's
11:11one shaman in particular who we keep
11:13hearing about.
11:14>> Who's this Mike [music] Tyson with Dr.
11:16Jerry?
11:17>> How did you first find out about Dr.
11:19Jerry?
11:20>> It was watching a Mike Tyson podcast.
11:24[music]
11:24>> Tracy had an experience with Dr. Jerry
11:26that he says took a toll on his mental
11:28health.
11:29>> It took me 6 months to recover. [music]
11:33I'd fall asleep and then I'd wake up
11:36because this giant portal thing would
11:38open up, you know, and vibrate in front
11:40of me. I couldn't sleep. I was having
11:43panic attacks all day long. My mind was
11:47so fractured like I couldn't drive
11:49anywhere. I couldn't do anything. that
11:52fear from that buffo experience [music]
11:56didn't go away.
11:58>> A series of allegations against Dr.
12:00Jerry Sandival were published in an open
12:02letter in [music] 2019. These include
12:04lack of aftercare, rape, and sexual
12:07assault.
12:09We even heard allegations that someone
12:12died medically while under his care and
12:14was brought back to life with CPR.
12:16>> My soul left my body. Like my heart
12:19stopped. You you had to do CPR. I
12:22[music] feel like I died.
12:24>> We've managed to get Jerry to meet us on
12:26the shores of Lake Balar before we take
12:28a boat to a remote island [music] to
12:30witness a buffer ceremony.
12:32>> Jerry. Hey,
12:33>> Matt. Good to meet you.
12:34>> Nice to meet you, man. This is Theo.
12:35>> He has agreed to answer our questions
12:37about the allegations against him, but
12:38not in front of his clients.
12:40>> Adam, nice to meet you.
12:44>> So, the people here, are they all going
12:46to do buffer with you today?
12:47>> That is correct. What kinds of reasons
12:49are they coming to you for doing buffer?
12:52They can say for themselves. No.
12:54>> Yeah. In my personal life, my daily
12:56life, I do deal with a great deal of
12:58anxiety. So, I'm just looking to step
13:00outside of myself. That way, I just have
13:02[music] at least a reference point so
13:04that moving forward I can really make
13:06some significant change.
13:07>> I'm hop just to continue my journey of
13:10self-improvement. I feel like that
13:11breakthrough that near-death experience
13:14that you sort of experience has that
13:15potential to help in that way
13:17>> to heal our soul and heal [music] our
13:20our bodies and our mind as well. So,
13:22it's a full combination of body, [music]
13:24mind, and spirit.
13:25>> And what's your connection to Jerry?
13:28>> I'm his wife.
13:29>> You're his wife.
13:29>> And his wife. [music] Yes. I'm
13:31facilitating so today. I have done it
13:33with Jerry before the first time 6 years
13:36ago. I had a really really intense trip,
13:39but it was exactly what I needed.
13:42>> How many milligrams do you give each
13:44person?
13:44>> I'm giving around 90 to 100 mg. It's the
13:49minimum effective dose to completely
13:50dissolve the ego. You're not supposed to
13:53be here. You're supposed to be out of
13:56here. Who's going to go first?
13:58>> Oh, yeah. I'll go first.
14:02Adam is a buffo enthusiast and is here
14:05today hoping to cure his social anxiety.
14:22>> It looks like [music] his soul is
14:24repeatedly pressing the snooze button on
14:26an alarm clock set by reality.
14:30After
14:3520 minutes, he's back.
14:39>> Back to reality.
14:41If you think that psychedelics
14:43exclusively [music] lead to altruism,
14:45his next comment may surprise you. Give
14:47all the credit rant.
14:52One of my goals is to live 200 years,
14:55and I really believe plant medicines
14:57have a major role in that journey. While
15:00it's so far unclear if Adam's trip has
15:02[music] brought society any closer to
15:04immortality, he reported that it did
15:06help his social anxiety.
15:08[music]
15:11>> Can you get like under
15:13>> Jerry's [music] next client is
15:1425-year-old traininey yoga teacher
15:16Jordan.
15:17>> Oh, you missed the coochie cleansing,
15:19>> but that was actually very important.
15:21>> Why is it important to have your coochie
15:23cleansed? Um because this is my power
15:25center and my energy center and [music]
15:27it's what makes me me. I hope to have a
15:31very orgasmic and blissful experience.
