God is a toad

 

A crazy video from YouTube featuring our favorite stoner Dakota of Earth. This time around, he is high on "bufo". Can you really meet God by inbibing a secretion from a toad?! ChatGPT has some opinions... 

What is "bufo"? I´m refering to some kind of psychedelic drug. Is it a form of DMT?

Yes, "Bufo" typically refers to the psychedelic secretion of the Bufo alvarius toad, also known as the Sonoran Desert toad or Colorado River toad. The psychoactive compound in this secretion is primarily 5-MeO-DMT, which is a powerful, fast-acting psychedelic.

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🐸 What Is 5-MeO-DMT?

• 5-MeO-DMT stands for 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine.

• It is a tryptamine, like regular DMT (N,N-DMT) found in ayahuasca and certain plants.

• However, 5-MeO-DMT is chemically distinct and has very different subjective effects.

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🌬️ Effects of Bufo / 5-MeO-DMT

• Extremely rapid onset (within seconds of inhalation)

• Very short duration (usually 15–30 minutes)

• Intense dissolution of ego/self, sometimes described as “merging with the void,” “unified field,” or “pure consciousness”

• Less visionary than N,N-DMT — people often report light, energy, or white-out experiences rather than geometric patterns or entities

• Commonly described as more powerful and “ineffable” than other psychedelics

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🔬 Differences: Bufo vs. DMT (Ayahuasca or Synthetic)

Feature	Bufo (5-MeO-DMT)	DMT (N,N-DMT)
Source	Bufo alvarius toad secretion	Plants (e.g. chacruna), synthetic
Common form	Smoked or vaporized secretion	Smoked, snuffed, or orally as ayahuasca
Duration	15–30 minutes	30–60 minutes (smoked); 4–6 hrs (ayahuasca)
Visuals	Minimal to none	Often vivid, complex visuals and "entities"
Common themes	Ego death, nonduality, merging with Source	Spirit journeys, alien contact, otherworlds
Legality	5-MeO-DMT is illegal in some countries (e.g. U.S.)	N,N-DMT is also scheduled in most places

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🌍 Ethical and Environmental Concerns

• Toad harvesting is controversial. Wild Bufo alvarius populations are under pressure due to demand.

• Synthetic 5-MeO-DMT is available and chemically identical, often seen as the more sustainable choice.

• Some Indigenous groups and psychedelic communities discourage using wild toads.

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⚠️ Safety and Cautions

• Extremely potent; not recommended for beginners or unsupervised use

• Can cause overwhelming ego death, which some users find traumatic

• Should only be used with proper integration, preparation, and ideally a trained facilitator or guide

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Would you like sources, maps of where the toads live, or details on how 5-MeO-DMT affects the brain?

How does it affect the brain?

5-MeO-DMT, the active compound in “Bufo,” profoundly affects the brain by binding to specific serotonin receptors, particularly 5-HT2A and 5-HT1A — which are involved in mood, perception, and consciousness.

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🧠 How 5-MeO-DMT Affects the Brain

🔹 1. Serotonin Receptor Binding

• Primary action: strong agonism (activation) of the 5-HT2A receptor
  This is the same receptor activated by LSD, psilocybin, and N,N-DMT — it's the “psychedelic receptor.”

• Also binds to:

  • 5-HT1A — linked to mood and anxiety regulation

  • Possibly sigma-1 receptors, involved in consciousness, but this is less well understood

🔹 2. Ego Dissolution and Default Mode Network (DMN) Suppression

• The Default Mode Network is a brain network associated with:

  • Self-referential thinking

  • The sense of identity (“ego”)

  • Rumination and mental time travel (thinking about past and future)

• 5-MeO-DMT heavily disrupts or quiets the DMN, which correlates with:

  • Ego dissolution

  • Loss of self–other boundaries

  • Feelings of merging with a greater whole or consciousness

Many users report this as a total loss of subject-object duality — often described as “nondual awareness” or “the void.”

