From as far back as ancient times, the bark of the yohimbe tree, also
known as Pausinystalia yohimba, johimbe, yohimbÈ and yohimbÈbaum, (among
other popular names throughout the world), has been employed in Africa
as an aphrodisiac, especially among the Bantu people. It is probable
that the ancient Egyptians may have been aware of, and even imported,
the bark of the yohimba tree through trade channels with West Africa.
The yohimbe tree has long been held in high regard as an aphrodisiac and
stimulant in Cameroon. The tree is native to the tropical forests of
Nigeria and Cameroon, and in the jungles of the Congo.
The yohimbe tree is an evergreen which can grow to a height of almost
one hundred feet tall, and it bears a slight resemblance to the oak
tree. It has oval attenuated leaves with bushy inflorescences that
produce winged seeds. The light brown or gray-brown bark is about a
third of an inch thick with horizontal and vertical fissures and is
usually overgrown with lichens. It is the bark of the tree that is the
source of alkaloids which have significant pharmaceutical value.
The German chemist Spiegel isolated the alkaloid yohimbine from the bark
of the yohimbe tree in the late 19th century. The chemical compound has
been subsequently utilized in Western medicine as a treatment for
impotence and as a local anesthetic. The psychoactive properties of the
yohimbe tree is derived from its bark, and the alkaloids can only be
extracted from its bark after it has dried.
The bark of the trunk of trees that are older than fifteen to twenty
years contains two to fifteen percent indole alkaloids that consists of
yohimbine, coryine, quebrachine, corynanthidine, isoyohimbine,
mesoyohimbine, rauwolscine, amsonine, yohimbinine, corynanthine,
corynanthein, dihydrocorynanthein, alloyohimbine, pseudoyohimbine,
tetrahydromethylcorynanthein and ajmalcine.
In addition to its sexual stimulant and aphrodisiac qualities, the bark
of the yohimbe tree has been reported to also be hallucinogenic when
smoked. The psychoactive effects are primarily due to the main active
constituent yohimbine. Yohimbine has sympatholytic and local anesthetic
effects much like those of cocaine. It also has vasodilating effects,
especially on the sex organs. Yohimbine stimulates the release of
noradrenaline at the nerve endings. This makes noradrenaline available
in the corpus cavernosum, resulting in sexual stimulation and ultimately
in an erection in men.
In Cameroon, the bark of the yohimbe tree is used in folk medicine to
treat impotence resulting from black magic and witchcraft. Preparations
containing yohimbe are used in modern phytotherapy and in Western
medicine to treat frigidity and impotence. It is also used in veterinary
medicine. In homeopathic medicine, it has been sited as arousing the
sexual organs, and affecting the central nervous and respiratory
systems. Homeopathically, it is said to be able to help with congestive
conditions of the sexual organs, including hyperemia of the mammary
glands, resulting in stimulating milk production.
Itís likely that yohimbe was once used in western Africa as an
initiatory drink in fetish and ancestor cults, as well as in initiations
into secret societies. An initiation ritual was described by an explorer
in West Africa who witnessed it during the late nineteenth century.
Black magic sorcerers would give their followers a yohimbe drink to
prepare them for a great fetishistic initiation. After imbibing the
potion, the subjectís nerves would tense up in an extreme manner and an
epileptic-type fit would overcome them. During this fit, the subjects
would begin to unconsciously utter words that, when heard by the
initiated, held prophetic meaning and demonstrated that the fetish
successfully now dwells within them.
The Masai of East Africa call their warrior ritual drug ìmotorikiî or
simply ìol motori,î meaning ìthe soup.î It is cooked from the bark of
the yohimbe tree together with the roots of Acokanthera ñ a substance
they also use as a poison for arrow heads. Since most archaic drug
rituals almost always include an animal sacrifice, the warlike Masai
kill a bull on such occasions. They collect its blood in a vessel, and
then mix it into the finished brew of yohimbe bark and root pieces.
The motoriki drink produces an epilepsy-like tetanus in which the Morani
ñ the young Masai warriors enduring this initiation ñ are visited by
horrible visions in which they fight with demons and wild, savage
animals. The terrible hallucinations are so strong that they must be
watched over and held onto so that they will not injure themselves or
others. However, there are reportedly numerous deaths due to Morani
running amok while under the influence, or from respiratory failure.
However, it is said those that survive this ritual will no longer fear
anything.
In the early 20th century, yohimbe bark and yohimbine enjoyed great
popularity in Germany as a psychoactive aphrodisiac. Today, yohimbe is
used chiefly in North America but also throughout Europe for sexual
magic rituals that borrow from the Indian Tantra and the techniques of
various occultists such as Aleister Crowley. Yohimbe has also been known
to be used as a sacrament for pagan wedding ceremonies.