15:34[music]
15:36Spirit guides, transdimensional beings
15:39of light, allowing me to be a clear open
15:42channel of your infinite love, light,
15:46wisdom, healing energies in the Christ
15:49consciousness. Peace on earth begins
15:51[music] today and it begins within me.
15:592 3 4 5 6 7 8
16:12hold it over your nose and out. 8 7 6 5
16:194 3 2
16:34As soon as Jordan inhales Dr. Jerry's
16:36100 mgram dose of Buffo, she loses total
16:40control of her body.
16:52The teeth chattering. Where does that
16:54come from?
16:54>> Well, when the the medicine comes in, it
16:56begins on the feet, manifest as a small
17:00jittering movement, sends all the way to
17:03the head.
17:04>> Very important not to confuse it with uh
17:07convulsion seizures cuz a lot of people
17:09are like, "Wow, she's
17:11completely normal. suspected. It's the
17:13ascension of a medicine towards the
17:15brain.
17:21>> Oh yes.
17:25>> It's easy to see how important it is for
17:27people with intense reactions like
17:28Jordan to be carefully looked after.
17:32Oh,
17:40>> I need help.
17:43I need help.
17:45>> You're safe.
17:47>> I need help.
17:50>> Clarity is on the way. Yes.
17:58Good girl. Yes. Yes.
18:02>> Sorry. I'm sorry. I'm
18:06I'm sorry. I don't know how to let go.
18:08>> Just let it go. In the middle of it all,
18:11Jordan seems to gain some lucidity.
18:14>> Can I ask some more?
18:17>> You want round two?
18:19>> Is that okay? Let's ask the doctor.
18:23Dr. Jerry, she would like another.
18:29>> Yeah. No, she had a huge process right
18:31now. We don't want to be on them.
18:33>> She asked for another one, but you were
18:36like, "No,
18:37>> no, she had a process clearly." So if we
18:39give her another then she will have a
18:41high risk of having integration issues a
18:44lot of constant reactivations and stuff.
18:46No need for that.
18:47>> Yes. Okay. So it's important to know
18:49when
18:54>> minutes later she slips back into her
18:56trip.
18:58>> So I don't let go.
19:01If you resist it in the initial phase
19:05and you fully relax eventually, then the
19:07toy takes you for a second speed.
19:11>> Okay.
19:18>> But coming back from that is so easy.
19:23>> Thought I was done.
19:29>> [music]
19:31>> Jordan's experience outwardly appeared
19:33difficult, but when it stopped, she
19:36became ecstatic. Yes, it is.
19:39>> Had she achieved inner peace, or was she
19:42happy because the traumatic thing was
19:44over?
19:50>> So, what happens next for her?
19:52>> Well, she has a high chance of having a
19:54reactivation tonight. Does she have a
19:57support network that can help her with
19:58that over the next few days while she's
20:00doing this?
20:00>> Yes, absolutely. We're going to be in
20:02contact uh touch with her to see how
20:04she's doing. But no, she had a beautiful
20:07process. I'm really happy with her
20:09process.
20:15>> She did it.
20:20The third person who's going to do
20:22[music] today with Jerry is going to do
20:23it floating in the water. Let's hope he
20:25doesn't have a reaction like the last
20:26person.
20:31>> The water holds the secret of eternal
20:34life. When we connect to the water while
20:37being on a higher state of
20:39consciousness, your mind and your body
20:42lets go completely. I am you.
20:56and you are me.
21:02>> Hello. Long time no see.
21:05>> Yeah, it was about 20 minutes.
21:07>> Way longer than I thought.
21:08>> Was there any particular trauma that you
21:10had that you felt was coming up?
21:11>> I think losing my father um at a young
21:14age when I was nine. He passed away. Um,
21:17he was in a tragic motorcycle accident
21:19and I thought I was um I thought I was
21:22done grieving that and I I think I just
21:24tell myself that I am and just keep
21:26going and I'm really not.
21:28>> I don't know if you were aware but you
21:29were saying I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm
21:30sorry. Do you know what you were
21:32apologizing for?
21:33>> So I feel that I was still very much in
21:37my head and in the ego. Um, and I was
21:39just apologizing for not surrendering
21:42because it's a pattern that I feel I do
21:46um, time and time again and then I beat
21:47myself up and then it's a cycle um, that
21:51happens. But I think that's the thing
21:52with mental health issues is that you're
21:55trying so hard.
