Jurema Negra

The root bark of Jurema Negra and its relative Jurema Branca are used in the Amazon & other areas of South America in ways that parallel Ayahuasca ceremony, but are unique. The name for these plants, Jurema, also refers to a particular forest spirit entity, which is the guide and teacher in the form of the plant, and to the forest in which she lives.

Like Chacruna with Banisteriopsis, Jurema is often combined with Passionflower, creating a similar synergy. Jurema is also taken alone, and some research suggests that it is active by itself, and not just half of an analogue of Ayahuasca.

Whether alone or in combination, Jurema, like Chacruna, is considered the “light” of the experience, used to open the user to receive the Enchanted Beings of Light into the body in a ritual form of possession.

The more common Jurema Negra brings a withdrawn quality to the experience, useful for solo journeys to the inner self. The rarer Jurema Branca (Mimosa verrucosa) has a more outgoing energy, useful if physical or social activity is to be part of the journey.