The dried bark can be prepared as an extract in alcohol as a tincture,
or brewed as a tea. To make tea, six teaspoons of dried yohimbe bark
should be boiled with water and 500 mg of vitamin C per person, then
sipped slowly. A recipe that can be used to decoct a tea which will
produce a firm erection includes one tablespoon of dried yohimbe bark,
one teaspoon of crushed dita seeds (Alstonia scholaris), one tablespoon
of broken up cola nuts and one tablespoon of sasparilla. All ingredients
should be boiled together for ten minutes, then sipped slowly.
The pharmaceutical industry uses yohimbe extracts to manufacture
aphrodisiacs and medicines to treat impotence. These extracts are
usually combined with atropine, Tunera diffusa, Strychnos nux-vomica,
Stychnos, Lirisoma ovata or other substances. The bark is also used in
aphrodisiac smoking blends, mixed with other herbs that soothe, while
still others stimulate. Most preparations of the bark also produce
mild, subtle euphoric effects.
The bark is available without restriction, while the pure alkaloids
require a prescription. Ten drops of a pure 1% solution of yohimbe
extract is said to stimulate the sexual organs of both men and women,
although the resulting erection in men makes these effects more obvious
than those experienced by women. Both sexes report feelings of mild
euphoria and when taken in high concentrations, yohimbe extract has been
reported to produce hallucinations and other-worldly experiences.
*POTENTIAL DANGERS OF YOHIMBE / YOHIMBINE*
There are widely varied reports about the dangers of Yohimbine, partly
because, we suspect, it reportedly has been used as a hallucinogen by
African tribes throughout history. The governments of Canada,
Australia, Norway, Finland & United Kingdom have banned the trade of
Yohimbe because of itís potential to be life threatening, and the FDA in
the United States is looking into ways of banning it, just like Ephedra,
but it is presently still legal.
Yohimbe is reportedly showing up more and more in the recent past
possibly due to its ability to reportedly provide both hallucinogenic
and highly stimulating experiences when taken in dosages of 50-100 mg.
Often mixed with other substances like ephedrine, the herb can be quite
dangerous when taken in doses over 50mg. Yohimbe is also used in
tantric rituals and when taken in excess, is also dangerous and
unpleasant, causing many side effects such as severe nausea, intense
irritability as well as stomach and colon reactions. In some cases
Yohimbe can cause dangerously altered blood pressure. A drug that can
both dilate or collapse veins, preventing blood flow can be quite
dangerous for people with blood pressure or heart issues.
So, when working with any herbal product or unfamiliar entheogen, start
off small, and test any reaction. It's better to feel nothing, than to
find yourself in an unpleasant or worse; a dangerous situation.
known as Pausinystalia yohimba, johimbe, yohimbÈ and yohimbÈbaum, (among
other popular names throughout the world), has been employed in Africa
as an aphrodisiac, especially among the Bantu people. It is probable
that the ancient Egyptians may have been aware of, and even imported,
the bark of the yohimba tree through trade channels with West Africa.
The yohimbe tree has long been held in high regard as an aphrodisiac and
stimulant in Cameroon. The tree is native to the tropical forests of
Nigeria and Cameroon, and in the jungles of the Congo.
The yohimbe tree is an evergreen which can grow to a height of almost
one hundred feet tall, and it bears a slight resemblance to the oak
tree. It has oval attenuated leaves with bushy inflorescences that
produce winged seeds. The light brown or gray-brown bark is about a
third of an inch thick with horizontal and vertical fissures and is
usually overgrown with lichens. It is the bark of the tree that is the
source of alkaloids which have significant pharmaceutical value.
The German chemist Spiegel isolated the alkaloid yohimbine from the bark
of the yohimbe tree in the late 19th century. The chemical compound has
been subsequently utilized in Western medicine as a treatment for
impotence and as a local anesthetic. The psychoactive properties of the
yohimbe tree is derived from its bark, and the alkaloids can only be
extracted from its bark after it has dried.
The bark of the trunk of trees that are older than fifteen to twenty
years contains two to fifteen percent indole alkaloids that consists of
yohimbine, coryine, quebrachine, corynanthidine, isoyohimbine,
mesoyohimbine, rauwolscine, amsonine, yohimbinine, corynanthine,
corynanthein, dihydrocorynanthein, alloyohimbine, pseudoyohimbine,
tetrahydromethylcorynanthein and ajmalcine.
In addition to its sexual stimulant and aphrodisiac qualities, the bark
of the yohimbe tree has been reported to also be hallucinogenic when
smoked. The psychoactive effects are primarily due to the main active
constituent yohimbine. Yohimbine has sympatholytic and local anesthetic
effects much like those of cocaine. It also has vasodilating effects,
especially on the sex organs. Yohimbine stimulates the release of
noradrenaline at the nerve endings. This makes noradrenaline available
in the corpus cavernosum, resulting in sexual stimulation and ultimately
in an erection in men.