21:58It's a cycle and you don't know how to
22:00stop.
22:02But it's not about being perfect and
22:04it's not about
22:07trying to do the performance or trying
22:09to like say what you think people want
22:12to hear and all those things. So I was
22:14just apologizing
22:16I think for judging myself. [music]
22:18>> At one point I think you were kind of
22:20terrified and wanted it to stop. Is that
22:22right?
22:23>> Oh no, no, no, no, no. If anything, I
22:27wanted more because I think I just I
22:29wanted to
22:33take it to another level. But I think
22:36there's a lifetime for that. And I think
22:38that healing is a process
22:41and this is just the beginning.
22:49>> Dr. Jerry's clients today seem
22:50positively transformed.
22:52>> Yes. Well done, everybody.
22:54>> [laughter]
22:55>> But some of his past customers claimed
22:57their experiences were far worse.
22:59>> There was no help. He actually told me
23:02to [music] eat a cheeseburger,
23:04uh, take Xanax
23:07and take a cold [music] shower.
23:09>> One even claimed that she had medically
23:11died under his care.
23:12>> I started on the bed and everything was
23:15one way and then I woke up on the floor
23:17with Jerry standing over me like looking
23:19kind of panicked. I knew something was
23:21wrong.
23:24>> We contacted several of the accusers
23:26about the contents of the 2019 open
23:28letter, but none of them were able to
23:30provide a source for the sexual assault
23:32allegations who would go on record.
23:34Although one woman said she woke up
23:36topless with his crotch in her face.
23:38[music]
23:40>> There was a letter published about you.
23:42Absolutely.
23:43>> What's the story with that?
23:45>> The allegations of rape and fraud are
23:47[music] simply untrue. All of my
23:49organizers, especially female
23:50organizers, are always present when I'm
23:53administering the medicine to a woman.
23:56Me as a medical officer, I have the
23:58obligation as an OB/GYN, as a
24:00gynecologist, if I'm going to explore a
24:02woman, there has to be a female nurse or
24:05a female figure there. You know, we
24:07spoke to two women who claimed that
24:09either their pulse completely stopped or
24:11they became [music] totally unresponsive
24:13while taking buffer with you. And one of
24:15them thinks maybe that you even had to
24:16give them [music] CPR. No, that was that
24:18all happened in her mind. She went
24:20through a [music] powerful ego death
24:22that when she came back, she actually
24:24thought I I brought her back from the
24:26dead. I never moved from my place where
24:28I was. But that all happened in her
24:30mind.
24:31>> We spoke to another woman who says that
24:34when she came to from the buffo, her top
24:36was off and that her head was near your
24:38crotch.
24:40>> No, but it is very common for that's the
24:42exhibitionist reaction. A lot of people
24:45upon exposure of the molecule they strip
24:47naked and of course if that happens if a
24:51woman gets naked I very humbly and
24:53politely might gravitate and cover her.
24:56>> There have been some people who alleged
24:57they've had psychosis or lasting mental
24:59effects after taking bofer with you. If
25:01you see the number of people I'm serving
25:03which is you know thousands of people
25:05[music] of course it's expected that a
25:08very minority is going to have
25:10complications. There's [music] certain
25:12diagnosis mental diseases that are not
25:15going to benefit from this experience
25:17and might end up actually in a worse
25:19place before exposure.
25:20>> So what kind of precautions do you take
25:22to make sure people like that don't come
25:25take care?
25:25>> Well, we screen them. You know,
25:27initially we do a screening. I do a
25:29medical interview [music] to assess that
25:31they're in good conditions for the
25:32medicine. But at the end of the day, you
25:35never know. People can always lie. My
25:38only regret is that I didn't have enough
25:40time to spend with them. But I I do
25:43believe I've done way much more good
25:45than harm.
25:49>> It is conceivable that given [music] the
25:51power of the drug, one could imagine any
25:54scenario could have happened while they
25:56were under the effect of it.
25:57Unfortunately, that then becomes [music]
26:00the perfect smoke screen for any
26:01allegation, whether it's true or [music]
26:03not. The sole admission we did get from
26:06him was that he does to some degree
26:07regret not being there for the people
26:10who now [music] say after taking Buffo
26:12with him they have lasting mental
26:13effects.