🔹 3. Rapid Onset & Short Duration

• After inhalation, the compound crosses the blood–brain barrier very rapidly

• Peak effects occur within 1–2 minutes, and the experience resolves in ~20 minutes

• Because it's so fast, the brain doesn’t have much time to “process” or contextualize the experience, which may contribute to the ineffability of the state

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🧬 Functional Brain Imaging (Early Findings)

There’s limited fMRI or EEG data on 5-MeO-DMT (compared to psilocybin or LSD), but preliminary studies and analogies suggest:

Brain Effect	Likely Result in Experience
↓ DMN coherence	Ego loss, unity consciousness
↑ Connectivity across regions	“Hyper-consciousness,” sense of oneness
↓ Activity in visual cortex	Lack of typical geometric hallucinations (unlike DMT)
↑ Activity in limbic system	Deep emotional release, catharsis

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🧠 Comparison to Psilocybin and LSD

Feature	5-MeO-DMT	Psilocybin / LSD
Ego dissolution	Very common, extreme	Common, but often gradual
Visual hallucinations	Minimal	Prominent (esp. in LSD and DMT)
Emotional release	Often intense	Varies
Duration	15–30 minutes	4–8 hours
Subjective clarity	Ineffable, white-out	Often involves visions, stories, metaphors

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⚠️ Psychological & Spiritual Considerations

• Users often describe the experience as a "death and rebirth" or “merging with the absolute”

• Can lead to profound healing, spiritual awakening, or trauma, depending on set, setting, and integration

• Not recommended for people with certain mental health conditions (e.g. psychosis risk)

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Would you like to see a brain activity diagram or studies comparing it directly to psilocybin or N,N-DMT?

Why are the effects of N,N-DMT different?

The effects of N,N-DMT and 5-MeO-DMT differ dramatically because of chemical structure differences, receptor selectivity, and how they affect brain networks and perception. Here's a breakdown of why they produce such distinct experiences:

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🔬 1. Chemical Structure Differences

• Both are tryptamines (related to serotonin), but:

  • N,N-DMT: has a “linear” structure allowing for more interaction with sensory and visual pathways

  • 5-MeO-DMT: has a methoxy group at position 5, making it more potent at certain serotonin receptors and less visual in its effects

⚖️ Result:

• N,N-DMT: more “structured,” visual, and entity-rich

• 5-MeO-DMT: more “amorphous,” ego-dissolving, white-light/unity state

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🧠 2. Different Receptor Affinities

Receptor Type	N,N-DMT	5-MeO-DMT
5-HT2A (psychedelic)	Strong agonist	Even stronger agonist
5-HT1A (mood/calm)	Mild	Very strong
Sigma-1	Active	Possibly less active
Visual cortex targets	Stimulates	Less stimulation

⚖️ Result:

• N,N-DMT produces:

  • Vivid closed-eye visuals

  • “Entity encounters” or “machine elf” phenomena

  • Geometric, colorful, story-like journeys

• 5-MeO-DMT produces:

  • No or minimal visuals

  • Overwhelming ego dissolution

  • White light, merging with void or God

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🧠 3. Different Effects on Brain Networks

• N,N-DMT:

  • Activates visual processing centers intensely

  • Enhances cross-talk between brain regions, allowing for complex, symbolic, and narrative experiences

• 5-MeO-DMT:

  • Strongly suppresses Default Mode Network (DMN)

  • Creates complete ego disintegration

  • Less sensory input processing — more about nonduality, stillness, unity

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🎨 4. Subjective Effects: A Comparison

Feature	N,N-DMT	5-MeO-DMT (Bufo)
Visuals	Complex, colorful, fractal	Minimal or none
Entities	Common (elves, aliens, teachers)	Rare
Ego dissolution	Possible, but user often retains “observer”	Total, often overwhelming
Emotional tone	Varies (awe, terror, joy)	Often blissful, sometimes terrifying
Integration difficulty	High	Very high
Duration	~15–45 minutes (smoked)	15–30 minutes (vaporized)
Language use afterward	Users describe stories, visions	Users say it was “ineffable,” beyond language

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🌌 Summary Metaphor

Imagine N,N-DMT as being catapulted into an alien theme park full of vivid imagery and beings, where something seems to be “happening.”

Now imagine 5-MeO-DMT as being dissolved into pure white light, where there’s no self, no scene, no entities — just infinite presence or nothingness.

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Would you like a chart summarizing this visually or sources from recent neuroscience research comparing both substances?

What is datura? Is there a datura-related cult of Shiva in India?

