Kambo Safety: Considerations Before Attending a Ceremony

Over the past few months I have received numerous complaints about Irish kambo practitioners/practitioners currently practicing in Ireland. These complaints included but are not limited to: unsafe procedure resulting in injury, boundaries between client/practitioner being crossed, and lack of sufficient knowledge about kambo to safely facilitate the process. 

Unfortunately, kambo can have a reputation for being an easy Amazonian medicine to work with, but this is far from the truth. I have personally come into contact with many people who have either experienced kambo with a practitioner without the necessary training, or people who have bought kambo online and attempted to administer it to themselves or their friends, again without the necessary knowledge and training. This not only puts people’s lives at risk, but also threatens the sanctity of this traditional medicine. 

 Regarding the received complaints, it is not my position to police these practitioners in any way, but what I can do is emphasise the importance of screening your practitioner before you attend a kambo ceremony with them. A genuine, experienced practitioner will never mind you questioning their experience with kambo. 

In a future post I will be expanding on how to screen your practitioner on a personal and energetic level, and give some points to consider whilst choosing the right practitioner for you. This post deals with the basics of physical safety in relation to kambo. 

These guidelines are in essence specific to kambo but some may also be considered for other medicine or healing ceremonies.

Please also share this with anyone you know who is considering attending a kambo ceremony.  

Here is a list of points to consider: 

Training considerations: 

• Is this practitioner trained to serve kambo? With whom have they trained?

  1. If they attended training with an organisation, is this organisation recognised and reputable? Did they pass the course and can they show you a cert? Oftentimes, people who do not pass these courses feel they have acquired enough knowledge to serve kambo and open a practice anyway. Keep in mind, they did not pass the course for a reason and this reason is, the majority of the time, because the person was deemed mentally unfit to become a practitioner. 9 times out of 10 these practitioners will have a strong air of defiance against the organisation who provided training and will often slander them. Consider this a red flag.

  2. If trained by an individual - was this individual an experienced, knowledgable practitioner? Do they have a good reputation? What gives this practitioner the authority to train other practitioners?

  3. If they trained in the Amazon - do they have sufficient knowledge of Western medical conditions and medications in relation to kambo safety? Oftentimes jungle training, whilst knowledgeable and thorough in its own right, will not include training in how to work with Western medical conditions safely or provide any guidelines around Western medication interactions.

  4. Were they trained in person or online? If online - has the person that passed the kambo torch to them met them in person at any point in order to assess if they are of sound mind and capable of holding a safe space as a kambo practitioner.

Safety Protocol considerations:

• Were you given a health intake form before kambo?

• Did they make you aware of contraindications?

• If you are on medication or have a medical condition (physical or mental): Can they tell you with full confidence that kambo is suitable for you and that your condition/medication is not contraindicated and will not pose any risk?

• Certain health/medical conditions will make it necessary for the practitioner to adjust how you receive kambo and you may need specific guidelines to follow before and after kambo - can your practitioner provide this?

• The above two points also apply to both recreational drugs and some traditional entheogenic medicines which are actively circulating around medicine communities. Were you asked to disclose if you have taken these substances and is the practitioner able to provide you with tailored information about this substance and kambo? For example, what length of time has to pass between using this substance and receiving kambo?

• Did you receive guidelines about what to expect from a kambo ceremony beforehand, especially water intake and fasting guidelines?

• Do they offer a test point application and do they know the purpose of the test point application?

• It is not unusual for people to experience temporary physical reactions during kambo such as fainting. Has the practitioner made you aware of this? Do they know what to do in the event of these situations? This is just one example of many. It is imperative that your practitioner have a knowledge of the many possibilities that could arise during a kambo ceremony and know how to deal with them confidently and effectively.

Practice and Ceremony considerations:

• What is their level of experience and does it fit the intended situation? For example, you are due to attend a group ceremony with several other participants - does the practitioner have the knowledge, experience and ability to hold space safely for this amount of people?

• If it is a group ceremony - do they have assistants that will be working with them? Are the assistants experienced?

• Is the space they are working in safe? Will you have sufficient space without any hazards that could lead to injury?

• Is there a bathroom near with a clear walkway to it? Will someone escort you to and from the bathroom?

• Are you receiving kambo on the ground, in order to minimise injury?

• You will be fasting for several hours before receiving kambo so it is important to replenish afterwards. Do they provide you with food, and if not, do they give you a guideline of suitable food to bring with you?

Every practitioner will have their own unique way of working. I do not condone one way over another, as it is this individuality that can add to the sacredness of a kambo ceremony, and it is often what will draw you (even energetically) towards working with a certain practitioner. However, I believe the points above should be considered before working with any practitioner. Safety is universally imperative. 

If you were unhappy with the service in any way - tell them. Practitioners cannot improve without the knowledge of what you feel could be improved. Not only will a genuine, experienced practitioner not mind you questioning their experience with kambo, they should also be open to constructive feedback.