26:16It's clear that there are huge risks
26:18around [music] Buffo because it puts
26:20vulnerable people in an even more
26:22vulnerable state. But I keep hearing
26:24these stories about how it has
26:25profoundly improved people's [music]
26:27lives. I feel that in order to
26:29understand whether Buffo is truly worth
26:31the risk, there's no way around trying
26:33it myself.
26:36I've signed up to one of the industry's
26:37most premium shamanic buffo packages.
26:40[music]
26:40>> Thank you.
26:42But before I'm even introduced to a Bufo
26:44shaman, I'm told I need to go through a
26:46whole schedule of spiritual foreplay
26:48first,
26:49complete with condundalini activation
26:51exercises,
26:54a Mayan [music] sweat lodge,
26:59and a cenote dive.
27:05I'm wondering like how much all of the
27:06the random stuff that we're doing is
27:09actually [music] important before
27:11ingesting the toad better.
27:13>> Yeah, it's very good. That was really
27:14good. I've never been walked on before
27:16actually.
27:16>> But yeah, it's just feeling like a kind
27:18of parade of novelties right now.
27:20[music]
27:25I've heard about these little dwarves
27:27called the Aluchias. So, Aluchias are
27:30the Mayan spirits of the jungle. I
27:33didn't used to believe in them until I
27:36saw one myself.
27:38>> Okay, everyone keeps saying like when
27:40you take Buffo, a part of you dies and a
27:42part of you is reborn and you change.
27:44And I'm just like really worried that
27:45the part of me that's going to die is
27:47the part that doesn't believe in little
27:48dwarves. And the part of you that will
27:50be reborn is a new part that does. And I
27:52quite like the part of me that doesn't
27:54believe in little dwarves. And I really
27:55don't want it to disappear.
27:57Now I'm ready to meet a Bufo shaman by a
28:00replica of an ancient Mayan pyramid. I
28:02feel like I'm about to go on an extreme
28:04Disneyland [music] ride. Hi.
28:06>> Hello.
28:06>> How are you?
28:07>> Very good. And you?
28:08>> Good. Good. So, are you the shaman who's
28:10going to be giving me the medicine?
28:12>> I am the medicine man. Yeah.
28:13>> So, how do you decide what dosage to
28:15give people?
28:16>> Basically, I'm a highly intuitive
28:19person. Uh the way that I commune and I
28:23serve is I connect with your higher
28:25self. And what what's my higher self
28:27telling you now?
28:29>> Okay. Around 40 45 mg.
28:31>> Okay.
28:32>> Yeah. Just make sure that you're ready
28:35to let go everything that you don't
28:36need.
28:37>> Okay. It's fun. Are you ready to die?
28:42>> No. [laughter]
28:44Well, let's see.
28:47Just as I'm ready to take the hit,
28:49[music] a last minute surprise is that
28:51Rodrigo is taking a hit first.
28:56Definitely not the common practice of a
28:57sober guide to ensure a participant's
28:59safety.
29:04[music]
29:14The buffo smoke feels painless just like
29:16air. And the taste I can only describe
29:18as primordial.
29:38It instantly felt like the most profound
29:40thing to ever happen. As though until
29:42that moment I had only experienced a
29:44tiny limited fraction of reality.
29:48I also felt extremely vulnerable like
29:50[music] I was an egg and God had just
29:51cracked me into a pan.
29:54At first, I fought this, but then when I
29:57finally surrendered, it was pure bliss.
29:59[music]
30:00I felt the gust of wind on my body, and
30:02then was that gust of wind soaring
30:04across the canopy. [music]
30:09It's like being dissolved into the
30:11ground around you.
30:15I remember you said to me something
30:16like, "Oh, you don't have to do it if
30:17you don't want to." And I was like, that
30:19kept playing back in my head, tethering
30:21me back to reality.
30:23What? It's a hell of an experience.
30:30>> Did you see [music] the elves?
30:33>> I didn't see elves, but the elves were
30:35nothing compared to what I saw.
30:40>> So, I just woke up from the craziest
30:42dreams I've ever had in my life. And
30:43[music]
30:44I have to say, I feel pretty amazing. I
30:47feel like colors are more vivid. It's
30:49like there's a path that was overgrown
30:52with weeds and then it's been cut
30:54[music] back and now you know that you
30:57can go through that path because the
30:58effects are so earthshattering. Many
31:00shamans now offer an integration session
31:03to help you digest your experience.
