Should We All Go to Mexico and Take Bufo?

I recently watched this mini-documentary from Vice about Bufo in Mexico . I have been using psychedelics for over a decade, but I really didn’t (and still don’t) know much about Bufo. I thought watching this video would be a good way to learn.?

After watching it, I felt sick. I’ll be careful here to not blame the medicine, but I think what I saw in this documentary was a lot of red flags about the psychedelic community. Perhaps the take-home message here is more one about the shadow side of psychedelics rather than any one particular medicine itself. In this article, I’ll dive a bit more into the shadow side of this work and provide my thoughts on readiness for psychedelics, spiritual work, integration, and more.

What is Bufo?

I am sure there are many people that can provide more information on Bufo and how to use it safely and effectively, and I do welcome those perspectives!?

According to Forbes , this substance is the dried venom from the Bufo Alvarius toad. Often vaporized, this 20-minute experience can have profound effects. The actual substance itself is called 5-MeO-DMT.?

This is not an article about Bufo itself, but I wanted to briefly introduce it for clarity.

Holding Space

Of course, taking psychedelics is not just about the substance itself. The substance that is being taken matters a lot, but so does the environment in which it’s taken, the past history of the individual taking it, the person administering the substance, and so many other factors. Classically, we refer to these factors as ‘set and setting ’.?

I think the importance of these factors is often not taken into enough consideration. We do have to consider the role that the medicine itself plays, but the ‘container’ is also going to have a huge role. By container I mean the factors that go into the medicine session - this may be the preparation sessions, the integration, the set and setting, and more.

In the video I referenced, there were a few different containers. We saw an operation where they paid little-to-no attention to safety, offering 1-hour teepee reservations to take bufo in a busy commercial area. When asked about screening for mental health conditions like schizophrenia, the facilitator appeared confused, shook his head, and said Bufo can even help with those conditions. Yikes, I don’t think so, buddy.

Another facilitator was perhaps a little more concerned about safety. He noted that he used to be a corporate banker and now facilitates bufo sessions on the beach.?

Another facilitator that had previously appeared on Mike Tyson’s podcast also hosted beachside Bufo sessions. While this facilitator expressed a concern for safety, he had many allegations against him and generally seemed more interested in the rotating door of Bufo clients.?

Finally, a retreat center setting had a ‘medicine man’ administering the Bufo, while also offering many other novel experiences. This ‘medicine man’ also was victim blaming people who experience sexual assault under psychedelics, making statements like “Well, if she’s wearing a miniskirt then she has a role to play in that.” Ew! Take some responsibility, dude.

Little attention was paid to facilitator training, safety considerations and screening, integration, or caring for clients.?

When Psychedelics go Wrong

The lack of general rigor observed in this particular video brought some things up for me.

In general, I think some of the people in the video were not properly cared for, and there was a lot of concerning behavior by the facilitators.

At one point, a participant was thrashing around in the water, saying “I need help.” The facilitator, who was previously accused of sexual assault and negligence by several people, said something to the effect of “the medicine will do the work.” She pushed back, “No, I need help.” Still, he offered none, stepping back and letting the medicine do its thing.

My inclination here is that perhaps he should have asked her what she needed! Shortly after, she started asking for more Bufo. She was also saying she was sorry and apologizing for “not being able to let go”. She cried and told the interviewer that she has a hard time letting go, so she wanted more medicine to help her.

Thankfully, the facilitator recognized that more medicine was not warranted here. My strong sense is that this person needed more genuine human care and support. Instead of being on a beach in Mexico with strangers, I think she’d benefit more from compassionate support from trusted connections. Some grounding would be more appropriate than blasting off with Bufo.

In general, this participant appeared to have sought out a very powerful psychedelic medicine, and found someone that was willing to give it to her. I do not think she was psychologically equipped to handle the medicine, and so she had a tough experience. No one stopped to give her direction and guidance, to understand her situation, or to explore a more grounded approach to her care.

Finding Calm Amidst the Storm

These experiences help me to reflect on the shadow side of this psychedelic work. In my time working with psychedelics, I’ve come to see psychedelics as nuclear powers: very effective when properly and safely managed, yet very dangerous when mishandled.

I do advocate and support the usage of psychedelics. I think that we are living in a time where we are in desperate need of a shift in our worldviews. I think that psychedelics can help shift us positively in this direction. I also support peoples’ freedom to choose what to do with their consciousness and their experience.

I do worry about misuse of psychedelics, and how unregulated usage can lead to bad situations. I am not sure more regulation is the solution, as the regulations also drive up the costs and make it more inaccessible.

Conclusions

I do think we all would all do well to be able to take a step back and ask what we need outside of psychedelics. How else can we support our individual growth? Many tools are available to meet this end, although they may not make as many headlines. Meditation is a time tested tool for focus, clarity, mental calm, and spiritual integration. Prayer is another classic tool to help connect with something greater than oneself and receive guidance. Movement helps us to become grounded in our bodies and to reduce depression and anxiety.

Even more fundamental is building solid relationships. Do you have trusted people that you can reach out to if you are struggling? Do you have people that you would trust to help you if things got really difficult? If not, how can you build these relationships? What would you like to see in a person like this, and where would you find them?

Without these basic tools, and in an unsafe context, psychedelics can shake a person up and leave them struggling. I think it would be wise for us to open the conversations about other ways to engage in spiritual growth, and to make sure that we are using psychedelics responsibly and ethically, as individuals and facilitators.

About the Author

Cole Butler, LPCC, ADDC, MACP is the Founder of Cole Butler Therapy and Integrative Care Collective (ICC). He writes about issues related to spirituality, health, psychedelic experiences, science, philosophy, and consciousness. In his therapy practice, he offers one-on-one counseling, psychedelic integration therapy, and ketamine-assisted psychotherapy. Additionally, as a community leader at ICC, he helps to build relationships and offer support to other mental health providers. Learn more by checking out his therapy website or the ICC website .