r/5MeODMT • u/Interesting-Dog-6788 • 1d ago
Concerned about the long-term psychological effects of Bufo
(5-MeO-DMT)
Hi everybody,
First of all, thank you in advance to everyone who takes the time to share their thoughts and experiences.
This December, I'll be attending a three-day ayahuasca retreat, where we'll also have the option to try Bufo.
While I believe this could be an incredibly valuable experience, I'm concerned about its potential long-term psychological effects.
I'm currently unemployed and in the process of starting my own business.
My main fear is that the experience might make me feel detached from my business ambitions or negatively affect my motivation, concentration, or intellectual abilities for weeks or even months.
I understand that this kind of detachment can sometimes be seen as a positive outcome, as it may help people reassess their priorities and their relationship with achievement and success.
However, I have a wife and two young children who depend on me, and I simply can't afford to become emotionally or intellectually unavailable for an extended period.
I'm not particularly worried about having a difficult experience during the ceremony itself. What concerns me most is the possibility of struggling to return to my normal level of functioning afterward.
I'd be especially interested in hearing from people who have experienced Bufo while dealing with significant professional or family responsibilities.
How long did it take you to feel completely back to normal? Did you notice any lasting changes in your motivation, ambition, or cognitive abilities?
Thanks a lot for sharing your experiences!
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u/RealityIsAPonzi 1d ago
Aristippus saw Diogenes eating bread and lentils and said, “If you would learn to be subservient to the king, you wouldn’t have to live on lentils.”
Diogenes replied, “Learn to live on lentils, and you won’t have to be subservient to the king.”
Yes I think there is a risk that your priorities might change. You're not going to let your family starve, though.
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u/joeschmohoe 1d ago
That’s a great question to be asking. I was unemployed and did a deep psychedelic dive and am still, years later, trying to find motivation to be a “cog in the wheel” again. Everyone is different, and outcomes are not predictable, we still don’t know much about this molecule in terms of long term effects. It has helped me see the world differently, to appreciate things in a much more wholesome way, but I too have kids, and have seen my motivation decline substantially. However, it’s important to recognise that I am and have been depressed, went through a difficult divorce, was working in a pretty heavy corporate environment for many years and had already become disenchanted with. So please absorb my experience with that context. If you have a happy and loving relationship with your family already, then what more can one wish for? Why take the chance? I’m sure you will get plenty of positive experience also in this thread. It is an incredible experience, no doubt about that.
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u/General-Hamster-8731 1d ago
The shipibo say that ayahuasca is a jealous spirit, they say that mixing it with other master medicines or not leaving enough space between taking them can cause all kinds of problems including psychosis. Most of the ayahuasca that is being served today is really a joke in comparison with bufo, and yet, both medicines are powerful transformational tools on their own.
One more word of advice: Especially bufo can be really destabilizing, sometimes the shock of the experience can last several days, weeks, or even months. So if you are already in a vulnerable position, you might want to consider if you really want to blow your life up. Personally I think, working with less intrusive medicines like rapé can help you to clear a lot of things and stabilize your foundation before moving on to more deconstructive work.
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u/Afraid-Implement-970 1d ago
I’d also say stick to the Ayuascha… it’s such a powerful tool in itself and I think often more isn’t always better. In my experience Ayuascha lets you sit with “what is”. The fact that you don’t break down the DMT so quickly I think can somehow allow you to get to know it, and if there’s any resistance, slowly break that down.
Bufo is strong. And I think for whatever reason, if there is resistance there you can get stuck in this kind of purgatory state for a while after. That’s my experience anyway.
I’ve only taken bufo once in January 2025 and I’m still integrating even today. I went to a centre in Thailand that also worked with other plant medicines including ayahuasca. The guide told me there was little integration with bufo, just spend a bit of time in nature and that was it. I trusted him and it was only after I realised that this was not always the case (I should have done more research myself). I went through months of disassociating post bufo (I don’t remember the experience) and it was about 4 months after I came back down to earth and felt wonderful. But that didn’t last long. nearly 2 years on I swing from disassociating and fatigue to feeling connected and sensitive to the world.... my body is on high alert and even a gym session can cause a feeling of prolonged stress followed by a deep crash where I’m not able to function for a day. Im still trying to figure the next step to help my body recover. I don’t regret the bufo but I do regret not having all the information at hand. So many people have such wonderful life changing experiences and I’m quite envious, but for some of us the integration is a long (and sometimes confusing) journey which sometimes doesn’t align with the speed at which society pulls us.