31:05>> How was your sleep?
31:06>> Yeah, I slept really, really well.
31:08Things seem a little bit less stressful.
31:10So if I were to call you a couple weeks
31:12from now and say, you know, I've had
31:14some sort of reactivation or flashback
31:17or I'm finding something difficult,
31:19would you be there to
31:20>> For sure. Yeah, for sure. I that's what
31:22I encourage.
31:23>> What about the dark side? What about the
31:25people who are administering BUFFO
31:26incorrectly? What are the risks there?
31:28>> Sleep paralysis, depression or
31:31schizophrenia? There's many
31:33irresponsible sexual activities. Is it
31:36true that there have been cases of
31:38sexual assault occurring during buffer
31:40ceremonies?
31:41>> There's can many kinds of abuses.
31:43>> It needs to for tangle
31:46like there will not be a resonance of a
31:48victim if there was not a a perpetrator.
31:52So also analyzing what brought that
31:54person into that experience too.
31:56>> So in in situations where women are
31:59alleging that they've been sexually
32:00abused that you're saying the woman
32:02might bear some responsibility.
32:04>> Yeah.
32:04>> Really? Yeah, I've been in ceremonies of
32:07not of my holding that girls comes with
32:10like skirts like mini skirts.
32:13>> Okay.
32:14>> And bringing this into this environment
32:17like creates a like a a reaction from
32:21the man of course.
32:22>> But we're talking about, you know,
32:24terrible crime that's incredibly
32:26traumatic being perpetrated on a woman.
32:29Whether she's wearing a skirt or not,
32:30that doesn't mean she
32:31>> I know
32:32>> in any way deserves that. Absolutely.
32:34>> I'm I'm I don't want to interject cuz I
32:36think maybe Are you confused of what
32:38he's trying to say? Do you mean when
32:40somebody's under the influence, the girl
32:43is is trying to influence the man?
32:46>> It does sound like you're victim
32:48blaming, which is worrying if you are in
32:50a position of power.
32:51>> No, I'm not
32:52>> giving someone a powerful example like
32:54this.
32:54>> I think sometimes there's a language
32:55barrier. So, I don't I don't think
32:57that's what puts me. If a woman is
32:59abused in a ceremony and she was [music]
33:01wearing a skirt, does she bear any
33:03responsibility for that?
33:04>> We have to hold ourselves responsible of
33:07what experience [music] we go into. If I
33:09go into into a cave and I fall down and
33:12I die,
33:14[music] who is the responsible? Me,
33:16because I enter the cave.
33:20I was feeling amazing this [music]
33:22morning, but integration therapy has
33:25left me feeling weird. He literally
33:26said, "It takes two [music] to tango."
33:28It takes two to tango, but it takes one
33:30person to commit sexual assault. That's
33:33an absolutely [music] crazy viewpoint
33:35from someone who's administering a
33:37powerful drug to people at their most
33:38vulnerable.
33:40He's on the drug when he performs these
33:42[music] ceremonies. So, if there's no
33:45third party there and the [music] person
33:47administering the drug has that
33:48viewpoint, that's a pretty worrying
33:50situation.
33:54It sort of makes you think, you know,
33:55how far do those views spread amongst
33:57shamans here? And is there essentially a
34:01rape culture amongst shamans in Tulum?
34:06[music]
34:10It's patently clear that the wellness
34:11[music] industry is growing and growing.
34:13Tourists don't just want to party and
34:15have an adventure now. They want a
34:16life-changing [music] experience that's
34:18going to make them feel better. and
34:20they've found something that can
34:22potentially do that. But what used to be
34:25a substance you [music] had to hike into
34:27the jungle and find a shaman to
34:28administer is now available on a main
34:30tourist high street. [music]
34:32I've seen the potential this drug has
34:34both in other people and myself. I feel
34:36better. I feel like that truer, happier,
34:39more at peace self.
34:42The power of that medicine can't be
34:44understated. But with a substance that
34:46makes you that vulnerable, there [music]
34:48needs to be some form of regulation,
34:50some sort of system that prevents
34:52traumatic experiences happening. of
34:55miracles
35:01[music]
35:07[music]
35:08and telepathy.