Holy Sananga! This plant medicine stings!!!
- Kristi Saare Duarte
- Mar 31, 2023
- 9 min read
At my last Kambô session, the medicine woman suggested I might want to do a 21-day dieta with Sananga. No way, I thought. Why would I want to place these stinging drops into my eyes for three whole weeks? But as a few days passed, I sensed the plant medicine calling to me. And, boy, am I glad it did. Holy Sananga, what an amazing experience!!!
Sananga is a sacred plant medicine from the Sanango master plant (Tabernaemontana sananho) in the Amazon jungle. The root is scraped, squeezed, and gathered as a “burning juice.” Tribes traditionally used these eye drops to enhance their vision and improve intuition before going hunting at night, but it has also been used for medicinal purposes for hundreds, if not thousands, of years.
Nowadays, Sananga is well known in the Western world and is usually administered as part of Ayahuasca and Kambô ceremonies to help connect with spirit. In addition to improved eyesight, Sananga can also help clear "panema," i.e., negative energies and blockages in our energy field. Panema builds up over the years as we fight our way through life, suppressing guilt and shame, slugging through stressful situations, and putting on a brave face for the world. Underneath the shiny surface, we might not be as happy and carefree as we pretend to be. Furthermore, Sananga is completely legal, and it's even used by some doctors to treat various eye conditions like cataracts, inflammations, and viral infections.
How to take Sananga
The stinging is no joke. It's like applying chili pepper into your eyes. Make sure you find a peaceful place where you won't be disturbed. Ideally, the room should be dark or dim. Set your intention and express gratitude to the spirit of Sananga. Remove makeup and any contact lenses. Lie on your back on a flat surface, play some meditation music, and have a tissue nearby. Shake the bottle of Sananga to Drip one or two drops into the inner corner of each eye, screw the lid back onto the bottle, and place it out of reach. Blink. Breathe through the pain. Blink again. Breathe. Blink. And then relax and enjoy.
Some people apply the medicine into open eyes, but this is not necessary. The important thing is to spread the liquid across the surface of your eyeballs.
Listen to your body, to the spirits, and customize the session according to your own needs. I had to have my arms at my sides, palms up, and often I was guided to massage my third-eye chakra. With a medium-strength Sananga, the process takes about 20-30 minutes.
My Journey (21-Day Dieta) with Brother Sananga
Day 1
At night, I set my intention to open my heart chakra to allow loving myself and all others unconditionally. First, I took rapé, then Sananga, while listening to meditation music. As I relaxed, I received a message about a troublesome neighbor: "Don't take on other people's burdens."
Day 2
I woke with puffy eyes and a headache, and I decided to take Sananga in the morning to avoid my eyes swelling up. The medicine made me sleepy, and I had to shower in the dark with my eyes closed. But I already felt a huge shift in energy: I already felt much happier and lighter after having felt quite depressed over the previous days. I even sang as I prepared my breakfast.
Day 3
Once again, I took Sananga at night. Very late, this time, because we had had friends over. After the pain had subsided, I relaxed and fell into a deep, sweet sleep.
Day 4
I took Sananga at night again, a bit rushed before going to bed. It hurt like hell, but I didn't feel a huge effect otherwise. However, my mood kept getting better and better, all through the day.
Day 5
I heard the call in the afternoon: "Do it now!" and it was my best session yet. With chakra-opening meditation music playing in the background, I felt the plant medicine spread through me, cleansing me, and leaving me in a state of bliss. I breathed into the pain and felt the whoosh of kundalini energy rush up my spine. Now, I was a true believer!
Day 6
I felt super reluctant. I didn't want to do it at all, and I recoiled with fear at the thought of going through the pain once again. Interestingly, it hurt much less, as if my eyes were getting used to it, or my body feeling its cleansing power. And it was such a beautiful session! The energy raced through my body, releasing barriers and blockages. At one point, my spirit guides said, "Relax, let us take care of you. You don't have to do anything."
Toward the end, after about 20 minutes, I felt a profound sadness and was encouraged to let go of the inner pain. My body started shaking violently, as I do after a Kambô session. And then I felt amazingly happy!
Day 7
I couldn't wait to take my daily dose of Sananga! And once again, the drops didn't sting too badly. I went deep into meditation very fast, but as I reached for a tissue to dry the tears running from my eyes, I accidentally touched my phone, which turned the meditation music off. I said, "Oh no!" and got frazzled, because I couldn't open my eyes yet. The word "No" broke the spell, and I couldn't get back to that depth again. This proves the power of negativity, however brief, and the importance of always staying positive, no matter what.
Day 8
I took Sananga at night, and it was soooo powerful. I remember thinking, "Holy Sananga!"
Day 9
I did the Sananga session first thing in the morning because I had things to do. It didn't feel as powerful. Perhaps because it felt rushed.
Days 10 and 11
On Saturday, I had my session during the day, and on Sunday late at night. I've come to the conclusion it's best (for me) around 9 p.m. at night, giving me an hour or more after the session before going to bed.
Day 12
The stinging seems to have subsided and it's not as painful anymore. I felt a whoosh of kundalini and sensed the support of my spirit guides around me. I'm being called to Peru to train as a Kambo practitioner. More than anything, I want to work with spiritual healing and readings. Serve humanity. The last few days I've had this high-pitched ringing sound in my ears. This morning I started seeing waves of energy. And when I meditate, my sacral chakra vibrates. Sananga is definitely working its magic on me.
