Nausea, vomiting, incontinence, then reality warps into dream-like visions

KAMBO is a toxic, waxy secretion which is produced by the skin of the giant monkey frog in the Amazonian jungle.

Living high in the trees, the frogs are revered by tribal healers – but the kambo poison has been blamed for around five deaths worldwide, with anecdotal reports suggesting it has caused severe illness.

Gathered from the jungle at dawn, the placid frogs are strung up with string. After the poison is scraped off, they are released.

Kambo is usually absorbed directly into the bloodstream via small burns made in the skin of the upper arm. Those taking it are asked to drink two litres of water beforehand, in anticipation of its purgatory effects.

Kambo initially causes an unpleasant period of hot flushes, increased heart rate, nausea, vomiting and incontinence that lasts 30 to 40 minutes. Some will feel dizzy, groggy or ‘spaced out’, while others will shake or faint.

An altered state of reality is reached, and devotees claim they experience dream-like visions while in this state.

This is followed by a period of listlessness as the body recovers. Fans of kambo claim it purifies the mind and body.

Controversially, many also claim it helps with diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer’s.

Scientists have found kambo contains compounds that have effects including contracting or relaxing the muscles, dilating the blood vessels and stimulating brain cells.

Not all toxins in kambo are easily identified but they include deltorphin and dermorphin, which are 4,000 times more potent than morphine.

While they relieve pain, they also affect the central nervous system and respiratory function.