In Cameroon, the bark of the yohimbe tree is used in folk medicine to
treat impotence resulting from black magic and witchcraft. Preparations
containing yohimbe are used in modern phytotherapy and in Western
medicine to treat frigidity and impotence. It is also used in veterinary
medicine. In homeopathic medicine, it has been sited as arousing the
sexual organs, and affecting the central nervous and respiratory
systems. Homeopathically, it is said to be able to help with congestive
conditions of the sexual organs, including hyperemia of the mammary
glands, resulting in stimulating milk production.
Itís likely that yohimbe was once used in western Africa as an
initiatory drink in fetish and ancestor cults, as well as in initiations
into secret societies. An initiation ritual was described by an explorer
in West Africa who witnessed it during the late nineteenth century.
Black magic sorcerers would give their followers a yohimbe drink to
prepare them for a great fetishistic initiation. After imbibing the
potion, the subjectís nerves would tense up in an extreme manner and an
epileptic-type fit would overcome them. During this fit, the subjects
would begin to unconsciously utter words that, when heard by the
initiated, held prophetic meaning and demonstrated that the fetish
successfully now dwells within them.
The Masai of East Africa call their warrior ritual drug ìmotorikiî or
simply ìol motori,î meaning ìthe soup.î It is cooked from the bark of
the yohimbe tree together with the roots of Acokanthera ñ a substance
they also use as a poison for arrow heads. Since most archaic drug
rituals almost always include an animal sacrifice, the warlike Masai
kill a bull on such occasions. They collect its blood in a vessel, and
then mix it into the finished brew of yohimbe bark and root pieces.
The motoriki drink produces an epilepsy-like tetanus in which the Morani
ñ the young Masai warriors enduring this initiation ñ are visited by
horrible visions in which they fight with demons and wild, savage
animals. The terrible hallucinations are so strong that they must be
watched over and held onto so that they will not injure themselves or
others. However, there are reportedly numerous deaths due to Morani
running amok while under the influence, or from respiratory failure.
However, it is said those that survive this ritual will no longer fear
anything.
In the early 20th century, yohimbe bark and yohimbine enjoyed great
popularity in Germany as a psychoactive aphrodisiac. Today, yohimbe is
used chiefly in North America but also throughout Europe for sexual
magic rituals that borrow from the Indian Tantra and the techniques of
various occultists such as Aleister Crowley. Yohimbe has also been known
to be used as a sacrament for pagan wedding ceremonies.
The dried bark can be prepared as an extract in alcohol as a tincture,
or brewed as a tea. To make tea, six teaspoons of dried yohimbe bark
should be boiled with water and 500 mg of vitamin C per person, then
sipped slowly. A recipe that can be used to decoct a tea which will
produce a firm erection includes one tablespoon of dried yohimbe bark,
one teaspoon of crushed dita seeds (Alstonia scholaris), one tablespoon
of broken up cola nuts and one tablespoon of sasparilla. All ingredients
should be boiled together for ten minutes, then sipped slowly.
The pharmaceutical industry uses yohimbe extracts to manufacture
aphrodisiacs and medicines to treat impotence. These extracts are
usually combined with atropine, Tunera diffusa, Strychnos nux-vomica,
Stychnos, Lirisoma ovata or other substances. The bark is also used in
aphrodisiac smoking blends, mixed with other herbs that soothe, while
still others stimulate. Most preparations of the bark also produce
mild, subtle euphoric effects.
The bark is available without restriction, while the pure alkaloids
require a prescription. Ten drops of a pure 1% solution of yohimbe
extract is said to stimulate the sexual organs of both men and women,
although the resulting erection in men makes these effects more obvious
than those experienced by women. Both sexes report feelings of mild
euphoria and when taken in high concentrations, yohimbe extract has been
reported to produce hallucinations and other-worldly experiences.
*POTENTIAL DANGERS OF YOHIMBE / YOHIMBINE*
There are widely varied reports about the dangers of Yohimbine, partly
because, we suspect, it reportedly has been used as a hallucinogen by
African tribes throughout history. The governments of Canada,
Australia, Norway, Finland & United Kingdom have banned the trade of
Yohimbe because of itís potential to be life threatening, and the FDA in
the United States is looking into ways of banning it, just like Ephedra,
but it is presently still legal.
Yohimbe is reportedly showing up more and more in the recent past
possibly due to its ability to reportedly provide both hallucinogenic
and highly stimulating experiences when taken in dosages of 50-100 mg.
Often mixed with other substances like ephedrine, the herb can be quite
dangerous when taken in doses over 50mg. Yohimbe is also used in
tantric rituals and when taken in excess, is also dangerous and
unpleasant, causing many side effects such as severe nausea, intense
irritability as well as stomach and colon reactions. In some cases
Yohimbe can cause dangerously altered blood pressure. A drug that can
both dilate or collapse veins, preventing blood flow can be quite
dangerous for people with blood pressure or heart issues.
So, when working with any herbal product or unfamiliar entheogen, start
off small, and test any reaction. It's better to feel nothing, than to
find yourself in an unpleasant or worse; a dangerous situation.