Datura is a highly toxic and powerful psychoactive plant used historically in ritual, shamanic, and religious contexts — including some related to Shaivism (the worship of Shiva) in India.

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🌿 What is Datura?

Datura is a genus of plants in the nightshade family (Solanaceae), including species like:

• Datura stramonium (Jimsonweed)

• Datura inoxia

• Datura metel

🔬 Active compounds:

• Scopolamine

• Hyoscyamine

• Atropine

These are tropane alkaloids, which:

• Are anticholinergic (block acetylcholine in the nervous system)

• Can cause delirium, hallucinations, disorientation, amnesia, and strong physical effects (e.g. dry mouth, dilated pupils, elevated heart rate)

⚠️ Datura is extremely dangerous. Even small doses can lead to fatal poisoning or long-term psychosis.

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🕉️ Datura in Hinduism and the Shiva Cult

Yes, Datura has a connection to Shiva worship, particularly in Tantric and folk Shaivite traditions. Here's how:

🔹 1. Offerings to Shiva

• Datura flowers and seeds are traditionally offered to Shiva, especially during festivals like Mahashivaratri.

• The plant is associated with Shiva’s ascetic, destructive, and wild aspects.

• It’s one of the few toxic plants considered sacred in this context.

According to legend, Shiva consumed poison during the churning of the ocean (Samudra Manthan), which is symbolically linked to the offering of toxic plants like Datura.

🔹 2. Tantric and Aghori Use

• In Tantric Shaivism, particularly in Aghori and Nath sects, Datura may be used in ritual intoxication to:

  • Break conventional mental boundaries

  • Enter altered states

  • Confront death and ego

• Aghoris, who worship Shiva in his form as Bhairava, may use Datura in extreme rituals, though this is rare and highly esoteric.

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🧠 Effects in Ritual Context

Unlike classic psychedelics like psilocybin or ayahuasca, Datura produces delirium, not insight or ego dissolution. Effects include:

• Hallucinations indistinguishable from reality

• Talking to people who aren't there

• Complete amnesia afterward

• A sense of death, decay, or spiritual trial

This made it useful in initiation rites or “death-and-rebirth” experiences in some traditions — but it is extremely unpredictable and dangerous.

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📜 Summary

Aspect	Detail
Plant type	Psychoactive nightshade (toxic, deliriant)
Main compounds	Scopolamine, atropine, hyoscyamine
Hindu connection	Sacred to Shiva; used as offering
Ritual use	Rare use in Tantric and Aghori sects
Experience	Delirium, hallucinations, amnesia, spiritual crisis
Risk	High – can be fatal or cause psychosis

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Would you like more detail on Aghori rituals or the symbolism of Shiva in relation to poisonous plants?

Kill it before it glows

 

¨

A motley collection of "cryptid" sightings. Some are barely believable stories about bioluminescent spiders and frogs. Others are frankly unbelievable. A glowing lake monster in Lake Erie? A pterodactyl which looks like a UFO? Yeah, that´s likely...

But sure, it´s entertaining.      

Mammalian butterflies

 

An entertaining review by Darren Naish of a strange French book in the "speculative zoology" genre: "Demain, les Animaux du Futur". I haven´t seen the work, but it seems the future is *really* wild in this scenario. 

10 million years into the future, all mammals except bats have disappeared. Together with birds, they have taken over land and air. Mega-bats gliding around in the upper atmosphere, enormous geese with four legs, and parrots looking like theropods are some of the evolutionary monstrosities "described" in the book. The front cover shows a flightless terror bird descended from the Lammergeier! The oceans are dominated by 40 meters long tadpoles, squids in various sizes, and whale-like penguins (here we go again). 

"Demain" pays tribute to other works of Spec Zoo, including Dougal Dixon´s classic "After Man: A Zoology of the Future". Apparently, speculative zoology is big in Japan, so a Japanese version of "Demain" actually exist, but no English translation. At one point, Naish (clearly a big fan of this genre) quips: "I, for one, welcome our new gargantuan marine tadpole monster overlords." Dude! 

Not sure if this is of any interest except to a certain kind of super-nerds, but...there you go.     

