Bufo toads and bufotenine: fact and fiction surrounding an alleged psychedelic.
T Lyttle, D Goldstein, J Gartz
Journal of psychoactive drugs January 1, 1996 DOI: 10.1080/02791072.1996.10472488
Summary
The Bufo toad, revered in various cultures for its mystical properties, contains bufotenine, a compound with a controversial reputation. With a rich history dating back to ancient times, this toad has been used for everything from healing to casting spells. In the 1960s, it became a countercultural icon. This investigation reviews extensive literature on the toad and bufotenine, clarifying myths and misinformation while providing a comprehensive bibliography, paving the way for future exploration into its historical and cultural significance.
Abstract
This paper investigates the supposedly psychedelic Bufo toad and the allegedly psychedelic drug bufotenine, which is contained in the skin and glands of this toad. The bufo toad has held a place in human mythologies and medicines worldwide since archaic times. Used by ancient peoples for a variety of purposes, its most spectacular effects, according to lore, involve magical and shamanic or occult uses for casting spells and for divination. In the Middle Ages, the Bufo toad was celebrated as a panacea and persecuted as a powerful poison. More recently, in the 1960s the Bufo toad was resurrected as a countercultural icon, with people purportedly licking or smoking the secretions to get high. Bufotenine has been at the center of a scientific debate since its discovery in 1893. This paper examines the extensive literature surrounding the Bufo toad and bufotenine, and untangles many of the myths and the misinformation that continue to vex both science and popular reporting. Finally, to promote further investigation, a comprehensive bibliography is provided that charts the history of the Bufo toad and bufotenine.