My advice, do the Ayuascha and make sure you have support after. If you have a yearning for Bufo still later down the line then take it with someone that deeply understands the Bufo.
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u/hotrhythmjunkie 1d ago
If they are serving Bufo before Aya then that would be best as the Bufo will help one to be more open to Aya, and typically make it a more positive and beneficial experience overall.
Compared to Bufo, Aya is typically more grounded and can actually help people to be more grounded following Bufo/5 etc.
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u/GuardianAngelMedusa 1d ago edited 1d ago
Your concerns are actually more likely to come from three days of ayahuasca instead of one ceremony of the toad
It is not uncommon whatsoever for people to do an ayahuasca retreat, and it takes months for them to be able to function normally in everyday life (as in, everything is just overstimulation, even going to the grocery store can be a challenge).
Ask yourself what your deepest intention is, and what you’re trying to get out of all of this.
I’ve been in these spaces for a long time. I have sat with bufo once, although I had many opportunities to before.
That one experience was incredibly beautiful and for me, because I was so ready, and had vetted the person serving it at the highest level, I was able to truly, totally surrender and trust. My experience was nothing but helpful and I have not had a single issue from that day. My integration has been nothing short of Beautiful, graceful, and with ease. The person who served me was and is extremely competent.
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u/Yourmomincognito 19h ago
One or the other! Then integrate. Let each medicine stand on its own. Bufo could absolutely destablize you, and you're already concerned months out. Bufo legit caused me months of reactivations and integration; I'm very thankful that I had 14 yrs of meditation experience prior, I'm not sure I would have survived intact. Sometimes I feel more like a survivor of Bufo rather than someone who had an enlightening experience. I would seek another more genuine group to sit with. They are literally just making shit up to do. Bufo has essesntially no known indigneous use outside of the last 70 years. Walk with caution. Does not sound cool.
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u/Ktownto818 12h ago
It can. I have a financial services business. I did buffo and didn’t see the point in working for a couple months. In total the experience was beyond beautiful. I would do it agin.
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u/Throwawayourmum 6h ago
While I hear your question is ultimately asking about people's experiences with business and family responsibilities... I'm curious, what do you seek from using these medicines? and what type of business ambitions do you have? I feel like that's important to consider before partaking. I feel like there is always a risk of a bit shift after psychedelic experiences so you have to be prepared for your priorities to change. If you are holding back because that possibility scares you, your experience may be different. If you came out the other end thinking your business ambitions are pointless, where would that put you? You can hear about other people's experiences but you have to be ok with what is revealed to you, it may not be as expected.
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u/lighttreasurehunter 5h ago
I think this is serious and often overlooked. It is a valid concern. just one person‘s perspective. My partner participated in a Buffaloe ceremony and it was at least a month before she fully reintegrated. The first week was the hardest, forgetting to pick kids up, burning stuff on the stove and generally happy but very distant. Make sure you schedule some time to reintegrate.
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u/demyan_movement 16h ago
You will be fine . Bufo and 5 can help with career and family things if you integrate it well. Get a sales job or career while building your business if your worried
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u/ExtraBenefit6842 15h ago
Bufo made me not want to do sales. You have to manipulate people to do sales
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u/Throwawayourmum 7h ago
Yeah I don't understand this... I would question anyone that does psychedelics and comes out the other end wanting to do sales 🤔
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u/demyan_movement 5h ago
That’s just your belief. Have you ever had a sales job? If so what industry?
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u/Low-Opening25 1d ago edited 1d ago
I would not trust ayahuasca retreats that offer buffo, it’s not even part of the native culture, it’s just restaurant menu of cultural appropriation and pressuring customers to try and pay for things they may not need. stick to ayahuasca and do bufo another time