Speculative zoology grand and photoreal

Survivors

 

Credit: Guillaume Baviere 

So I just watched the second episode of "Sveriges hav" (The Seas of Sweden), and it seems most of it actually is about, you know, Sweden. The first episode was about the Shetland Islands?! The sequel has the subtitle "Östersjöns överlevare" (Survivors of the Baltic Sea). Gotland is featured, but a Danish island has also been sneaked in, and who knows what else. 

Not sure if anyone even survived this extravaganza of various animals munching on each other. Starfish attacking clams, herring gulls swooping down on eider ducklings, the Gotland subspecies of grass snake hunting for fish in the sea...but also seals generally basking in the sun, waiting for better times. You get the picture. There are also enormous populations of moon jellies in the Baltic Sea, apparently a problem since they eat too much (and hence presumably out-compete the fish eaten by humans). 

It seems Lake NATO is really a gigantic smorgasbord! May it survive for the benefit of future hungry generations, and so forth.

  

Homo diluvii testis

 

An old classic. That time when a fossil of a giant salamander was misinterpreted as the remains of a man who witnessed the Biblical Flood. Note, however, that the final scientific name of the specimen honors both the original discoverer and his mistake! From Wikipedia. 

>>>In his book Lithographia Helvetica from 1726, Johann Jakob Scheuchzer described a Miocene fossil found in Öhningen as Homo diluvii testis (Latin: Man, witness of the Deluuge), believing it to be the remains of a human that drowned in the biblical Deluge. The fossil was about 1 m (3 ft) long, lacked its tail and hind legs, and could thus be interpreted as showing some resemblance to the remains of a violently trampled human child.

>>>In 1758, the first to doubt his theory in print was Johannes Gessner, who thought it was a giant catfish (Siluris). In 1787 Petrus Camper thought it was a lizard (Lacerta); at that time, scholars and the scientific community generally did not differentiate between reptiles and amphibians. In 1802 Martin van Marum bought this fossil for Teyler´s Museum in Haarlem from Scheuchzer's grandson in Zürich, along with a fossilized swordfish, for 14 Louis d´or. It can still be seen in Teyler's Museum, in the original showcase.

>>>Seven years later, the fossil again came under scrutiny when the famous Georges Cuvier published an article in which he claimed the fossil was "nothing but a salamander, or rather a proteus of gigantic dimensions and of an unknown species". He proceeded to examine the fossil in Haarlem, by then a part of the French Empire, in 1811. After hacking away gently at the fossil, he uncovered the foremost limbs and the specimen was recognized as a giant salamander. The difference in color of the stone shows what Scheuchzer saw and what Cuvier later could see.

>>>The specimen was renamed Salamandra scheuchzeri by Friedrich Holl in 1831. The genus Andrias was only coined six years later by Johann Jakob von Tschudi. In doing so, both the genus, Andrias (which means image of man), and the specific name, scheuchzeri, ended up honouring Scheuchzer and his beliefs. The Teylers Museum has several other specimens in their collection in addition to this one.

Andrias scheuchzeri

Skeleton Coast

 

Credit: BigSugarDaddy

"Namib: Skeleton Coast and Beyond" is a BBC nature documentary in the series "Eden: Untamed Planet". This time the BBC crew did manage to find an area almost devoid of Homo sapiens: the Namib, a coastal desert in southern Africa. Unless I´m mistaken, the docu is taped in the Namibian-Angolan border region. 

For a "desert", I have to say that the Namib is teaming with life, both large and small. Among the larger are lions, enormous flocks of ostriches, oryx, giraffes, elephants, fur seals, jackals and hyenas. The elephants consume seeds containing water, while the jackals and hyenas (unsurprisingly) eat dead seal cubs, the seals themselves of course consuming fish. 

100 days of the year, the sand dunes of the Namib are watered by sea fog, the same fog that makes the coastal area dangerous for ships, earning it the nickname "Skeleton Coast". All kinds of smaller animals thrive on the dunes (and in them): termites, ants, frogs, scorpions...

After seeing this, I wonder whether humans might be the only life form that usually avoids this region! 

"Namib: Skeleton Coast and Beyond" ends with the usual climate change pitch, the temperature in the desert rising, but I somehow suspect that these creatures will survive or even thrive regardless...or simply move. The Namib desert has apparently existed for 55 million years, so it´s not clear to me why it would need "saving" at all. 

Yes, this is Eden.