Day 13
Wow!!! This was a huge, powerful session. I had a Kambo-like reaction, perhaps because I administered more Sananga drops (thinking perhaps it has lost its strength) and found a new piece of shamanic music on YouTube. It started as usual with the pain, and as I breathed deeply, the energy of Sananga spread through me. My heart chakra began vibrating like crazy and I could feel the medicine cleansing it. I was aware of spirits around me as the kundalini whooshed up my spine, but it seems to stop at the crown chakra. Then I got very cold and started shaking profusely, like after Kambô. I shook for a long time, and then I started burping, releasing even more stagnant energy. Tears of sadness fell down my cheeks, and I let go of some of the guilt I've carried inside me from hurting people in the past. The burps became stronger and stronger, and I was inspired to sit up. I vomited air, purging so much stagnant energy from my solar plexus and sacral chakras. And now I feel sooooo much lighter and happier. Sananga is awesome!!!
Day 14
Once again, this was a rushed session, and I didn't take a big enough dose. This session was all about strong vibrations in the heart, solar plexus, and sacral chakras, opening them up. My sacral chakra buzzed for a long time afterward. I love it!
Day 15
I took Sananga very late at night, just before going to sleep. It was super-strong and I got a lot of messages and insights, but I couldn't remember anything when I woke up.
Day 16
Again, I felt resistance to taking Sananga. If I hadn't decided to do a 21-day dieta, I probably wouldn't have taken it. The session, once I took it, was strong and powerful. I felt as if I wanted to throw up and purge blockages as I do with Kambô and Ayahuasca. I had some really strong vibrational experiences, some kundalini whooshes, and lots of burping and crying. There's still so much sadness to release. I'm being called to show my true self, on so many levels, and it's a work in progress. I didn't know I had so many layers of protection and so many masks to shed. I've been dimming my own light, trying to fit in among a world of people who are very different from me. It's time to reveal myself, the way I really am.
Day 17
Because of the desire to purge the previous day, I thought I'd test to see what happens if I drink two liters of water prior to taking Sananga, as you do with Kambô. I prepared well with meditation, palo santo, and white sage, and administered a large dose of Sananga. But I barely felt anything. Just sadness, and extreme fatigue afterward. A few "bad" things happened in the last couple of days, and my Sananga-high has evaporated somewhat. I feel like I'm being tested. Still, my mood is pretty balanced compared to what I used to be like before I started my Sananga dieta. I don't really get angry or flustered or annoyed any longer. I see bad things happen, and I just think, "oh well."
Day 18
A long, beautiful evening session with Sananga and Rapé. I felt as one with the stars in the universe. After taking the Rapé, I had an extremely strong experience where I went down into the underworld and connected with everything there, before rising up to the skies and connecting with the stars. The entire session lasted over an hour, and when I went to bed I was still processing, and I had a long talk with "God." They (God) refer to themselves as "We" not "I." They asked me to release and let go of all my fear, of all my control. Because I keep saying I'm ready, but it feels as if I still have a long way to go. In the morning, I couldn't remember more of what God had said, but the conversation went on for a long time and I felt so grateful.
Day 19
Once again, I took Sananga at night. This time, I got very uncomfortable in my body and I had to sit up and stretch before I lay down again. I tried to breathe into the discomfort, releasing all control. While my blockages have shifted, and I have released a lot, there's still a long way to go. A lot more work to do.
Day 20
The last couple of days I have felt a bit reluctant to take Sananga and have been wanting to be done with the whole experience. While I love Sananga, its effect has diminished somewhat. Maybe my Sananga has lost some of its potency because I didn't refrigerate it for the first few weeks. Or maybe I've just gotten used to it. Still, I felt a LOT of vibrations in my chakras, especially the sacral, solar plexus, heart, and third eye chakras, as well as some in the crown chakra. Madonna's song "Open Your Heart" keeps playing in my head.
Day 21
I took the plant medicine at night, administering a lot of Sananga into my eyes. My god, it hurt!!! My whole face pulsated. I breathed in and out, releasing the pain, and then Sananga took me on a journey. I followed a black panther down a path into the jungle. I swam to the bottom of the ocean. I went into a cave and met a group of shamans. There was a burning fire in the middle of the cave, and I became one with the flames. I fell into a deep well, where I found a golden coin at the bottom. It multiplied and multiplied, filling the well with coins until I could easily step out of it. Then the well overflowed with golden coins and filled up the entire cave. Many more things happened, but I was trying to enjoy the journey, not keeping track and trying to remember. It was an amazing, beautiful journey much like Ayahuasca, only I was more present. And I wasn't hallucinating, just observing where my mind went.
Was it worth it?
Is putting stinging eye drops in your eyes for 21 days in a row really worth it? Absolutely! My moods have stabilized and I'm not so affected by what goes on in other people's lives. I'm not trying to fix everything for everyone. I just observe, and try to help when I can. But I don't absorb the moods of others. I see vibrations in the air and I can feel my chakras buzzing. I've had a lot of Kundalini "whooshes" when meditating, which is encouraging. I'm increasingly less afraid of—and perhaps even eager to—showing the "real" me. I've always been so afraid of showing my weaknesses, but now I want to reveal myself exactly as I am.
Now what?
I'm both sad and relieved that the 21-day dieta is over. I'm going to wait at least a week until I take Sananga again. And I'm curious about getting a stronger version of Sananga. Mine is the medium strength, Kuntanawa Sananga. But can I take the pain? I'm not sure.
I have a lot of work to do with meditations, so maybe focus on that for a while.
I'm filled with gratitude for Brother Sananga, as I came to call the spirit of this wonderous plant medicine. I'm forever grateful and in awe of the gifts I have received.
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